#eadith x aldhelm

[aadmelioraa]

It's almost 2023, so I figured I'd share my updated The Last Kingdom fic recs since I have been meaning to do that all year. Below the cut you will find some shippy stuff, some introspective pieces, and a variety of characters featured (several of whom rarely get fanfic). I hope if this post crosses your path you may find a new favorite! I did limit my selection to complete fics, but you can find more recommendations, both works in progress and complete, under my ao3 tlk bookmarks. Happy New Year, and happy reading!

the leap by @irisdouglasiana

Season 5 cottagecore nuns fixit for Aalys and Aelflaed. Fixit fics are not usually my vibe tbh but this one is perfectly complex and bittersweet.

A Hard Story to Know by @wildwren

Post Season 5 fic. Aelfwynn processes her grief at the loss of her mother with the help of Aldhelm and Eadith. This fic broke my heart and mended it several times over.

no escape by @volvaaslaug

Wonderful Eadith character study and I adore the prose style as well.

come go with me by @wendy-daahling

Aethelflaed x Aldhelm political marriage (for MERCIA of course), slow burn with lots of delicious pining.

the drowned and the damned by @irisdouglasiana

Canon divergent AU centered around Osbert, Uhtred's youngest son. Addresses family trauma, cycles of violence, and legacy within the world of the show and does it in such a thought provoking way.

and, lord, she found me just in time by @jeynepoole

Hild x Iseult hurt/comfort bathing fic...so tender and so lovely.

a rope in hand for your other man by @jeynepoole

This fic is definitely for a niche audience, but if the idea of an Aethelflaed/Aldhelm/Aethelred threesome intrigues you, check it out...and there's more where that came from.

Meanwhile in Mercia by @skatingthinandice

This series is an absolute staple of Aethelflaed x Aldhelm fanfic and I am very grateful for it. Essential reading!

Daughter of Darkness by @ulfrsmal

Gen fic focused around Brida and Thyra's relationship and trauma that I, for one, desperately needed. *this fic is locked, you will need to be logged into your ao3 account to access...I still have a few invitations to send, if you need one feel free to DM me!

I go you go, my dear by alittlebitalexis

Two Osferth x Eadith fics for the Eadsferth truthers among us (no for real they were cute). Fluff and smut.

When the Party's Over by @wildwren

Aethelflaed x Erik College AU. Part of a series, read Part 1 first, I am just particularly attached to this part for...reasons.

The Maiden by @wildwren

Pirate/Witch AU for Aethelflaed x Skade. This fic is HOT and creative and HOT and gorgeously written and HOT.

To Curse a King by @pokeasleepingsmaug

Skade x Sihtric smut fic featuring magic and knife play. Very fun and sexy.

Saint of Shitty Reasons by @volvaaslaug

Edward Modern AU character study that hits 95% of my kinks.

Most CURSED among God's kin are aethelings by @wildwren

Aethelwold character study. A masterpiece though and through.

Lay Down Your Arms by @skatingthinandice

Aethelflaed x Aldhelm post Tettenhall smut, and a most worthy entry for the #GET IT AETHELFLAED tag.

clever-tongued by @tsukkinami

Aethelflaed x Aldhelm smut with wonderful tension and intimacy, it's just top tier! A classic.

in my dreams we survived by @irisdouglasiana

Hild character study, really lovely angst that makes me tear up every time.

poison by @irisdouglasiana

Brida x Skade enemies to lovers...need I say more?

fortune cookie by @jeynepoole

Competent stepdad Aldhelm, Modern AU Aldhelm & Aelfwynn bonding. A warm blanket of a fic.

[lord-aldhelm]

Fic Rec List September 2024

Another rec list! I am trying to publish one every few months as I read more fics and have stuff to add. Most of these are Aldhelm-related (of course) but some are other TLK characters.

