Ina and Ethelburga the queen were on the high place, and to their left was Herewald, the Somerset ealdorman, who lived in Glastonbury, and was a good friend of mine, as will be seen, with his fair daughter Elfrida, and on the right of the king was Nunna, his cousin, and his wife.  Owen was next to Herewald, at one end of the high place, and at the other end was Sigebald, the Dorset ealdorman, under whom I had fought not so long ago.  There were many others of high rank in the west to the right and left of these again at the long tables.

Indeed, there was but one whom I missed in all the gathering.  My old friend Aldhelm was gone.  He died in the last year, after having been Bishop of Sherborne for a little while.  I missed him sorely, as did every man who knew him.

I do not think that if one searched all England through there could have been found a more noble looking group than that at Ina’s high table.  It is well known that our king and queen were beyond all others for royalty of look and ways, and I will venture to say that neither of the ealdormen had their equals, save in Nunna, anywhere.  But it is not my word only, for it was a common saying, that Owen seemed most royal next to the king himself.  Grave he always was, but with a ready smile and pleasant, in the right place, and though he was now about five-and-forty he had changed little to my eyes from what he was twelve years ago, when he saved me from the wolves.  He was one of those men who age but slowly.

One other on the high place I have not mentioned in this way.  That was Elfrida, the Somerset ealdorman’s daughter, of whom it was said that she was the fairest maiden in all Wessex.  Certainly at this time I for one would have agreed in that saying.  She was two years younger than I, if I dare say it, and it seemed to me that in the last three years she had suddenly grown from the child that I used to play with to a very stately lady, well fitted to take the place of her mother, who used to be kind to me when I first came here as the queen’s somewhat mischievous page, and had but died a year or so ago.  I think that this feast was the first Elfrida and her father had been present at since then, and at least, that was the reason I heard given for her presence on the high place.

Now I must say where my place was in the hall, for it may make more plain what happened hereafter.  The young nobles of the court who had no relatives present sat at one of the cross tables at the king’s right hand, and at the head of these tables was my seat by reason of my post as captain of the house-carles.  So I sat with my back to the long chief table, with its occupants just behind me, and to my left was the open space in the centre of the hall, so that if I was needed, or had to go out for the change of guard or other house-carle business, all that I had to do, being at one end of the bench, was to get up and go my way without disturbing any one.  At the same time I could see all the hall before me, and a half turn of the head would set my eyes on the king himself.