#i have made some alfred x uhtred gifs

[kingslionheart]

there was something wrong with Them

[tlkfaerie]

Ribbons ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻ੈ✩‧₊˚

pairing: Finan x reader

a/n: Response to a lovely request! My first request, actually! Finally doing a solo Finan piece :) A bit soppier than I had originally planned, but I love it and I love Finan soooooo. Also the circumstance / sequence of events aren't entirely accurately in line with the events of the show but we move.

MDNI!18+ : TW finan x reader, dom!finan, virgin!reader, virginity loss, manhandling, kissing, very brief mentions of loss, fingering, p in v sex, confessions of love, slight breeding!kink

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 . ★⋆. ࿐࿔ 　　　.   　　˚　　 　　*　　 　　✦　　　.　　.　　　✦　˚ 　　　　

Things were tense when the men staggered back to the stronghold. They had won their latest battle involving Mercia and Bloodhair, though at the cost of a disastrous curse upon Uhtred's family. You selfishly prayed for Finan's safety, despite the two of you not being together. You were great friends, and though the others were familiar to you too, it was Finan that you truly wished to return in one piece.

You spent your time at home praying for the souls of those who had been lost, thinking about the wise words that Hild so graciously bestowed on you. You felt her absence more than ever, needing her sweet guidance, but aware that she was already spread thin. Everyone was.

As winter crept into your home, you wallowed slightly, missing everyone. But you had a duty, an alehouse to run. It was where you had met everyone originally, and had turned into somewhat of a cornucopia for Coccham. You knew that in order to keep spirits high, you'd have to open it up and welcome everyone in. Your hearth was where you had first met Finan, sitting with Uhtred as the two of them laughed. Hild had introduced you, and your speechlessness was the source of several laughs.

You had sat with them on the table that night, laughing with Hild, who you truly saw as your aspiration. Uhtred noticed this, joking about how you reminded him of his children, which had made you huff slightly. You were embarrassed of this, but Finan assured you that you were alright, muttering some joke about how you clearly had the spirit of a warrior within you to deal with these drunken men.

It had been a slow night, but you would rejoin them when you could, smiling at Finan every now and then. Finan's eyes had scrunched up too, but his lingering look had you blushing all throughout the night. From then on, the warriors had frequented your place. You and Finan would often sit and chat. He loved that he could talk to you. For once, it was not about war, or combat, or blasted shield walls. He was sick to death of hearing the names Alfred or Edward, and you gave him peace from all of that.

It filled you with warmth to see everyone so carefree and jolly, especially as it was your father's wish when he opened the alehouse to make an honest place of it. Every now and then, a regular face would vanish, and you felt it like a sting in your core, but you carried on nevertheless.

You lived just above the alehouse, walking down the steep wooden steps as you tried to alleviate your chill. Nothing seemed to work. Lighting candles and preparing some food for the hungry travellers that would arrive soon. You had heard news that the travelling party were returning from Winchester within the next few hours, feeling sadness at the inevitable loss and pain that would be felt all through the town, but also the deep, hidden feelings of desire that you so heavily pushed to one side.

Every time you saw Finan leave, you felt a tinge of regret within you. After all, he was Uhtred's right hand man by all accounts, and great responsibilities were often given to him. What if he were to never return? You supposed it was silly to think more of your confessions being told than him returning with his life, but you were sick of pushing down these feelings. You felt like some sort of angel when his gaze fell on you, which it did, often. And when he would come in for a final glass of ale, though what you didn't know is that he was really just looking for an excuse to talk to you.

He had seemed grave when you saw him last, trying to keep smiling at you but looking away darkly every now and then. You, none the wiser, had given him a cheerful departure, promising a full meal for him and his friends upon his return. You had assured him that the plate would be waiting for him, only if he came home in one piece. The gesture was halfhearted, though to him it was a challenge. He had left beside Uhtred, meditating upon his horse about you.

You.

Finan really, really loved you. He was always incredibly outgoing, and so you assumed he would just wed someone more like him, but Finan dreamed of you almost every night. It tortured him that he was so quick with his words, and yet they seemed to disappear from him whenever he saw you. Your plump lips, your wide eyes, full of life and unsoiled by the rot of death. You were the exact opposite of what he encountered on his missions and tasks, and though he loved his life alongside his trusted Lord, he wanted something to do it all for. And that something was you. He would make sure of that.

As both of your feelings nearly spilled over each other, it was time for someone to do something.

It seemed like you had wasted your whole day, silently waiting for the evening to come, when finally, you heard some commotion - your heart sent flashes of longing through you. You felt somewhat pathetic, watching the door of your alehouse for that specific person to come through. But, when you know, you know.

Suddenly, a stream of townsfolk walked in. Some came holding hands, some even came with their children, which you didn't mind, offering them some meat pies and ruffling their hairs. You spoke with some of the women, delighted to have their husbands back and eager to get you away to spend time with them soon. You joked about being stuck behind the brewery, handing out copious pints of ale. Within the next twenty minutes, your hands were so sticky that you started flapping them furiously.

Finally, you made your way outside, wanting to do a round of everyone sitting on the benches. There, you found Finan and Osferth. Sihtric was over in the corner, with his wife, the two of them beckoning you towards them.

Giving them quick greetings, you drunk in some of the news from Sihtric, who informed you that Uhtred was still in Winchester for some time with Hild, and that he had suffered a great loss. Your head bowed at that, not wanting or needing to know any more. You wished the both of them and their children well, before granting a weak smile to the two men now before you.

Osferth gave a weak smile, fondly remembering happier times in the alehouse and wishing he could match his previous energy. You hugged him tightly, knowing he was more sensitive and newer to the trade of being a warrior, though you didn't expect him to hold on so tightly to you. You sunk into his unfamiliar embrace for a moment, before Osferth pulled away.

And there he was. Finan. You had never seen him looking more tired, slightly long hair giving him a dishevelled look. Though equally, he was beautiful. No amount of sadness could take away the kind, observant look in his eyes. He seemed to be in his own world, and you didn't want to disturb, but then he looked at you, and the faintest smile stretched onto his lips.

You wanted Finan to hold you. You wanted his warm embrace then and there, but something told you it would take a little more time. His brows are furrowed and a strong wrinkle emerges between them, telling you that he is far from relaxed. You gulp slightly, the promise of a meal still hanging in the air.

With a hand still on Osferth's shoulder, you said nothing as you gave him an empathetic nod, tilting your head and smiling as best as you could. Your chest filled with relief when his little wrinkle disappeared. The shadows lifted just slightly, and there he was. He understood you somehow, an unspoken look flittering between you, and then you were gone.

There was so much you wanted to talk to Finan about. You ached to have your friend back, even if that dynamic did pain you. He still came to the tavern, even when Uhtred returned, though he was unusually silent as weeks flew by. Even as things picked up and spirits were back to normal, Finan seemed to be stuck somehow.

You entertained mostly Uhtred and Sihtric most nights, helping them heal ever so slightly with perhaps a little too much ale. You had even begun watering it down less, which did not go unnoticed by them. You prayed with Osferth too, mostly to keep him company.

It wasn't until a whole month had passed that you could no longer take it. Finan's usual loud voice could no longer be something of the past. You needed to tell him how you felt. You knew that you had to do something tonight.

You spent far too long in the mirror during the hour before you would open. You knew it would be a busy night, as the snow had finally ceased, and people were no longer cooped up in their homes. They would want warm drink and entertainment, and you would give them just that.

"Come on, Y/N." You nudged yourself, looping two ribbons into the two braids that you had meticulously gathered with your unruly hair, pinching your cheeks before letting out a slight laugh. You hadn't realised just how much you truly valued Finan's entire personality until it changed whenever you came near. Surely freshening up a bit would impress him?

Meanwhile, as though he was mirroring you, Finan ran his hands through his hair, sitting patiently in his own company. He had been surrounded by his loud companions all day, laughing and working, enjoying any semblance of peace that he could. The Irishman thought of nothing but you, however, and felt that if he did not do something soon he would combust into a million pieces.

Truthfully, after his last visit to Mercia, he had pulled back from you slightly. He needed you so deeply, but couldn't bear the thought of making you wait around for him, worrying if he would come home or not. There was also the additional danger of his weapons everywhere, his being at Uhtred's side constantly, and the threat of having something so precious to him be so targeted. He wanted you more than he wanted to breathe.

After that first day where you had been babbling to Hild in your alehouse, he was stunned. He was in awe of how you ran the place, even with the death of your father, never allowing anyone to step on your toes, even though he would have been more than willing to help. He admired your trust in things, never fearing of the worst, unlike he had. Since his days on the ship, all he had craved was something, anything, to come home to.

Nothing had filled that space until he saw you prancing around the alehouse, clumsily spilling drinks and shaking your sticky hands in his face to annoy him, your loud laughter echoing in his mind even now as he had tried to pull you into the mess you had made.

The memory shone in his mind, so prominent that he quite literally couldn't think straight. He didn't want to be absent towards you now, but his very existence intermingling with yours was a threat to your life, and perhaps your happiness. Could he do that to you?

As the tavern bustled into life, you couldn't stop fiddling with your braids. Some of your friends had offered to touch them up, which only worried you more, but they teased you still, pinching your cheek when you had confessed to them what you were going to do tonight.

You would your hands into the handles of at least ten cups, delivering them to the table of several hefty warriors who barely fit on your stools, making a mental note to get some warrior-friendly seating arranged.

"Here you are boys," you greeted them lightly, recognising a few, particularly Uhtred, who looked like he had seen better days. His hair was loose, strewn all over his face, but a smile graced his face, which reassured you.

"You might want to slow down, Lord," you teased, anticipating his reaction. He cocked his brow, piercing blue eyes observing you graciously. "Y/N, you're too good to me. Too good." He raised a glass to you, and you playfully rolled your eyes, a renewed sense of confidence overtaking you.

As you were about to turn around, you collided with hard leathers, belonging to a very firm chest. Towering above you was Finan. You quickly fiddled with your braid, hoping he would be enticed by them. So stupid, you thought to yourself.

"Have you forgotten what incredibly handsome men look like, or are you just surprised to see me?" said Finan, voice just above a whisper. Your eyes widened at his question, hand coming up to slap his bare arms. He hadn't been this perky in a while, and it shocked you, to say the least. You were happy to see him back to normal. Though he always carried an air of dominance with him, the softer side of him was always welcome.

There was a strange determination in his eyes, as if he had woken up. "Trust me, with you in front of me every day, I could hardly forget what a handsome man looks like." Your emboldened state of mind matched his newfound confidence, and the two of you were back to being the same people that you were when you first met. Finan forgot, just for a second, about the reek of death and its hanging in the air.

Instead, he took you in. Your fresh braids, which he suspected you had done just for him. He felt so warm, even in the bitter winter, and your eyes gazing at him as though he was the kindest man on earth brought him more security than anything else in the world.

His presence alone was enormous. You had to shake your head to remember what you were really here to say to him. He had laughed at your previous remark, taking the confident proudly.

"You look so beautiful, Y/N." he stated fondly, content to spend the rest of the night with you. Your cheeks heated at his words, and you looked away, but not before his strong hands found your chin, raising your face to meet his brown eyes once more. He simply could not wait any longer.

"You always look beautiful, and I'm sorry if I've ever made you feel like you aren't", he huffed, acknowledging his own mental absence. You felt the tenderness in his touch, against the rough scarring on his hands. You smiled sadly, wishing he didn't have to be treated so roughly. Your softer hands found his, holding them tightly.

"I suppose I sh-" but before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a loud crash. You were quick to inspect the commotion, not realising that the two of you were still firmly holding hands. It hadn't occurred to you until his grip tightened, dwarfing your entire hand in his. You couldn't help but smile, especially when you discovered what the scene before you was all about.

Two women were having at it, fighting like animals. These were women you knew, and so you were shocked to see them go at one another, enough even to draw blood. You considered for a moment why two familiar faces would be fighting, but the two had recently mentioned their escapades with Osferth, who was a babbling mess at the scene before him.

Finan cursed. Truly, he couldn't help but laugh. Of course, this stupid baby monk would intervene in some way, he thought to himself. You giggled at Osferth's expression as the women were finally separated by Finan, who begrudgingly let go of your hand. He felt so juvenile, clinging to you like a crush, but he simply couldn't help himself.

"Umm, I thought monks weren't allowed to hump," was all he said, before leaving the poor boy to defend for himself, returning to you. As he walked over, you felt the life reemerge within him. He was smiling so much you almost couldn't take it.

"Now that's a hero," you laughed as he spread his arms out, congratulating himself. You couldn't keep yourself from moving about, however, unable to stay still in his presence. Your mind constantly filtered through possibilities of what he was about to tell you, meanwhile your own looming confession was being stuffed further and further back in your mouth. You weren't entirely sure what he was going to say to you. Perhaps he was going to tell you to stay away from him . . .

Any suspicions of his rejection, however, were entirely forgotten when both of his hands came to cup your face. The act felt so intimate that your legs almost quivered, and you braced yourself to fall over. His head leaned back slightly, and he breathed heavily, taking you in. Finan, filled with confidence, had bee brought to his knees by you. You and your ribbon braids.

"Can we talk somewhere, please. Perhaps when it's a little less busy, lady?" you understood, but couldn't help the frustration that grew within you as your conversation was prolonged yet again. You simply nodded, but that didn't seem to be enough for him, judging by his widening eyes.

"After closing, Finan, come up the stairs, I'll be in my room." You hadn't realised just how suggestive that sounded until Finan's eyes widened even more, and he cocked his head with a cheeky grin, retorting something about you being more forward than ever. You slapped his chest, mocking his childishness, though before you could fully manage to hit him, he grabbed your wrist with ease.

His arm flexed, and he quickly pulled you in, your feet stumbling to keep up with his strength, until you felt his breath on your face, and you were close enough to be touching his lips.

"Quite the invitation, lady," he half joked, but in reality, he as already counting down the hours. "I will be there, Y/N."

After what felt like the longest night in history, the last of the crowd finally retreated from the alehouse. You were itching to see Finan. Since the two of you last spoke, you had barely seen him. Uhtred was shamefully taken home by Sihtric, who you were amazed was sober. The rest of the men and women left together, and you said your final goodbyes, closing the doors. This time, however, you didn't lock them.

You trudged upstairs, tiredness hitting your body. After hours, you finally took a seat on the edge of your bed, fiddling with the silly plaits that you had worried so much over. You sensed Finan's presence when there was a slight moan of old wood being pressed as he walked up to meet you. You had so much to say to him you could hardly contain yourself, rising from your sitting position.

Finan gave a polite knock, but didn't bother waiting, bending under the doorframe before returning to his natural state, giving you an incredibly sheepish look. You stuttered slightly, but told him to sit. You quickly realised that a man had never been up to your room. It was spacious enough, with a large bed of furs and enough space for plenty of candlelight.

"Please, sit, Finan." you held your hand out as if to show him the way, guiding yourself to the edge of your bed. Finan let out a small laugh at your sudden formality, bending as if giving you a mocking bow before sitting next to you.

Even though he had been the one to initiate conversation last time, you made it your mission to get there before him, wanting to get your own point across before he said anything to you.

"Finan, I have to tell you," you started, feeling an awful mist of tension heating up your body suddenly, " I just - I hate," you sighed in frustration, groaning as you could hardly get the words out. Finan seemed heavily amused, beckoning you to continue.

"I just really enjoy when you're here." Pathetic. "And I don't like it when you're gone away for weeks. And I worry for you when you're not here, even though I have faith in you."

Once you break the seal, you can hardly stop. Finan takes in every word as though it is gospel, but you hardly notice as you babble on.

"Obviously you're strong, and umm, and handsome, and you speak well enough to get yourself out of trouble,"

"Oh, do keep going, lady. I've never been so flattered." he raised a hand to his chest, feigning shyness. You glared at him, embarrassment curling itself around your neck, blocking any clear thought from entering your head. Finan quickly sensed your frustration, placing a hand on your thigh to steady you.

But that just made it worse.

"And then I think we're good, but you don't speak to me f-for weeks, Finan. And then you touch my thigh like this!" You could almost laugh at yourself, truly, "and I just want you all of the time, and I think we . . . I think we should be together."

With your final declaration out of the way, you feel a fatal sense of worry overcome your body at his shocked face. The hand on your thigh doesn't move, however. It tightens.

"Y/N," he starts, and you brace yourself for the worst, "Please, I want to be with you too. I stayed distant, because, well because I didn't want anything to happen to you. If I am with you, then I'll have something to actually fight for," he looked down as he continued, clearly stressed, "but then if I have something to fight for I'll have something to lose as well."

You began to understand him clearly. With what he had seen, particularly with recent events, there was always a risk involved. Perhaps what made him so good is that everything he previously needed to protect was always on the battlefield with him. The two of you together would be a constant source of worry for him. You could be kidnapped, taken hostage, injured while he was away.

"But, Finan, every time you've left, nothing has happened to me. I'm here, aren't I? Entirely whole."

"But it's different, or, it would be different," he stressed, hands flying up as he spoke.