Aldhelm-Centric:

Take a Chance on Me by myrcnahlaedige (@aethelredcunt) - Aethelflaed/Aldhelm fic inspired by Mamma Mia! This is so amazingly hilarious and clever! Rating: T

A Lesson In Restraint by holy3cake (@holy3cake) - From the author: "Aethelred gets his ego knocked down a couple of pegs, and Aldhelm emits his top energy." I love it!!! Rating: M

Caged Birds Flying Free by rivers_of_ice (@sihtric) - Aldhelm x OC. From the author: "Lord Aldhelm and Lady Enid are two nobles desperately in need of a break. One day, they leave behind their responsibilities and enjoy their freedom…and each other." Rating: G

And i'm ready to suffer and i'm ready to hope by myrcnahlaedige (@aethelredcunt) - An unexpectedly beautiful Aldhelm x Eadith fic. Rating: T

Other TLK Characters:

The Temptress of Dunholm by waterfallsilverberry (@waterfallsilverberrywrites) - Thyra x Beocca, with Thyra confronting the demons of her past and both of them coming to terms with their feelings for one another. Rating: M

[emilyhufflepufftlk]

Ems600 Celebration

To celebrate this blog reaching 600 followers and to motivate me to get back into making edits, I have created this small request challenge. Below is a list of edit ideas I noted down but never got round to making. If you like the sound of any of them, send me an ask or a message with your pick and I'll make it for you! Or if you have any requests for edits, please send them in too!

I vow to thee my country (hymn) - Alfred, Aelswith, Odda the Elder

'Judas betrayed his friend for 30 pieces of silver. The rest of us do it for far less' (quote) - subject undecided (let me know if you have an idea)

'Nothing's sad until it's over, and then everything is' (quote) - Finan x Ingrith for Anon

All you wanna do (song) - Eadith

I don't need your love (song) - Aethelflaed x Uhtred

Do it like a girl (song) - Aethelflaed

Seven devils (song) - Aethelstan x Ingilmundr

'Have some fire. Be unstoppable. Be a force of nature. Be better than anyone here, and don't give a damn what anyone thinks. You're on your own. Be on your own' (quote) - Brida

'If you love someone, you tell them. Even if you're scared that it's not the right thing. Even if you're scared that it'll cause problems. Even if you're scared that it will burn your life to the ground, you say it, and you say it loud and you go from there' (quote) - Aethelflaed x Aldhelm for @lord-aldhelm

'Friends are the family we choose' (quote) - Coccham squad for @persephones-journey

'It'll hurt every time you think of her. But over time, it will hurt less and less. And eventually you'll remember her and it will only hurt a little' (quote) - Uhtred x Gisela

‘I've seen how much he needs you, how much you need him. You're like two sides of the same coin’ (quote) - Uhtred/Alfred

The Archer (song) - Aethelstan

Afterglow (song) - Uhtred x Alfred

my tears ricochet (song) - Uhtred/Alfred

Pompeii (song) - Brida x Uhtred

This post will double as a master-list for the challenge and I’ll add links to the edits as and when I make them.

Tagging a few mutuals: @morosemagick @lauwrite1225 @solinarimoon @magravenwrites @persephones-journey @medievalfangirl @trenko-heart @93xdiagonxalley @cibs @blah-blah-blah-bla @anotherwinchesterfangirl @muddleofnervouswords @aadmelioraa @aelswiths @bhxrdy @lord-aldhelm @sihtricfedaraaahvicius @tlkvikings @mirandahamilton @timetravelingpenguin1066 @dailytlk @princess--of--the--dragonstone @kingslionheart

[mirdaniaa]

catch up 💫

I was tagged by @talesfromthecrypts ilu

LAST SONG: Bridges by Destiny's Child because my boss was in a '90s r&b mood

CURRENTLY WATCHING: Poldark

THREE SHIPS: feydpaul, aemond x alys, and as always eadith x eardwulf

FAVORITE COLOR: Purple

CURRENTLY READING: The Song of Hild by Vibeke Vasbo

CURRENTLY CONSUMING: I just had waffles with dairy free chocolate ice cream on top

FIRST SHIP: who knows, brother. i've been wanting fictional people to smash as long as i can remember.

PLACE OF BIRTH: Illinois

CURRENT LOCATION: my bed

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: celibacy.gif

LAST MOVIE: The Zone of Interest

CURRENTLY WORKING ON: feydpaul omegaverse

tagging @aelswiths, @wildwren, @garunsdottir, @lord-aldhelm, @imagineagreatadventure, @skatingthinandice, @wexpyke, and @stannisfactions

[whitedarkmoonflower]

Tag game: tag 9 people you’d like to get to know better.

