Friendship

by Margit Sandemo

  The hearing had taken place before laws were introduced that forbade any wife to bear witness either for or against her husband. Hans may well have wanted to protest wildly against the verdict of the judges, but to Cecilie’s relief, his face remained expressionless and he didn’t say anything. He’d probably realised that any such protest would have only made his situation worse.

  “With regard to matters relating to Hans Barth,” continued the senior judge in the same tone of voice, “this court ...”

  Hans Barth’s fate didn’t interest Cecilie at all. She was already on her way out of the hall, pushing forward to meet Alexander outside. But he remained behind to hear the verdict handed out to Hans. Eventually Alexander pushed his way through the throng and joined her.

  “Thank you, Cecilie! I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you enough!” he whispered close to her ear. “And Hans’ death sentence has also been overturned, thanks to you. He’ll suffer a whipping and then some hard labour, but you saved his life. I’m so happy!”

  Cecilie stifled a long string of vile oaths. She’d been fighting solely to save Alexander – that was all. She’d been left with no choice but to speak nicely of Hans. All these things were probably inevitable. But was it really necessary for Alexander to show her how happy he was about Hans’ verdict? It troubled her and she found it difficult to put it out of her mind.

  ***

  As soon as the trial was over, Cecilie had to return to her duties at Frederiksborg as she was still a lady-in-waiting. But now a carriage collected her at the end of the day and took her to Gabrielshus. She and Alexander passed the next few evenings happily in one another’s company, talking or playing a game, but never again did they share a bed.

  Then one evening Cecilie asked him if he’d seen Hans since the trial.

  “No, of course not!” he replied hotly. “Are you out of your mind? Firstly, he’s locked well away, imprisoned in some unknown castle, fortress or penal colony. Secondly, he abused and ended our friendship. Thirdly, it would be ridiculous of me to visit him and give rise to new rumours and suspicions.”

  “But you’d like to see him, wouldn’t you?”

  “Not in the least. Why, only last night I lay thinking just how little he means to me now. At the trial, when I hadn’t seen him for a while, I found him rather obnoxious. Like an over-decorated mannequin!”

  Cecilie nodded. “That was exactly how I felt. In fact, when I saw him again, I was confused by your association with him. I hadn’t expected you to have a preference for his sort.”

  “He was far more reserved, discreet and dependable when I knew him,” answered Alexander almost at once. “Now he just goes wherever the wind blows him. He seems to have become most unreliable.”

  “I think you’re right,” replied Cecilie. “Absolutely right.”

  ***

  After the high drama of the wedding, the trial and all that had gone on in the days leading up to them, Cecilie found it a struggle to bring her focus back to the more mundane nature of her job in the King’s household. Her charges, the royal children of the King and Kirsten Munk, were all growing bigger and stronger and it was four-year-old Leonora Christina who was temperamentally the strongest of them all.

  Anna Katrine was the unhappiest. Her mother disliked her because she resembled her royal father. The remaining girls and the only boy were exceptionally arrogant and unpleasant to their subordinates, a practice they’d been well tutored in by their mother and their grandmother, Ellen Marsvin, who was the children’s guardian until they came of age.

  The worst behaved of the siblings was six-year-old Sophie Elisabeth. She was uncontrollable, with a jealous nature, and frequently indulged herself in outbursts of childish violence. She possessed every conceivable objectionable trait and brought misery to the lives of every royal nanny in the same way that later in life she’d inflict misery on Christian von Pentz, her husband.

  Cecilie rarely, if ever, saw the royal children that were in line to the throne from Christian IV’s marriage to Anne Catherine of Brandenburg. They almost never stayed in the same part of the kingdom as Miss Kirsten’s offspring, not least because there were many who questioned the very validity of the King’s marriage to Kirsten Munk. No formal ceremony had ever taken place. Even so, the King always referred to her as “my dear wife” and declared that she was his legitimate wife.

  Cecilie had a soft spot for King Christian. Much could be said of him, but it couldn’t be denied that he cared deeply for his nearest and dearest, and all of his children. He showed them all how much he loved them, gave them the best of everything and looked after them well. His loyalty to Kirsten Munk never wavered and despite everything he was probably quite fond of her although she’d been unable to accept that he’d christened their first daughter Anna Katrine in memory of his late wife. Cecilie thought that much of her hatred of the child probably stemmed from that.

  The unkind housekeeper hadn’t changed either. There were many times when Cecilie had to console her two favourite charges after they’d been scolded or beaten by her or their mother. Leonora Christina would suffer because she was the one who most often would assert her strong personality, whereas Anna Katrine was picked on simply because she became the irrational object of their ill temper.

  Kirsten Munk would visit the nursery very infrequently though more out of duty than motherly love for her children. On one such visit the sight of Cecilie, victorious in court on Alexander’s behalf, made her disappointment and hurt pride flare up more fiercely than ever. Kirsten immediately vented her anger on her blameless children, lashing out uncontrollably at anything and anyone before she finally stormed out of the room, leaving a chorus of frightened children’s screams behind her. All this tension and friction made Cecilie’s daily tasks more difficult, and because she was expecting Alexander to depart any day with his troops, she remained on edge and ill at ease.

