The dinner was followed by an introduction to Robert, Earl of Mann, the heir to the king's heir, to the English nobles. The Norman nobles forgot about the little episode and began to have fun, while the king's court jesters took the opportunity to steal the wine from the table, while not forgetting to hide a goose leg in their bosoms. A bard was singing about Roland's exploits, and the nobles present remembered the Duke's predecessor, the bard Telver, who, after killing a challenging English warrior in Hastings, rushed into enemy lines, was chopped to pieces, becoming the first Norman to be killed in the battle.

After the Earl of Mann and the slightly weak-looking Edgar meet, the two young men quickly become acquainted, Robert is a haughty nobleman who looks down on anyone of humble origin or frivolous manners, and Edgar soon discovers that Robert is also indifferent to his brother Lufus next to him. However, he had great respect for Edgar, the son of King Alfred, and soon invited him to join him in the race. Lufus was at ease, almost as proud as his older brother, but often with more cunning in his eyes, full of mischievous zeal like most ten-year-olds, almost the embodiment of demons.

The English looked out of place at this Norman court feast, except for Edgar chatting with Robert, his mother and sister appearing at the beginning of the feast and then withdrawing, and the Earl of Morka was depressed, only occasionally looking at Bishop Stigander with hatred. Most of the others were uncomfortable with such a modest, elegant banquet, and they remembered the wine and food of their homeland. That night, many Englishmen were so drunk that some even vomited in the corners of the corridors.

Edgar was not his devout mother and sisters, nor was he a traditional northern Saxon, he seemed to have forgotten England and quickly assimilated into Normandy life. Half a month later, during a race outside the castle of Rouen, Edgar saw a large number of Norman knights dressed in various elaborate costumes, and as a cavalry officer, he found that the Normans' harnesses were ornate and, unlike the English, their mounts were nailed with horseshoes. Robert arrived on a black horse, and seeing that Edgar had no horse, he gave him another brown horse, which was nearly 15 hands tall with bulging tendons and nostrils like oxen, as is said to have been the case with Alexander the Great's mount. Edgar put on his spur-wearing boots and jumped on horseback, his legs were very strong, and he was soon able to control the direction of the horse's movement with his legs and reins, and gradually he became proficient in his movements, and his movements of small and long strides were extremely smooth, as an English Guards cavalryman, he treated his horses much more gently and with significantly better effect than American cowboys, and Robert was on the sidelines, and was amazed at his riding skills: "I didn't expect your riding skills to be so masterful, almost like a Norman knight." ”

Edgar had no choice but to explain: "I grew up in Hungary, where knights could control horses without the reins and with only their legs. ”

Robert was delighted, his stature was not so diminutive on horseback, he took a riding spear from the hand of his squire, turned back to Edgar behind him, and shouted, "Then let's see who hits the most today!" With that, he kicked his mount and rushed forward with his rifle in his hand.

The rules of horse racing and staking are not complicated, mainly to stab the target post on the ground on horseback, and the victory is determined by the hit and effect. Robert's small size made it a little difficult to hold the rifle, and it was not very convenient to aim at the target every time he pressed it to the ground, and he was pierced three times in a row, which made him a little frustrated, and his speed increased a little under impatience, but it was more difficult to aim at the target, and he only hit twice in ten consecutive rounds. Seeing the bad luck of the Earl of Mann, the knight of Rao on the side also rode his horse to join in, he was a skilled rider, knocking over a target almost every round, causing a round of applause from the Normans around him, Robert was also very satisfied with his performance, raised his riding spear, and greeted him.

At this time, a horse entered from the side of the field, it was Edgar, the Earl of Oxford, he was very elegant on horseback, a spear in his hand pointed to the upper left, the horse's speed gradually increased, Edgar pointed his gun at the ground, his body was low, and he knocked three target posts away, and the riding spear in his hand also waved back, and then restarted. Then he threw his spear to one of his attendants, tossed his sword out of its sheath, then fell down in the saddle, stood upright in the stirrups, leaned over and stabbed the ground, piercing the next target, and then drew it, swung it backwards, and stabbed a dozen stakes in succession, before slowly leaving the field and putting the sword into its sheath. The Normans present cheered excitedly, and no one expected this soft-looking sixteen-year-old boy to have such riding skills.

Robert rode and paced to Edgar: "It seems that you have won, my lord. Edgar wiped his sweat and replied, "Yes, thanks to this mount's good training. ”

Unlike the French aristocracy, the Normans did not have many long traditions dating back to the Carolingian era, and most of the Normans could only date back to a thousand A.D. later, and their aristocratic traditions were more martial, they may not have much wealth or land, but they equipped themselves with the best weapons and armor possible, and they valued martial arts and courage more. Edgar's prowess was appreciated by many Normans, and Robert introduced Edgar to many of Normandy's best knights, as well as some nobles from Mann. Relations between Normandy and Anjou were very tense, and after William took the throne of England, the King of France, who was alert to the power of the Duke of Normandy, also joined forces with the Count of Anjou, so the support of the Mann region was extremely crucial to the defense of the southern part of the Duchy, and the Mann nobles present came to pay tribute to King William of England and reaffirm their support for the Normans. These Mann nobles were loose and even a little laid-back compared to the elite and brave Normans, many of them lived in towns and had their own estates, and some knights even monopolized the use of some walls and bridges, compared to the Norman knights who were extremely hungry for land, they obviously did not have much competitive ideas, and many looked at the Earl of Oxford with curiosity, and their interest in the ancient family obviously exceeded their appreciation for the martial arts displayed by Edgar.

After Edgar's arrival in Normandy, he did not often meet with the English nobles who accompanied him, and after the day's race, the Bishop of York came to Edgar's side wearing an old robe, and the Earl of Mann said goodbye to Edgar, and then rode away, followed by a large group of horseback attendants and hounds. When Earl Mann was gone, Bishop Aldred said to Edgar, "Your Excellency, Count Moka's domain and title have been stripped by the King, and he wishes to meet with him. ”

Edgar quietly listened to the bishop continue: "There has been a rebellion in Hereford, and news of York has not yet arrived, but the Earl of Moka has a very strong influence in York, and the chaos in the north will not stop. You should go to Bebanburg, where the flag of Wessex will be erected and the emblem of the White Dragon will reappear in England, and the English nobles in Normandy today have seen the prowess of their lords, and they want to fight again under the banner of Wessex and retake our country! ”

The bishop's whole body trembled, and his eyes were very determined, as if they were about to burn: "Your Excellency, you are the leader of the Saxons, the king of England under the blessing of God, you must be strong as steel, fight for your kingdom, and like your ancestor Alfred, expel them with spears and swords!" ”

The Norman falcons were flying in the sky, and Edgar looked at the warriors on horseback and replied, "I am willing to fight to the death for the sake of my homeland, but we are now weak and trapped in enemy territory, and we need to wait for our chances, and we need more allies." Your Excellency, you are a loyal Englishman, but I fear that the hearts of the English are not as strong as thee, and that the counts are not willing to take risks, and the militiamen are not willing to fight. We must gather strength and look for a starting point for a counterattack. ”

Outside the city of Rouen in spring, this young man decides to enter this era completely and become the descendant of this declining royal family. The enemy is incomparably stronger, and Edgar realizes that he needs a friend who stands on the same side.