Friendship

by Margit Sandemo

  He had left the candle burning. He glanced at her quickly as he considered what to say next: “Just for a short while yesterday, I did feel frightened. Then I reconciled myself to the thought that a marriage like ours may be easier than conventional marriages. Ours is founded on respect and consideration, isn’t it? We’re avoiding the emotional turmoil of living intimately together – there’s no envy or fear of being unloved or being held back from living our own lives. I’m sure you agree, Cecilie, that everyone has the right to a small, private corner of his or her soul into which no other person may enter. This is one reason why so many marriages break down – because one person wants to own and control the other totally, unable to tolerate them having interests of their own.”

  She nodded in agreement. “I think our friendship will be worth a great deal to us, Alexander. Thank you for the things you’ve told me – I feel more relaxed now. I was so afraid that I’d be in the way somehow!”

  He smiled at her and she noticed, not for the first time, that his eyes always had such warmth in them whenever he smiled. “You need never worry about that, Cecilie. And the very same goes for me – I don’t want to stand in your way.”

  “You’d never do that,” she laughed. “Alexander, I’m very tired all of a sudden.”

  “Me too. This been a long and exhausting night! We should try and catch some sleep.”

  They each lay down on their side of the bed with a good space between them and Cecilie fell asleep almost at once. Now that he’d unburdened himself to her, a relaxed Alexander also followed suit shortly after.

  ***

  The following morning those whose duty it was to establish that the marriage between Cecilie and Alexander had been satisfactorily consummated during the night filed quietly into the room. They saw the sleeping couple lying very close together, and during the night they’d unknowingly clasped each other’s hands.

  According to the traditions of the times, an intrusion such as this couldn’t be avoided. Because Alexander Paladin belonged to a princely line, wedding custom required that a deputation of the good men and women of the kingdom were to bear witness to the consummation of a marriage. In days gone by, it was customary for the worthy male and female observers to remain in the marriage bedroom all through the wedding night, but this was now seen as too invasive, and the practice had changed. It was a concession that the two sleeping “miscreants” could be truly grateful for.

  Now the procession tiptoed silently across the floor and stood round the great canopied bed. Not a word was spoken for fear of disturbing the apparently exhausted couple. The admirable men and women merely nodded their silent approval. Without saying a word, they agreed that everything seemed to be in order. As they turned to file out, not one of them paused to wonder why all the candles in the chamber had burned so low.

  Chapter 4

  Although Alexander was against it, Cecilie travelled to Copenhagen with him for the trial. She argued that nobody could help him better than she. Although he knew that she was right, he was still against the idea and did his best to persuade her not to come.

  “I don’t want you to lie for my sake,” he told her emphatically. “It makes me feel so uncomfortable.”

  “I can lie until I’m blue in the face,” was Cecilie’s reply. “It won’t bother me in the least. It doesn’t make me feel ashamed. It’s a trait I’ve inherited from my ancestor, Sol – but they say that she went even further than that. She had nothing against taking the lives of everyone who harmed her kin.”

  “Thank you,” he said with a shudder. “I don’t think you’ll need to go that far.”

  Eventually Alexander realised that his resistance was futile and he gave way to Cecilie’s insistence on attending the trial. When they reached Copenhagen, they found the judges had convened in one of the halls at Copenhagen Castle. A lot of people had already arrived and since this was both a sensitive and notorious matter, Cecilie could see a lot of officers and ordinary citizens among them. More than anything else, it made Cecilie appreciate what an important man of state Alexander Paladin was.

  King Christian and Kirsten Munk weren’t present. Even so, Cecilie recognised many distinguished members of the King’s Court. She knew that there would be spies among them reporting to both of them. In the distance she caught sight of Hans. She hadn’t seen him for a long while. He was certainly handsome, almost too handsome for her liking. He was foppishly dressed with stylish, wavy hair and a lot of medals on his chest. But she thought that his manner was a little too feminine. There was nothing remotely feminine about Alexander – he was so agonisingly virile!

