“A child four years of age!” Wynstan jeered.
“—with me to rule as his representative until he comes of age.”
Ethelred said: “Enough!” He paused, and they all remained silent for a moment. Having asserted his power he went on: “In times such as these, the ealdorman must have the ability to muster an army and lead men into battle.”
The assembled noblemen nodded and murmured their agreement. Ragna realized that, much as they liked her, they did not believe in her as a military leader. She was not really surprised.
Wynstan said: “My brother, Wigelm, has recently proved his ability in this regard, by assembling an army to fight alongside you, my lord king, at Exeter.”
“He has,” said Ethelred.
The battle of Exeter had been lost, and the Vikings had looted the city and then gone home; but Ragna decided not to say that. She saw that she was going to lose this argument. Immediately after a Viking victory the king was not going to appoint a woman ealdorman to lead the men of Shiring. But that had always been a faint hope.
She had lost the first round. But she might yet gain from this decision, she told herself; perhaps Ethelred might now wish to balance the concession to Wigelm with one to her.
She had regained her ability to strategize, she realized. The torpor of prison was wearing off rapidly. She felt enlivened.
Aldred said: “My lord king, Wigelm and Wynstan have imprisoned the lady Ragna for almost a year, taken over her lands in the Vale of Outhen and stolen her income, and refused to return her dowry, to which she is entitled. I now ask you to protect this noble widow from her predatory in-laws.”
Ragna realized that Aldred was coming as close as he could to accusing Ethelred of failing in his duty to care for widows.
Ethelred looked at Wigelm. There was an undertone of anger in his voice as he said: “Is this true?”
But it was Wynstan who answered. “The lady Ragna sought solitude in which to mourn. We merely provided her with protection.”
“Nonsense!” said Ragna indignantly. “My door was barred on the outside! I was a prisoner.”
Wynstan said smoothly: “The door was barred so that the children could not wander out and get lost in the forest.”
It was a feeble excuse, but would Ethelred accept it?
The king did not hesitate. “Locking a woman in is not protection.”
He was not so easily fooled, Ragna saw.
Ethelred went on: “Before I confirm Wigelm as ealdorman, I will require both Wigelm and Wynstan to swear an oath not to imprison the lady Ragna.”
Ragna allowed herself a moment of sheer relief. She was free—for now, at least: oaths could be broken, of course.
Ethelred went on: “Now, what’s this about Outhen? I thought she had received that land as part of her marriage contract.”
“True,” said Wynstan. But my brother Wilwulf had no right to give it to her.”
Ragna said indignantly: “You negotiated the marriage contract with my father! How can you repudiate it now?”
Wynstan said smoothly: “It has belonged to my family since time immemorial.”
“No, it hasn’t,” said the king.
Everyone stared at him. This was a surprise intervention.
Ethelred went on: “My father gave it to your grandfather.”
Wynstan said: “There may be legends—”
“No legends,” said the king. “It was the first deed I witnessed.”
That was an unexpected piece of luck for Ragna.
