Winchester, 1027 AD“Godwine, I have been invited to Rome,” Knut told me.
“And will you accept, Sire?”
“Accept? Of course! It is an honour to be welcomed to the coronation of the Holy Roman Emperor.”
“It is the least you should expect, Lord, as King of England, Denmark, Norway and of part of Sweden. Let us say you are the Emperor of the North.”
My intention was to flatter him but he stared at me glumly.
“For the moment, my enemies in Scandinavia are subdued, hence I can afford to make this journey. I shall depart from Denmark, thus letting my subjects there rejoice in my presence. But I have summoned you today, Godwine, for a purpose.”
It would have surprised me if he had not. I had no inkling of what matter pressed him to seek me out. I was too busy thinking that his real reason for