  The other man in the case was older. His skin was tanned by the sun as though he’d lived in more southerly climates. His hair formed a wreath around his ears and like so many middle-aged men, a lifetime of drinking beer had left him with a large pot-belly. A leather coat hung like a tent from his stomach, and his legs looked ridiculously skinny in their tight leggings. The sight of his huge collar worried Cecilie. He looked as if the weight of it would topple him over at any second. She reminded herself that it was the fashion of the time, which many men chose to follow.

  Sadly, the pot-bellied man’s fate was already sealed. He’d been caught in the act so he couldn’t be saved. Cecilie felt very sorry for him and she couldn’t help asking Alexander one question.

  “How could Hans leave you for him?” she murmured quietly through clenched teeth.

  “Money,” her new husband answered just as discreetly. “And a castle as a gift.”

  ‘So he’s a wealthy man,’ Cecilie thought while she glanced at him one more time. She decided that rich people didn’t deserve much sympathy. It was illogical because Alexander was also very wealthy – she was just resentful of the stranger who had denounced him.

  The judges had heard the case involving Hans and the stranger at an earlier sitting. The matter which the court was now to deal with had to do with Alexander Paladin, whom the stranger was trying to drag down with him. Alexander had told Cecilie that Hans had built his defence around the fact of his youth, claiming that he’d been seduced by the older man. Although unpleasant, it might be the most natural course to take.

  “Alexander,” said Cecilie in a whisper, moving closer to her husband, “do you want to save Hans?”

  “All I can do is save him from losing his head on the scaffold,” he replied. Anguish showed in his face. “Hans has shown loyalty to me by saying that he only boasted about me to impress this other man.”

  Cecilie thought that Hans was probably only trying to save his own skin – but Alexander wouldn’t do the same. She was sure that if he gave his testimony first, he’d trip over his own two feet. He’d never perjure himself – and he’d most certainly take the blame for ruining Hans. She promised herself that that must be avoided at all costs. That meant giving evidence before Alexander. She had begged the court notary to allow her to go first, saying that she had important things to disclose. She was only able to do this because the notary knew her father, Notary Public Dag Meiden of Norway, very well. But while Cecilie hadn’t been shy about using her family connections, she didn’t know if her request would be granted.

  Cecilie listened attentively as one witness after another made their statements. Some of them spoke out unequivocally in support of Alexander Paladin: He was a real man, said one, and a great war strategist, as if that had any influence on the matter. Others – only a few – believed he’d often behaved suspiciously. Several had noticed Hans Barth’s early morning departures from Alexander’s house, and Cecilie found herself inwardly cursing the young man’s arrogance.

  Then a lady-in-waiting whom Cecilie hadn’t taken much notice of until now drew the court’s attention to Alexander’s affectionate friendship with Cecilie, which had lasted for several years. Cecilie felt like jumping up and embracing this unassuming woman and promised herself that she’d always be grateful to her. Alexander�
�s manservant also spoke warmly of his master and emphatically denied that he might have any deviant tendencies. “He’s lying under oath,” thought Cecilie, “because he must have known.” The servant, in his turn, also emphasised the long friendship between Alexander and his new bride.

  Another courtier told how he and others had processed to the bridal bedroom at Gabrielshus early the previous morning and he could bear witness to the fact that Miss Cecilie had been a virgin when she arrived and that the marriage had been consummated on the wedding night. The court seemingly accepted these words as being of profound significance.

  Then suddenly Cecilie’s name was called and her spirits leaped. She was to speak ahead of Alexander. “Dear God, thank you,” she mumbled under breath as she made her way to the witness stand with a faint feeling of bewilderment. Later she realised that what she should have said was: “Thank you, dear court notary!”