"The only difference is I'd be yours. And I want to be yours, Finan."

He looked at you then. Really looked at you. His hand ran through his beard, and any semblance of composure that he had snapped when you bit your lip. Perhaps he was being ridiculous. Perhaps he was thinking about things too deeply. After all, he was an entirely competent warrior. If anything happened, he would be able to solve it.

He could barely control himself any longer, when your hand came to fiddle with the ribbons weaved into your loosening braids. You had never looked more innocent and enticing - he physically couldn't stand what you were doing to him.

Meanwhile, you took note of his chest heaving, feeling your own heartbeat gain speed. You decided to let even more out, noticing his gaze shifting to your hair.

"I plaited these for you, I thought they would impress you." The sheepish truth had you looking down, realising that the two of you had been stupidly restricting one another whilst simultaneously trying to impress one another in a hideously drawn out back and forth. Sorrows had settled, and now you wanted him. You needed Finan.

"They do impress me, most definitely," he assured you, teasing you slightly with his reaction. He found you utterly adorable, that you had done some little change to please him, "but you already caught my attention without the ribbons, Y/N."

The cross around his neck gleamed as it dangled, moving slightly as he leaned down to meet your face as you sat beneath him on the bed. The tenderness of the moment had been replaced by burning passion.

"Finan, I-"

"Say my name again."

"Finan-" You couldn't even finish before his lips crashed into yours. Everything melted away when you kissed. Every semblance of a problem disappeared, and it was just you and Finan. He revelled in the idea that you were his woman, spoiling himself with the very thought of it.

You, meanwhile, were growing incredibly impatient. The man in front of you was something else, his muscles straining as his hands trailed down to your waist and picked you up. You instinctively wrapped your legs around his strong waist, arousal beginning to leak from within you as his grip tightened. He couldn't get enough of you, and he never wanted to let you go.

"I hope you know, love, that I'm keeping you forever." He smiled, adjusting you a little so that you felt the bulge of his crotch just underneath your sex, friction causing you to whine slightly. You weren't entirely sure if Finan was aware that you were a virgin, but the feeling of his body against yours prevented you from saying anything.

"Let me hear you." he demanded as he looked up at you, and thought he was still the Finan you knew, an air of seriousness had overcome him, and the words that came from him were dominating. You understood now how he managed to control armies the way he did.

You buried your head between his neck and shoulder, drooling slightly as you let out a moan at Finan's undying strength. With your undergarments pulled to the side by the stretch of his fingers, he made sure to move you up and down ever so slowly, rubbing against his crotch even more until your naked sex could take it no more.

The fabric of his trousers was an obstacle that you needed to be removed as soon as possible. Though the friction created waves of pleasure, the way he was holding you had you panting for more.

"Please, Finan, take them off." you looked into his eyes, which held an amused stare. He took your worn out image in, unable to believe how lucky he was. Any negative thought about the relationship between you two could be dealt with later, right now he had you securely in his arms, entirely fucked out without him even properly touching you yet.

You fastened your legs around his waist, which made him laugh. "You're telling me what to do now, is it?" truthfully, he would let you do or say anything you wanted. He was wrapped around your little fingers, and he knew it well.

"Love, I can't do what you ask if you continue to cling to me like a pup," he wore a toothy grin on his face, amusement growing in time with your own frustration. You loosened your thighs from his hold, and he set you down gently on your own bed. You fidgeted when you realised what would happen once his trousers were off, if you even managed to wait that long.

You watched him undo his breeches, only to around halfway, not even letting them slide down his legs before he came to you again. You leaned your head into his arm, nuzzling instinctively into his hold like some trained animal. You felt you would burst, declaring "I love you," before he could say anything else.

"I love you too, you and your ribbons." he flicked your braid with his finger, drawing you in to a loving kiss. You were slightly stunned at his lack of hesitation, any precaution having been abandoned by him. Finan felt it as well, the swell of pride that filled him as he announced his love for you, not even questioning the words. He knew them to be true, and he knew that with you as his woman, he was entirely complete.

Your next words, however, did catch him off guard.

"I've never been with a man, Finan." you confessed, maintaining eye contact with him as you waited for his reaction, worrying that he would be less eager to bed you with your inexperience. Finan tried to fight the impure thoughts as they wavered in his brain, unable to keep his hands off you as he thought of a way to reassure you without sounding too patronising, as he usually managed.

When he still didn't say anything, it prompted you to finally look away from him, wondering if he really cared about it as much as you thought.

"Hey, where's my lady gone?" he moved to sit beside you, feeling somewhat of a fool that his bulge was straining against the half of his breeches that still hung from his hips, and you with your dress bunched up so high that all he could think about were the stockings slipping down your delicate thighs. You didn't have the faintest idea of the impact you had on him right now.

He wasn't entirely sure how much more restraint he could exercise. "I don't care about that, I want to be the only man that ever gets to touch you from now on, anyway." he buffed his chest to try and make you laugh, but you didn't give him the satisfaction of laughing, too engrossed in lulling over the words he had just uttered.

"I want to be your only woman, Finan." and with that, you kissed him forcefully, adjusting your body so that you could straddle his frame, his heavy arms wrapping around your waist, bringing you further into his kiss. His hands moved down to your ass, squeezing firmly. Your mouth remained open when he allowed them to slip further down your thigh, toying with the hem of one of your stockings. They were cheap things, made for you with the purpose of convenience, and yet he was treating them like they were pure gold.

"I don't think I'll be sharing you with anyone anytime soon, love," he managed to whisper into your ear, your hands finding his hair and gripping tightly when he inserted two fingers into you, the promise of 'getting you ready for him' hanging in the air. The feeling was unlike anything you had experience, a welcome intrusion to your core. You felt his fingers curl, pushing up as far as they could go, meanwhile his thumb also occupied a space on your clit, rubbing ever so gently whenever he could to bring you pleasure.

You felt your thigh muscles trembling as you still straddled him on your knees, his head on your shoulder, occasionally kissing your neck, creating his own little mark on you. Finan knew he was possessive. He had to remind himself to be gentle with you, however, removing his fingers and inserting them again, wanting to tease you slightly.

You gave a quick tug to his thick hair in retaliation, which he seemed to like as he groaned and leaned back in order to see your face. You couldn't help a satisfied grin, otherwise looking rather empty as you thought of nothing but pleasure.

"Careful there," he said, returning his attention to kissing your neck, marking it with a slight bite. His warm lips on your skin affected you in ways you hadn't thought possible. You wondered why he hadn't put his fingers back inside of you, but you felt him fidget beneath you, until his cock was fully out, brushing back and forth against your sex. The two sensations together, of his lips and his cock, very nearly sent you over the edge embarrassingly soon.

The ghost of pleasure kept pulsating at your core, his hand moving his cock back and forth ever so slowly, sometimes seeming as though he was about to slip in and then releasing altogether from you. You hated it, the absence and the longing, playing tricks with your mind and turning you into some kind of depraved whore.

"Finan, I swear-"

"You swear what, lady?" he taunted you, still not close enough as his arm adjusted its claim around your waist, your breasts squishing into his own chest as you practically kneeled over the top of him, wanting to push him down to finish the job yourself.

"If you don't hump me soon, I will personally ban you from this very alehouse." shocked at your own feistiness, you hadn't imagined Finan to take your word so literally. Before you knew it, your back hit your bed of furs, and Finan now kneeled above you, playing with himself, tugging back and forth, his hard cock so prominent you felt it would break you.

And break you it did. His tip finally breached your walls, before his entire member felt your insides. Your core was so full, so unbelievably full. The pressure seemed to build before he even began to move, and you released several short pants, biting back a moan that he seemed to want to encourage out of you as he moved his hips just slightly, his muscled core meeting your soft, pliable thighs, now up in the air, hanging from his grip.

You were entirely at his mercy, so pliant for him, and so good for him. "I hadn't expected you to listen well, and you proved me right," he started, moving in and out once, so tantalisingly slowly that you felt every curve, vein and pulse going through him, "I told you to be careful, didn't I sweet girl?"

Though he was teasing, he still wanted to make sure you were okay. He didn't move until your face lost the scrunch and your eyes opened to look at him, heavy breathing turning into moans as your impatience move.

"Move, Finan." And that was all he needed to hear, moving in and out of you with some force, his hands clamping into the soft flesh of your thighs, still admiring the stockings that you wore, reminding himself to ask you to wear them more often.

Your lips fell open in a gasp when he sped up even more, soft 'good girls' coming from his lips in murmurs. He let go of one of your thighs, letting your leg fall to the bed, while his free hand now moved to your stomach, pressing down on your core and feeling exactly where he was inside of you. He pumped so rhythmically that you began to think you'd truly reached heaven, the additional pressure applied by his strong hands becoming too much for you.

He watched your face, assessing you to ensure you were still comfortable. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt you in any way. You felt funny, a strange tingling, almost like a warning, reaching your core.

"F-Finan, I think . . ."

He shushed you, understanding what you meant. Who was he to deny such a lovely maiden what she wanted? "Just breathe, Y/N, don't fight it, sweet girl," he guided you, the pressure of his hand increasing. He maintained his pace, feeling your walls tighten and squeeze around him, clamping so hard he struggled to keep up.

"Come on, there we are," he further encouraged, and normally, you'd tell him to shut up, his words embarrassing you slightly, but you were so filled with delicate pleasure that you couldn't risk losing it. The immense pinch in your core finally snapped, and you were coming around him, pumping him for all he was worth as your arousal came to its peak. Your face made him positively weak at the knees.

"There we go," he cooed, his hand coming to your clit to stimulate you more, though you began begging him not to, trying and failing to grab his wrist in the process. You bit your lip instead, eyes all glossy and strained as you looked at your lover as though he was God. Perhaps he was, because no mortal man should have been able to make you feel so good.

"Please come, Finan." you whined sweetly, and he could never deny you as he had done before. He would listen to you if you told him to do anything, let alone come, which he did gladly, pumping you full of his seed, thinking briefly about the pups you could share. The pups that you would share.

His heart pumped ten times as fast as he bred you, vowing to be the only man to touch you ever again. His possessiveness had seemed to grow in the last hour, and he lifted you suddenly onto his lap, caressing the top of your head as you panted in unison.

"We'll speak properly tomorrow," he began, stroking your now undone hair. Your ribbon barely hung on, and you wound it around his fingers, the fabric reminding him of your sweet confession, something that he knew he would tease you about for years to come, but secretly loved, "sleep for now, love."

He stayed awake for most of the night, observing you every now and then, mostly focusing on the sway of the candlelight. He had seen his lord go through so much, and now he had something too precious to lose, he vowed that the same would not happen to him. Even if it cost him his loyalty.

[auroracalisto]

she’ll have the world if she wants it

uhtred ragnarsson x fem!reader, 1.9k words tw: pregnancy, canon typical violence, blood, kidnapping, general worry and distress a/n: this was requested by @elbereth-bluebird​! i started writing it as soon as you sent in the ask, so i apologize for it taking me forever to finish. i love uhtred. 

The confession slipped through your lips before you had half the gall to stop yourself. Eadith stared at you with wide eyes, lips slightly parted as she glanced over your shoulder. The men continued on laughing over the fire, ignoring you for the time being. Osferth stoked the smoldering embers as Sihtric threw on a few more pieces of wood, bringing the fire to life once more. 

Uhtred was all smiles, glancing your way—not that you saw. Your eyes were glued onto Eadith’s face as terror spread through your body. 

It was as if time itself had stopped, mocking you for the confession that had left you moments prior. Did you anger something far greater than mortal life? Surely not. 

But the look your dearest friend gave you made you think otherwise. 

Would she tell? No. 

You hoped not, anyway.

"You are with child?" she repeated, hand raised over her mouth as she whispered. She could never be too careful (the men liked to eavesdrop every now and then, even if it were to just be reading lips—Finan had a knack for that, but she only figured it out recently). "And the father? Does he know?"

"No, and—and I do not want him to find out. Not now." You fidgeted in your seat, tension eating at the back of your throat as you fought the urge to cry. This could ruin him. This would ruin him, and he wouldn’t ever look at you the same. 

Eadith reached forward and took ahold of your hands, worry akin to the fire that raged close by. "Who..." she trailed off, thumbs gently brushing against your knuckles as she searched your face. 

You looked away from her, skin burning as your nerves ran through your body. You did not need to say anything to your dear friend. She would know with a response like that.

Him.

"Oh," she breathed out, a smile forming soon after. "Had I'd known, perhaps I would have given the two of you more privacy the other night—"

You slapped her arm in retaliation, eyes wide. "Eadith!"

She let out a soft laugh. The realization that it was indeed him made it all the better. You would be taken care of, even in the worst of winters. When the summer days came, sun glaring down and burning your skin, he would be there to lend a hand. 

He was good for that, if not anything.

"When you decide to tell him, he will be elated. I promise you, my dear friend. A child is a gift,” she said. 

You may not have found it within your heart to realize this, but she knew all was well. He would never let you want for nothing.

You clenched your jaw. You couldn't tell him. Gift or not, there were other pressing matters at hand.

Between King Alfred and the constant threat of war, you were certainly an afterthought; a hump to keep his mind off of things for the night.

You loved him; you did. You had known it for some time now, and it had blossomed the first time you saw him. Perhaps it would be safe to say he was the love of your life, even if he would never see you in such a light.

Perhaps that is why you knew you needed to keep it a secret. He was far more than you and the child that had begun to grow inside of you not too many moons ago.

"Promise me," you said, voice lowered back to a whisper. "You mustn't say a word of this, Eadith. I... will once I am ready. But for now, the time just isn't right."

"I will not say a word," she said, placing a hand over yours. "Your confidence in me will stay strong, Y/n."

You gave a faint smile. "I know."

It all happened so quickly.

The Danes had arrived well within the night, and while some were able to escape safely, many did not. Confusion was high as they couldn't understand how they found them; Uhtred had found a place to camp that should have been safe. And yet, there he stood, looking at the destruction in front of him, the blood of slain men soaking the earth. They had left nearly as soon as they arrived; a warning, perhaps. A raid on a camp that was meant to entice fear in Uhtred's very soul. A warning for the English King that waged war against them.

But Uhtred worried little about that. King Alfred could deal with it when the moment came for him to act. He had proven that time and time again, almost to the point of downright annoyance. No, the trivial act of war enticed him little at this very moment, especially when all of his friends had been accounted for, save for one.

The only one that mattered far more than his brothers—than the ones he spilt blood with. 

You.

Where were you? Where had you gone? He hadn't found you amongst the bodies that littered the grounds.

Perhaps he had overlooked you, and you rested off to the side of the bloodbath with Eadith. Or maybe, you did lie amongst the dead, waiting for passage to the afterlife.

If only he could think straight—maybe then he would find you.

Eadith left the sanctity of her horse, and Finan, searching for you—her dearest friend. She looked at the bodies, the untouched tents, the people still alive and well.

When she couldn't find you, she ran to Uhtred, calling his name.

"Have you found Y/n? Have you seen her anywhere?" Her voice came out in a rush—panicked.

Uhtred shook his head. If she hadn't seen you, then the only other place you could be would be with the Danes that came.

You wouldn't have been the only one taken, but perhaps you were the most important. They weren't there just for a warning. They were there to send a message that would shake Uhtred to his core. They had his lady.

Lost in his thoughts, he barely reacted when Eadith grabbed onto his arm.

"My Lord, she is with child," Eadith said, heart pounding in her chest.

Uhtred's head snapped back to look at her.

"You are not in earnest," he retorted, staring at her in disbelief.

She pursed her lips, hand still gripping his arm. "I am, my Lord," she said. "She told me just last night. I swore to keep it secret, but since she is missing—"

"—my Lord!"

Sihtric's voice came from behind the two. Uhtred looked over his shoulder, eyes wide. The Dane pushed a nearly unconscious man to the ground, scowling.

"He hid amongst the trees, but he will talk," he said, chin held high as he looked at Uhtred. "He will lead us to the Danes."

Uhtred clenched his jaw, moving away from Eadith. "Wake him. They have Y/n."

It couldn't have been more than a few days. The Danes that had captured you hadn't touched you. In fact, a woman came around, saying something about how because you were Uhtred's woman, she wouldn't do anything to you. Unless Uhtred never showed. He would know where to find her as soon as he realized it—perhaps as soon as he found the bait.

He wanted a deal, she had said. Something that would benefit both of them in due time.

But perhaps this Dane had the wrong Lord. Uhtred never took kindly to his men being killed, and he wouldn't take kindly to whatever had happened that night.

You had only managed to see a blur of blood and the sound of screams still plagued your mind, but beyond that, you knew nothing.

You knew not of where you were, or who had captured you. You just hoped that wherever Uhtred was, he was safe.

For now, you would be, too.

You hoped.

The gods had looked upon Uhtred the morning he infiltrated the Danes' base. It looked as if he had opened a slaughterhouse (especially when they began to fight back), but he cared little about the blood spilled.

The fool who had captured you bore a gruesome reality—Uhtred wouldn't hear him out. He had little regard for those who took what was rightfully his.

