#Domnal | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ladyinred2248 · 3 months

Text

King of the North, Finan x Reader, Part 7

Warnings: Mature. Minors DNI. Sexual themes. Angst.

You are so fragile and thin

Standing trial for your sins

Holding onto yourself the best you can

You are the smell before rain,

You are the blood in my veins

-Brand New

A light knock came to your door at the Inn just around midnight, and it stirred Finan awake immediately, his keen sense of awareness never allowing him a deep sleep. With messy hair and a bare torso he jumped from the bed, taking care to slowly release his grip from you before motioning for his sword belt instinctively, quietly and swiftly coming towards the door. He stepped to the window, squinting his dark eyes and gazing out just slightly. Only the moon’s light and a few torches revealed Domnal standing on the other side of the door. Finan put down his sword and opened the door quietly so as to not wake you and slipped out, nodding to Domnal as they met each other’s gaze.

“What is it?” Finan asked him, taking a moment to gaze at the surroundings outside, another one of his instinctive gestures.

“Lord King,” Domnal whispered, “I fear my Uncle will no longer approve of your betrothal. Your Kingship was imperative. We must return to Scotland and…secure an ally, with the Princesses’ hand.”

Finan’s stomach dropped at Domnal’s words. He paused, looking away and blinking a few times as he bit his lip. A deep rage began to engulf him once more. He could barely manage words, but offered a few in hopes it would change the circumstances.

“They would have killed me,” Finan spoke lowly in his Irish brogue, “…and I would no longer be able to protect her…What choice did I have?”

Domnal grabbed Finan’s arm, giving him a reassuring nod, “I understand, Your Grace. But you must not submit to Wessex. Our alliance stands, and we must make a move to secure the North.”

Finan looked at him with intensity now, his stern voice raising slightly. “Domnal, I swore an oath to the King. I have served Wessex for years.”

“Alfred will not be able to challenge you, I swear it. But if we do not secure our reign, we will have no other choice. She must do her duty,” Domnal looked at him with sympathetic eyes, “I am ever loyal to you, Your Grace. Please… choose wisely.”

Finan nodded, his hand coming to Domnal’s shoulder and a weak semblance of a smile coming across his face. Domnal had been an eternal beacon of support, standing steadfast by his side through the most fearsome of circumstances in recent months.

Domnal gave him a firm nod, and with that gesture he strode out into the night, leaving Finan standing in the darkness with the brisk night air against his skin. I should have known, Finan thought. He felt inexplicably lost, for the only true ambition Finan had was to have your hand in marriage, to live a simple life without political influences. His mind wandered to the course of events that led the two of you to this, and he truly believed that no matter what he had done, the outcome would have been no different. His passion for you was one that could bring about ferocity, as it had when he made the rash decision to siege Wessex. He would die for you at any moment without hesitation if needed, but he still selfishly wanted the family he never had with the woman he so desperately loved. When Alfred offered the reprieve of relinquishing the royal title and becoming his oathman, he felt it was the wisest choice to preserve his own destiny. He had never cared to be King of Ulaid, and he still had no desire to rule; he only cared to live a life that entailed living alongside you and raising the pups he would inevitably bestow upon you. Domnal’s words shook him to the very core, so the next morning, he sought out the one person he trusted most in the world.

“Are you mad?” Uhtred asked sternly with wide eyes, “Has this experience taught you nothing?”

Finan snickered, his air of seriousness dissipating slightly, “Lord… what would ya suggest then?”

Uhtred and the others had been packing up their belongings and readying the horses that morning, preparing to return to Coccham. Uhtred thought that matters had been settled for now, letting his mind be at ease with the simple notion that Constantin and Domnal would return to Scotland and that Finan was now in the same position he himself had been in for years - serving the King of Wessex.

“I would suggest that you have Beocca marry you to the beautiful woman and consummate the marriage as quickly as possible,” Uhtred replied with a smirk.

Finan couldn’t help but smirk back at him, then took a deep, slow breath and let out a sigh.

“Finan, we will stay in Winchester for a short time, and we will resolve this.”

Finan smiled at his Lord again, Uhtred’s hand coming to rest on Finan’s shoulder, “Yes. Thank you, Lord.”

Uhtred gave him a stern nod before raising his eyebrows at Finan. “Do not make any rash decisions. The last thing we need is another war with Wessex.”

Finan nodded, a small smile spreading across his face as he felt a wash of relief overcome him at Uhtred’s support.

“You still wish to marry the Lady, yes?”

Finan rolled his eyes with a smirk. Of course he did. He would have already if not for the bastard King preventing any step towards a future with you.

“Yes, Lord.”

Uhtred smirked. “Then I will arrange for it tonight. She will make an honest man of you, my friend.”

Finan smiled, the kind of one that held creases at the corners of his eyes.

