So Westmar entered the palace with his men-at-arms, and said:  “Now thou must needs either consent to our entreaties, or meet in battle us who entreat thee.  We would rather die nobly than go back with our mission unperformed; lest, foully repulsed and foiled of our purpose, we should take home disgrace where we hoped to will honour.  If thou refuse thy daughter, consent to fight:  thou must needs grant one thing or the other.  We wish either to die or to have our prayers beard.  Something—­sorrow if not joy—­we will get from thee.  Frode will be better pleased to hear of our slaughter than of our repulse.”  Without another word, he threatened to aim a blow at the king’s throat with his sword.  The king replied that it was unseemly for the royal majesty to meet an inferior in rank in level combat, and unfit that those of unequal station should fight as equals.  But when Westmar persisted in urging him to fight, he at last bade him find out what the real mind of the maiden was; for in old time men gave women who were to marry, free choice of a husband.  For the king was embarrassed, and hung vacillating betwixt shame and fear of battle.  Thus Westmar, having been referred to the thoughts of the girl’s heart, and knowing that every woman is as changeable in purpose as she is fickle in soul, proceeded to fulfil his task all the more confidently because he knew how mutable the wishes of maidens were.  His confidence in his charge was increased and his zeal encouraged, because she had both a maiden’s simplicity, which was left to its own counsels, and a woman’s freedom of choice, which must be wheedled with the most delicate and mollifying flatteries; and thus she would be not only easy to lead away, but even hasty in compliance.  But her father went after the envoys, that he might see more surely into his daughter’s mind.  She had already been drawn by the stealthy working of the draught to love her suitor, and answered that the promise of Frode, rather than his present renown, had made her expect much of his nature:  since he was sprung from so famous a father, and every nature commonly answered to its origin.  The youth therefore had pleased her by her regard of his future, rather than his present, glory.  These words amazed the father; but neither could he bear to revoke the freedom he had granted her, and he promised her in marriage to Frode.  Then, having laid in ample stores, he took her away with the most splendid pomp, and, followed by the envoys, hastened to Denmark, knowing that a father was the best person to give away a daughter in marriage.  Frode welcomed his bride most joyfully, and also bestowed the highest honours upon his future royal father-in-law; and when the marriage rites were over, dismissed him with a large gift of gold and silver.