As soon as the man took his last breath, he turned to look at his trusted men.

"I'm to find her," he said. "There shall be no more blood spilled, unless they give you trouble. Keep guard until I return."

With a simple nod from Osferth, Uhtred was on his way.

And when he finally found you, high up in the fortress tower, the relief he felt was immense. He had never known his heart to be filled with such joy, seeing you alive and well.

You stood from your small bed, eyes wide as you watched the blood-covered Lord walk in, watching you and taking you in as if you'd disappear once more in the blink of an eye.

"You are fine?" he asked.

At your nod, he couldn't help but smile.

"You are with child?"

Your lips parted as you stared at him. He knew. He knew, and he had come to rescue you. Uhtred was rescuing you. You nodded once more, and the man met you where you stood, his arms wrapping around you. He pressed a soft kiss to your forehead, unable to stop himself from smiling.

"Let us leave," he said. "We have a long journey back to Coccham."

"Coccham, my Lord?" you question, looking up at him curiously.

He smiled. "I do believe it proper for a woman to find comfort in her time of need," he said. "I plan to see it through."

You fought the tears that sprung to your eyes as you buried your face in the confines of his chest. 

He rubbed circles on the small of your back, smile disappearing as he stood there, holding you.

“You were not going to tell me?” he softly asked, peering down at you.

Your head tilted back, eyes locking with his. “When the time was right. I would have.”

“And you are lying to me?” he raised an eyebrow as he spoke, lips pursing together. 

You fought the urge to roll your eyes, heat blossoming on your face as you pulled away from him. 

“May we leave, my Lord?” you asked, holding out your hand to take ahold of his. “I am growing quite tired of these quarters.”

He chuckled softly and took your hand in his. “Yes. We’ve much to discuss on the way.”

The sight of your friend was a beautiful thing, indeed—up until the realization that she told Uhtred the one secret you had begged her to keep. 

“Eadith!” you exclaimed, pulling your hand away from the careful hold of Uhtred. 

He just watched with a smile as you went to your friend, looking towards his own.

“You’re to be a father, then, hm?” Finan grinned, slapping his shoulder as he spoke.

“Not for the first time,” Osferth interjected, arms crossed over his chest. But he smiled at the man, nonetheless.

“Will you marry her, Lord?” Finan asked as Sihtric came over to the bunch, wiping dried blood off of his face with a damp cloth. 

“If she’ll have me,” Uhtred said.

Sihtric rolled his eyes, a scoff escaping him. “You’ve to hear the way she talks with Eadith. She will have you. No question, Uhtred.”

[ladyinred2248]

King of the North, Finan x Reader, Part 5

Warnings: Mature themes. Minors DNI. Angst, Violence, Misogyny.

The grasp of Finan’s hand brought Alfred to his feet, but the King of Wessex was still a weak and trembling mess, caught in the midst of a brutal battle with only Finan to shield him from several Danes who still advanced towards them. Finan moved to avert them at every opportunity they had to seize Alfred, his skillful lunges and quick agility blocking fierce attacks and forcing several of Haestan’s men to the ground. Finan eventually forged his way to a path of safety for the disgraced King as the battle began to die down, the exhaustion evident in both of them.

Alfred looked to Finan, meeting his gaze and giving him a nod, “… Thank you.”

Finan returned his gaze with hooded eyes and furrowed brows, giving him a firm nod as he sheathed his sword.

“W-why?” Alfred muttered, “Why did you prevent my death? Surely you despise me.”

“Oh I do,” Finan chuckled, “But I don’t see an end to this without you in it.”

Alfred bore some semblance of a smile, looking to Finan and chuckling under his breath slightly. “The love of a woman can drive you mad. Or at least, turn you into a fool.”

“Ya don’t have to tell me, Lord King. I know this very well.” Finan smiled.

Suddenly, Finan heard Uhtred’s voice shouting from a distance.

“They’re retreating to the forest! Stop them!!”

Domnal strode over quickly and came to stand at Finan’s side, his eyes searching Finan’s for his next command and his mind reeling with shock as he had only moments ago witnessed Finan save Alfred’s life.

“My King, he… he shall be spared? I don’t understand.”

Finan put his hand on Domnal’s shoulder, speaking sternly to him, “He shall be spared. He is the great King of Wessex,” Finan said, “…and his reign will continue, for the sake of England.”

Domnal narrowed his eyes at Finan, simply perplexed that Finan had allowed Alfred to survive. After a moment, Finan’s gaze came to rest on the entry to the forest and of Uhtred and the others chasing the remaining Danes into the trees. His eyes searched for Haestan, who he knew couldn’t have made it far after receiving the devastating blow to his shoulder, but he was nowhere to be found. As the battle settled at the encampment and some of Uhtred’s men returned, the surviving Danes having escaped, Finan looked for you. His heart started racing, his strides growing quicker as he looked in each tent, Domnal following close behind and searching to no avail.

“I told you to keep her safe.” He muttered to Domnal in fury, meeting his gaze with such darkness and disdain that Domnal felt as if he was next to receive Finan’s brutality. Finan groaned angrily, still pulling back flaps of tent entrances and stopping to gaze around the encampment.

“Your Grace, she.. she was just here, with several Guardsmen.”

Finan scoffed at Domnal, cursing himself for leaving you with simple guardsmen to defend you.

Finan stopped to listen to his surroundings, a deafening silence among the several dead bodies on the ground, until Finan heard you scream his name.

Your guardsmen had been disarmed, and a fierce Dane had brutally smacked you across the face hard enough to force you down, now holding you by your hair and dragging you across the ground. The Dane brought you up to standing just as Finan and Domnal rounded the corner of trees swiftly, their eyes widening at the sight. The Dane was stunned by their now looming presence, and he brought his seax up to your throat as Finan held his hands out with wide eyes, pleading with him as he slowly stepped closer.

“Please,” he begged, his eyes showing gentleness now, “She is my betrothed. Please, have mercy on her.”

The Dane chuckled darkly, muttering a string of words with dark, misogynistic connotations until he was suddenly knocked across the head with a plank of wood from behind, falling to the ground and seemingly out cold from the blow.

Finan looked over your shoulder to see Alfred, trembling as he held the large wooden plank he had used to subdue the Dane.

Finan exhaled in relief and ran to you, taking you up into his arms and squeezing you until you felt like you couldn’t breathe.

“The battlefield is no place for ya, lady,” He rasped, “Oh dear God… Thank God.”

Finan looked up to see Alfred staring at the two of you, trembling and tears in his eyes. Alfred held Finan’s gaze and gave him a stern nod, Finan’s gentle eyes showing him a deep wave of gratitude.

Finan held you in his arms tightly as he sat you upon the ground, your face nuzzled into his neck. A faint rustling sound caught your ear, and Finan noticed it as well, looking in your eyes for a moment before he stood, searching the distance for the sound. He heard Domnal shout from a afar, and instantaneously he saw men with horses approaching in the distance. But they weren’t Danes… they were Saxons.

“Your Grace!” Domnal shouted urgently, “it’s the Mercians!”

Finan met Alfred’s gaze again, who gave him a look of pride as his daughter’s fyrd emerged from the forest, easily twice the amount of men as the Scots-Irish warriors Finan and Domnal commanded. At this moment, Finan felt so hopelessly tired. Tired of running, tired of political pressure and brutal killings, and tired of the love of his life consistently being placed in harm’s way. He nodded to Alfred, a gesture of accepting his fate as the men of the fyrd came closer, led by a looming and steadfast figure. Domnal thought he must have seen a ghost.

“Lord King!!!” Steapa beckoned from a distance as the men on their horses drew closer, surrounding the encampment now as Uhtred and his men walked closer to join with Finan and Domnal.

Finan turned to Uhtred, biting his lip and nodding to him as they spoke with their eyes. Uhtred embraced Finan, giving him a firm hug before placing his forehead to Finan’s, tears evident in his eyes but not yet falling. Steapa dismounted his horse, coming over to tend to the defeated and sickly looking King Alfred.

Domnal drew his sword again, meeting Finan’s gaze as he did so, and Finan shook his head, giving him one last command. “Stand down.”

You had barely regained your senses at this moment, time moving slowly now as if you had surely been knocked into another realm of existence. You stood gazing at Steapa and the fyrd, all of them surrounding you now and tending to their King, who they then gestured away quickly. You looked to Finan, who gave you a stern look with furrowed brows before cupping your face in his hands once again.

“My sweet angel,” he started, his hooded eyes becoming gentle again, “I love you… I have loved you ever since the day we met. I will fight for you in the next life and beyond,” Finan choked up and held back a sob, “I… I will always love you.”

Steapa and the others came to surround you both, giving you no time to think or digest the gravity of the situation.

“No,” you muttered, looking at Steapa and the others now as they circled, “N-no! Please!” You grabbed Finan’s hands, holding them impossibly tight before pressing your forehead to his, “We… we are to be married, Finan…you will not leave me now. You promised you would never leave me again.”

Finan held your gaze with a deep sadness in his eyes as he stepped back from you, his hands coming up in surrender, before being knocked to his knees, his hands swiftly tied and bound by Steapa and eventually lifted brutally to stand. Domnal was also detained brutally, but he held resistance that Finan did not, and was punched in the stomach multiple times to coerce his compliance.

You ran to Uhtred, pleading with him and seemingly mad with your words.

“Uhtred!! Stop this! Stop this now!!”

Uhtred looked at you with sympathetic, sad eyes, holding your arms gently. You then ran to Sihtric and Osferth, who were both giving you the same sad gaze, and you pleaded with Sihtric then, sobbing into his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around you.

“Please, please help him… Sihtric!!” you grabbed Sihtric’s armor, shoving and hitting him in your desperate rage, until he had to grab your arms firmly and pin them against you. You exhausted yourself of your efforts, and Sihtric pulled you close, holding you against him and cupping his hand on the back of your head as he looked to Uhtred.

“Lord,” Osferth spoke, “There must be a way. Finan has served his Kingdom, we all have. He saved the King’s life on the battlefield.”

Uhtred sighed, watching as the Mercians made preparation in the distance, “He is an enemy of the Crown.”

Osferth scoffed, walking away from them in a fit of rage.

Sihtric was still holding you tightly as you sobbed into his shoulder relentlessly, and Uhtred came over to put his hand on your back, feeling it rise and fall with every desperate cry.

“We follow,” Uhtred commanded, “We see this through until the very end.”

>>> Part 6

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

[fan-fantasies]

You are Everything

A/N: thank you so much to the anon that requested this! I apologize for it being so short but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!

Pairing: Osferth x Reader

Warnings: none?

“He will be reasoned with, I’m certain,” Aethelflaed reassured Uhtred. You and your friends sat around a table drinking ale and picking at food. Alfred had denied Uhtred and hope for the future seemed lost in that moment.

“He must or we will not win,” Finan sighed. Osferth looked at you, worry written on his face. You tried to give him a small, reassuring smile but you knew it wasn’t convincing. You squeezed his hand briefly, not wanting your touch to linger too long.

“Lord, we would like to join you,” Beocca said, coming over with Edward.

“Of course,” Uhtred said, his attention piqued.

“Edward has something he’d like to say but I advise that you should look disinterested,” the priest added. Uhtred motioned for him to speak.

You could tell by the way Osferth tensed next to you that he was uncomfortable. You knew the subject of his family was a sore one and no one considered how hard this must be for him.

“Lord Uhtred, how many men would you need to take Beamfleot? I cannot promise one thousand, but as future king, I must make tough decisions even if my father does not agree currently,” Edward spoke.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Osferth mumbled before walking off. Finan gave you a sad look and you nodded, getting up to follow.

“Os, wait up!” You called, jogging to catch up to him.

“I apologize for leaving so abruptly, but I couldn’t tolerate my brother’s presence any longer,” he spat with venom in his voice.

“I understand. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for you at times,” you sighed. He nodded with sadness and you pulled him into an embrace. He relaxed in your arms a bit before letting out a shaky sign. You pulled away from him and led him to a table away from the others. He sat next to you, close enough that you could feel the warmth radiating from him.

“It’s just difficult knowing that I come from this family yet they will not claim me. He will be king and I am nothing,” he whispered.

“You are not nothing, Osferth!” You took his hand in yours and made him look at you. “You are a strong warrior, an honorable friend, and above all else, you are a good man. And you do not need the royal arselings to claim you because you’ve made a family for yourself that is lucky to have you.”

“You flatter me,” he chuckled, a blush creeping onto his cheeks.

“I merely speak the truth. You are not nothing, to some you are…everything,” you said quietly. Now it was your turn to avoid looking him in the eye. Osferth’s heart was beating so loud he was afraid you would hear it, but you heard nothing over the beating of your own.

“Well then, if I am held in that high of a regard to…some… then I guess I’m pretty well off,” he replied. He kissed your hand gently which made you smile. “Would you like to take a walk with me?”

“I would like that very much, Osferth.”

Alfred may have captured England for his son, Edward, but his bastard had captured your heart.

[myimaginestories191105]

The only victory over love is flight. King Edward the elder.

To The Masterlist.

King Edward the elder X Reader. The last kingdom.

I decided to write about King Edward because I saw that there are almost no imagines about him and about an interesting character like him you can write more than you think.

Based of the prompt: "The only victory over love is flight."- Napoleon.

Word count: 2,414

"Do not do this (Y \ N)! The king will not easily take your disobedience!" My little sister's voice did not cross my mind. But it will not help, I made a decision! I decided to help Æthelflæd the lady of Mercia, save her people and her country from the Danish threat.

The problem was that your king, Edward King of Wessex, Lady Æthelflæd's brother was unwilling to help her as he thought it would harm Wessex and that he had no choice but to wait for the Danish army to weaken and then attack together, but the problem was that by that time there would be no Mercia to defend.                                        

You were one of King Edward's strategies and advisers whom you knew from childhood as a result of your father being one of the most loyal people to Edward's father, King Alfred. You have always been close to Edward, since your childhood, but as the years went by you moved away.

To be precise, Edward has distanced himself from you. Since King Alfred died and Edward inherited his crown, his heart has become harder and harder. It is true that at first he distanced himself from you and stopped treating you as his closest friend, but after he became such a difficult person and his soul began to darken you did not want to continue to be his closest friend anyway.

But you had one problem, which is exactly why you stayed with King Edward and your loyalty to him was that you were in love with Edward from your childhood, of course you never told him that. Even though the crown changed him badly, you still saw in him the young man you fell in love with years ago. But now that he refused to help his sister when he landed in immediate danger it was difficult for him to identify the man you loved. Although you had a hard time admitting it, apparently the weight of the crown killed the man you loved. The Edward you fell in love with no longer exists.

"You made Cnut believe she murdered his eldest son," you asked Uhtred, the greatest warrior you've ever met. You joined him and Lady Æthelflæd on their way to the battlefield on horseback with soldiers. Some would say "betrayed" by King Wessex in your actions, but your actions were the right thing to do.

"It was the only way to ensure Æthelflæd's safety and buy us time to get into battle." Uhtred argued in his defense.

"True, but all of Cnut's army and all of his allied armies will chase after you and not rest until you die. Do you realize you're in the greatest danger of life you've ever faced?" You asked and the concern was evident in your voice.

"I told him that," Æthelflæd remarked, "but it does not matter now, we will face them in battle and win."

"To win we will need the Wessex army and your brother did not take lightly your and your mother's disobedience." You told Æthelflæd and saw how her expression fell and how she struggled not to cry. You knew Æthelflæd from your childhood like King Edward and knew how to read her facial expressions and behavior. She was hurt by her brother.

"Do you think Edward will abandon me?" Æthelflæd asked and turned her broken gaze to me.

"He's just scared of the fight for whatever reason," Uhtred said, "I swear we'll get along without him and win as always."

"I think the thing that hurt the king the most is your and your mother's disobedience and it hurt his honor. You forced his hand and that's what bothers him the most now" You replied to Æthelflæd and disappeared from Uhtred's comment.

"What I can not understand is why you are here." Said Uhtred and turned to me.

"Do the right thing and do not abandon Æthelflæd in time of need" replied immediately because Uhtred did not like your look and wanted to move on to another topic.

"And for that I thank you," said Æthelflæd, "but the three of us know that you love my brother, so your presence here surprises even me."

"Your brother is not the same man he was, the crown changed him and cast a black cloud on his soul, so I turned his mouth and came here." You replied.

"The King will not take your disobedience lightly, so if you ever need rescue or help, I will provide you with total protection." Said Uhtred.

"I thank you, Uhtred but I hope it will not be necessary."

When you got to the place where the battle was going to take place, you noticed an army that no one expected, the Welsh army, the king claimed to have been sent by our king Edward. You, Æthelflæd and Uhtred knew it could not be, Edward seemed to have abandoned his sister. The battle had only one explanation: Æthelflæd's mother caused it on behalf of her son King Edward.

But you did not have time to think about it at this time, the battle was about to start and also with the Welsh army and the Marcia people who survived after the Danish invasion and were not taken by Æthelflæd to destroy and plunder and rape in the land of the Danes. You'll need Edward's help and it does not look like you'll get it.

