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those from Sikiley and Púl. Jústínus got Cecilía’s reluctant consent to his
participation. He unseated one after another of the best of the opponents,
changing armour and horse from time to time so that they did not know
whether it was one man or many. In the end he defeated their leader Plácidus,
who normally was not permitted to take part, and then he withstood a mass at-
tack. Two scholars who had studied in Frakkland said they recognized him as
Earl Mírmann, but people mocked them, believing Mírmann to be dead.
Ch.18. When Cecilía tried to find out more about him, Jústínus attributed
his success to her influence. Large ransoms were paid for the knights who had
been captured in the toumament. Cecilía reckoned Jústínus must be other
than he said.
Ch.19. Jústínus was the best chess player. Cecilía had him come to play
her. The game went on all day, with Cecilía refusing to break off for a meal or
for nones. When she saw she was losing, she made conversation about Mír-
mann and his killing of his father, and regained equality in the game while her
opponent’s thoughts were on his misfortune. Then she broke off the game to
go to evensong. She reckoned she knew who he was, but she said nothing to
anyone.
Ch.20. Lúcídaríus was now on his way with his army. Jústínus told Cecilía
he intended to fight him on her behalf, as she had healed him. The armies met,
and Lúcídaríus accepted Jústínus’s challenge. In the morning, after hearing
three masses, Jústínus and company rode to the battlefield. In an exchange
with Lúcídaríus, Jústínus said he would be using the sword Ýlfingr, ‘inherited
from my father’, but Lúcídaríus did not believe that was possible. They
fought, Lúcídaríus was slain, and the heathen army fled and many were slain.
Mírmann explained his history to King Vilhjálmr.
Ch.21. The king offered Mírmann a third of his kingdom and marriage
with his daughter if he would stay in Sikiley. Mírmann accepted, and Cecilía
was willing to marry him. They were happy together, and Mírmann was po-
pular with everyone. Some years went by.
Ch.22. One day Mírmann asked Cecilía for leave to go to visit his foster-
father Hlöðvir, for whom it would be a great joy to see him well. She advised
against risking what he had gained in Sikiley, but he persisted. He took sixty
knights with him, and Guðifrey went with him but Rogerus stayed with the
princess. Guðifrey went ahead and announced his coming, and he was
received with great joy. Soon afterwards Hlöðvir fell mortally ill and Mír-