  In a steady voice she told the court who she was and, with her hand resting naturally on the Bible, she swore her oath without the slightest hint of a blush on her cheeks. The judge then began the questioning by asking her how long she’d known Alexander Paladin.

  “Four and a half years, my lord,” she replied, hoping that she’d chosen his preferred form of address.

  “And for how long has he courted you?”

  “We’ve been very good friends for four and a half years. He’s courted me for nearly as long, although I can’t give an exact date when it began. These things so often grow a little at a time.”

  “So why is it that he hasn’t proposed to you before now?”

  “We’ve often spoken of marriage,” she lied, without faltering, “but I wanted to return to my parents in Norway first to inform them and ask if they would give their permission – should Alexander seek my father’s approval for my hand. This is as it should be. I’ve now returned from visiting my family in Norway for the first time in all these years, and they were very happy for the Marquis Paladin to be courting me. My parents said they would be pleased to receive him as my prospective husband. Unfortunately, time wasn’t with us. War is in the offing.”

  “Good heavens, how she can lie!” thought Alexander, his admiration tinged with fear. “She’s fighting for me like a tigress who defends her young!”

  “And was it because of the war that you chose to marry now?” asked the senior judge.

  “Yes, of course! My husband leaves for Holstein next week, and nobody can say when he’ll return.”

  “So your decision to marry had nothing to do with these proceedings?”

  “This trial is beyond my comprehension, my lord,” Cecilie answered passionately. “I understand these allegations against Alexander just as little as the rumours about him that I’ve heard for quite some time. They can only have been started by someone who seeks his downfall – a slighted woman seeking revenge perhaps?”

  The sound of muffled giggling was heard from the ladies-in-waiting. Kirsten Munk’s attempt to seduce the Marquis was obviously common knowledge. Not everyone was so fond of Kirsten – in fact, her arrogance had won her very few friends at Court.

  At that moment, by fighting for someone dear to her, Cecilie had in some strange way become Sol. She had in her far more of Sol’s qualities than she’d ever realised, and Alexander watched his new wife with amazement. How she’d changed in that instant! Proud and defiant, she stood before the judge, her head held high and eyes blazing. Alexander had never seen her looking more beautiful than she did now. Her dark auburn hair shone in the light from the windows – its shimmering tones were exquisite – her complexion seemed as soft as a petal and her teeth flashed brilliantly from time to time when she drew back her lips like a hissing cat about to strike. ‘Yes, in fact she’s just like a cat,’ he thought to himself, suddenly astonished. She almost seemed to be fulfilling the description she had given him of her family’s “chosen ones” on their wedding night.

  But while every other person in that hall, like Alexander, was also admiring the beauty standing in their midst, Sol’s more vulgar attributes were somehow also starting to affect Cecilie’s personality.

  As for Cecilie, she was slightly horrified by her sudden wish to humiliate those around her with well-chosen and unpleasant words, and she had to struggle to stop herself from speaking all her thoughts aloud. More than anything else, she felt an intense hatred for Hans and found that she wanted to get back at him in some way. It was nearly impossible to understand, but the same feeling also welled up in her for all the self-righteous spectators absorbed in the scandal, who were obviously hoping for Alexander’s downfall. Luckily at that moment the notary took over the questioning and changed the emphasis of what was being asked.

  “You know Hans Barth, don’t you?” he asked Cecilie mildly.

  “Of course,” said Cecilie briskly. “He’s a good friend of ours.”

  “And are you also familiar with the fact that Hans Barth has occasionally spent the night in the home of the Marquis?”

  “But of course! And I’ve done likewise!”

  The gasp of surprise reverberated through the hall. Alexander was immediately alarmed. What on earth was she thinking of, he wondered? What might she say next?

  The judge pounded the floor impatiently and addressed the hall. “I wish to remind this assembly of Marquis Alexander’s impeccable honour – a matter on which we’ve recently heard testimony.” He turned and faced Cecilie. “Perhaps you would enlighten us as to what happened during these nightly visits?”