Thank you @st-eve-barnes, @bhxrdy, @alexagirlie and @lord-aldhelm for the tag ❤️

Last song: Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time, my good friend is passionate hobby singer and she organised a small "living room concert" a few days ago, since then this song does not leave my head

Currently watching: just started Peaky Blinders (after watching Oppenheimer I just needed to see something more with Cillian Murphy)

Three ships: OK, this is always hard as I'm not much of a shipper, but tumblr universe has changed a lot within me so here we go: Aethelflaed x Aldhelm, Eadith x Finan and Jacaerys x Cregan (and believe me this is completely unexpected and solely because of a great writer here @sylasthegrim, whose gorgeous fic Blood upon the snow made me fell in love with this ship and a m/m relationship)

Favorite color: red

Currently consuming: loads of coffee, it's a bit stressful in my job right now and my way of dealing with it is caffeine, lots of caffeine

First ship: oh my, it's from times I had no idea what ship means - Cheyenne x Reno (Renegade) it's a show from 90's, so you know I'm not lying when I say I'm probably older than the most of you here😅

Relationship status: married

Last movie: Saltburn (absolutely loved it! except from that obscure scene with Oliver slurping Felix's bath water 🤢🤮 )

Currently working on: nothing (dozens of reports for my job doesn't count right?)

I'm tagging - oh boy, I think most of you have done this already - @thenameswinter99 @sihtricsafin @the-irish-girl @willowbrookesblog, and if you see this on your dash consider yourself tagged! 💖💖💖

[synintheraven]

Tagged by @lord-aldhelm sorry that my answers remain almost the same than the last time 🤪

Tag game: tag 9 people you'd like to get to know better

Last song: Ariana Grande - positions

Currently watching: Nothing rn but watched Boy Swallows Universe aaand I plan on watching Welcome To Utmark/Velkommen Til Utmark (*coughs* because Tobias is in it *coughs*)

Three ships: Lagertha x Ragnar, Floki x Helga & Finan x Eadith

Favorite color: blue/green

Currently consuming: Nothing but I'll help myself to some cookies in a bit 🤭

First ship: I still don't know if it was them but Daryl x Carol from TWD

Relationship status: dating an idiot (but a cool one)

Last movie: Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban <3

Currently working on: too many things but in truth I'm playing sims rn lol

I tag everyone that sees this and feels like doing it :p

[tlkgods]

HIJOS

Dioses

edward ( alfred x Aelswith)

luna ( Uhtred x Sihtric)

astrid ( Uhtred x Alfred)

henrik ( Uhtred x Alfred)

vibeke ( Harald x Leif)

aiden ( Sihtric x Finan)

klaus ( Sihtric x Finan)

Eadgifu ( Uhtred x Leofric)

Erik ( Leofric x Skade )

aethelred (freydis x harald)

Semi Dioses

aethelstan - ( Alfred x ? )

aethelflaed - ( Alfred x ? )

cilantro ( Sihtric x ? )

uhtred - ( Uhtred x Gisela )

stiorra - ( Uhtred x Gisela )

oswald - ( Uhtred x Gisela )

jacob - ( Ragnar x ??? )

ronaldo - ( Finan x Eadith )

sigtryggr - ( Finan x Eadith )

Ingilmundr (Loki x ?)

wolland ( Sihtric x ? )

aelflaed (loki x ? )

aethelwold ( skade x ? )

aldhelm ( leofric x ? )

Eadgyth ( Alfred x ? )

astyrian ( Finan x Eadith )

aelfweard ( Loki x ? )

Edmund ( Skade x ? )

aelfwynn ( Frigg x ?)

Osferth (Frigg x ?)

Freya (Freya x ? )

[lauwrite1225]

[silverflameataraxia]

I should have been here sooner.

What matters is that you were here for her when she needed you to be.

[morosemagick]

Songs of The Unbroken | Chapter 67

Sigrid and the Sihtricssons arrive at Eoforwic, and all things for both parties come to a point.

Start from the beginning here.

