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yes s ire but I haven’t seen them yet since my return.  My mother probably thinks I’m dead and it looks like very soon she may be right.”  He lowered his eyes as tears formed and Juliana felt her heart wrench as he shook his head. 
    Ulfric’s next words astounded everyone , “Erik, you seem like a good man to have as a friend.  Will you pledge your allegiance to me as your lord and I will show you mercy on this occasion?”  He lowered his voice and she could only just hear his words, “Juliana is now mine but I understand your heartache.  Women can do that to you, but only let it happen once.  After that you must harden your heart and not let them get under your skin.  Now do you pledge yourself to me?”
    Erik nodded silently, but then added, “I will pledge myself to you, my lord Ulfric, but I ’ll find it hard to see you with Juliana.  I’ve loved her for many years.”
    “Very well - you will take a horse from here and return to your family to give the news to your mother that you are still alive.  Stay away for a month and then come back to this Hall and we will find work for you.   Do you know the duties of a steward?”  He used his knife to cut the bindings on Erik’s wrists.
    “Yes, my lord.”  Erik glanced back towards Juliana, smiled sadly and then left the Hall.
    After he had gone she began her thanks but Ulfric turned away from her and resumed his seat at the table, so she went upstairs to the chamber they shared and dried herself properly putting on her green gown again. Her mother came to brush and tame her hair until it shone, plaiting it with green and gold ribbons to match her dress.
    Ulfric was in the Hall staring into the fire having sent Thorvald to ready the horses. On seeing she was dressed and presentable he appeared to find his good humour once again. 
    “Come, Juliana .  Sit beside me and have something to eat.  Today I want you to take me around your town and introduce me to the people.  It will come better from you as they treat me with suspicion or run away whenever I approach them.”
    She smiled, “Can you blame them?  You have taken my father’s place and his shoes will be difficult if not impossible to fill.  The town has a lot less young men now since they joined my father and went with him to fight your William and that blackguard, de Gant, so we are missing a lot of skills which once benefitted the town.”
    Ul fric nodded and thought about her words for a long time.  In the meantime, one of the servants brought her some porridge from a large pan by the fire.  It had dried a little so she put some honey and fresh milk on it and it tasted wonderful after the drama of the morning.
    After breakfast Ulfric dressed in a loose tunic and leggings using cross-garters in the Norse fashion and they went to his horse, Elding, which had been brought out to await him.
    “I noticed a fine mare in the stables, Juliana – is she yours?” he asked.
    “Yes but I haven’t had much time to exercise her for a while.  Her name is Randalin and was a present from my father.  We often used to go riding together with my brother, Aldred.”
    “Then I think now is the time that we give her an outing.”  He ordered Randalin to be saddled for her and she found herself looking forward to showing off her town to this new lord.  Randalin was slightly skittish to start with as she had not been ridden for a while, but Juliana could handle her moods and they set off with Thorvald behind them as usual. 
    As they rode slowly down Burgate the people looked at them warily but Juliana knew most of the people as friends, and gradually they formed a line to the side of them, some of them shouting their complaints to Ulfric who occasionally stopped and listened.  Thorvald was a constant protector at Ulfric’s back and sometimes came close to warn him not to tarry when the crowds started to get rowdy. The road turned at the top of Burgate and they rode down Hungate passing small