"It seems your mother was worried about helping you from a distance." Said Uhtred to Æthelflæd when you were mounted to their summit and all your army was behind you, the Welsh army in front of you. Soon the armies began to disperse to prepare the ground for battle, we planted so that only with wisdom and advance preparation would we be able to win.

"And I'm grateful for that, but I do not believe that Edward left me with my country's problems alone," Æthelflæd said, "and of course I can not understand how he did not come to your aid." Æthelflæd's gaze passed to you.

"We'll have to win without Edward's army," you said, "but tell the soldiers he's coming soon, it's important that they have any hope of winning this battle."

The Danes arrived two hours later and the battle began. The Danes lost many soldiers only on arrival because we made them fall into a pit and slaughtered them there. Everything seems to be going well, even though you were in the minority of soldiers, you managed to outwit the Danes enough times to make the situation clearer for you.

Until a certain moment in battle, when women in battle reach a point where they may be raped and captured, you tend to choose a man you trust and he tends to be in your area on the battlefield to end your life quickly. You chose Uhtred, but did not really believe that such a moment would come, years of fighting battles and such a thing has never happened. And the moment has indeed arrived.

You have lost your sword and the Danes around you have understood who you are, one of the most powerful women in Wessex and loyal to King Edward.

"Lady (Y\N), grab her!" Shouted one of the Danes and horror attacked you and froze you in your place and immediately you felt Uhtred's arms around you and his knife touching the light of your neck while with his other hand his sword was drawn towards the Danes.

"Uhtred did it!" You said right away and you got the death on you, death at the hands of a great warrior who was your best friend, an honorable death on the battlefield and it was much better than fate expected you with the Danes to lay their hands on you.

"I can not." Uhtred whispered to me, "Stay away!" He shouted at the Danes. But they realized that Uhtred would not be able to end your life.

"Since you are King Edward's faithful bitch I will give you the right to choose which of us will own you first." Said the ugly Dane who spoke first and the other Danes cheered around him.

"Uhtred please!" You begged.

The Dane seemed to be about to say something more, but he could not because an arrow pierced his neck and he fell dead. It was Edward, Edward King of Wessex, who did not abandon his sister and land and came to the battlefield. He got off his horse and could see how his black eyes began to turn black with anger, Edward all fighting like crazy. You and Uhtred took advantage of the confusion between the Danes surrounding us in these moments and he released me and gave you your sword as you continued to fight.

You defeated the Danes in an overwhelming victory against all odds, but the price you paid was enormous. Great losses on both sides. Which is sure to aggravate Edward's reaction.

After winning the battle you tried to dodge Edward. You knew you owed him a huge thank you for saving your life, but you also knew he would not be happy that they would force him to get into a battle he did not plan to go to and sterilize after understanding how the Welsh were persuaded to join the battle, only God knows what Edward will have to give them.

You saw Uhtred and Æthelflæd hugging and it seemed Uhtred was trying to encourage her. Understanding a hand she had already talked to her brother and approached them.

"(Y \ N) Do not let Edward humiliate or treat you disrespectfully. If he tries to come to Marcia, you can stay with me and advise me for a while until his anger subsides." Said Æthelflæd.

"He's nervous isn't he?" You asked, "And he let his anger come out on you?"

"He demands to see you. You should find him and see for yourself if your condition is serious and to what extent." Uhtred suggested, "and let us know, I will not leave the battlefield until I know you are protected at least for now." Thanks to Uhtred for his offer and you went out looking for your king, you knew you had to talk to him and that there was no point in evading the conversation that awaited you. You knew that converting his mouth would come with consequences.

"my lord king," you said when you saw Edward standing alone beside his horse after handing out orders to his men, "I must thank you, if it had not come at the right moment I too would have been among the dead at best." You said you were standing next to him.

"I did it because no man would rape a woman in his presence," Edward replied coldly, "I did not take your betrayal easily."

"I could not abandon your sister in the situation she was in. She practically simply sent herself to the lion's mouth. This without mentioning that if Mercia had fallen Wessex would have been the only Christian kingdom that stands against the Danes so in the end she too would have fallen."

"These are my considerations and not yours!" Shouted Edward and you saw his deep blue eyes turn black, "I ordered you to stay in Wessex and you had no right to run away and go help my sister!"

"I had no right not to obey you," you said calmly, not daring to raise your voice against your king, "but it was the right thing in my eyes to do and I could not stop myself."

"That my mother and sister objected and acted against my decision is not surprising," the king said angrily and approached me, "but I never expected you to do so. I knew you did not agree with my decision, but I was sure you would respect it."

"Why didn't you expect that to happen?" You asked, the look in Edward's eyes reminded you of the look that that kid you had been with and loved since you could remember. "I grew up with your sister too, and if I thought any of you were wrong I always said and acted accordingly."

"In quarrels between children you were the arbitrator between me and my sister, but these are the subjects of the kingdom and I am the king who is not she!" The king claimed and grabbed his face with his hands, "How could you think I would expect you to do such a thing?"

"Maybe you used to watch, now you don't …" you said in a whisper and then Edward completed you, "because I was away from you, if we were as close as I used to be I would watch your actions."

"Right." You said, "You would have watched that easily." The resentment was evident in your voice.

"It's more complex than you think (Y \ N)," Edward said, calling back your first name and approaching you, which made you realize that a personal conversation was going to develop here, "I really missed you."

"Is that so?" You asked, stunned. Edward was really close to you now, "If you missed me why did you stay away from me?"

"I was scared," Edward said, stroking your hair, "I became a king and because I was afraid of losing you and losing control so I just walked away from you."

"And you almost lost me anyway." Whispered, staring into Edward's deep blue eyes, "I still do not understand."

"I stayed away from you because I was afraid that the love I have for you would only hurt us and the kingdom, and if there is one thing I learned from my father it is that The only victory over love is flight." Edward was so close to you, and he did not resist his desire to kiss you and within a moment his lips were on yours for a gentle kiss for a few seconds.

"So you're going to keep dodging me?" I asked.

"I'm going to make you my queen," Edward said with a smile and hugged him immediately.

"A king should always listen to the advice of his queen. I will not forget it again." Said Edward when you were in his arms. You were happy, and you knew you would be able to bring back Edward's kindness when you filled him with unconditional love. And this battle was indeed just the beginning of a married life full of support and love.

......................................................................................................................

My posts and their content belong to me and I demand respect for that. It is therefore forbidden to take my works and share them anywhere else without written permission from me. Thanks in advance for understanding and hope you continue to enjoy and read the rest of my work.

[mystic-shadows42]

The Ready Man

A/N: Just letting you all know my love for Leofric! My beloved.

Pairing: Leofric x reader

Warnings: Language, very brief mention of woman x woman, and Smut (I tried)

Summary: You get an unexpected surprise when King Alfred insists upon you marrying a man of his choosing. Sometimes expecting the worse turns out to be the best of outcomes.

You didn’t know what to expect being asked for by the king himself. He requested you and your brother Uhtred for reasons yet to be known.

“Upon great consideration, it is in the best interest for not only Uhtred to be married but for his sister to also do the same.”

You were bewildered by the news.

“I am only here in support of my brother.”

“Does a sister- a blood relative, not carry the burden as well?” Alfred asked clasping his hands together. His calm calculating demeanor was one that was starting to annoy you.

“It’s definitely starting to feel like a burden,” you looked at Uhtred not feeling too pleased with him. He simply shrugged his shoulders. There was nothing you both could do at this point. Whatever Alfred wanted, he would get.

“Who exactly will I be marrying?” You asked annoyed. Beocca titled his head at your lack of manners but you could care less for pleasantries. The king wanted you to share Uhtred’s burden and marry someone who you did not wish to be with.

“A man of Wessex of course.”

“For the sake of Wessex, I do sincerely hope you choose your most ready man. Having me for a wife will not be easy especially since I have no say. Can I go now?”

Alfred nodded his head looking pleased that he had us in the palm of his hands. You pushed the doors open rather forcefully leaving Alfred’s brute of a bear to follow you out.

You could hear his heavy strides follow as he closed the distance. He pulled you back by your arm making a low growl escape your lips. He already saw you like an animal, why not show him one.

“Someone ought to teach you manners, girl.”

“What are you gonna do about it?” You stripped your arm from his hold and faced the scarred face Saxon warrior. His height was enough to strike fear in anyone but you didn’t let that deter you and your stubbornness. “Are you going to strike me? Is that the Christian way?” You hummed as you saw his jaw visibly clench.

“It’ll do you some good to keep your mouth shut. You are to be married tomorrow and a good Saxon woman knows her place.”

Leofric clearly thought he had made his peace and walked to the alehouse sitting down. He had a problem with you ever since you stepped foot in this place. You weren’t through fighting with him so you followed.

“I am not a Saxon woman nor will I ever be. It’s you who doesn’t know your place. I am a Dane woman and I will speak my mind and do what I want when I want.”

You took the cup of ale from his hand and chugged it down as best as you could with some of it leaking down your chin and onto your clothes. There was a chorus of cheers from other men. Once you finished you wiped the back of your mouth with the sleeve of your shirt and slammed his drink down on the table.

“Enjoy the rest of your evening.” Just to make a mockery of their foreign ways you curtsied outspreading your arms and faking a smile.

Even though you both had opposing views and differences, you could have sworn you saw a faint smile on his face when you left. At the very least, you amused him at this dull place.

The next day didn’t lighten your mood any less.

For the ceremony of the marriage, you did not want or ask for it was father Beocca who insisted that you wear a dress. Upon going back and forth you relented and obeyed.

You waited impatiently for your soon-to-be husband. 

“Nervous?” Father Beocca asked once he saw you fidgeting in place.

“What do you think? I’ve never been married before and I don’t have a choice in the matter. He’ll be lucky if I don’t kill him on the first night.”

“Y/N,” Father Beocca scolded.

“I know. I only meant it if he doesn’t treat me right.” It was only as a sense of reassurance to him.

“He will. The king will be giving you his most ready man as you mentioned before.”

“I should hope so.” You took a deep breath. “Well, where is he?”

“He should be here soon.”

Everyone’s eyes trailed to the door where the big man Leofric walked in. As always there was a permanent scowl on his face.

“Who let the bear in here?”

He narrowed his eyes at your comment then gave a small mock smile.

“I am to be married to the wildcat of the north.”

You heard Uhtred snicker in the back which earned him an elbow in the ribs.

“This must be a joke.”

“Do you see me laughing, girl?”

“I don’t know, I’ve not known you to smile.”

You and Leofric stared each other down, not one relenting. Beocca had to step in and even distance you both and gather a longer binding ribbon. Leofric would be your husband in name but he’d be damned if he thought this would be smooth sailing.

In the back of your mind, you couldn’t wait to corrupt this man. He was already fun to mess with. He had a quick wit, a strong body, and a decent sense of humor.

You looked him over as Beocca’s voice faded out. Leofric narrowed his eyes noticing how distracted you were.

“Pay attention, girl. I wish to get this over with.”

“Oh, Leofric,” you held up the ribbon binding your hands. “You and I are bound, forever.”

After the marriages were over and done with there was no time to settle in. Alfred wanted you to travel to your new home and away from the people.

“So Leofric is your husband.”

“Yes, Uhtred.” He had been teasing you about it since you were set to ride. “What will be your first act as husband and wife?”

“To get some peace and quiet and hopefully sleep,” Leofric grumbled. He’d been mostly quiet saying small remarks here and there.

“Y/N, do you wish the same?”

Uhtred was smiling because he knew you better than anyone else. He knew you’d make Leofric’s life hell but it delighted him to know that he wouldn’t put up with any of your crap.

“No. I plan on climbing him like a tree and getting a good humping out of him for all he’s worth.”

“Watch yourself girl. A respectable woman shouldn’t speak so plainly.”

“Call me girl one more time Leofric.”

There was a long silence until Leofric decided to test your patience. 

“Girl.”

You threw your apple at him making him turn to look at you sternly.

“What did I say about calling me, girl?”

“You act like a little girl so therefore that is what I will address you as.”

You got off your horse when you reached your destination. Once directed to your new home, you didn’t bother to greet anyone as Leofric did. Just by the sound of his footsteps, you knew he was bothered by your actions.

You unlaced your dress and pulled it over yourself revealing the thin dress material. It hugged your figure and showed every curve of your body.

Leofric stormed into your home but stopped himself short seeing you.

“What are you doing?”

“Take off your clothes. I’m going to show you that I’m not a girl, I’m a woman. We are to consummate this marriage here and now.”

Without any other word from Leofric, he began to take off his armor. When you took the last piece of fabric from your body Leofric stopped.

He only had his breeches left and looked like he was having second thoughts.

You approached him seeing his body straighten. He looked very much a warrior even without his armor. His skin had markings of every kind.

You let your fingers trace his scars. He was hesitant at first raising his hand. Then he grazed his fingers across your soft skin.

Both your bodies were opposite from each other. His was flawed yet beautiful. Each scar had a story and showed the hardships he’s endured.

“I haven’t laid with a woman in years.”

“It’s been a while for me as well. With a man at least,” you spoke, nonchalantly.

His brows scrunched in confusion.

“You’ve been with women?”

“Yes.” He was about to say something else but you covered his mouth. “Enough talk.”

You pawned his breeches and drew them down to his feet. He stepped out of them himself and was already fully erect. He didn’t wait for you to make the first move as he picked you up wrapping your legs around him.

He was a behemoth of a man and even more so as he held you in his arms as if you weighed nothing.

“I don’t like you and you don’t like me. We’re both here as a sense of duty. I’m here to remind you that I’m a Dane woman. I don’t want to make love. I want it rough and hard, just like what you’ve been through.” 

You traced over the scar on his face. This time he didn’t seem as off guard as before. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were hard. He understood what you wanted and he would try his damndest to give it to you

You reached for his erect cock and lowered yourself down on him. You closed your eyes and moaned as he started to fill your aching core.

You opened your eyes just in time to see Leofric have his head thrown back groaning in pleasure. The sight made you smugger than anything.

Once you adjusted to each other he gripped your hips mean with his rough hands and drove himself into you. He started it off slow, pacing himself.

He didn’t even bother looking into your eyes as he drove his cock into your wet tunnel. You didn’t know why it bothered you so much but it did.

“Is that all Leofric?”

At your comment, he glared at you. He pulled out of you none too gently, not caring that your body was sensitive to his actions. You glowered at him and tugged on his hair making him groan.

He carried you in his arms then dropped you unceremoniously onto the bed.

“Isn’t this what you wanted?”

“I want you to look at me. I want to look at your face.” You reached out to touch his cheek but he grabbed your wrist.

He grabbed both of your wrists and raised them above your head. He had one hand holding your wrists down while the other raised your leg up to his hip.

Leofric simply stared down at you watching you squirm waiting for him to make the next move.

“Leofric please.”

“I can’t believe I’m with a Dane,” he said in disbelief. You were about to start getting mad until he guided himself back into you. He grunted in pleasure starting off at an easy pace then gradually picked up the pace.

He let your hands go and pulled your body closer as he bottomed out. You wrapped your arms around his neck. You needed to have something to hold onto. He lowered his head to your neck as he continued his thrusts.

His facial hair grazed roughly against your neck as you bit into his shoulder. You lost track of time feeling in utter bliss. He put his hand on your thigh and slowly moved it up to your breast. He wasn’t too gentle as he squeezed it.

He started to breathe heavily and you knew he was close. You wrapped your legs around him to go in deeper. He shuddered and gave a few more thrusts resting his head on your chest.

His hips continued to lazily give a few more thrusts. When he lifted his head up and looked into your eyes, he quickly sat up and turned his back to you.

“What’s wrong?”

Since the day you met Leofric, he always had something to say. Now with his sudden silence, it was different. All you wanted was for him to be silent but after laying with him, it was the opposite of what you wanted.

“We need some ground rules for this marriage.”

You couldn’t help the disappointment that rolled off you like a wave. 

“I don’t follow Saxon rules. I should’ve known you would’ve regretted marrying a Dane.” Anger was always the first emotion you resorted to. He turned to look back at you, narrowing his brows.

“You’re my wife. If there’s something wrong you need to tell me the moment you think it. I need to know these things cause it’s no longer you, it’s me too. I don’t care that you’re a dane. I was the one who chose to marry you. We are bound for life. ”

Your heart increased ten-fold hearing him speak with such confidence and sincerity in his voice. He cared for your well-being.

Maybe this marriage wouldn’t be so bad after all. 

****

After Uhtred’s travels, he arrived at camp with King Alfred’s men. He had made a scene involving young Odda finding himself at the end of Leofric’s sword in warning.

Had you seen Leofric ever do that to your brother, you’d have his balls. The thought alone was enough for Leofric to refer to talking instead.

“Already causing trouble arseling?”

“I just wanted to know where my wife was.”

“She’s safe.”

“And my sister?”

“Your sister,” Leofric exhaled looking solemn which made Uhtred grow worried. “She’s sick and swelling as we speak.”