TAGGED:

@solinarimoon ​ @thebohemianpenguin @emilyhufflepufftlk @magravenwrites ​ @unicornlovedust @lalahmaria ​ @lauwrite1225 @axe-does-writing @webreathfandoms @93xdiagonxalley @trenko-heart @starlight-starbright1918 @illjustgositinthecorner @blah-blah-blah-bla

[aadmelioraa]

Aethelflaed x Aldhelm, Aethelflaed x OFC, Aethelflaed x Aethelred / Canon Divergent AU / Complete at 92k

Rated E for Sexual Content and Canon-Typical Violence Rape/Non-Con, Underage, Abuse, Forced Marriage, Reproductive Coercion, Pregnancy, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Angst, Depression

When Aethelflaed is abducted by Aethelred she's faced with an unexpected choice: return home to marry the Danish warlord to whom her father betrothed her, or accept her captor's proposal and become Lady of Mercia. Aethelred is handsome and charming, and the political power the Lady of Mercia has historically wielded makes his offer irresistible. But before long, her new husband reveals his true nature and begins to threaten Aethelflaed and anyone close to her. Struggling to survive Aethelred’s cruelty, Aethelflaed finds an unlikely ally in Aldhelm, her husband’s one-time confidant. Where Aethelred is hot-headed and vindictive, Aldhelm proves himself loyal and trustworthy. With Aldhelm's aid, Aethelflaed begins to assert personal and political power as she carefully manipulates her husband. After a violent confrontation Aethelred demands she produce an heir, so Aethelflaed turns to the only person she can.

Read on AO3

[tlkfanficfest]

TLK FANFIC FEST - BINGO

This summer the TLK FanFicFest is going back in time to those halcyon days of livejournal kinkmemes and bingo cards! That’s right folks, it’s horny-on-main summer in Wessex!

Rules:

- Bingo cards can be completed by writing five prompts vertically, horizontally or diagonally using any characters from The Last Kingdom.

- The center square is free and can be used for any fill/prompt you think of.

- You can switch out a prompt from another table but it must be from the same square (e.g. you can use wing fic, hurt/comfort or threesome in that square).

- All prompt fills should be tagged on tumblr/AO3 with #tlkfanficfestbingo, and the appropriate bingo card: #shieldcard #swordcard #axecard

- One fic per prompt. You can use more than one but it will only count as one square.

- Fills posted to AO3 can be added to the TLKFanFicFest Bingo Collection (here)

- TLKFFF Bingo will continue until Sept 6th/Labour Day.

[emilyhufflepufftlk]

A massive thank you to everyone who participated in my challenge. I have loved every single one of your creations and I’m so honoured to have such talented friends. If you haven’t posted your entry yet don’t worry, please take your time. Post when you are ready and I’ll add you to the list. 💜💜💜

Ems500 Challenge Master List:

Say You’ll Remember Me (Finan x OC) by @morosemagick

Long Live All The Mountains We Moved (Aldhelm) by @persephones-journey

Soon You’ll Get Better (Uhtred x Aethelflaed) by @princess--of--the--dragonstone

Brida - Lover cover by @axe-does-writing

New Beginnings (Sihtric x Reader) by @geekandbooknerd

You are the best thing, that’s ever been mine (Sihtric x OC) by @persephones-journey

Begin Again (Osferth x Reader, Finan x Reader, Finan x Ingrith) by @geekandbooknerd

Death by a thousand cuts (Aethelstan x Ingilmundr) by @princess--of--the--dragonstone

It only hurts this much right now, what was I thinking the whole time? (Aethelstan) by @persephones-journey

Right Where You Left Me (Uhtred x Aethelflaed) by @persephones-journey

To Exile Above All (Aethelstan & Aedgyth) by @volvaaslaug

Fall From Grace (Osferth x Reader) by @itbmojojoejo

Vigilante Shit (Eadith & Aethelflaed) by @princess--of--the--dragonstone

It Dies, and It Dies, and It Dies, a Million Little Times (Finan x OC) by @persephones-journey

