Against Arn's proposal, more than anything else, was the fact that right now no one knew who would hold the power of king during the next two years. Nevertheless, as long as Karl Sverkersson was king, Algot Pålsson would have to be wary of binding his clan to the king's enemies, at least if he was a wise man. And for their own part it was also ill advised to unite by marriage with a clan that was an enemy of Knut Eriksson, who might well become king.

   On the positive side, Forsvik on the shore of Lake Vättern belonged to Arnäs, and they controlled the entire northern part of Western Götaland—the section south of Tiveden Forest where the trade route between four countries would be established. The weakest part was the stretch near Kinnekulle, where Algot's land began. If Magnus could acquire Kinnekulle and the shore of Lake Vänern south of there, it would be worth a great deal. And if an opportunity arose to make such a deal, Algot would be hardpressed to say no and might even be persuaded to give these lands as dowry, though the value was twice as much as was customary.

   It was inconceivable that this could be accomplished as long as Karl Sverkersson was alive. But Algot would be all the more amenable to doing business if Karl Sverkersson left this earthly life as swiftly as Knut Eriksson intended.

   That was the situation. As long as King Karl Sverkersson sat safely in his castle in the middle of Lake Vättern, there was nothing to be done. But if he departed this life, an important deal for Arnäs could be concluded at once.

   Eskil could see only one weakness in his calculation. It was the question of whether Birger Brosa and the clan tingmight have other plans. That's what had happened when his own father Magnus had considered celebrating a wedding ale with either Cecilia or Katarina, for precisely the same reasons that they had just discussed. Instead, Erika Joarsdotter had been chosen, because the clan tingfound that marriage more beneficial.

   But Magnus said that he hadn't heard mention of any plans of that sort. As things now stood, they had formed a good alliance with the Erik clan through Erika Joarsdotter. Knut did have a sister, whose name was Margareta, but she was already married to King Sverre of Norway.

   Since Magnus's own brother Birger Brosa was married to Brigida, who was the daughter of King Harald Gille of Norway, the Norwegian bond was very strong. No, right now Magnus could see no marriage that would be considered more important for Arnäs or for the clan than with either Katarina or Cecilia, it didn't matter which.

   It remained to decide who would convey their decision to Arn. The message was simple. As long as King Karl was alive there would be no betrothal ale.

   But though the words might be easy to formulate, it would be no easy task to say them to a young son or brother living in the fever or madness called love.

   Magnus ought to tell him, since he was Arn's father and the power over all wedding ales was rightfully his. Or perhaps Eskil should do it instead, since he was Arn's brother but had no power; he could not be talked out of it, but merely explain. For a while they twisted and turned this matter, like a tender joint of meat, and then decided that Eskil would be the one to tell Arn how matters stood.

A week before St. Tiburtius's Day, April 14th, when the ice still covered the lake but was beginning to soften, Knut Eriksson arrived at Arnäs without announcing himself in advance. He had traveled fast, accompanied only by Geir Erlendsen, the bard Orm Rögnvaldsen, and Berse the Strong. They had traveled far and wide in Western Götaland, where the bard had a chance to justify the good wages he was paid, and they had just come from Skara, where Knut had many eyes and ears. There they had purchased particularly good information from a man who had just left Karl Sverkersson's service at his castle out on Visingö in the middle of Lake Vättern.

   Knut didn't reveal the purpose of his visit other than to say that he was looking for Arn, whom he found moping about among house thralls in the cookhouses, a place and a situation hardly worthy of a man like Arn, in Knut Eriksson's opinion.

   To Arn's perplexity Knut immediately wanted to challenge him to an archery contest, so a target was made of straw bound together and set up in the castle courtyard. Arn didn't want to refuse, but he found no joy in this exercise. They set the target at a distance of forty paces, which Arn thought seemed too difficult for Knut, but that was what he ordered. They selected the best and strongest bows, and everyone at the estate gathered to watch, for they all knew that this might be the country's next king who was about to shoot arrows with one of the sons of Arnäs. And no one wanted to say afterward that he had failed to witness the contest.

   When they stood next to each other with their bows ready, Arn still didn't seem to have any desire for the game. So Knut took him by the shoulders, embraced him, and said the following words, which he had thought out carefully:

   "Now, my dearest childhood friend, you shall shoot to win against your king and nothing less, as if everything depended on these arrows. Imagine that it's about Cecilia; yes, I know all about you and her. Imagine that I am your king and can give her to you but only if you defeat me. Look, now I'll shoot first. Don't answer me now, just shoot well."

   While Arn, shaken by these words, composed himself so he might do his best, Knut shot his ten arrows and aroused great admiration, for no one knew that he was such a good shot.

   Then Arn shot, with a cold expression and a great silence inside, as if everything really did depend on these arrows. Afterward all could see that there was a great difference between the two, and that Arn was the better archer.

   Now Knut grabbed Arn again and embraced him, saying that it might well be that Arn had just shot his way to making Cecilia Algotsdotter his wife. Then they left the courtyard and went alone to the tower. There Knut asked to have ale brought up to them.

   When they were alone, Knut did not wait for the ale before he began to explain the entire situation to Arn. The time had now arrived. For himself it was a matter of the crown, and for Arn it was Cecilia. Knut Eriksson had many informants around the country, which is how he knew everything that was important to know, and also some things that to many might seem less important, such as this matter with Arn and Cecilia.

   Arn replied morosely that he could well understand that many sorts of skills were required for someone who strove to win a king's crown, but he didn't understand the intention behind this game with bow and arrow that they had just played. Why stage this contest when a prospective king took a great risk of losing and thus being talked about as the loser?

   Just then the house thralls arrived with ale, and Knut smiled broadly at this interruption, because he seemed to understand Arn's impatience and puzzlement. They politely drank a skålto each other first, as custom demanded, and Knut saw in Arn's eyes the burning impatience that insisted on an immediate response. And yet he gave no answer, but began speaking of his father, Holy Saint Erik, who had been good to everyone, who had demanded nothing for himself, who had preferred his hair shirt and longs hours of prayer to courtly life, who had helped the weak and stood up to the strong, and who had died like a saint at the hands of an outlaw. Perhaps Arn had heard much of this story before, but there was one more thing to add.