  Then, without any warning, it was announced that more time would be needed to draw up and finalise detailed plans of how to conduct the war. The fact was that many statesmen and councillors were still very much in doubt about giving their full support to King Christian’s fervent wish for battle, so among other changes, Alexander’s departure for Holstein was postponed indefinitely. This news came as a great relief to both Cecilie and Alexander, but they’d scarcely had time to adjust to the situation and settle into a quieter domestic routine when another small bombshell dropped into their lives.

  One evening as Cecilie returned home from work, Alexander met her in the entrance hall of Gabrielshus and greeted her not with his customary warm smile but with a worried frown.

  “What’s the matter, Alexander?” she asked in a concerned voice. “You’re looking very anxious.”

  “My sister arrived today,” he said shortly. “She says that she very much wants to see you.”

  She studied his face but his expression told her very little – and yet that in itself said a lot.

  “Good heavens!” she muttered. “Give me strength, Alexander.”

  He smiled bitterly. “I wouldn’t worry if I were you. It’s me she dislikes.”

  But Cecilie couldn’t help worrying that her sister-in-law’s attitude to Alexander might also spread to her. She touched her hair subconsciously, trusting that it was still tidy, but her knees were trembling as she stepped reluctantly into the house and walked towards the drawing room where their visitor was waiting.

  Cecilie could see at first sight that Countess Ursula Horn was older than her brother. She was austere, almost grim and while her hair was dark like Alexander’s, she wore it pulled severely back from her face. There was an icy chill too in the bright blue-grey eyes that scrutinised Cecilie critically as she entered the room. Whereas Alexander’s nose was straight, Ursula’s was hawk-like and typically aristocratic and her thin, well-defined lips were painted a bright red.

  From the outset, Ceci
lie was more than a little frightened of this daunting woman. She knew only that Ursula was the widow of a German sailor who’d died a hero and that the servants of Gabrielshus had a restrained look about them whenever her name was mentioned. So Cecilie bowed her head politely towards her older and higher-ranking sister-in-law, who responded with an abrupt and unfriendly nod of her head. Alexander had quietly followed Cecilie into the room and now he stopped behind her and laid his hands gently on her shoulders. Cecilie relaxed briefly at his kind gesture. They very seldom touched each other in the normal course of events.

  “Ursula, this is Cecilie,” said Alexander with a forced smile. “She’s just arrived back from the royal apartments at the castle.” His sister pretended not to have heard him. “What exactly are your reasons for marrying this bastard?” she snapped harshly. “Money? Or a title?”

  “Love,” replied Cecilie, feeling rage rapidly replacing the anxiety she’d experienced earlier. But her voice remained steady and she repeated her answer calmly. “Yes, love! What other reason could there have been?”

  “Don’t imagine that you can fool me! Oh, no! I’ll soon find out ...” She looked around the room and moved quickly towards a tasseled bell-pull used for summoning the domestic servants. She tugged it violently and shouted at the same time at the top of her voice: “Magdelone!” the name of a chambermaid, who appeared almost instantly at a run, “Has this young woman started to run the estate yet?”

  Catching her breath, Magdelone curtsied formally: “No, Madam – and all of us here are very fond of Mistress Cecilie.”

  “Hmm,” mused Ursula. “Alright, that will be sufficient.”

  Very slowly, Ursula turned to inspect Cecilie more carefully but didn’t speak until the footsteps of the maid had died away along the corridor.

  “You are, so I’ve heard, governess to His Majesty’s children by that ... Kirsten Munk?”

  Ursula almost spat out the name of the King’s mistress and the look of distaste on her face was unmistakable. ‘At least we have something in common there,’ thought Cecilie. ‘We’re not entirely at odds with one another.’

  “I am indeed governess to the royal children,” she replied briskly. “That’s correct.”

  “Well, I suppose that’s particularly appropriate – you can hardly expect to have children of your own.”

  “We hope that we will,” said Alexander pointedly, while pressing lightly on Cecilie’s shoulders.

  “Don’t be ridiculous!” Ursula hissed without so much as a glance in his direction. “I’ll not speak to one who has so dishonoured the name of our family with such sickening behaviour. You’ll never have children – and that’s something you both know!”

  Sol’s spirit stirred within Cecilie once more and the harsh and brutal nature of the Ice People could be heard unmistakably in her voice. “We’ll try our very best, Ursula,” she retorted with icy defiance. “Don’t make hasty judgments about us.”

  Her sister-in-law gave her a hard challenging stare. Then, as she turned away, she said. “I’ve no time for people who lie to my face.”

  A long uncomfortable silence followed. Then, as she was about to leave the room, Ursula stopped and spoke over her shoulder. “I don’t know what game the two of you are playing. But one thing is certain: My perverted brother with his repulsive cravings would never sleep with a woman!”

  Having delivered her uncompromising broadside, the older woman swept out through the doorway, leaving Cecilie dismayed, furious and at a loss for words.

  “You mustn’t be sad, Cecilie,” murmured Alexander soothingly. “She knows nothing of the deep friendship we share.”

