Chapter XXIX
November 871 – Nidaros, Norway
The pace of life in Nidaros had slowed down with the shortening of the days. After the great harvests, the huge amount of work they involved and the numerous feasts which followed them, winter approached quickly.
“I won’t eat with you tonight”, said Alfrid.
“But Hrolfr and his wife will come supping in this house ! I’d prefer you to be present”, answered the chief.
“I’m tired. Our baby is growing quickly”, she said, arching slightly and putting her hand on her round belly.
Sigurd pleaded silently, looking straight in her eyes.
“Why can’t Ingibjörg be present instead ?”, she asked.
“Alfrid… You know she was overseeing the affairs in the temple today.”
“I think the proper place of a wife is by her husband’s side. She should always stay in this house.”
“Then… Why don’t you want to be by my side tonight ?”
She sighed.
“I’d like to be able to. But I’m too tired for it. I told you so already.”
“Alfrid...”
“Do… do you think I’m worth less than Ingi ? I’m giving you children !”
He caressed her cheek.
“Don’t get angry, honey. You are worth very much to me, you know it.”
“Then why do you require from me what you don’t require from her ?”
“I don’t req…”
“You do !”
It was Sigurd’s turn to sigh.
“Well, very well… You don’t have to be present for the supper tonight.”
She calmed down.
“Thank you.”
Being chief may help to get women in my bed, he thought,
but it doesn’t to make them reasonable.
When his marshal Hrolfr came that evening with his wife Sigrid, Sigurd explained Alfrid was inconvenienced and could not join them.
“But the meals shall make this enjoyable.”
He had his thralls prepare the supper, and as his guest sat down, they brought the meaty dishes and served ale to all.
She has that golden necklace again, thought the chief, looking at his marshal’s wife, but he didn’t bring it up.
He spoke with Hrolfr of war and conquest, but his marshal spent most of his time devouring pieces of roasted reindeer, with swigs of ale.
He can’t control his urge to eat, thought Sigurd with disdain. He valued temperance and self-control.
On the upside, it makes him easier to control.
As the evening progressed, Sigurd spoke more with Sigrid, about the personal matters who made the framework of life, as Hrolfr got drunk.
“Not all chiefs are as wise as you”, she said.
This is flattery, he thought.
“Take Fairhair. He has submitted Akon of Namdale as his vassal in a recent war, and…”
“He took him as his spymaster, I know about it”, he said.
“Isn’t that foolish ?”
“You’d think so, but according to what I know, Akon respect him greatly. He’s been defeated by stronger than him, but treated with respect and honour, and he rewards this clemency with loyalty. He stands to gain more by siding with Fairhair than by opposing him. Others have not been so lucky. Haraldr Fairhair is the nephew of Olafr from Oppland, both being from the powerful Yngling clan. Haraldr doesn’t have a son yet, so he probably fears about inheritance. Should he die, his uncle would be his legitimate heir as his closest parent. Anyway, their relations have greatly worsened ever since Fairhair tried to have Rögnvaldr Olafrsson, his uncle’s eldest son, killed.”
“He tried to murder his cousin ?”, she asked.
“Ambitious fools often do the greatest harm to those closest to them. Speaking of this, that’s maybe why he gets along well with his spymaster.”
“What ?”
“Did you not hear of it ? Hakon tried to murder his own wife, Asta, a few months ago ! But he got found out before being able to carry his plan, and had to give up to avoid a terrible scandal. My wife Alfrid learned of it, she has some contacts on the other side of the fjord.”
Sigrid frowned.
“Did you hear that queen Aslaug of Jutland is pregnant ?”, she asked.
“I did not. Jutland has always been neutral towards us.”
“Rumour has it that the child may not be from king Bagsecg, as despite his efforts to dissimulate it, it has become known he suffers from the great pox.”
“It is only rumour, however. It may well be his child.”
“Maybe it is. Who knows ? Who could know ?”, she smiled.
Though more moderate, the chief was also affected by alcohol, and it made the grins of the woman he talked with seem all the more attractive.
She’s comely…
Hrolfr grunted. Two thralls, a man and a woman, came and quickly made him go out. Soon after, he was vomiting on the outside.
Sigurd could read the disgust on Sigrid’s face.
As nobody was to be seen around them anymore, she extended her arms across the table, while her legs made contact with his.
“I’m grateful you treat us well”, she said.
Even though his mind was not as clear as when sober, the chief had no difficulty in understanding what the woman in front of him sought. His heart accelerated its rhythm, pumping blood faster across his body. Women were his weakness…
I’d like to taste her, he thought.
“And maybe things could go even better”, she said, her right hand on his. “Some… difficulties…”, she added, looking to the empty seat next to her, “could be cleared easier than you may think”, she said, her left hand stroking her chin, drawing his eyes to her necklace.
But as his body grew in excitation, Sigurd thought of his wives. Both Ingibjörg and Alfrid despised Sigrid. Where he to do anything with her, he’d poison his relationship with the two women dearest to him. This realization extinguished the nascent desire.
She’s not really beautiful, anyway, he thought, as if he was trying to convince his lustful side to surrender to reason.
He took Sigrid’s hand off of his, and put it on the table’s wood.
“I think you should go see how your husband fares. He needs your help. Take care of him and bring him back to your house.”
The words were spoken clearly, without ambiguity, his eyes staring directly in hers.
“I will do as you wish, my lord.”
She stood up, and he did the same.
“Thank you my lord for this invitation and this great supper. It shall be my pleasure to come again to your house when you wish so”, she said before bowing slightly and leaving.
The morrow, Ingibjörg travelled from the temple to the house.
When Sigurd saw her, she seemed light-hearted, and it made him smile.
“Dear husband…”, she said, her hands on his torso. “I have a request…”
This afternoon, both Rögnvaldr, the chancellor, and Eskild, his second, arrived, summoned by Sigurd.
“What is the matter, my lord ? What is so pressing that it can’t wait for the next meeting of the council ?”, asked the chancellor.
“I have thought about this a great deal, and I’ve come to an important decision. Rögnvaldr, I’m grateful for those nearly five years during which you served me as a chancellor. I won't forget it. However, that time is now drawing to an end.”
The man clearly did not expect that, and the shock was visible on his face.
“I’ve decided that from now on, Eskild Viss shall be my chancellor. Eskild, do you accept this role ?”
“I… I’m… I mean, yes, my lord."
The arguments from his wives had been persuasive.
They probably wanted this change more out of personal sympathy than for the good of the realm, thought Sigurd, but he had himself found reasons to justify this choice.
Rögnvaldr, while doing his job, had always been jealous of Sigurd’s elevation to chief. Unlike him, Eskild held no envy, trusting and satisfied with his lot in life. In other words, he was more reliable if difficult times were to come. And as his wives told him, it was exactly what he did when he spoke before the Thing a year earlier, to persuade the assembled representatives that they should decide to keep Sigurd as their chief, while Rögnvaldr didn’t bother to come back to the special assembly of the Thing, pretexting his mission in Rogaland made it impossible.
Not only do I get a more loyal chancellor, but Ingibjörg and Alfrid will be happy I followed their advice.
