Presently there would be Saxon lords over the manors as Ina found
men to hold them, but there would be no change beyond that. Freeman
should be freeman, and thrall thrall, as before, each in his old
holding undisturbed, with equal laws for Saxon and Briton alike.
Now, one day when I came to the house of the king at Petherton on
some affairs I needed his word concerning, presently there came a
message to me that Ethelburga the queen would speak with me, and,
somewhat wondering, I was taken to her bower, and found her waiting
for me.
"Oswald," she said, after a few words of greeting, "there is one
who wronged you once, and has come to ask for your forgiveness.
What answer shall I give?"
"Lady," I said, "I can remember none who need forgiveness from me
now. Those who wrought ill against Owen have it already, or are
gone. I have no foes, so far as I know, myself, and truly no wrongs
unforgiven."
"Nay, but there is this one."
"Why then, my Queen, that one must needs be forgiven, seeing that I
know not of wrong to me."
I laughed a little, thinking of some fault of a servant, or of a
man of the guard, of which she had heard. But she went to a settle
hard by and swept aside a kerchief which lay on it as if by chance,
and under it were two war arrows. And I knew them at once for those
which had been shot into our window at Norton and had vanished.
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