“Welcome, kinsman,” he said, seeming hearty enough, however; “I had looked for you before this. What news from our good town of Norwich?”
He held out his hand to Ragnar, who took it frankly, and his strong grip twisted the king’s set smile into a grin of pain for a moment.
“All was well there three weeks ago when I left there to go to London. Now, I have ridden on to say that the Lady Goldberga is not far hence, so that her coming may be prepared for.”
Now, as the earl said this, the king’s smile went from his face, and black enough he looked for a moment. The look passed quickly, and the smile came back, but it seemed hard to keep it up.
“Why, that is well,” he said; “so you fell in with her on the way.”
“I have attended her from London,” answered the earl, looking steadfastly at Alsi, “and it was as well that I did so, as it happened.”
“What has been amiss?” asked the king sharply, and trying to look troubled. He let the smile go now altogether.
“Your henchman, Griffin the Welshman, had no guard with her that was fitting for our princess,” Ragnar said. “He had but twenty men, and these not of the best. It is in my mind also that I should have been told of this journey, for I am surely the right man to have guarded my queen who is to be.”
At that Alsi’s face went ashy pale, and I did not rightly know why at the time, but it seemed more in anger than aught else. But he had to make some answer.
“We sent a messenger to you,” he said hastily; “I cannot tell why he did not reach you.”