He Was Long Gone, When He Met Me (Rognvaldr x OC) by @persephones-journey

Uhtred x Aethelflaed by @lonnson

Have my back, yeah, everyday (Coccham squad) by @persephones-journey

Nothing Lasts Forever (Finan x OC) by @persephones-journey

This Is Me Trying (Aelfwynn) by @princess--of--the--dragonstone

I was enchanted to meet you (Osferth x Reader) by @halfmylife

The Moment I Knew (Aethelstan x Ingilmundr) by @magravenwrites

You were all I wanted, but not like this (Finan x OC) by @persephones-journey

[loureadsandreviews]

The Start of Something Sweet - Part 1

Summary:  Set after the Siege of Winchester, from Eadiths PoV.  And the start of something sweet between Finan and Eadith.  This is going to go slow, as I can not see either of them rushing, and well, I doubt we will get to see a slow burn between them in season 5. This is a Part 1, with Part 2 coming soon.

Warnings: fluff, language, mentions of battle and injury, mentions of bad sexual encounter Word count: 3126

Part 2 & Part 3 & Part 4 & Part 5 & Part 6

I hope you enjoy.

**

The Start of Something Sweet - Part 1

It has been a week since the siege of Winchester, and finally things were starting to calm down . Or at least Eadith assumed that they were, as she had seen little of the city, being kept in her room in the White Hare tavern. Finan had found the room for her after the battle had finished and he had seen to her ills. It was far from the finest of taverns, but after the rough treatment of the Danes on many of the buildings, it was the best to be had, and to her it rivalled the rooms in the palace. Truthfully, she didn’t want to imagine what he had done to secure this room for her, as there seemed little room in the city at all, but she was thankful that it was warm, dry, and mostly quiet.

A far cry from the loft that Haeston had kept her in while she should have been trying to help the captives. Her mind kept drifting back to that thought, that she had done nothing truly to help, but it was Osferth who continued to try and put that fear to rest.

He had been one of the few who came to see her most days, sometimes for an hour, sometimes less, but he always came ready with stories of what was going on in the city, who had done what, and what foolishness his family by choice was getting up to. She felt that without his visits she may well have gone mad. She had told him more than once that she was fine, and wanted to go out into the city but like the others, he told her to rest. She had given up arguing, and truthfully they were right, it hurt to dress or stand to wash, but she was loath to admit that weakness to them. She had tried to prove she was worthy of their time and respect, not just a whore as many named her, and she wasn’t about to lose what ground she hoped she had gained.

And while Osferth was a constant and cheerful presence, the contrast was Uhtred. He had come only once, asking how she was, listening while he paced the room, before his main reason had been revealed: Haeston. He had wanted to know everything, from when he had taken her, to the things he had said while he had tried to force her into going with him before the city had been retaken. She could see the intensity that he had when it came to the Dane, and she had given her story to him freely. Finan had been there for that, and he had watched her as intently, though a different look had entered his eyes as Uhtred had asked her if Haeston had forced himself onto her. She had answered true that he had not, though he had tried to convince her to go with him and be a wife, but that was all. Both men seemed mollified by that, and Uhtred had taken his leave.

Sihtric had been one of the most surprising visitors, and while he had said little his soft voice and small jokes had been welcome. He also brought a few dishes from the Royal Palace, claiming to have snuck them out for her, as she couldn’t go and eat them there. It was a kind gesture, and she ate the cakes happily as he spoke of his wife and son. It seemed Æthelstan made him think of his son, hence why he had given him the dagger that day they had been trapped by the River, when she had called down her Brother for all to see. It still caused her pain to think of him, knowing that the last thing he had said to her was to call her a whore while she had basically sent him to his death.

The Lady of Mercia even came to visit Eadith, with Aldhelm at her side, much to everyone’s amazement. The encounter was formal and stiff, as the last time they had seen one another Eadith had been told to leave and offered a place in a nunnery. She held Æthelflaed no ill will, though she had hoped that she would have been more kind, after all it was Eadith who had kept her daughter alive and helped the woman escape. The woman had tried to give her more money, but Eadith had refused, she was done being a whore for Mercia, in all ways. And with the way the woman looked at her, it did indeed make her feel like a whore, it made her think of the one and only time with Æthelred.

She had only done it to lessen the blow that would fall on her brother, Eardwulf, and she hated herself for it even now. It had been her first time with a man, and it had not been the kind of thing she had imagined. He had not been gentle or kind, loving or respectful. And it had left her with a will not to be touched by a man again. It was why she had fought Haeston so much, the very idea of him touching her made her sick and furious at all once. Even now.

