Book 4, Chapter 14: A Wulfhild, Enfolded
…and while the beginnings of their familial and romantic relationship was shadowed due to plots and machinations, there is no question that Wulfhild Haddock I was also an integral and beloved member of the Haddock family. The only legitimate child of King Olaf of Norway by his wife Astrid Olofsdotter of Sweden, she was maneuvered into marriage with then-Heir Hiccup through the plotting of the the Norwegian court chaplain, Father Henriksson, as part of a plan to ensure a Christian heir to the rising kingdom of Berk. This backfired on the Father, since Wulfhild, as a direct result, waited to baptize her children with Hiccup until they were of age to consent. While this led to other complications, including rumors that she was a secret Jew, which were used to discredit and demonize her…
[...]
…soon, after her husband assumed the throne in AD 1044, Wulfhild gave up her position as Head Almoner and instead took over Hiccup’s role as Herald and chief diplomat. There, she was instrumental in forming the political bloc of allied nations that dominated the global political sphere for most of the next one hundred and fifty years…
—The Second Flowering Of Yggdrasil: An Analysis Of The Norse Resurgence, 1710
Tropes that appear in this chapter:
- Childhood Friend Romance: Maire is marrying her childhood friend Caiside.
- Dramatic Irony: The Byzantines and Kievan Rus are confused as to why the Pechenegs aren't attacking them and can only speculate as to why, while the readers know it's because of heavy infighting.
- Pun-Based Title: The chapter's title is a play on the phrase "a wolf on/in the fold".
- To Be Lawful or Good: On the matter of Gobnait wanting to convert to Judaism, Dovid is torn between turning her away because she and her deceased beloved didn't do it right, and on helping her, before ultimately choosing to help.