Uhtred kept up his positive demeanor until Finan left to return to you, and afterwards sought out Gisela as his worries began to stir again.

When Finan returned to your room at the Inn you were still asleep under the furs, the morning sun gleaming in through the windows. Finan smiled as he sat on the bed next to you, stroking your hair and admiring your graceful slumber until you opened your eyes to see your lover gazing down at you. You returned his smile with yours, bringing your hand up to rub your eyes.

“I must have overslept,” you muttered sleepily, your awareness coming back to you slowly. “…are we to journey to Coccham today?”

Finan hummed softly, and you noticed his expression fade into one of contemplation as he paused to answer.

“Not yet,” Finan answered as he looked down on you, bringing his hand up to your cheek and stroking it with his thumb. “We have some things to take care of first.”

You nodded, and the sudden thought came to mind of whether or not your Father would summon you for deliberations. Given the change in circumstances and Finan swearing loyalty to Wessex, you were certain that your father was not pleased with Finan’s decision, but you didn’t care. All that mattered was the man sitting before you, alive and well.

Finan’s eyes searched yours again, the deep brown irises gleaming golden in the morning sun with a soft, loving gaze. “I will make you my wife on this day. I can’t wait any longer… Uhtred has given us his blessing.”

A wide grin spread across your face as you threw back the furs, jumping out of bed and embracing Finan with a happy squeal. He wrapped his strong arms around your body and held you tight, chuckling deeply with his lips pressed to your neck. He motioned away from you just enough to look into your eyes once more.

Finan’s palms came up to hold your face, searching your eyes for a semblance of security that your own eyes returned with a loving gaze. You turned your head slightly to kiss his palm, which made Finan take a slow, deep breath as you awakened his senses with a mere soft kiss. He was undoubtedly head over heels, and madly aroused at your slight touch.

“My dearest love,” Finan whispered, “You are the blood in my veins... The other half of my soul. The love of my life… before God, and all creation… the reason I live, the reason I have survived. My greatest gift. The mother of my children… blood of my blood.”

His hand gently graced your stomach, and you wondered then if he already knew what you had been hiding from him for several months. Its not that you wanted to hide it from him; you were nervously anticipating the conversation, and worried that he would believe it to be a bad omen as the two of you were not yet bound in wedlock. You knew deep in your heart that Finan was not this man. He would be elated, happier than ever before. Therefore, you simply hadn’t found an opportunity to tell him that you believed you were indeed with child… his child. His pup. You could barely believe it yourself. The mere thought of it set all of your nerves on fire, not to mention the sweet words of devotion he had just bestowed upon you. Your heart was swelling immensely just by looking into his deep, dark eyes in this moment. You were speechless, the love you had for him consuming your very being.

Finan interrupted your thoughts before you could speak.

“I love you, my princess,” Finan whispered again, ghosting his lips over yours as his face neared yours and his hands came across your body, claiming you. “I will love you forever.”

You captured Finan’s lips with yours with deep need, his own returning your own affections with desperation as his tongue claimed your mouth as he deepened the kiss. He was desperate to consume you, to own you, to claim you as his own… as often as he could. He tossed his tunic to the floor and jumped into the furs with you, moving his strong body on top of yours and gracing your bare skin with his own. Before you knew it, your lover had you in the most compromised position.

Your kiss danced back and forth, a war of sorts for claim and possession, while his hands sought your body with harsh grip as if he couldn’t possibly get you close enough to him. Your heart raced as you felt his first ministrations to your core with his fingers, driving you mad with need as you arched your head back and whimpered in response to the strong sensations. The ones that made you the neediest woman. Finan’s mouth came to your neck, sucking and biting at the tender skin as you uncontrollably whimpered for him. As he sunk himself into you, your breath hitched. He filled you so completely that you no longer knew where his body started and yours began. Your lover rocked his hips gently into yours, and your soul left your body as he made love to you, slow and sweet yet overwhelming and possessive.

Finan knew that it would be defiant to marry you in secret, away from your father’s prying eyes. He decided once again to take matters into his own hands. He wouldn’t allow you to be controlled any longer; not by Christian Kings or old men who sought to control you, nor by sworn duty or obedient oaths to serve a Kingdom you were born into. Kingdom of Scotland be damned, he would not let duty or dishonor control your fate any longer. Finan would ultimately secure your freedom and guard you with his life.

Constantin and Domnal had spent the prior evening and that morning planning their departure, or rather, discussing their options. They sat in the great hall of the palace at Winchester, and Constantin seemed obviously perturbed. He cared for Finan and sought to protect him as his lifelong friend, Finan’s father, would have wanted. But it made no difference to him when it came down to ambition and power. If Finan’s death was needed to promote his cause, then in Constantin’s mind, he would be dying with honor. Furthermore, he would marry you to anyone who could further their ambitions and secure their control of the North. But, perhaps the situation at hand could be of use to them. Finan could now be used as the ultimate pawn in their game.