Even Father Pyrlig had come to see her, not forgetting it had been she who had saved them from death in the tree. He had bought some wild flowers from the Palace courtyard (Finan had quizzed her on where they had come from) and some Frankish books that were not religious texts to read. She accepted them gratefully, needing something to help pass the time. And to stop herself thinking. Because when she thought her mind went back to the siege, and being caught in a rush of people, of falling and being trampled.  And in the dark of night she dreamed that she had not been saved, but lay under the feet of fighting men.

But her most frequent visitor was Finan.

He seemed to always be around, knowing when she needed something or was just when she was thinking of leaving the room. He tended her when she was most in pain, showing a gentleness she had seen him show Æthelstan on their journey. It seemed at odds with his dark intense eyes and his size, but she wasn’t about to turn him away.  Not with how she was coming to feel for him. And not when he spoke about himself; small titbits here and there that she made sure to store away in her memory. He was showing her a very different side to himself, not one she had expected to see. But she was drawn to it nonetheless, as she had been on the road here. And from what some of the women who brought her meals said, the whores of the city were going begging as it seemed he had lost interest in them.  She could see the unasked question there in their eyes: was she seeing to his needs.  But she did not answer, it was none of their concern, though she found that he was probably the one man in the entire of Wessex that she would let touch her in that way.  But during all his gentle treatment, he had not made it clear he wished her in that way.

And she did not think he was a man who was backwards at coming forwards.

The day had come for her to leave the room and head out into the city, finally. There was a celebration happening throughout, as Sigtryggr had finally left, and with Stiorra no less. Osferth claimed he thought it was budding love between the two of them, though Uhtred hoped it not to be and that she would come back soon. Young Uhtred had gone back to his order, and that had also left a sour taste in his Father’s mouth, so said Sihtric, who claimed that Uhtred was in a foul mood, and it had nothing to do with the Lady of Mercia claiming chastity either.

Eadith had dressed, Finan had found some new clothes for her, (and they were quite fine though not in purple she was glad to see) a forest green dress the colour of the Mercian banner. She wondered if he had done that on purpose so she was dressed in the colours of her home, but she didn’t ask, not wanting to ruin the gift he had been generous with. She brushed out her hair, long red strands falling to her waist. She pinned some up in braids but left the rest to fall free about her shoulders. She knew it was the custom of the Danes to braid their hair when married, and leave their hair down when unwed.  She was no Dane though, even if she kept company with them. And an Irishman.  Once her boots were on and laced, she made for the door, pulling it open and jumped half out of her skin as she saw Finan on the other side, as if he had just been about to knock.

He was dressed in the green tartan tunic he usually wore, though this time he had no armour on.  And the tunic looked fresh and clean.  Her heart was beating hard as she looked at him, noticing that his beard seemed to be freshly brushed too.  In that moment she simply took in all the details about him, from the gold crucifix around his neck, to the small metal studs along the side of his hairline. He was one of the most handsome men she had ever seen, she had thought so even as he had called her a liar upon their first meeting on the road. She could not help the smile that came over her face, even as a hand pressed to her chest, as if to calm her beating heart, though from the brief scare or from the sight of him, she was unsure.

“Oh Jesus, I didn’t mean to make you jump.”  His lyrical brogue was still strong, despite the time he had spent in Wessex with Uhtred and his men.  She hoped he never lost it either, it was quite lovely to listen to when he spoke.

“No, Finan, I am fine. I just did not expect to see anyone standing out here is all.”  Eadith gave him a gentle smile, reaching out a hand to touch his arm to reassure him that no harm had been done.  And also it was a selfish thing too, to touch him in some way feeling the muscle that lay under the well spun sleeve of his tunic.  In the first days after he had saved her from being trampled between two shield walls, he had held her hand as she lay in the bed, sitting on a stool next to her.  But since then, he had not tried to touch her in any way.

