But then she raised her eyes and they looked at each other briefly, and all polite control burst, and they ran to each other. When they met they threw their arms around each other in a way that was not at all proper for young people who had not yet drunk their betrothal ale. Then the thralls' jubilant ululations rose again, and such a great noise commenced that none could make himself heard for a good long while.

   The thralls of Husaby already knew everything about what had happened and what was to be expected, and many of them hoped to follow along with Cecilia after the wedding ale. They believed that anyone who went with Cecilia and young Herr Arn would be better treated than anywhere else. Among the thralls only good things were said of Arn, things that had nothing to do with swords and bows and other topics that free men discussed over their ale tankards. Instead they talked of how young Herr Arn treated thralls like men.

   Cecilia and Arn did not want to let each other go, but forced themselves to do so when Grandmother Ulrika coughed for the third time. The two women and Arn then went into the longhouse so that Arn might be welcomed with some ale and break a piece of bread. Once inside the longhouse, Grandmother Ulrika spoke before the young people could say a word. She began to interrogate them about the morning gift, the dowry, and where the betrothal ale was to be celebrated. Arn had to make an effort to answer all these inquiries as if he really cared, and he had to describe the property at Forsvik, the number of outbuildings and the size of the main house, the number of thralls in the house, and other details of which he had no knowledge. Only then did Ulrika ask about things that seemed more important, about what stand the Folkungs in Eastern Götaland had taken and whether the Swedes had held a ting yet. Arn was able to reassure her that the Folkungs in both Eastern and Western Götaland stood united with the Erik clan, and that he did believe that Knut Eriksson had already been elected king at the ting of the Swedes. Judging by all he had heard from everybody as he rode south from Östra Aros through Svealand, there seemed to be no doubt in this matter. King Erik Jedvardsson had been a much loved king in Svealand, and as Arn understood it, Karl Sverkersson was not at all liked in the same way. Up there among the Swedes, they hardly knew who the king's brothers Kol and Boleslav were, nor did they care. So presumably Knut Eriksson was already the king of the Swedes, and he would come to the landsting in Western Götaland in the summer to be elected king here as well.

   Mistress Ulrika let herself be satisfied with all these glad tidings and also recognized that she had interrupted the young people by forcing Arn to talk of such concerns that of course were more important than their giddy and heated feelings and yet concerned them little right now. So she surprised them by remarking in a knowing tone that the weather was beautiful and that there was no harm in taking a horseback ride up Kinnekulle. At these words Cecilia jumped up and embraced her grandmother, who was otherwise so somber and strict.

   Soon Cecilia had a good-natured mare saddled and bridled and was dressed for a ride in a loose and warm green cloak that reached from her throat to her feet. With a practiced hand she swept her cloak over one arm and was in the saddle before Arn or the thralls had time to help her. Arn accepted a leather bag containing bread and bacon and wooden cups which a house thrall kindly brought in case the ride should be a long one, as she added with a shameless laugh. In the meantime Cecilia urged on her mare and went galloping off. Some distance away she turned in the saddle and shouted to Arn to try and catch her. He cast his head back and laughed with heartfelt joy, patted Shimal lovingly on the neck, and joked that now they both had a hunt before them that must not fail. Then he leaped into the saddle with a single bound that made those who were standing around murmur in astonishment, and set off. At first he held Shimal back to a canter so that he wouldn't catch up too soon with the fluttering green cloak and the red hair far ahead of him, and yet only a few breaths away.

   When they were out of sight of the Husaby royal manor he set Shimal into a full gallop. Like the wind he caught up with and passed Cecilia, wheeled Shimal around and stormed back toward her, veering off at the last second. Then he rode circles around her, enjoying her bright laughter that made him bold and soon reckless. He stood up in the saddle and balanced with his arms in the air as he again rode past her at full speed so that she had to rein in her horse. When he turned to her with a laugh, holding his hands arrogantly on his hips, he didn't see the thick oak limb that swept him like a glove to the ground.

   It looked like a nasty fall, and he lay completely still. Beside herself with worry, Cecilia pulled up her horse, jumped off, and dashed over to Arn. She began caressing his lifeless face in despair. But then he opened first one eye and then the other, and laughing, took her in his arms, rolling around with her among the wood anemones as she feigned anger and chided him for scaring her so.

   All at once they fell silent. They sat up and held each other for a long time without saying a word, as if there were no words possible just now, only the singing of the birds.

   They sat there until their limbs began to ache from the uncomfortable position. She pulled away first and leaned back in the grass. He lay down next to her and caressed her face, struggling briefly with his shyness. He kissed her cautiously on the forehead first and then her cheeks and lips. Soon she returned his kisses and their shyness was as if blown away by the wind.

   They came back late to the Husaby royal manor.

Chapter 12

It was Cecilia's goodness that plunged them both into the deepest unhappiness. As Arn so bitterly explained their misfortune, one had only to compare her for a moment with her sister Katarina to see it at once. Besides, it was between the two sisters that everything had been determined from the very beginning.

   For Katarina, Cecilia's happiness meant her own unhappiness. Since Cecilia was no longer going to return to Gudhem for any further studies in either the progress of the spirit or the hand, it meant as Katarina saw it that she would be trapped like a rat behind the odious cloister walls. That feeling was even stronger when she found out what a large dowry her father Algot had been forced to part with to marry one of his daughters into the Folkung clan. It was now no longer plausible that Algot would allow Katarina to marry too, and she feared that she would be confined to the convent forever and would dry up like an old maid.

   Cecilia and Arn had not yet celebrated their betrothal ale, though this was not of their doing but because of the ongoing power struggle. It had been somewhat more difficult for Knut Eriksson to persuade the Swedes to elect him king at Mora Stones than he had first imagined. And when that matter was finally settled, his plan to come to the landsting in Western Götaland was delayed still further by the fact that Boleslav sent an army against him. He had to convince the Swedes that the first thing they needed to do for their new king was to march off to war.