“Is it some type of sickness?” Uhtred asked, speaking quickly. His eyes were wide with panic.

“Afraid so, arseling. I’m the one who gave it to her.” Now it was Uhtred’s turn to knit his brows together in confusion. “It was god’s work bringing us together but mine to make her a mother.”

Uhtred’s eyes widened in excitement. Leofric had the biggest smile on his face. He was beyond happy.

“Leofric you dog!” He exclaimed and hugged Leofric. “Congratulations! I hope my sister didn’t tire you too much,” He joked.

“She may very well kill me after the baby is born.”

Uhtred slapped his hand on Leofric’s back and both shared their fair share of stories and smiles all in your name. Leofric loved you and became even more protective when you started showing.

Anyone who spoke ill of the baby or you would face his wrath. It often would end with him apologizing before the king then rushing straight back to your arms. In the end, he got what he always wanted.

A loving but fierce wife and a baby who’d be the best of both Dane and Saxon.

[solinarimoon]

Fields of Wildflowers

Chapter 7

A Sihtric x OC story

AN: Hit a bit of writer’s block and had a busy few weeks so didn’t get this chapter up as quickly as i would have liked. It’s leading up to some fun plans I have for the rest of the season 4 story arc. Enjoy!

Warnings: More mentions of past sexual abuses, canon child sickness/near death

Word Count: 2439

You can read the previous chapters here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aelfwynn’s condition had continued to deteriorate in the time since the companions parted ways.

There were no supplies, no medicines, no comforts in the run down barn or farm home where Cwen, Osferth, and Eadith kept vigil over her.

Reluctantly, the trio made the choice to seek out a healer Eadith had heard lived nearby in Wyld forest.

When they found her, Osferth gently laid Aelfwynn down on a pallet inside the small lean to.

Cwen reclined herself on her elbow to be nearer the young girl while gently wiping her brow and moving the hair off her face.

“Come on little bird. Fight. We are doing all we can. But you must fight, dear one.”

Osferth watched as Cwen continued to murmur encouragement and comfort into the child’s ear.

Aelfwynn lay still, giving no sign that the words met her ears.

He was broken from his reverie when Eadith approached his side. With her she carried a small earthen bowl. Glancing down at it, he said “What is it?”

“I’m not going to tell you,” Eadith replied, not meeting his eye. She kept her face lowered to the ground.

“Is it wormwood?” he questioned.

Cwen stopped her murmerings to Aelfwynn and watched her friend’s exchange.

Osferth saw his guess was right when Eadith brought her face up to meet him, her eyes determined. “It will not work. I’ve heard it kills men.”

“Poison can sometimes be a cure. Mixed with holy water it will cool the fever. Look at her. She is dying. If she does, we will be blamed.”

“There’s sickness everywhere, Eadith.”

“Yes, and who gets accused? Sinners. People like me. You have not been shunned as I have,” Eadith scoffed as she walked closer to where Aelfwynn lay.

Osferth argued, “I will not take the risk.”

At his tone, Cwen interjected, “Osferth, did Uhtred or your uncle ever speak of the time they spent in the swamps at Athelney?”

When he gave no reply, Cwen continued, “I was there as well. I escaped to the swamps being ushered to safety with Aethelflaed and the rest of the royal family. My mother had been a handmaid to lady Aelswith so I was always underfoot and raised alongside the royal children. In the panic to leave Winchester, my mother was lost to us,” Cwen paused to bring her gaze back to Aelfwynn who had given the slightest whimper. When the child stirred no further, Cwen continued, “Uhtred’s woman then was a seer and a healer named Iseult. She saved the baby Edward in that swamp. She eased King Alfred’s belly pains. And I took an interest in her. Learning from her and watching her was a distraction from the pain of losing my mother. And I remember many of the things she spoke of or taught me. She was a heathen, but I saw her ease pain and suffering better than any priest in my lifetime. She spoke to me of Wormwood several times.”

Taking a pause, Cwen brought her face up to meet Osferth’s eyes. He was scared and Cwen could see it. So was she, but she knew they must try everything. With strength and conviction, she stated “I am guardian of this child while her mother is absent. And I will do whatever it takes to save her.”

Cwen held out her hand to Eadith for the bowl. “We do it.”

Before handing the bowl over to Cwen, Eadith brought it to her own lips first. Glancing between Osferth and Cwen she whispered, “There. Now she and I face equal fates.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Cwen, Cwen look at her.” Eadith gasped while shaking Cwen awake.

From her pallet next to Aelfwynn, Cwen saw why Eadith was panicking. Aelfwynn’s breathing had become dangerously shallow and her color was even more palad.

“You’ve killed her,” Osferth argued as he entered the room.

“No Osferth, no. She is still breathing. But she has worsened.” Cwen aimed to calm the man.

“Perhaps the poison is burning the fever from her body.” Eadith surmised while she and Cwen looked at one another.

Cwen brought her eyes down to stare at Aelfwynn. Her thoughts raced. She would not allow this child to die in the woods, far from any place of familiarity.

“We must bring her to a place of comfort. Somewhere familiar, somewhere… Let us bring her to Aelelelsburg.” Cwen sighed.

“But Uhtred said..” Osferth tried to interject.

“I know Osferth. But Uhtred is your master, not ours. There will be other skilled healers in Aelelesburg. That is her best chance. I will carry her there myself, but you would be swifter. Please!” Cwen begged.

Osferth ran his fingers through his hair and then brought his hands together in front of his lips as if in prayer. Breathing out an exasperated sigh, he said, “Okay.”

And once the decision had been made, the three companions moved as one with purpose. Osferth scooped Aelfwynn into his arms while Eadith spoke quickly with the elderly healer outside. Cwen gathered the meager belongings they carried and then they were off, walking hard and fast towards hope and uncertainty.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Upon arriving at Aelelsburg, they are met with closed gates and a large encampment outside the burgs walls.

They called for the guards pleading with them to allow them through. When word that Aelfwynn was at the gates, King Edward called for the gates to be opened and soldiers ushered them inside.

Upon seeing his niece's condition, the king commanded his guard to find all the healers in town and speak to no one.

The healers came. They worked with their herbs and their potions. Aelfwynn rested comfortably and her color slowly began to return. The strength of her breath grew and the grip of fear on Cwen’s heart loosened .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cwen sat by Aelfwynn’s bedside, stroking the girl's hand. She had no words of comfort or songs to sing. Only tired and comforting silence. Cwen mused about the exhausting journey and turmoil the child had been through. That they all had been through.

“It is no wonder your body forced upon you some rest, my little bird.” Cwen whispered to the little girl.

A moment later, the door to the chamber opened and Cwen looked to see her Lady Aethelflaed enter the room followed closely by Lady Aelswith and then Eadith.

Aethelflaed flew to her daughter’s bedside and grasped onto her free hand as Aelfwynn’s eyes began to flutter open.

“Mama,” came the meek voice. Mother and daughter embraced and tears flowed freely from Aethelflaed’s eyes. She reached her hand across the bed to grasp onto Cwen’s own before she could rise to join the other women across the room.

“Cwen. Dear Cwen, how can I ever thank you.”

“There is no need, my lady. None,” Cwen replied while grasping her friend's hand in return.

Aehtelflaed turned to look back to Eadith before returning her eyes to meet Cwen’s once more.

“You both must be exhausted, please go find food and rest. I am not leaving my daughter’s side anytime soon.”

WIth a gentle smile and a final squeeze of Aelfwynn’s hand, Cwen rose and joined Eadith to leave the family to have some peace.

As they left the walls of the great hall, Aldhelm saw them and directed them towards the men and Stiorra.

“You will find Uhtred’s men and daughter in the ale house, ladies.”

The ladies found the ale house and immediately their eyes fell on their friends. The loud and boisterous cheers of Finan would have brought anyone’s attention.

Cwen approached the table and was met with hugs and rejoicing at the news of Aelfwynn’s health. Coupled with the news that Edward had asked Uhtred to be the new Lord of Mercia, the atmosphere of the table was one of rejoicing and celebration.

Cwen’s eyes found and did not leave Sihtric. He was the last to rise, his eyes never leaving her face. Eyes that burned with an intensity that made Cwen shudder.

When he reached her, he rested his forehead on hers. He gripped her hips so tight it burned. As if she would evaporate out of his hands if he did not hold her in front of him.

Sihtric brought his head back to meet Cwen’s eyes, searching and scanning.

Without a word, he took one of her hands and guided her out of the alehouse and into the street.

They passed several rows of houses and buildings before he found a small alley tucked away behind a smith’s forge.

Once far removed from any one else’s eyes, Sihtric finally stopped.

With a fierce hunger, Sihtric crashed his lips into Cwens, while snaking one arm around her waist and the other cupping the back of her neck.

He backed her up until she was against the wall of the alley.

Without hesitation, Cwen opened her mouth for his eager exploration. Her hands gripped his shoulders and ran across his chest.

Cwen felt the heat from the smith’s forges burning inside the walls behind them and she felt an altogether different heat settling low in her abdomen. Without meaning to, Cwen felt her throat give a deep moan that took her by surprise. No man had ever brought forth a sound like that from her.

Breathless, the pair broke apart resting their foreheads against one another.

Sihtric was the first to speak.

“When we returned to the farmhouse to find you gone I feared the worst. And when we tracked your steps to the healer and she confirmed you were alright I have never felt such relief.”

He brought his hands up once more to the sides of Cwen’s neck and brought his head back so his eyes could meet hers. “To be overshadowed with news of Aelfwynn. My heart was with you then. I know how you care for her. For all the children. But I could not help my relief that you were alright.”

Closing her eyes and leaning into Sihtric’s touch, Cwen replied, “I was terrified that she would slip away. That I would fail her. Fail Aethelflaed. We did what we felt was necessary.” Cwen attempted to take a steadying breath only to break with her next words. “and she lives,” she sobbed, “my little bird will live.”

“Hush now, lady. You were strong for her and you saved her. Osferth told me how strong you were for her. How you made choices and took action to save her. It is alright. And she is alright”

Sihtric moved his arms to embrace her waist and she rested her head against his chest taking deep breaths and slowing her gentle tears. Several minutes passed while Cwen allowed Sihtric to soothe her sadness.

Once Cwen thought her voice would be steady enough she spoke, “Again, you call me lady, Sihtric. I am no lady.” Cwen chuckled lightly.

When Sihtric replied there was no jest in his voice, “Cwen, you are more deserving of being a lady than any woman I have ever met. Save maybe my mother.” For several more moments his fingers trace gentle patterns along Cwen’s back. When she tilted back to meet his gaze, she saw the sincerity in his words.

Cwen brought her hand up to grasp onto his neck, her thumb tracing the sharp edge of his jaw.

Sihtric’s own hand found hers and pulled it to his lips as he placed gentle kisses along her wrist and palm.

“You see me, Sihtric. Before you, I feel I had not even been truly seen.”

“My eyes search for you in all places, lady. And when I see you, it feels right.” He answered her.

And his lips found hers once more. This time slow and sensual. Full of smouldering heat and promises. Their fingers ghosted across one another’s skin and their bodys moved to leave no emptiness between them. Sihtric dipped his knees down to bring his arms in a tight embrace around Cwen’s back while she arched into him. Their kiss deepening and turning more urgent. Her arms again found themselves around his shoulders, hands raking through his hair.

Breaking apart from his lips, Cwen gasped, “Sihtric, I…” but she faltered as his lips took liberty in the soft crook of her neck. She heard him make a throaty growl followed by him removing his lips to kiss hers once more before drawing back and bringing his gaze to hers.

“What is it, Cwen?” he questioned.

Cwen stared into his eyes for a moment longer before dropping her face to the ground.

“I…” she started but trailed off. Clearing her throat, she began again, “Eardwulf was…”

And at the mention of his name, she felt Sihtric’s arms tense around her and looked up to see the muscles in his jaw flex as he now dropped his eyes to the ground for a moment before bringing them back up to meet hers.

Looking back at him, Cwen steeled herself with a breath and then, dropping her eyes to his chest, stuttered, “I have… I have never been with a man willingly before.”

She waited for what felt like an eternity for him to react to her confession.

Finally, Cwen felt Sihtric bring his hand up to her chin and guide her eyes to find his own. The question he asked next, his voice was low and dangerous.

“He not only raped you? He took your maidenhead as well?”

A tear fell from Cwen’s eyes as she closed them and nodded her head in affirmation.

Sihtric’s next words were spoken with a tenderness Cwen had not heard from him before.

“I will never force anything upon you, Cwen. I will not ask you to be with me if you do not wish it.”

Almost before he could finish his words, Cwen started “but I do want to be with you, Sihtric.”

She stared into his eyes, “I want you. But you will need to be careful and slow with me. Please understand.”

Sihtric brought his forehead to rest on hers once more and breathed her in.

“You will be safe with me, Cwen. I promise you this.”

Placing a gentle kiss to her forehead, he whispered, “let us return before Osferth sends a search party. He worries.”

This brought forth a chuckle from them both as Sihtric drew Cwen out of the alley and back to their celebrating friends.

To be continued…

*please let me know if you wish you be added or removed from my taglist*

Tag list:

@maggiescarborough @pokeasleepingsmaug @nxrdist @mystic-shadows42 @emilyhufflepufftlk @magravenwrites @lauwrite1225 @morosemagick @thebohemianpenguin @mrsalwayswrite @notyourwildestdream @obipoelover @ecarroll1978 @93xdiagonxalley @nobodys-business-world

[unlockyourmind-wp]

OF STORM AND SIEGE | FINAN X OC | CHAPTER THREE

Summary: Eldrid Byrnjarssdottir is born a storm. Her rage is like the wind beating the waves on the rocks. Her love is the thunder burning down entire forests. Her grief is like a hurricane, destroying the land with its raindrops. She isn't made for a soft or quiet life.

In her fight to find her enslaved mother and sister she has gained a merciless reputation amongst the Danes. Soon her fight leads her to the Saxon lands across the sea. There she is sought out by Young Ragnar who is looking for his brother Uhtred of Bebbanburg. Eldrid swears to Ragnar she will help him find his brother, unaware that finding Uhtred and his companion will change her life forever.

When they rescue Uhtred and his friend Irishman Finan the Agile, Eldrid's wild heart is confronted with a whole new path to follow. Finan seems determined to agitate her as much as possible, if only to break her walls and get her to smile. And no matter how much she might wish to bash his head in sometimes, Eldrid can't turn away from him. For maybe them meeting is what destiny had intended to happen all along.

DESTINY IS ALL.

Author’s note: Chapter three has arrived! This chapter has a lots of little banter moments that I love. So I hope you guys enjoy it as well!

Tag List: @solinarimoon @mrsalwayswrite @lauwrite1225 @magravenwrites @emilyhufflepufftlk​

Warnings: None

Word Count: 2417

Of Storm And Siege Masterlist

―♛―

CHAPTER THREE:

✧. ⋆ the search for the dane slayer

HEADS TURNED AS THEIR GROUP of both Danish and Saxon warriors came galloping into the town. Eldrid had to admit it felt strange to ride alongside the Saxons. She had to keep reminding herself she was doing this for Ragnar, to find his brother and not to gift Alfred back his best warrior. When she told her men of their new mission, it had taken them some convincing. But Ragnar had made his plea well and so they followed. Though she had heard numerous conversations about Uhtred and if he was truly innocent of killing Ragnar the Fearless. The men might not have been convinced about his innocence but they were willing to follow Ragnar, content with a new path to follow.

Ragnar had thought it best they would first visit the man responsible for his brother's enslavement. Eldrid had been unable to tell if it was because he wanted information, or because he wished to shame the king for his actions. Or both. And so they had broken up their camp near the beach and rode for Cumberland to visit king Guthred.

After a long ride they had finally reached the city walls. Men and women gathered around them as they rode through the streets to the main courtyard. It wasn't a big town with only a few wooden houses. The palace came into their view soon enough and it seemed to be the only building with roman walls. Their party came to a halt in front of the palace. The unrest of their arrival had captured the attention of two priests, who came walking out of the hall and unto a balcony. She imagined they must have liked their place there, high above them.

'Sister Hild and company,' the oldest of the two priests spoke, 'What is your purpose?'

'We're here on the orders of Alfred of Wessex,' Ragnar answered. 'I want to see king Guthred.'

'You are a Dane,' the priest sneered, as if that made his request somehow unacceptable.

Ragnar simply smiled and Eldrid admired his calm demeanor for she probably would have beheaded him already. But not the son of Ragnar the Fearless, who instead calmy introduced himself. 'I am Earl Ragnar Ragnarson.' He gestured towards her. 'This is my friend Eldrid Brynjardottir. And this' -he turned to Steapa- 'is the warrior Steapa, Alfred's man.'

'Alfred sends his greetings to King Guthred,' Steapa said.

'And Guthred's sister?' Hild spoke up. 'Lady Gisela. Is she here? I would like to see her.'

'She is not,' the priest said, this tone suggesting that the woman in question was a topic he'd rather avoid. 'She did abandon the city.'

'Where to?'

