throne.

And Quendritha was dead. That which her daughter had boded for her
as she left the palace had come to pass, and she had gone. She had
never set eyes on her husband again, and never heard how that which
she planned had come to pass.

That death seemed to take the last doubt of our peace from us; but
now Sighard would no more go back to his lands.

"I was Ethelbert's thane and his father's; I will not hold from
Offa. Let me come back with you now until I know what I can do."

So when our wedding was over he crossed with us to Wessex, and
there for a time he bided. Then came a message from Thetford that
the widowed queen, Ethelbert's mother, would speak with him, and
without delay he went to her. Offa had left her in peace in her own
house; but now she would go to Crowland, that she might be with her
who should have been her daughter, and thither Sighard took her.
Then he went to see what had happened with his own place, and found
it untouched. Offa, when he took the realm, had at least proved
that he had no mind to enrich himself with lesser spoils.

So Sighard sold his right of succession, and all else that was his
own in East Anglia, and thereafter bought a place for himself near
us; and there he lives now, well loved by all and honoured. Many
and kind were the messages which he brought back from the queen to
me and to Hilda, whom she had loved, rejoicing that the way to
Sutton had at least brought happiness to us two.

My good skew-bald steed I could not take across the sea with me,
and I was loath to sell him. At last I persuaded Jefan, our friend,
to take him as a gift, for I cared for none save the prince himself
to ride him.

"He is nowise a safe steed to go cattle-raiding on," said Kynan,
"for one can mark him for miles. Nevertheless he is a princely
mount, and a good rallying point for the men after they have been
scattered in a charge."

So they laughed, and were well pleased, as was I. Erling's horse I
gave to that man who had been our guide when we fled, and there was
no difficulty in finding owners for the rest.

Now one will ask concerning Ecgbert the atheling, whose friend I
had been for so long.

All men know that today he is the king of all England, and the
greatest who ever sat on her throne. But for long years we waited
till the time for his return came. While Bertric lived, to whom he
had sworn fealty, he would do naught, in utmost loyalty, and with
the Mercian throne he had no