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Rh Asa faith, I shall never sit beside thee on thy throne, for a Christian I shall never be.”

“And a heathen I shall never wed,” shouted King Olaf, his anger rising to meet the queen's.

“Thou shalt take me heathen or not at all!” insisted Sigrid, her eyes flashing and her lips quivering.

She drew her robe around her and walked scornfully past the king. Her contempt was more than the viking could endure, and he drew off his gauntlet and struck Queen Sigrid full in the face with the glove. “What should I want with thee, thou old heathen jade?” he roared in her ear.

Sigrid stood quite still a moment after the blow. Her cheeks burned and her eyes were blazing. Almost choking with passion, she cried out to the raging man: “King Olaf, that insult shall be thy ruin!”