“I came to give you your own escort round the celebrations.”  It was then that he held out a small pale rose for her, and she felt her heart skip a beat.  She took it from his fingers, it was held so gently and she was once again surprised at how gentle those rough strong hands could be.  “Don’t tell the King, but I cut it from his garden this morning.”  He winked to her, and held his other hand to his lips to make a shhh gesture.  It made her laugh softly, as she held the rose to her nose and breathed in its beautiful scent.

“I won’t breathe a word, but thank you Finan. It is beautiful.”  She raised the rose to her hair, she slipped it’s stem into her braid that circled by her ear.  She tilted her head a little.  “How does it look?”

“Beautiful.”  He replied, his accent seemed to thicken around the word and she blushed gently.  For a moment his hand raised, as if he was going to touch the flower, or maybe her cheek, but he drew it back to rub it against his other hand.  “Er… Shall we then?”  He asked her, and held out his arm for her to take.  It was a noble gesture, not one the more common folk did, but then she was still a noble lady, even if she was from a disgraced family.  And Finan, well, she was still unsure about what his lineage was.  Sometimes he acted as if he had been born in a barn and was raised by wolves.  But then there were other times where he seemed to know more courtly ways than he should, after all she doubted they practised those back in Coccham overly much.

“Yes, please. I can not wait to get out of this room, not that I don’t appreciate you getting it for me.”  She told him, hoping that he did not take offence.  She simply needed some air and a change of scenery now she felt strong enough to be out.  “And to have such a noble escort is simply the icing on the cake, as it were. Maybe I should praise him for my luck.”  She looked up at him so he could see the cheeky gleam in her eyes, and he chuckled along with her.

“God is good.”  Was his reply, and they both laughed a little.  It took her back to their time on the road with the Lady Ælswith, as she was very fond of them praising God for the simple things that other people did for her.  She had heard that the woman had fallen ill after the siege, not surprising after what she had been through and at her age.  And while the woman had not looked kindly on her, Eadith still hoped she would recover.  They had all survived something together, and that meant something to the young Mercian.  Not to mention they were both from the same kingdom.

Her soft giggle saw them down the stairs and into the crowded noisy barroom.  She looked around and was surprised to see Osfirth, Father Pyrlig and Sihtric sitting in there.  She did not think this was their favourite tavern to be in, but they seemed comfortable enough, and Osferth saw her and waved, and she gave him a wave back.  “Are we to say hello?”  She asked Finan who had not made a move in their direction.  She watched as he looked over and he seemed to be weighing up his choices before he shook his head.

“We can join them later, if you wish. But I thought you wanted to be out in the City, not caught in a noisy tavern with a bunch of drunkards.”  His words were said in jest she could see, but also she wondered if he wished to be away from here as much as she had wished to be out in the city.  She looked back to the three men, and mouthed ‘Later’ to them, before looking back to Finan.

“Then lead on, noble escort.”  She told him, and watched as he cleared a path for her through the drinking masses.  Not that he had to work hard to do that, most folk simply moved out of his way naturally.  He had the size and aura of a dangerous and important man.  And it was welcome, after being in the crush of panic and anger, she did not wish to be part of another press of bodies, even if it was just those who had been drinking.  They were soon outside, and as the rays and warmth of the late afternoon sun fell on her face, Eadith paused and just smiled.  The sun’s warmth felt good on her skin, and she closed her eyes while she tilted her head up as she made the most of the sensation.  It was one of those wonderful moments that reminded her how lucky she was to be alive.

After a moment someone shouting something up the street caught her attention, and reminded her that she was standing in the middle of the street while Finan stood at her side.  She opened her eyes, a little embarrassed, as she lowered her hand (the one not on his arm) from her neck, where she did not remember having raised it, but she had been rubbing her throat as she enjoyed the feeling of the warmth on her skin.  Looking at the tall Irishman next to her, she caught him staring at her, an intent look once again in his dark eyes, as if she was the only person there, not a street full of people.  She blushed a little more, feeling quite exposed by his look, and she ran her teeth over her lower lip before she managed to speak.

“What?”  The word was said with a small giggle laugh, wondering if maybe a bird had shat on her or something.

“I er…��� The Irishman seemed lost for words, and it was not a look that she had seen on him many times.  “Just the look on ya face.”  He told her, “You looked happy, and really um, pretty.”  His cheeks under his beard seemed to have darkened, and she wondered if he was embarrassed.  It made her fingers flex against his arm, a small touch, but one that told him she appreciated the compliment.