  “Certainly, my lord. My husband is a passionate chess player and as you probably know, a game can often take several hours. When he plays chess, Alexander loses all sense of time. It is neither Hans’ duty nor mine to remind him of the lateness of the hour, his need for sleep or his honour.”

  She sincerely hoped that Hans was a chess player – she’d forgotten to ask!

  “And you, Madam, do you also play chess?” the notary asked with some surprise.

  “Yes.”

  The notary looked over to where Alexander was sitting. “Is this true?”

  The Marquis stood up. “My wife has a brilliant mind, my lord. She’s a far more challenging opponent than Hans Barth, who is competent – but nothing more.”

  Cecilie stared blankly at Alexander, wondering whether this statement was his way of taking some petty revenge on Hans, or whether he was lying. When she saw how calmly Alexander looked directly at the notary, she knew it was the truth. After all, Alexander had told her he could never lie to the court.

  Anyway, she now knew that Hans played chess. As she glanced across at him, she saw how his expression changed when his abilities as a chess player were mocked by a mere woman. The emotion in his eyes was unmistakeable.

  “Oh, hooray, hooray!” she thought wickedly.

  The notary muttered: “Very sensible I’d say, teaching one’s wife the rules of chess!”

  “She already knew how to play, my lord. Her father had taught her.”

  The notary’s face lit up. “Ah – my friend, Dag Meiden! Yes! And there’s nothing wrong with his mind either!”

  “We won that one,” Cecilie thought as she cast a glance at Alexander, who was in the process of sitting down again. He, too, seemed satisfied with the outcome of the exchange and the chess interlude was clearly over.

  “Madam, I now want to ask you a very personal question,” said the judge evenly. “Have you ever noticed that your husband has any deviant tendencies in his personality?”

  “No – never!”

  “Are you absolutely sure about that?”

  Cecilie looked back at him with a shy smile. “I’m positive, my lord. On the contrary – I can say for a fact that Alexander has often shown his impatience to be married to me.”

  ‘How in the world did you have the nerve to say that?’ Cecilie thought to herself as soon as the words were out. She was quite alarmed a
t what she’d just said and dared not look at Alexander. Nevertheless, her words had been effective, which was confirmed in the sound of gentle but knowing laughter that could clearly be heard from all around the public gallery.

  When the laughter had subsided, the notary continued: “And Hans Barth, what about him? Have you ever noticed that he has any unnatural tendencies?”

  Cecilie thought: ‘More than you know,’ but her serene expression betrayed nothing of her inner reflections. “Well, I can’t say that I’m that well acquainted with him – but, no. We’d often share conversation, the three of us. And sometimes we indulged in heated discussions. But I’ve never seen or even suspected the sort of indecencies that have been rumoured.”

  At this point, the notary declared that he had nothing more to ask and the judge dismissed Cecilie as he announced an adjournment for deliberations. She wasn’t allowed to talk to Alexander during the break in the proceedings, but she caught his eye across the hall and returned his flickering smile of encouragement. She realised that she was terrified of the moment when he’d face interrogation. Everything would be lost. Why couldn’t the stubborn fool just tell a few lies? But she knew Alexander wasn’t able to do so. His soul was far too pure for him to lie on oath.

  The judges and officials returned to their places in the hall much earlier than had been expected. They all sat down except the senior judge, who remained standing. “It’s all over,” Cecilie said to herself. “I pray that it’s all over.”

  “After listening to Lady Cecilie Paladin’s testimony before this court,” said the senior judge gravely, “we’ve come to the conclusion that there’s no reason to continue this farcical hearing. Furthermore, we find that this is an insidious and underhand attack on one of Denmark’s most honourable noblemen, Alexander Paladin.” As he turned to address Alexander directly, the judge cleared his throat and said: “You’re now free to leave this place by the grace of many who have spoken of your innocence, and most of all by the words of your wife, Lady Cecilie.”