  The sound of Alexander’s gentle voice close beside her lifted Cecilie’s spirits instantly. She drew a deep breath, allowing the anger and resentment in her to subside.

  “You’re kind, Alexander,” she said at last with a forced smile. “But I’d wanted so much to be accepted by your family.”

  “Don’t worry, Cecilie. You will be, I promise you. I’m so fond of you and so happy that you’re here. And my admiration for you grows with each day that passes. I could never have wished for a better companion.”

  “My tone may have been somewhat vulgar a moment ago,” she reflected. “I’m sorry about that.”

  “She deserved it,” he smiled. “Besides, I enjoy watching your wild temper. I don’t understand where it comes from – it’s not like the person I know at all.”

  Cecilie, vaguely aware that now and then she carried the spirit and courage of Sol inside her, smiled warmly and secretively to herself – but to Alexander and the world at large, she said nothing at all.

  ***

  As the days passed, Cecilie wanted desperately to take Alexander home to Norway with her, to introduce him to her family. But because the war situation was still tense and uncertain, and his marching orders might come any day, Alexander couldn’t get permission to leave the district. So Cecilie and he passed their days in a kind of limbo of uncertainty and waiting.

  It was the carnival season and to take his mind off the imminent threat of war, the King had decided to enjoy himself come what may and arranged some entertainment for the Court. Cecilie and Alexander were obliged to attend a number of functions, grand balls and receptions. On one occasion Cecilie found herself swamped by a group of complete strangers, but she felt that Alexander was watching out for her so she didn’t become overwhelmed.

  She looked around and at last saw him smiling at her from the farthest end of the hall. Although he was engaged in conversation with a number of other men, he immediately hurried across to rescue her. He didn’t do this out of a sense of duty but – as he now told her often – simply because he enjoyed her company and wanted to be with her more than anyone else.

  The incident touched Cecilie deeply and she felt very glad that the closeness between them was continuing to grow significantly.

  Then while they were attending another crowded ball, they suddenly heard a surprised and excited voice call Alexander’s name from across the room. Cecilie couldn’t immediately make out who had called and was puzzled at her husband’s extreme reaction. The colour had risen suddenly in his face and she also noticed that his hands were gripping the back of a chair so hard that the knuckles had turned white. Then she saw that a young couple were making their way over to them – and the good-looking man who had called Alexander’s name was beaming with joy.

  “Alexander! How marvellous to see you! I haven’t seen you for years! And this is your wife? May I introduce you to my wife? We certainly know how to choose the most beautiful women, don’t we?”

  For once Alexander was speechless. Then with an effort he managed to collect his thoughts.

  “Cecilie, I’d like to introduce you to Germund, best friend of my youth. You’ll remember that I’ve spoken of him – and Germund, may I introduce you to Cecilie, my wife, as you correctly assumed.”

  Germund bowed his head and took her hand formally. “And this is my wife, Thyra. Lady Cecilie, you can’t imagine how much I’ve missed Alexander! We were truly two of a kind. But then he just disappeared – transferred to another regiment. I was very hurt, Alexander. I missed you an awful lot!”

  Alexander smiled but Cecilie saw that his expression was strained. “I soon regretted my decision, Germund. But by then it was too late.”

  They all sat down in a quiet corner and chatted together animatedly for a long time. Cecilie realised that Germund was a very compassionate man, and although his wife Thyra was pleasant enough, she was just too conventional for anyone who had inherited the Ice People’s temperament. Germund was short and not a strongly built man, but he was sharp-witted. He had a lively and happy disposition and, although he wasn’t particularly handsome, he was exceedingly charming. Alexander seemed enlivened by the reunion and the awful tension Cecilie had noticed when he first met his old friend soon disappeared.

 
; But after that evening something continued to bother him. He became edgy and distracted and his conversations with Cecilie became more and more abrupt and irritable. Eventually after several days, when she couldn’t tolerate it any longer, she gathered her courage.

  “What’s wrong, Alexander?” she asked as they sat down for supper. “Are you still thinking of what happened at that ball the other night?”

  He closed his eyes and from his pained expression it seemed that he wanted to tell her to be quiet and mind her own business. But in the end he simply said in a stifled voice: “Yes, perhaps I am.”

  “It was meeting Germund, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes,” he mumbled.

  “Do you want to see him again?”

  “I’ve told you before, Cecilie, that I don’t need to be with someone just because I desire them! But meeting him again after all these years opened up new wounds. You saw how happily married he is now, and he’s never had the slightest suspicion of my predilections.”

  “Can’t we invite him here?”

  “Why? I can’t go through all that pain again. Not to mention the indignity it would be to you – I couldn’t put you through that.”

  “He was your only real love, wasn’t he? Isn’t that true?”

  “Sometimes I wish you weren’t so sharp-witted,” he said shortly. “But you’re right.”

  “So do you still have a ... weakness for him then?”

  Alexander took a long breath while he considered his answer carefully. Then he twisted his mouth wryly into a characteristic grimace that she knew well.

  “I’ve no idea, Cecilie. That’s exactly why I want to avoid his company. I don’t want to discover that I still want ... to be near him. The distress I felt when we were younger isn’t something I want to relive.”