“What did he say?” Constantin asked Domnal, his presence looming over him.

Domnal chuckled somewhat darkly. “Well, my Lord…I think he needs some convincing.”

“Hm,” Constantin hummed, “You hold his trust, do you not?”

Domnal nodded with a smirk, “I believe I do, Uncle. But the Dane Slayer holds a strong influence on him, and he is most loyal to Alfred. I’m certain that he will make this task difficult.”

Constantin chuckled. “Then it’s simple. We will have to end him if he stands in our way. Send for the rest of our men, they are standing by in Mercia.”

Domnal smiled. “Yes, Lord King.”

Uhtred and Gisela sat together at the table in their room at the Inn, watching their small children play with toys on the floor, their fingers intertwined.

“She is with child, Uhtred. I know it,” Gisela spoke, “…and now they are at risk for yet another separation?”

Uhtred shook his head, a solemn look in his eyes.

“Finan never thought this through. I knew it would turn out like this in the end.”

Gisela tutted, rubbing Uhtred’s arm lightly with her hand, “We do not always choose who we fall in love with, Lord.”

Uhtred’s eyes suddenly changed from a look of sympathy to one of spite.

“Alfred has had control over us for far too long. Finan was a fool to give him his oath and renounce himself in the first place.”

Gisela shook her head, her brows furrowing at Uhtred’s remarks. “What other choice did he have, Uhtred? He would have been put to death. And the princess and her unborn child would be all alone in this world. The Scots are not innocent in this matter, either.”

Uhtred sighed and nodded to his beloved wife.

“The Scots have not forgotten their ambition. They will seek to manipulate him in any way they can. It is his birthright to hold those lands, Gisela… and it should be his children’s.”

Gisela shrugged softly, looking deep into Uhtred’s eyes as they sat across from each other.

“He told me long ago that he was married once before, and that she had given life to two boys.”

Uhtred brought his gaze up to meet Gisela’s again with wide eyes. He was shocked, as Finan had never offered this information to him before. He had confided in Uhtred years ago that he had betrayed the crown as rightful heir, but never shared the details with him regarding how it happened or the details of his life before the slave ship.

“Two boys?” Uhtred asked softly, revelation coming across him. “Gisela…he has an heir.”

Gisela nodded, a slight smile tugging at her lips. “Yes. Conall took his wife and sons for his own after he banished Finan. The wife has since died, which is why Conall sought to marry the Princess. But where are the children?”

They sat in silent contemplation for several moments. Uhtred was still taken aback that Finan had children, and had not only had his rightful title stolen from him but an entire life that had been lost before they met. Uhtred’s mind was reeling now to develop a plan, and he would return Finan’s unyielding loyalty to him in the years since the slave ship. No … he would not let Finan live a miserable fate once again.

Gisela smiled, witnessing Uhtred fall deeply into his thoughts. “If one of Finan’s sons holds the Crown, perhaps the Scots will still have their ally, and they will relinquish their control over her. They will be able to live in happiness… away from the control of the Crown.”

Uhtred smirked and gave her a wink. “It is a reasonable plan. But for tonight…there shall be a wedding.”

Gisela made haste to prepare you for the betrothal, while Finan sought Father Beocca and Uhtred prepared to stave off any Scots that lingered. The ceremony would be kept a secret, at least until it was finished. Sihtric was sent to scout the area on horseback, serving as the personal guard as the celebrations were prepared. This would not be the wedding you or Finan deserved, Uhtred thought, but it would have to be enough to be bonded in marriage in front of Uhtred’s men and your God. And the marriage would be consummated quickly, Uhtred knew. He smirked at that. He knew how dearly Finan loved you. A woman that could bring a man to his knees to worship at your feet, a true Scottish beauty in every sense of the word. Uhtred was certain it was not only your overwhelming beauty, but your strength, and the devotion you held for the Irishman. One which was strong and everlasting enough to burn down villages and bestow the wrath of the gods.

As the sun began to set in the horizon, everyone gathered in the church at Winchester. As you stood from a distance with Gisela, you could see that everyone had joyful, soft smiles, but the men were on high alert. And then, you saw him. Your Irishman standing in his best armor, talking to Uhtred and giving him an embrace. It was like time itself had stopped in that moment. Finan looked across the room, catching your eyes, and you were sure you had never seen such deep devotion in them. You gave him a soft smile and prepared to near him. Finan, your heart and soul, the man of your every dream.

Your pleasant thoughts were shaken when you heard a muffled shout in the distance.

“Uhtred!” Beocca shouted urgently from across the room, and Gisela moved to grab your arms as you both looked around in startled shock.