'I have yet to find out, but I shall find out.'

Eldrid felt the need to drive her sword through his heart grow with every word he spoke. Before she could revel in that day dream however, another man stepped out unto the balcony. He had watery blue eyes, a pointed face and blond hair. He was wearing white robes and a sword around his waist. She could tell by the small bow that both priests made that this was the king. Yet nothing about him looked kingly. Not the way he carried himself, nor the way his uncertain eyes looked at the world around him, nothing.

It was clear that the power in Northumbria did not belong to this man, nor to his priests who seemed to try so hard to pretend that it did. This was a pretend king, a man who liked to think he had power over the Danes and Saxons that lived in the land. But Eldrid could tell from just one look that it was nothing more than a fantasy he was living in.

'You're his brother?' Guthred spoke. Even his voice lacked authority. 'You're Uhtred's brother?'

Hild looked at Ragnar. 'It is Guthred.'

Ragnar nodded at her. 'I am Lord,' he replied.

'Alfred sent you to do what?'

'To find Uhtred. He is in Uhtred's depth and would not see him harmed.'

The christian king indebted to a heathen. It sounded like a magnificent story, one that would be told for many generations to come and yet Eldrid had trouble believing it. Hearing about Uhtred's greatness was one thing but she knew she would not be able to believe it until she had met the man himself. How was it that he had the mighty king of Wessex sending out soldiers to find him? He had to be more than just a soldier. She could not help but admit she was growing more and more curious about this Uhtred.

'Uhtred is lost,' Guthred said. 'I am truly sorry to say that. My apologies to both you and Alfred.' He didn't sound sorry in the slightest and it made her blood boil. Apparently he was not only a false king but a liar as well.

'There,' the older priest spoke up again. 'You've had a wasted journey.'

Eldrid could not help herself, her hand was resting on her sword, ready to pull it out and cut off the man's tongue. But she knew it would do little to help the situation.

'Rest, please,' the pretend king offered, 'here, by all means-' 'You will tell me the name of the man who took Uhtred,' Ragnar interrupted him.

'I need to gather my thoughts,' the king spoke, shaking his head in confusion.

But while Ragnar pleaded to a man who would not help them, Eldrid felt her attention drawn to a little girl who was making her way through the crowd. She was holding an apple in her hand, offering it to Hild. The nun took it and when she did, her eyes searched the crowd and landed on a Danish boy dressed in black leather. The two seemed to have a wordless understanding before the boy turned away and disappeared into the crowd.

'Uhtred is indeed lost,' the priest snapped before turning and following the king into the palace.

Ragnar smiled disdainfully, his eyes filled with suppressed anger.

'Let's leave here,' Eldrid suggested. 'I refuse to remain in the company of cowards and liars a moment longer than necessary.'

And with one last disgusted glance over her shoulder, she turned her horse and headed for the gate. The rest of the party followed, leaving the small village and its coward of a king behind. As they rode for the rest of the men they left in the field outside of the town, Eldrid rode up next to Hild, watching as the nun held the apple tightly in her hand.

'Are you so beloved by children they just willingly give you food, sister Hild?' Eldrid questioned, knowing there was more to it than that but unable to pass an opportunity of teasing the nun.

Hild did not even spare her so much as a glance. 'Being kind certainly does not hurt.' Her tone was cold, a sign that she was very well aware of Eldrid's reputation.

She was unable to stop herself from smiling. 'You're unlike any nun I've ever met.'

'By "met" I assume you mean slaughtered?' Hild said coolly.

'I don't kill innocent people,' Eldrid snapped. 'Only those who deserve it.' And it was true. She had made it her life's mission to destroy slavers and their trade of human lives. She did not kill for pleasure or to pass time. There was no honor in slaughtering innocents.

'Some might argue that no man deserves death,' Hild said, still staring at the road ahead of her.

'You don't believe that,' Eldrid replied. 'Or you wouldn't be carrying that sword.'

Finally the nun turned her eyes to Eldrid, her cold demeanor melting away like snow beneath the sun. Instead her eyes seemed filled with an infinite sorrow. Then she took a deep breath and turned her eyes away again. 'Ragnar!' She called out, slightly taking Eldrid off guard. 'I know where to go next.'

The horses came to a halt and Ragnar rode to stand next to Hild, who was holding up the apple she had been given. When she opened her hand they could all see a small piece of parchment in her palm. A few words were hastily scribbled on the yellowish paper. There was a small hole in the apple in which the paper had been hidden. Eldrid recalled the young Danish warrior she'd seen exchanging glances with Hild. He must have been the one who hid the paper in the apple and sent the little girl to give it to the nun.

'What does it say?' Ragnar asked, who, just like Eldrid herself, never learned how to read.

'It's from Lady Gisela,' Hild explained, 'it says Uhtred was sold to the slaver Jonis.'

'Why is she helping us?' Eldrid questioned, wondering who the Lady was who undermined her brother's authority so fiercely.

Hild turned her eyes to Eldrid and her face said it all. Ragnar noticed it too and let out a booming laugh. 'He had a way with the ladies my brother,' he grinned.

'Do you know where to find this Jonis?' Hild asked Eldrid, ignoring the Dane.

'I have heard several slavers mention his name,' she recalled, 'I think I might have an idea where he could be hiding.' And without waiting for an answer she urged her horse to get moving again. They followed her as she drove through the hills and over the fields, towards the coast. Most slavers had a post near the sea, easy for trade and easy for an escape route. There was a part of the coast of Northumbria she had not yet searched and so that was where they were heading first.

They galloped through the hills and rode on for most of the day. It was late in the afternoon when she could spot a small campement between the trees ahead of them. They made their way inside with her and Ragnar in the lead and with Hild, Bjorn and Steapa right behind.

A man in a blue tunic came walking up to them, his suspicious eyes narrowed at them and, subconsciously or not, his hand went to the hilt of his sword.

'We would appreciate some water, for ourselves and the horses,' Ragnar told the man.

'It's yours,' the man spoke with a heavy accent, as he gestured for some of his men to go get some water.

They dismounted and she handed the reins to one of the men. He took her horse away to a few barrels in the corner of the camp. Then they walked closer to the man in the blue tunic.

'You are Jonis?' Ragnar questioned.

The man nodded. 'I am.'

'I've been told you took a man, a warrior, from Guthred of Eoferwic. You sold him as a slave.'

The man shrugged. 'I see the faces of so many creatures.'

Eldrid took a deep breath to contain herself at hearing his words, her hand going for her sword and every bone in her body screamed for her to take her sword and run it through this man. He didn't even have the heart to call his slaves men and shrugged their life away. He didn't deserve to keep breathing a moment longer.

Her disgust must have been clearly visible on her face because Jonis took a small step backwards. Ragnar put his hand on her arm and she released the hilt of her sword. 'We're not here to open your belly, Jonis,' Ragnar promised.

'Not yet,' Steapa said, making her smile.

'I'll pay you,' Ragnar said, ignoring the scared look that had appeared in the man's eyes.

Jonis, however, was distracted by something happening behind them. 'You will not feed the slaves!' He suddenly shouted, pointing at someone.

Eldrid turned around and saw Hild had been handing out food to the chained up men and women. Her face was as hard as stone when she shouted in return: 'And you will not bark like a great fat hound!'

Surprise flashed through her as she watched the nun drop the last of the food to the ground and then walked towards them. This woman had more fire in her than any other nun or priest Eldrid had come across and she hated to admit that she loved her spirit.

'You said you would pay?' Jonis asked.

'Yes I did,' Ragnar confirmed. He took a piece of silver out of his pouch and tossed it to the boy standing beside Jonis.

'A warrior slave,' Jonis finally spoke, 'called himself Osbert.'

The name was unfamiliar to Eldrid but it clearly meant something to Ragnar because he took out another piece of silver and tossed it to the boy once again.

'There was another man, smaller, Saxon,' Jonis went on. 'A sea trader named Sverri took them both.'

'Sverri?' Eldrid said, her voice sharp and her heart pounding.

'You know him?' Ragnar questioned.

She clenched her jaw. 'We've been trying to catch him for years but he keeps on slipping through our fingers.' She turned her eyes to Jonis. 'Where is he now?'

'Wherever the sea and the promise of silver takes him,' Jonis answered. 'Life at the oar is hard and short. Sverri will return, I'm sure. Refresh his crew.'

'When?' Ragnar asked.

'Autumn and winter will pass, but, come spring, the first full moon after Sigr Blot, we will gather for business at the beach. Sverri will be there, I swear.'

'And between that time he sails where?'

'His ships plough the roughest sea, he could be any place.'

'You tell us nothing,' Hild said in frustration.

'I tell you what I know to be true,' the man snapped at her. 'All you can do is watch the beaches and wait.'

'Thank you,' Eldrid said, then in a quick movement took her sword out of her sheat and pushed it through the man's belly. She ignored the gasps of shock from the people around her and watched with a small smile as Jonis collapsed on the ground, dead. She pulled her sword free and cleaned the blood with his tunic, the blue slowly becoming stained with red. Then she stood back up and gestured for her men to start freeing the slaves. Her eyes turned to Ragnar, who was watching her with a small frown.

'It was you who promised to spare his life, not me,' she said. Then she turned on her heels and headed for her horse.

[mrsalwayswrite]

Aes Sídhe (Finan x Reader) Part 1

This is my first time writing for The Last Kingdom fandom! I have adored the show since it came out but have always been too nervous to try and write for it. This idea came to mind though and would not leave me alone...so here it is.

Can be read as reader or OFC since there is no real description given. 

I want to thank @geekandbooknerd​ and @medievalfangirl​ for your own amazing Finan writings. I am slightly embarrassed how many times I have gone back and reread them.  

In regards to the title: from my understanding (granted I could be very wrong), an aes sídhe is an Irish term for a supernatural race in Irish and Scottish mythology, similar to fairies and elves.

Warnings: None

Words:2k

PART 2

Finan rose from his spot near the campfire. The sun had not yet set but Uhtred decided to make camp early. Not that Finan was complaining. They had been riding hard for days, heading back to Wintanceaster with news for King Alfred. 

 "Where are you off to?"

 Finan glanced over at Osferth, who was laying on his side across from the campfire. "I'm going to wash my hands."

 "You'll need to wash more than your hands to not smell like a pig sty." 

 "Oi! What was that, baby monk?" Finan tossed his blanket at the lad, the others around the fire smiling. "Do not lament my absence too much!" He started walking towards the nearby creek, away from their campsite. 

 "What would we miss? Life is quieter without you."

 "I HEARD THAT, SIHTRIC!" 

The sound of laughter followed the Irishman as he carefully made his way down the steep bank to the creek. Only a few paces of rocky sand separated the creek from the steep bank, which surrounded and kept the creek easily hidden. The last of the sunlight peeked through the trees all around. The forest was quiet, the only noises were the bubbling creek and the distant sound of those still around the campfire. 

 They had decided to camp above and some paces from the creek. It would have been impossible to maneuver the horses down the steep banks and being camped above allowed them to stand watch unencumbered. The only downfall was having to carry water up for the horses. Yet having watched Osferth douse himself when he tripped was worth it. The memory still made Finan chuckle. 

 Dropping down the last part of the steep bank, he moved to the edge of the creek. The small rocks and sand gave way under his boots. He splashed the cool water over his face and hands then took a moment to watch the droplets fall from his beard back into the creek. If the water had been deeper, he would have stripped down to fully cleanse himself. Alas, it was too shallow but even just cleaning what he could felt refreshing from the dust and sweat of the road.  

 With a sigh, he allowed the memories he venomously ignored to come forth. This place, the creek bed and the trees, the stillness and the sunlight...it reminded him of a favorite spot from his childhood. Where his brother and himself would sneak away to go looking for faerie mounds or kelpies, much to their mother's dismay. A lighter time. An easier time...before betrayal. 

 Harshly, he shoved the memories back and closed the lid on them. It did no good to think about them. He was here now. He was happy here. Uhtred was a brother he was bonded to and would readily give his life for. Sihtric and even Osferth were like younger brothers he looked out for. Clapa was a good friend. It was better he was here. 

 A soft plop in the water made him look up. He knew it was most likely an animal coming to drink or a rock sliding to cause the sound but long years of being a warrior and always on alert forced him to constantly be aware of his surroundings. 

 What he saw forcibly drew the breath from his lungs in a gasp. 

 A woman knelt on a large stone, several paces away and across the creek from him. With one hand dipped in the water making slow circles, she watched the ripples as if lost in thought. Her hair was draped over one shoulder, a yellow kingcup flower tucked behind her ear. With her face exposed, her ethereal beauty was on full display for him to bare witness to. There was nothing about her that would not cause the darkest envy in other women and the strongest lust in all men. She was beauty incarnate. A creature not of this world. 

 He was unable to remove his eyes, nor move or call out, spellbound to only her. 

 Suddenly she looked up and locked eyes with him. A noose around his neck would have had less of a binding hold on him. Her eyes both pierced and soothed his soul. Her very being a vision that summoned him as a man possessed. Yet he could not move nor break her enchantment. They stared at one another; eyes locked from across the creek. 

 Ever so slowly she stood up and it was only then he took into account what she was wearing. A thin, white shift covered her, but with the fading sunlight behind her, it was almost transparent. Her outline and curves caressed by the fabric, an enticement and illusion. Never had he witnessed a woman more perfect. 

 "Are...are you alright, my lady?" His words broke the spell, his tongue finally recalled how to function. But as soon as the words were released, he would have given anything to return them. 

 After one slow blink of those captivating eyes, she fled. Moving as silently and quickly as a shadow, she jumped off the rock and hurried away on the other side of the creek. Neither rocks nor sticks hindered her bare feet. 

 "Wait!" He cried out, stumbling over himself as he gave chase. He ran opposite of her, trying to keep her in his sights lest she vanish and he awaken from this dream. 

 She followed a bend in the creek, darting between two trees that stood sentry on the edge. Uncaring of his clothing, he darted across the creek, the water only reaching mid-calf.  When he crossed over and rounded the bend, desperate for a glimpse of her, only the tranquil sight of the forest and creek lay before him. His eyes scoured everywhere, trying to catch a glimpse of her. There were no footprints his trained eyes could see, no markings that anyone had passed by. He scratched the back of his neck as he turned around once again, hoping he had missed something. 

 Yet there was nothing. She had vanished. 

 With a reluctant sigh, he turned to head back to camp. He had been gone long enough the others would question him. A bright spot of color amongst the dull colors of the rocks caught his eye. Moving closer he found a small bush of the kingcup flowers. Gently he stroked one of the many flowers' petals, remembering how they looked in her hair. On a whim, he plucked three and walked back to the stone she had knelt on. 

 "For you, aes sídhe." He whispered laying them down reverently. The bright yellow stood out on the gray stone, like the sun shining through on a cloudy day. 

 Looking around him once more, he crossed the creek and headed back towards camp. The further he walked, the more he began to question what he saw. A pinch to the arm proved he was not dreaming. Could it have been some kind of vision? He doubted that. He was not holy enough nor had enough drink to induce one. 

 "There he is!"

 "Thought you had finally drown."

 Finan threw himself on the ground next to his pack, ignoring the teasing of Osferth and Sihtric. He rubbed a hand over his beard and stared at the sky as the first few stars appeared in the sky. He could not get the image of her out of his head. So beautiful and pure. 

 A tickling in his ear brought his attention back to the present. He swatted at his ear and looked over to discover Uhtred next to him, a long blade of grass in hand and hovering over his head. 

 "What is bothering you?"

 Finan sat up, his arms over his knees. "Aes sídhe."

 "What?"

 "Nothin'. Thought I had seen somethin' at the water."

 Uhtred's brows furrowed slightly, trying to decipher his friend's meaning. "Well while you think, you have first watch. We drew straws earlier and you lost." He slapped Finan on the back. 

 "Sihtric rigged it."

 "Lies!" Sihtric threw a clump of dirt at a chuckling Osferth. "It was Fate that chose."

 "Why are you always throwing stuff at me?" Osferth whined, wiping the dirt mark off his robes. 

 "You deserve it."

 Uhtred spoke. "It would seem we need to work on your reflexes."

 "Yes, lord." Osferth sighed, eyes downcast. 

 "Don't worry, baby monk, I know what will help. We will take turns throwing knives at you. Eventually you'll dodge them."

 Osferth groaned. 

 With a clap on Uhtred's shoulder, Finan got up to settle against a tree nearby that offered a better spot for watching the camp and its surroundings. In truth he did not mind being on first watch tonight. With memories of her, clinging to him like summer's heat, he knew sleep would elude him. He tried to push the thoughts of her aside but to no avail. In truth he doubted he would ever be able to forget her. 

 ***

 The next morning, a rough kick to his back woke him. He groaned, attempting to rub the sleep from his eyes as he sat up. 

 "I never thought you one for flowers, Finan." Sihtric said, walking to the other side of the camp. 

 "What?"

 Osferth piped up, head swiveling, looking from Finan to Sihtric. "Or perhaps it is from a special lady?"

 "What lady is around here besides the horses?" Sihtric snorted. 

