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daughter, to live here in the palace.’
    Halfdan gave his friend a thoughtful look and narrowed his eyes.
    â€˜Maria,’ said Harald with a half-smile. He paused, and pushed himself against the back of the oak chair. ‘She’s as sallow-skinned as you’re fair. As plump as you are willowy. Your eyes are grey and violet, hers are cinnamon.’ Harald gave a rather mirthless laugh, remembering something.
    â€˜How old is she?’ asked Solveig.
    â€˜One year older than you. Sixteen.’
    â€˜Can she speak Norwegian?’
    â€˜As a matter of fact, she can,’ Harald said. ‘As much as she needs to.’
    â€˜Harald taught her,’ Snorri told Solveig.
    â€˜And that’s not all he taught her,’ added Skarp.
    â€˜What about her father?’ Solveig asked. ‘Where’s he?’
    Harald rubbed his beard. ‘A nobleman,’ he said. ‘A dying man.’
    â€˜Solveig,’ her father warned her, ‘Miklagard’s full of shadows, whispers, rumours, things better not known.’
    â€˜Maria lives in spacious quarters,’ Harald continued. ‘She has her own courtyard with several rooms around it, and a fleet of servants. Now, I think I may be able to prevail on the Empress—’
    â€˜Prevail on the Empress!’ jeered Skarp. ‘All Empress Zoe wants is to prevail on Harald Sigurdsson. Isn’t that right, Harald?’
    â€˜Why do I put up with you?’ Harald snapped.
    â€˜And take him to bed with her,’ the guard added.
    â€˜Skarp!’ said Harald very sharply.
    â€˜Each of us needs someone to tell us the truth,’ Skarp retorted.
    Harald turned back to Solveig and her father. ‘You’re only the daughter of one of my guards,’ he said, ‘but the Empress might be prepared to allow you a room next to Maria’s quarters.’
    â€˜You could persuade her of anything, you could,’ said Skarp. ‘Though if she ever saw you with Maria, your hungry eyes …’
    Harald Sigurdsson stood up.
    â€˜. . . she’d have you blinded.’
    Harald took a swipe at Skarp with his open hand and Skarp wasn’t quick enough to avoid it. It stung his left cheek.
    â€˜What do you say, Halfdan?’ Harald asked.
    â€˜Solveig would be safe inside this palace,’ her father replied. ‘And she’d have company.’
    â€˜Maria would welcome that too,’ Harald agreed. ‘She’s a prisoner. This court, it’s full of
cans
and
can’ts
and manners and modes and bowing and scraping.’
    â€˜Mmm!’ agreed Snorri. He looked at Solveig and hiseyes glimmered. ‘It’s blazing gold, and hellish black. You’ll see.’
    â€˜Yes,’ said Harald thoughtfully. ‘The Empress will want to … appraise you. Before she decides.’
    Solveig shivered. ‘If you let me come with you,’ she repeated, ‘you’ll be glad of it. I’ll make myself useful.’
    Harald Sigurdsson ignored her. ‘I have an audience with the Empress late this afternoon, and I’ll discuss this with her then. Yes, she’ll want to see you. A young woman who has travelled here, from Norway, alone.’
    â€˜And unscathed,’ said Halfdan. ‘King Yaroslav gave Solveig an audience.’
    â€˜He did?’ exclaimed Harald. ‘I want to hear about that.’
    Solveig shook her head. ‘I belong on a farm,’ she said, ‘or a boat. I don’t belong here.’
    â€˜Nothing lasts for ever,’ her father told her.
    â€˜In the fields …’
    â€˜Solveig!’ Harald warned her in a stern voice.
    All at once, Solveig could see herself sitting in the little dairy, milking their two cows. She could hear her stepbrothers chopping wood outside. She could even smell the thick, pasty, comfortable odour of new dung.
    Solveig pressed her left hand against her palpitating heart and gave a single, dry