That evening, after Biorn had fallen asleep, Helgha sat on a stool by the fire and thought. She tapped her lips with her forefinger. Could she do anything to prevent the marriage of Lord Ædmunde to Lady Mildrethe? Indeed, ought she to do anything? The young man needed to get married to provide heirs. But even if he did not marry Mildrethe, he could not marry her.
Lord Ædmunde had been becoming more persistent of late. That he wanted Helgha to become his mistress was evident. She could not do that. Not as long as Lord Ædmunde had a wife. Could she if he did not marry, though?
She thought of how Freyja helped her in the past. The goddess had given her aid in ensuring Erik had no heirs, but would she help her now that she had become a Christian and lived in the Christian lands? Could Freyja