“Thank you Finan.”  She held his eye a little more before she looked away, feeling her heart beat faster in her chest, and trying to calm herself down a little.  It was just a compliment.  And him saving your life, holding your hand as you had run, trying to talk you out of the siege, taking care of you after, and giving you the rose in your hair.  She knew he was doing all these things for her, but really no man had done such things for her before.  Expensive gifts with the expectation of what they wanted from her, yes, but Finan had made no move to collect what he thought he was owed from everything he had done for her.

“Of course, now, shall we go and see what is going on around the town? I heard a rumour that King Edward is so happy that he may come out and dance a jig in the mud, but I think that Sihtric may be lying about that.”  He laughed and she joined him, trying to imagine the seemingly joyless man, about an age with herself, doing something quite so amusing.

“Well then this is something I would very much like to see, just in case Sihtrtc has the right of it.”  She told him, and let him lead her along up the street and towards the main square.

*** Part 2 will be up soon. The top image is mine. Thanks for reading!

[mirdaniaa]

Thank you @lord-aldhelm for the tag! 💜

How many works do you have on AO3?

132!

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

Apparently it's 1,585,653.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently just TLK, but every now and then HotD or whatever period drama I'm currently watching will catch my fancy.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

gonna be honest, every time this question comes up on an ask meme it makes me cringe a bit, because 3 of them i don't feel are remotely worthy of the honor and I think I just posted at the right time. anyway they're all GoT/asoiaf fics.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I always try to, unless the comment is like, idk, annoying or completely incomprehensible.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oh man. I've written a lot of angsty endings...I think I'm just going to go with the most recent, which is The House That Godwin Built.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

also going with the most recent here since there are too many to choose from, too tempting not to touch

8. Do you get hate on fics?

yeah 🥲

9. Do you write smut? If so what kind?

All kinds babeyyyyyy

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I have written exactly one crossover as a dumb joke and it was where Steve Harrington was Jean-Ralphio and Mona-Lisa Saperstein's biological father

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

It used to happen a lot but not so much anymore

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

A few times! It's a really nice feeling :)

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

@itslaurenmae and I co-wrote Stolen Sweets together!

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

eadith x eardwulf aka flowers in mercia i am so deeply unwell about this ship i made up in my head but also it's real I'm so Pepe Silvia about it

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I started this Barkskins fic literal years ago that went into the loup-garou thing that is CONSTANTLY coming up in the narrative but tbh i had no idea where to take it after "yeah they're werewolves" so I feel like. I shall never finish it.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue, I say, perhaps overconfidently. I attribute it to my theatre background but I'm always reading and, for that matter, writing dialogue with a voice in mind. I also speak a lot of the dialogue out loud to myself to make sure it sounds right, which is why I now live alone. I also know my basic editing (spelling, grammar, punctuation, tenses, etc) is almost always in good shape.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I am SO BAD at writing descriptions, it's something I'm actively working on. Action scenes are also something I struggle with, my eyes glaze over those scenes in books and television, and if you've ever read my fics, you'll notice I like to pull a GRRM and knock out my characters whenever possible.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

If it's not necessary to the plot, why confuse the reader when you can just as easily say, "He said to the woman in sunglasses, this time in Russian..." or, "He didn't understand the two men, who sounded as though they were speaking in French..." Unless that dialogue is relevant to the plot, I guess I just don't see the need.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I'm pretty sure it was Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

The House That Godwin Built will always have a special place in my heart 💜

tagging @ivarthebadbitch, @stannisfactions, @wildwren, @wexpyke, @abnerkrill, @skatingthinandice, and anyone else who wants to play!

[leonorplantagenet]

Okay, I know that I'm annoying and that it is my fault I binge watched the fourth season of "The Last Kingdom" in two days and that I have to pay the price for it.

Yet... Where are my Sigtryggr x Stiorra, Æthelflæd x Aldhelm and Eadith x Finan fics?

Well, I'm a simple person, even a fic about plaiting Sigtryggr's hair would be enough in my present state. Otherwise, I have to write one and you will gauge your eyes out, lol