 "Maybe it is a horse?"

 "What are ya fools talkin' about?" Finan eyed the smirks on the faces of those around him. His mind refused to fully abandon the land of dreams. There had been something... something on the edge of his consciousness but he could not recall it now. 

 "Behind you." Uhtred nodded towards Finan's pack. 

 Unsure, he looked to his pack on his other side…and froze. The kingcup flowers lay next to where his head had just been, but this time, a thin white strip of fabric bound the flowers together. Hesitantly he reached out and touched the flowers then fabric, in awe when he could feel their texture beneath his fingers.

 She was not a dream or vision. 

 Without warning he rose to his feet and scanned around him. He ignored the confused looks of his companions. Only on a second scan did he glimpse something. On further inspection, it was the slightest indent of footprints amongst the grasses. It was too small to be any of Uhtred's men. Plus, the blades were barely bent by whose feet stepped on them, they would have been easy to miss. 

 "Finan?"

 He realized he looked like a madman, first startled by flowers and searching for a sign around them. He stood up, arms crossed when he turned back. "Yes, lord?"

 "Something amiss?"

 He wondered if he should tell them. Their camp had been infiltrated and no one knew it. Yet as he opened his mouth, the words died on his tongue. 

 "No, I just...it must have been a dream."

 "If you say." The Dane-Slayer did not look like he fully believed his friend but would let it go this time. "We leave soon."

 Ignoring those around him, he knelt in front of his pack. Memories of her, still so sharp even after sleep, came forth unaided. He gently touched the white strip of cloth, reminiscent of her thin shift. Had she torn the strip from it?  Before the others could notice, he stuck the flowers in his pack and the cloth up his arm-guard.  

 He looked one last time towards the creek. "Go dtí go mbuailfimid le chéile arís, mo aes sídhe." (Until we meet again, my aes sídhe.)

 "WE RIDE!" Uhtred called then sent his horse into a canter, his men following him loyally. 

 Finan could not help one last glance over his shoulder. If he thought he caught a glimpse of a white shift and a form peeking out from between the trees, he could not prove it. He turned back to following the others. In his mind he prayed that this would not be the last time he saw her. 

[whenimaunicorn]

Pretty Boy

Fandom: The Last Kingdom Characters: Uhtred x Reader Rating: Explicit

This is a request for @tephi101​ - Happy Yule!!! I took a stab at enemies to lovers in 3000 words... ok 3059... I don’t think you’ll begrudge me the final 59 words though ;)

 Your camp for the journey’s first night is secluded, in a small ravine far enough from the road that your warriors are not likely to be noticed by any passers-by. You are not yet in Earl Alfheim’s territory, but even here it would be better not to be seen; anyone might carry tales of armed men, and wonder where they are going. You sit now around a modest fire with your most loyal men: Burki, Thurgild, and Sigurd. A small goatskin full of ale, courtesy of Thurgild’s provisions, is passing around the group before you settle in for the night.

Raucous laughs drift up to your ears. “Curse them for fools,” you hiss.

The disturbance is coming from another fire, a separate camp set up just about a hundred yards away. Uhtred’s men.

Burki turns and spits in their general direction. “I don’t like working with Saxons.”

“Working for Saxons,” Thurgild corrects. “Most of the men he brought are as Dane as the rest of us. Funny how Alfred is getting so many of his enemies to do his bidding.”

You swallow a warm mouthful of ale, then pass the canteen along. “He gave us no choice,” you remind your crew. “And I’d much rather be smelling this cool night air than the stink of a Wessex dungeon.”

Sigurd tips the mouthpiece of the bag toward you in silent agreement before taking a drink.

A sour twist remains on Burki’s mouth. “Still, adds insult to injury to be partnered with the very man that tied you up and brought you in, don’t you think Y/N?”

You growl at the reminder. “Uhtred got lucky when he caught me, that was all. We’ll give him the slip just as soon as this promise is fulfilled. Then go somewhere far from the reach of Alfred and his hirelings.”

Sigurd finishes his lengthy swallow, then with a satisfied sigh and tosses the visibly lightened skin at Thurgild. “That’s the end of it.” He stands, ignoring the group’s groans of disappointment at such an early depletion of the ale. “I’m turning in. A lot of ground to cover tomorrow, before we can set to spying.”

Your other men stand too, with grunts of begrudging agreement. Only you remain seated, your mood blackened. You nod them off and scowl into the fire.

A moment later you whirl at the crunch of leaves to your right.

Firelight gleams off the fair face of Uhtred Ragnarsson, the traitor who now calls himself Uhtred of Bebbanburg. He tries a winsome grin as he approaches the seat beside you, so recently vacated by Sigurd.

“Watch it, pretty boy,” you say. Thurgild is still close enough to hear you, pausing on the way to his tent to look back. You wave him off and glare up at Uhtred. “What makes you think you are welcome by my fire?”

Uhtred tosses his twisted hair and sits down anyway. At least he still dresses as a Dane. “Since you called me pretty,” he smirks. He lifts a goatskin. “And because I have ale to share.”

You refuse to allow his sparkling eyes to soften your own scowl, but you reach out for the peace offering. He keeps a hold of it, sliding closer to you along the log, his expression playful and what some women might consider tempting. You huff and snatch the skin away from him.

The calculation in Uhtred’s eyes changes as he watches you drink and stare back at him flatly. He looks toward your warriors, disappearing into their tents. “Which one of them is your man?”

You resist the urge to roll your eyes as a better retort comes to mind. “They all are,” you deadpan, watching surprise make his cheeky confidence falter. “I sleep in Sigurd’s tent on Thor’s day, Burki’s on Freya’s day…” you trail off as Uhtred’s eyebrows climb. “You are surprised? What, do you not handle it this way with your men? Don’t tell me you all hump together, at the same time…” You scowl and give up the ruse as Uhtred’s brows crease in offense. “None of them is ‘my man,’ fool. I don’t need to share a bed with them to have their loyalty. They follow me because they respect me, as I am certain your men do too.”

Uhtred leans back, palms lifting. “I meant to imply no such thing.”

“You only wanted to know how I could possibly resist your charms, then.”

“Perhaps,” is all he says staring now into the fire. You definitely seem to have taken the wind out of his sails.

“We should make plans for how we will approach the fort tomorrow.”

 *

 Alone with Uhtred, scooting up a ridge on your bellies, you peer down at the fort to inspect its defenses. Apparently he, like you, would rather take the risk to see things for himself than try to piece together a plan from information reported by his men. Absently, you wonder how your two groups are getting along as they wait for their commanders to return.

A little checkpoint has been set up on the road below, and the guards change as you watch.

Uhtred leans closer than he needs to, making sure his voice won’t carry. His breath tickles your ear as he speaks with the barest rumble of vocalization. “Did you see the signal the man flashed as he approached?”

You made the same gesture with your hand. “They must not always know the faces of their replacements. We could use that.”

Uhtred seems likely to say something else, but you hear a crunching in the brush somewhere behind your position. It could be an animal, but better to be sure. Without wasting time on saying anything, you shove at Uhtred’s shoulder, rolling him under the cover of the bushes off to the right.

You wind up on top of him, pressed together from chest to knee as you share the tiny hiding space. His breath is warm on your cheek as you peer out from under obscuring twigs.

Uhtred chuckles, creating very interesting movements in the warm body beneath yours. “Y/N, if you wanted to roll around with me—”

You cut him off with a hiss and a glare. A dry branch snaps not too far away and Uhtred’s face goes serious too. He looks out toward the source of the sound and then neither of you move another muscle, other than the soft rise and fall of your chests, pressed together, breathing in sync as you listen.

Someone is stomping in your direction. You feel the flex of Uhtred’s pectoral muscle as he moves his arm carefully, quietly. A moment later he presses the hilt of a weapon into your hand.

The footfalls grow closer. Uhtred tries to signal something to you with his eyes, but you aren’t certain of his meaning. Only that he intends you to be ready to strike. You can see your opponent’s feet now, and they stop suspiciously near.

You hear the sound of steel clearing a scabbard. Uhtred’s arm whips up, and a stone clatters several paces away. He’s made a distraction, surely intending for you to roll out of the bushes and strike.

You launch yourself out from under the cover and make a sweep for the man’s legs. A single cry escapes his throat as he goes down, but you’re sure to silence him the instant his throat is within reach.

Uhtred remains in a crouch after crawling out behind you. He looks around warily, then flashes you a warm smile. “I knew you would make quick work of that.”

“I told you before, pretty boy, I’m better than you.” You wipe blood from the blade on the warrior’s coat and then toss Uhtred’s dagger back to him. “You only got lucky the day that you caught me.”

“I am beginning to believe it,” he answers, surprisingly humble. “I am glad that we are now on the same side.”

You force a small smile. Don’t be so certain of that. You kick at the body. “We’d better hide this and move on.”

 *

 Luck runs out as the day progresses. The next patrol that runs into you is dispatched too, but with much more effort, and you both take wounds in the process. That, and one of the horses spooks, so you are now left sharing a saddle as your remaining mount carries you both back to your hidden base. Still, Uhtred seems inexplicably cheerful. The music of laughter touches his voice as he speaks behind you. “Earl Alfheim will surely notice three of his patrolmen missing from his hall tonight.”

“So we’ve lost the element of surprise,” you grumble.

Uhtred’s arms squeeze once against your sides. He insisted he needed to lean against you for balance, holding on to the front of the saddle between your legs, but you suspect his wound is not actually that bad. “That is what he will think, yes. He will draw in his men, and lock his fort up tight, believing we made a mistake.”

“Didn’t we?”

You don’t have to turn to know that Uhtred is grinning. “Not necessarily.” His hair brushes your cheek, bringing with it the musky scent of a vigorous man. “He will retreat into his hole, expecting us to try to attack him there. Meanwhile, we will be stealing his cattle. Perhaps we’ll take the town, as well.”

You frown. “Do we have enough men to do that?”

“We don’t,” Uhtred says cheerfully. You feel like smacking the insufferable man. “Not to hold any of it. But if we annoy him enough, he will send his men out to take these things back, and in the streets of the town, or out driving cattle, each one of our warriors is worth three of his.”

“We barely took three of his today,” you remind him.

Uhtred waves his hand. The gesture is so close to your body that you are surprised with an involuntary thrill, a sudden wish that that hand had actually brushed up against you. “Only because we were trying to be quiet. They would be no match at all in open combat.”

“You plan to get lucky again, then.”

“Always.”

 The rest of the ride back is excruciating, not because of the pain in your side, but because you keep expecting Uhtred to lay his hands on you and it never comes. His voice is sweet in your ear, his body warm and intriguing at your back, and the sway of the horse creates a friction of your haunches against his hips that you imagine has to be driving him mad. But not once do his hands creep to your thighs, nor do his lips brush along your neck, nor any of the other number of things you wait with baited breath for him to try on you. He had been so interested in flirting with you before. What had changed?

And so the ride is painful for you not physically, but in your soul. Because as Uhtred continues to not touch you, you are forced to realize how desperately you want him to. Working together today, with the respect he showed for your skill, and the ease with which you both took to coordinating in battle, it was as if you had danced together already. A glimpse that gave you confidence in how well your bodies would slide and fit together under the furs, as well…

You might have caught something in his eye just as you are dismounting, after returning to the camp. But his men are fussing over the injury in his leg, and Thurgild is ushering you off in the other direction so he can examine the gash across your stomach.

 *

It’s nothing, really. A shallow strike, the bleeding easily stopped. But when Uhtred appears hours later with the offer of some magic ointment to soothe your wound, you don’t send him away. You beckon him closer, nestling back into your furs, and draw your tunic up and show him your bandage without a word.

There’s something heavy in his eyes as he kneels down beside you. You know how you must look, laying flat on your back with your trousers loose and belt-less for sleep, holding the hem of your tunic up just beneath your breasts. It’s hard not to flinch, to go rigid and ready for action, as this warrior who so recently hunted you down now looms over you. But it’s exciting, too. To expose your soft belly to him, to force yourself to remain completely vulnerable under his gaze.

There’s a sting as Uhtred removes the cloth bandaging your wound. You give no sign of the sensation other than holding your breath. He gives a satisfied nod at the state of your wound. “Not deep.”

“Not deep,” you agree. Thurgild only had to sew it together with a few stitches in the middle. You’ve had worse.

Uhtred opens his jar, scoops out a jellied paste with two fingertips. “This has a bite at first, but once it soaks in it will numb everything.”

“Good. That ache was starting to get annoying.”

He starts at one edge of your wound, working it in gently. The sting is immediate and your body twitches. Uhtred’s other hand comes down on your flank, steadying, soothing, and he makes a low humming sound under his breath. “Trust me.”

And you realize that you do. Somewhere during the wild engagement that got you this wound, Uhtred had earned your respect.

The fingers of his left hand continue to play over your skin, bared between hip and ribs, in silent distraction as he spreads the stinging ointment with his right. The edge of the wound he had started with is already sinking into blissful silence.

You arch your back just a little, not enough to disturb his work, only hoping to encourage that left hand. Uhtred’s calloused palm feels as good as you’d hoped, warm and strong as it conforms to your curves.

He finishes with the ointment, and wipes his right hand dry. He does not stop touching you with his left. You stare up at him from your pillow of furs, not saying anything, hoping the look in your eyes is enough. Your pride won’t let you admit out loud to this man what you want from him.

His thumb strokes your side once, twice more. He examines your face, his own expression unreadable, though his perfect lips are softly parted like they are readying for a kiss. Then he looks down at your belly, turns, and sets to work applying a fresh bandage.

He does not look back up at your face. But as you watch his eyelashes flutter, it feels that he is memorizing the sight of your curves under his hands. And when the bandaging is done, he does not rise, does not lift his hands from your body, does not utter a single word.

Uhtred leans in, long hair brushing against your flank, and presses a single kiss just below your navel. The sensation sends ripples through your entire being. The whiskers on his chin tickle your lower belly as he tips his face up to regard you with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. “I can think of one other way to soothe your pain.” Cheeky fingers curl around the top of your trousers.

You groan a little at the way your body responds, a flash of heat stabbing through your core, but the look of triumph that passes across Uhtred’s face annoys you. “Humping seems likely to break open fresh wounds,” you point out. “Thurgild would have your head.”

“Not humping,” Uhtred responds with a grin. “We’ll save that until you have healed.” Then he starts drawing the fabric down.

He removes your trousers slowly, pausing to kiss each new inch of bared skin. Every press of his lips kills any protest trying to formulate itself in your mind. You will just have to trust that he’s up to something you won’t regret.

When he has your lower half completely bare, his lips do not cease their work, kissing your thighs soft and slow, melting the tension out of your legs with massaging hands. He settles his body between your knees, spreading you more and more open, until you feel the air against your cunt, wet and waiting.

His kisses travel in that direction, along your inner thighs, and you inhale slowly in anticipation. You had not expected Uhtred to be so generous a lover as this. But if he is this intent on proving why you should yield to him, you are wholly ready to lay back and enjoy it.

His finger slides along your slit, just before his tongue follows. He emits a soft growl as he presses your legs apart wider, almost impatiently, and then his hot mouth closes over the little bud of pleasure just above your opening.

You suck in air, fingers curling through the furs at your sides, as Uhtred takes you on the ride of your life. He wields his tongue even better than his blade, and you praise whatever woman must have taught this to him, so he has such skill to share with you now. You start to moan, desperate little sounds, as an answering pressure rises inside you; hot, liquid pleasure that feels likely to drown. And when Uhtred pushes two long fingers inside you, beneath his still-sucking mouth, you arch your back and choke off a scream.

His hand finds yours, fingers curling together, anchoring you as that pleasure explodes into something about to overwhelm your sanity. You feel no shame in sobbing his name as you climax, all pride vanished under this wicked tongue.

He licks you steadily as you shudder and unwind, holding your hand firmly, not relenting until you push him off and shut your knees against the sensitivity. Uhtred laughs and slides up to lay beside you, arm scooping in around your chest, mindful of your belly wound. The one you can’t feel at all anymore.

“I like the way you call my name,” he murmurs pridefully into your ear. He nips it playfully. “And surely your men must have heard that.”

You give him a lazy swat, already feeling too sleepy to engage him properly. “Surely, that was your plan all along.”

“Perhaps.”

Read more fics from the Let’s Be Danes For Yule event!

My TLK taglist:  @ceridwenofwales​ @oddsnendsfanfics​@laketaj24​ @thewildbeauty​ @geekandbooknerd​ @therealcalicali​ @tiyetiye​ @pokeasleepingsmaug​@goldentailedmermaids​ @sifshoney​ @titty-teetee​  @savismith​ @ariellostatci​ @perfectus-in-morte​ @axiseeu12 @kingofshadowalkers @glitta-killa​ @equalstrashflavoredtrash​ @inforapound​ @kawennote09​ @fandomfic-galore​

[ladyinred2248]

King of the North, Finan x Reader, Part 1

Warnings: Mature, MINORS DNI. Violence and sexual themes. Possible character death. Misogyny. Angst.