The men had jumped to action quickly, but it wasn’t enough as Father Beocca was now held by one of the Scot’s guardsmen, a knife to his throat.

It all happened so quickly that you had no idea where to turn… or run.

Constantin’s men surrounded Finan now, one of the larger ones putting him in a subdued position and holding a dagger to his neck as Constantin chuckled.

“My dear boy,” Constantin spoke mockingly as Finan struggled in the guardsman’s grasp, “How dare you take what isn’t yours. We had an agreement, yes? You will be sure to honor it.”

“Father!” You shouted as you ran to them, scowling at Constantin, and Domnal came closer to grasp your arms bruisingly from behind. “Let him go. He is loyal to us, I swear it. Alfred would have had him killed,” you pleaded, looking into your father’s eyes. “Please.”

“Oh he will surely be loyal to us, Princess. If not, I have plenty of fine suitors for you, much less complicated than this,” Constantin spoke softly as him and Domnal shared eye contact.

You scowled at your father once more, the rage evident in your words. “I will throw myself from these walls. I will pierce a sword straight into my heart and my blood will be on your hands, Father.”

Domnal suddenly unsheathed his dagger, bringing you into a bruising grip and holding the cold blade across your neck. You could see Finan’s chest bellowing, his eyes wide with fear for you.

“No, my dear,” Constantin chuckled, nodding to Finan. “Your blood will be on his hands. We leave for the North now.”

Uhtred and his men surrounded the turmoil now, drawing their swords and seaxs, ready to strike.

Uhtred glared at Constantin with a forbidding look in the blue depths of his eyes.

“You will not take him from us, Lord. You and your men will stand down.”

Constantin let out a strangled laugh that reverberated through the deafening silence before Domnal spoke.

“Dane Slayer, you will not challenge us if you want to live.”

Uhtred smirked at Constantin, his voice sounding calm and uninterested, a tactic that Uhtred utilized well. “You will not kill your own daughter. Nor will you kill the rightful King of the North,” Uhtred stepped closer cautiously, “You may take her. Make your alliances before your Kingdom falls before you.”

Finan looked at Uhtred like he had killed his own kin in front of his eyes.

Constantin had been holding Uhtred’s gaze intensely, a smirk coming across his face. “As you wish.”

The next events were a blur. Finan felt lightheaded as the two of you shared one last longing glance, and then… you were gone. The Scots had left the church, and you were gone along with them.

Finan was beyond devastated that you were taken from his arms once again by your Father, without a single thing he could do to stop it, officially bound to your duties now it seemed. He would have been taken with you, as seemed to be the Scots plan, until Uhtred had stepped in. His own Lord had let them take you, and for that, Finan was seeing red.

“I have a plan,” Uhtred whispered as the men all sat around the church solemnly in shock. “We will travel to the North. You will have your woman again, I swear it. But this will take time and it will take men. You must make your stand in the North. I am with you.”

Finan’s words came out on a choked whisper.

“And how do ya suppose we manage that?”

Uhtred firmly put his hand on Finan’s shoulder.

“We find the next King of Ulaid... Your son.”

Finan snapped his head up at Uhtred, his eyes only a glimpse of hopeful and in a state of shock at Uhtred’s words. How had Uhtred known?

“He will take the Crown and we can negotiate an alliance with the Scots. It’s what they want, is it not? Then, the Princess will no longer be of use to them. And you shall have the family you deserve.”

Finan paused, shaking his head. “I left my first family behind, like a coward. My children… th-they surely despise me.”

Uhtred spoke strongly. “It doesn’t matter. Your first born is the rightful heir now that you have relinquished your title once more. So let us bestow it upon him.”

Finan nodded hesitantly, feeling his hands begin to tremble. He held such guilt and shame for leaving his two boys to Conall, for years. He bit his lip in contemplation, knowing that his first born would be of age now. He would be ready. At least, as prepared as Finan had been at that age to assume the Crown, which wasn’t substantial, but he knew that Conall and the royal family had seen to it to prepare them, just as Finan and his brother had been so many years ago.

“I know this is deeply traumatic for you,” Uhtred spoke, “But it is our only choice.”

Finan sought deep within himself to find the strength. The strength to nod back to Uhtred, to stand and fight. To agree to Uhtred’s plan, and to be the man he had desired to be for many years. To amend years worth of shame and anguish, for hopes that he could have you in his arms again and that his two boys in the North could perhaps find a way to live peacefully, despite their broken family, despite everything.

>>> Part 8

Taglist: @gemini-mama @persephones-journey @alexagirlie @whitedarkmoonflower @justanother-sihtricgirlie @bcon24 @ficnation

#the last kingdom #finan the agile #finan tlk #tlk fandom #the last kingdom finan #tlk fanfic #finan tlk fanfic #finan x reader

29 notes · View notes