“You shouldn’t go outside. Even if he bears no ill will, as you hope, an accident might occur if you go out. Might that not be the omen that you’ve been sensing?”
“I see… You’re right.” Sigurd accepted Brunhild’s point. This was unthinkable progress for a man who had once acted so impulsively.
“But I can’t ignore him. That’s not how one treats a friend.” He opened the window, and from there he called out, “It’s been a long time, Richard. It’s good of you to come back.”
Richard responded with a smile. “Sigurd, my friend, I thank you for replying. Tonight, I returned from the land of the dead to apologize to you.”
“If you mean the incident at the hunting grounds, don’t worry about it. My wound has healed. I forgive you. I’m the one who must apologize for killing you.”
“It makes sense I would lose my life for targeting the king’s.”
“Tell me. Why did you try to kill me?”
“I’ll tell you, of course. There were forces that compelled me. Your Majesty, may I visit your chambers?”
“Can you not speak from there?”
“No, I wish to talk face-to-face.”
“First, you may explain yourself from there.”
“I would like to speak in person. If not, then I must go straight back to the underworld.”
After some consideration, Sigurd said, “So be it. Come.”
Brunhild said to Sigurd, “Brother, I told you not to.”
But this time, he would not listen.
Even though Richard had gained permission to come to the king’s quarters, he did not enter the castle right away. He continued to call up to Sigurd from below the window, “It seems there are more knights on watch tonight than usual.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll order the knights to let you in.”
“Those are not the words of a noble king.”
“What do you mean?”
“Look upon me.” Richard spread his arms and came forward. “Gaze at my ugly and pitiful state. If the knights were to see me like this, it would be the shame of a lifetime for me, as your retainer.” His clothing was dirty with soil and blood, and his body was rotting all over. “I don’t mind if it’s just for a few moments. Please dismiss your knights until I can get to you.”
Brunhild thought Richard was being quite cunning. He surely knew Sigurd valued honor more than anything and was taking advantage of that. If Sigurd was the one who had put Richard into such a sorry state, then to uphold his honor as king, he would have to make the knights withdraw.
Sigurd said to Richard, “I’ll dismiss the knights. However, I will not hold an audience with you in this room. Let us meet in the gardens.”
His statement left Brunhild in despair. Sigurd would follow through on his promise. Since he had said that he would leave this room, she could no longer stop him.
Sigurd left his chamber and had the knights outside go elsewhere. Then he gave them a new order: “Guard Brunhild in this room.”
“What are you saying? I’m obviously going to go with you,” said Brunhild.
“No. I don’t know what might happen to you. Wait here.” He turned away from her and headed out of the room.
“Hold on, Brother…” Brunhild tried to go after him, but the knights prevented her. They took Brunhild’s hand gently but firmly, pushing her back into the room.
“Your Majesty, we beg your pardon.”
Sigurd left Brunhild in his quarters and headed for the gardens.
Even after Sigurd left the room, Brunhild continued to worry for him terribly. She eyed the knights, seeing if she might not be able to get to the gardens somehow, too. But of course, there was no way she could slip through. They weren’t protecting her; they were watching her. The knights noticed her searching for an opportunity to escape and tightened their guard even more.
Now that things were like this…
Brunhild gently touched her throat.
If what he said was true.
Then she should be able to give God’s Command. With it, she should have no trouble getting the knights to pull back.
All she had to do was say what she wanted with the firm conviction of giving an order.
Brunhild looked straight at the knights. She didn’t really want to use this power, but she had no other choice.
She said to the knights, “I’m sorry.”
One asked back, “Whatever for?”
“I order you: Please let me escape from here.”
Would this be enough? Having lived many years as an ordinary girl, Brunhild had never really given orders before, so she didn’t really know. Despite her worries, everything went off without a hitch.
As soon as she gave the order, the knights seemed to freeze up. A beat later, they all fell to their knees, opening the way for her.
“My lady, please pass through.”
The moment Brunhild heard that, she felt shivers.
What a frightening power.
She’d known what it was capable of, so she hadn’t wanted to use it. This was an unjust power, for it violated the will of others.
But just for tonight, she had to use it.
To protect her husband, Brunhild slipped out of the room and rushed to the gardens.
When Sigurd came into the gardens, Richard bowed reverently to him as his vassal.
Sigurd gazed over the area, where roses were in full bloom. “This takes me back. When we were young, we would chat here in these gardens.”
“Indeed. The scent of roses makes me recall the past,” said Richard, despite lacking a sense of smell now.
“Have you hated me…ever since then?” Sigurd asked. “I’m not very perceptive of people’s emotions. I feel no need to pay attention to the riffraff. That feeling hasn’t much changed, either… But still, I can imagine, just a little, my arrogance must have been hurting you. Is that it?”
Richard was purely shocked to hear that from Sigurd. The man he knew would never say such a thing. He had changed unbelievably in a short span of time.
“Richard, why did you raise a blade at me? What urged you on?”
“I’m very sorry for replying to a question with a question…but what would be the point in you asking me such a thing?”
“So I can learn from it. I want to face you earnestly. Though I don’t know if you will forgive me…”
Richard fell into thought.
Was the man before him truly Sigurd?
Even as he asked himself that question, he realized he had been moved. As he was now, the king wouldn’t be violent anymore, would he? He wouldn’t torment Richard’s sister, would he?
Those emotions compelled Richard to continue listening to what Sigurd had to say.
“Even if you don’t forgive me, I must atone. My wife taught me that.”