This is the sequel to The Scottish Princess, find the series in my Masterlist.

Two days had felt like two years since Finan had last seen you and held you in his arms. He worried relentlessly for your safety, praying to God every moment that he would find you safe and unharmed. He felt that he must be cursed to have to live with such misery, a twist of fate threatening the family you two had made, the one Finan desperately wanted. Regardless, his emotions did not wane as he commanded the men, seeking every last bit of strength he had to continue on. He locked away his feelings somewhere deep inside his heart, not daring to show them, for revenge was now his main objective, and retrieving the love of his life was his duty.

The guardsmen of Ulaid and Constantin’s kingdom besieged Winchester with brutal force, Finan’s command being to kill anyone who prevented them from storming the palace. Steapa and a band of guardsmen blockaded the front entrance, and Steapa’s eyes grew wide when he saw the Irishman before him, now with practically an entire army at his side and ferocity he had seen in battle before but this time it was somehow much different. The way he held himself had changed. He had become stronger, an unrelenting conviction and confidence allowing him to show no mercy for any man.

Finan dismounted his horse, his overwhelming number of guardsmen attacking the ones who stood with Steapa, and a fight ensued until Finan was able to reach him, sword drawn and eventually held to Steapa’s chest as the men folded.

“Where is she?” Finan asked him, almost menacingly.

Steapa hesitated, putting his hands up as he searched Finan’s eyes for some semblance of the Irishman he had known for years.

 “Finan, I...” Steapa stuttered, the attack being so unforeseen and brutal that his hands trembled for the first time in his life it seemed.

Finan chuckled darkly, a smirk forming across his lips as he pushed the sword down into Steapa’s armor further, “I won’t ask you again.”

Domnal came over to stand beside Finan, smirking at the feared look on Steapa’s face.

“The King’s command was that she would be traded to the Danes.” Steapa admitted.

Finan looked away in fury, then back down to Steapa’s gaze, holding his sword at his chest still.

“Finan, NO!” Uhtred shouted desperately from a distance, Sihtric and Osferth’s eyes growing wide along with him.

“You took her?” Finan asked Steapa, calmly now which grew Steapa’s concern just the same.

Steapa looked down at the sword that almost pierced through his armor, then back up to Finan’s gaze hesitantly. “I… I had no choice.”

As soon as the last word had left Steapa’s lips, Finan thrusted his sword into Steapa’s belly, turning it slightly to illicit pain before withdrawing his sword from his body. Steapa fell to the ground, choking in pain and now potentially mortally wounded.

“All of you should yield,” Finan shouted to Alfred’s guardsmen with a dark chuckle, resting his bloodied sword over his shoulder, “It’s pathetic how loyal you are to a broken man.”

Uhtred almost fell to his knees at the sight of Steapa, Sihtric coming over to embrace him to hold him upright.

“Remember lads,” Finan shouted to his guardsmen teasingly as he began to ascend the steps of the palace, “I want the lovely Lady Aelswith.”

Sihtric spoke to Uhtred, but he didn’t hear a word of it for several moments as he stared at Steapa’s body on the ground, blood spilled on the steps of the palace at Winchester.

“Lord!” Sihtric said urgently, shaking Uhtred’s shoulders, “What now, Lord?” 

Uhtred shook his head, more so in disbelief than in a response before he answered. “Do nothing.”

Finan knew the doors to the palace had been barricaded, but stood in front of them anyway, taking a moment to gaze at the view from the front steps before commanding the guardsmen once more. 

“Ram the doors!”

The guards assembled in lines and rammed the door over and over, Finan watching with his sword resting over his shoulder, until the large doors to the palace busted completely open.  Finan and Domnal shared a grin with each other as the men infiltrated the palace and more fighting ensued. Constantin came to join them, placing a hand on Finan’s shoulder in pride and contempt for the fallen city of Winchester. Domnal laughed as Finan went to sit on Alfred’s throne, crossing his leg and seemingly relaxed with a smirk on his face.

Within the hour, the men of Ulaid had found and rammed another door, finding Alfred and Aelswith hiding behind it. They brought them to Finan, who still sat on Alfred’s throne, and he chuckled as the King and Queen of Wessex were knocked down to their knees before him by the guards, their hands bound in front of them. 

“It is custom to kneel, is it not?” Finan teased them, chuckling darkly.

Alfred glared at Finan while he trembled with rage, Aelswith holding a similar glare but sincerely fearful at the same time, her bounded hands shaking.

Finan got up from his seat, holding eye contact with Alfred as he took his sword to rest in front of his throat.

“I have a trade of my own, Lord King… your wife, for mine.” Finan chuckled.

“Please,” Alfred begged sternly, “Finan, I beg of you… I can rectify this.”

Finan took his sword away from Alfred’s throat, sheathing it, then kicked Alfred in the chest abruptly with a strong force, knocking the breath out of him and causing him to gasp for air. Finan laughed darkly again, circling Alfred as he lay on the ground, then came over to Aelswith, taking her chin between his fingers as she tried to pull away.

“Hello, pretty lady. You’ll be our humble servant now, won’t ya?” Finan winked at her.

Aelswith spat at his feet and started cursing him, so Finan nodded to Domnal and gestured for him to grab Aelswith up from her knees, “Take her.”

“Please!” Alfred pleaded, still gasping for air, “I will tell you where she is!”

Finan chuckled at him and bit his lip. “Oh, you will do better than that. You will show me,” Finan turned to his guardsmen and pointed his sword at Alfred. “We are taking him with us.”

Finan looked back to Alfred who was still knelt over in pain. “Now,” Finan started, “Where are the Danes?”

Alfred glared at him, looking down before he spoke.

“I don’t know. I traded her to Earl Haestan.”

As soon as Alfred spoke, he was cut off as Finan punched him in the face with brutal force. 

“Ya don’t know, Lord King?!” Finan shouted, bringing his fist to Alfred’s face again. 

“Haestan? I believe they would be in East Anglia, would they not?” Domnal asked Alfred, who spat blood on the ground.

“I can imagine, yes.” Alfred mumbled.

“We will go to Haestan then,” Finan chuckled, his senses raging but his demeanor a twisted form of calm, “Perhaps we take your wife with us instead, hm? Reward my men for their service?” He said, his guardsmen chuckling along with him. They had not served Finan for long, but already admired the grisly demeanor he held.

“Good idea, Your Grace,” Domnal added, chuckling, “She will be very popular.”

“Please,” Alfred pleaded, bleeding from his nose and lip now while breathing heavily, “Just take me. I’ll do whatever you ask.”

“Good,” Finan hummed, then knelt down to whisper in Alfred’s ear, “To think…all of this could have been prevented if you hadn’t been so jealous of my cock.” 

Domnal and Finan laughed together at Finan’s comment, bringing Alfred up from his knees and dragging him away with the others.

King Constantin came over to grab Finan’s arm to beg his attention before he left with the others, nodding to him before he spoke.

“You have already served her well, lad.” 

Finan nodded back to him with furrowed brows before commanding his guardsmen again. Your father was ordered to occupy the palace at Winchester, while Finan and Domnal followed as the guardsmen took Alfred as their prisoner, dragging him outside the palace brutally. Finan had only wanted to torture Alfred and would not subject a woman to harm, so the Lady Aelswith was left with Constantin at the palace.

“You will die for this.” Alfred muttered to Finan.

“I would love to see ya try, Lord.”

You had been forced to travel with Haestan’s fleet to East Anglia, exhausted and extremely frightened. Steapa had knocked you out when you were abducted from Saltwic, and when you finally woke up you were already positioned before Alfred and Haestan, being sent away with the Danes in an instant. You begged with Alfred when you realized what was happening, but he gave you no semblance of sympathy.

“She’s an important one,” Haestan said to a fellow Dane, Dagfinn, then looked at you. “Why would the King of Wessex so willingly hand you over, little girl?”

Your hands trembled as you opened your mouth to speak, but no words came out. 

“Do you speak?” Haestan chuckled, grabbing your jaw with his hand.

“I-I was taken against my will,” you mumbled, then found the strength to speak up, “Lord, I.. I am betrothed, please...p-please don’t hurt me.”

Haestan looked at you curiously, then chuckled to Dagfinn. “Well, that is a shame.” 

The Danes laughed, and suddenly tears fell from your eyes as you imagined your impending fate. 

Surprisingly, the Danes did not touch or harm you, but kept your hands bound and gave you your own horse to ride upon, which they directed to keep you in close reach. When the first stop was made to set up camp for the night, Haestan grabbed you from your horse, and you yelped in fear even though he wasn’t harsh with you. He tied another rope around your waist and secured it to a tree, making sure you had no room for escape while he made and stoked a fire. He spoke to you softly all of the sudden, questioning you.

“Who was your betrothed?” He asked.

You bit your lip to hold back tears, not able to answer him without completely falling apart.

“Tell me who you are.” Haestan said softly again.

He groaned and grew impatient when you wouldn’t answer him, so he stood from the fire and came closer to you, kneeling down as you flinched.

“I’m not going to hurt you. I’d rather trade you for silver,” he chuckled.

You returned his remark with a soft semblance of a smile, nodding slightly as Haestan continued.

“Alfred thinks we made peace with him, but he is wrong. There will never be peace,” Haestan chuckled, “Even when he gifts us beautiful women like you.”

Your hands started to tremble again, your gut telling you that you could never turn your back or trust this brute of a man, regardless of his words.

“Who owns you?” Haestan asked again.

You looked up at him, tears in your eyes and slight rage. “I am not someone’s property! I…I am a noble of Scotland.”

Haestan grinned at your words, thinking of the riches he could acquire with your ransom. 

Haestan gave you a smirk. “And who can I send word to on your behalf?”

You were hesitant to tell him of your father’s position to implicate him further, but you could definitely have him send for Finan, who you thought would be well known enough to reach in Winchester at the very least. 

“His n-name is Finan, of Winchester. O-of Coccham, I mean!”

Haestan held your gaze for a few moments, then rolled his eyes with a groan. You searched his eyes for a moment before speaking urgently.

“What? What is it? Y-you know him?!”

“Of course I know the Irish bastard,” Haestan scoffed, “Uhtred’s man?”

“Yes!!! Yes,” you answered, “Please, they will give you anything you want.”

Haestan laughed, untying the rope that held your waist to the tree but keeping your hands bound, “Come, sit by the fire and warm yourself. We will journey to Uhtred and his men at first light. And I may very well be a rich man by tomorrow,” he laughed again.

“Thank you,” you said softly, Haestan’s lack of vileness giving you enough calm to stop your heart from racing for a moment.

Finan and Domnal’s troop had started the route to East Anglia, and soon the sun was setting on the horizon. Uhtred had decided to follow, against his own better judgment, but him and the others stayed far back and weren’t sure if Finan knew they had indeed chosen to come along.

“Lord, does this make us traitors?” Sihtric asked as the men sat on their horses, Osferth silently wondering the same thing.

Uhtred had been deep in contemplation, and took a moment to acknowledge the question.

“Yes, Sihtric. It has all gone too far now.”

“But we continue to follow, yes?” Sihtric asked.

Uhtred shrugged somewhat hopelessly. “I can’t leave him to face this alone... I need to bring him back to himself. But I can’t do that until the Princess is found. She is the key to his heart. You two are free men, free to choose.”

Sihtric nodded, and then so did Osferth. “We will stay, Lord.”

The troop made camp at dusk, and Uhtred witnessed Finan walking away from the camp by himself at a distance. Uhtred made a split decision and ran to him. He noticed when he got closer that he was different, the darkness in his eyes gone at this moment and replaced with tears.

Finan looked over to see Uhtred coming near, rubbing the tears from his eyes quickly before nodding to Uhtred, who immediately put a hand on his shoulder, searching his gaze.

“Lord?”

Uhtred chuckled at Finan’s accent. There he was again, his Irishman.

Uhtred wrapped him in a strong embrace. He felt Finan begin to sob into his shoulder, so he pulled him in tighter. Uhtred knew that Finan’s heart had been shattered the moment you had been discovered missing, and Domnal and Constantin’s presence influenced him in violent and political ways. Finan was strong, perhaps one of the strongest and fiercest men Uhtred had ever met. However, the coming days, weeks, and months would determine his destiny as he faced the heavy burden of loving someone enough to burn everything to the ground.

>>> Part 2

Thank you for reading. Please reblog and comment 💜

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

@ficnation @bcon24

Graphics by @saradika-graphics 💗

[lannisterdaddyissues]

Tlk & alfred for the ask meme👀😁

aaaaa sorry i took so long to answer this lmaoo!!! i forgot it was in my inbox but i LOOOOOOOVE YOU!!!! @stellar-voyager​ you give me all the fun validation

001 | THE LAST KINGDOM

favorite character: Literally everyone who’s ever met me knows this lol but Alfred hands down. He’s brilliant. I love the brainy ones who play puppeteer with everyone else, it just really turns the cogs in my mind. I also love Uhtred and Aldhelm though, they’re probably tied for next in line :)

least favorite character: Cn*t 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢 I can’t stand him. But Aethelwold comes in a close second because ew.

5 favorite ships (canon or non-canon): Again, literally everyone who’s ever met me knows this but Uhtred and Alfred have so much chemistry and such a strong bond that I couldn’t just...not ship them. After that there are some really good canon ships in this show that I just love. Aethelflaed x Aldhelm, Uhtred x Gisela, Finan x Eadith, and Alfred x Aelswith have all my heart eyes 🥺

character I find most attractive: Ugh I can’t believe I have to answer this when the main cast is full of attractive people. If I’m being completely honest I really think Uhtred and Gisela are super attractive.

character I would marry: A̶e̶t̶h̶e̶l̶r̶e̶d̶   I can hardly choose between the entire cast, but if I have to narrow it to one then probably Aldhelm :’) He would be the best husband!!!

character I would be best friends with: Likely Uhtred or Aldhelm again <3

a random thought: Iseult lives rent-free in my brain forever, I know she lasted for like 2 episodes but she had such an impact on Alfred that he attended her pagan funeral and I will just never stop thinking about that.

an unpopular opinion: Finan is overrated. That is all

my canon otp: I mean there aren’t a lot of ships that are canon as of yet so Uhtred x Gisela. I love them, they’re the perfect example of what a marriage should be <3

my non-canon otp: I am once again Thinking about Alfred x Uhtred because they are transcendent

most badass character: Alfred. He wasn’t the protagonist but still stole the spotlight every time he was on screen and was unafraid to call people out on their BS.

most epic villain: I hate just about every antagonist in this show and most of them are kind of lame tbh, but Siegfried (i think that’s how you spell it? the subtitles call him Sigefrid but it didn’t look right) was pretty good. I didn’t like him much but he was probably the least lame.

pairing I am not a fan of: Brida and Cn*t are just...ew. Ugh. No.

character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): I mean the writers did a great job with everyone really but... Brida by the end of s4? I am Not a fan.

favourite friendship: It’s impossible for me to give any answer but Coccham Squad, though Hild and Uhtred are the most wholesome friendship I’ve ever seen between a man and a woman on screen. I love the respect he has for her 💖💖 and she for him!!! Really anyone who’s friends with Uhtred, I love.

character I most identify with: I identify a lot with Aldhelm and, a fact which disgusts me :), Edward. Not that I live in my parents’ shadow but at such a young age he’s striving to do more than he’s capable of and that’s a same. I still hate him though 🥴

character I wish I could be: Aethelflaed is the Woman™️

003 | KING ALFRED (THE GREAT) OF WESSEX

how I feel about this character: HE IS EVERYTHING TO ME AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I would sell my soul to him for a penny and a lock of his soft hair 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: Have I not said Uhtred twice already? I will say it a third time. He deserves it. I also love his relationship with Aelswith. They had a rocky start but there were some scenes in the later seasons that really showed how much they loved and cared for each other 🥺❤️

my favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: He doesn’t really interact with any of the characters except for Uhtred and his family, so I’d have to say Aethelflaed. He’s such an adorable dad with her, I love seeing how much he dotes on her and he was so stricken with grief when she was kidnapped in s2 😭 But for characters who aren’t his family, I’d have to say Hild. She’s easily his favorite nun 🏆😇

my unpopular opinion about this character: A lot of people don’t like him because of his treatment of Uhtred throughout the course of the show which is valid, since he shows a lot of hypocritical behavior and manipulates Uhtred into serving him a lot. But people don’t take into account the fact that Uhtred refused to assimilate with his culture and follow his laws in his own land, instead doing the exact opposite by killing who he pleased and blatantly disrespecting the Christian God. People normally ignore this by saying it was a different time but it’s Alfred’s house and his rules and that is the tea sis.

one thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: The reconciliation with Uhtred and the handhold was really all I could wish for 🥺🥺 and Uhtred’s speech about him!!! The love!!! I’ll always hold their bond so dearly to my heart. But I really wish that we’d gotten to see some grandpa Alfred before he died :((( Grandma Aelswith and Aethelstan were so cute, and the scene where she tells Aethelstan about Alfred’s vision made my heart hurt so much. I wish we’d gotten to see Alfred be a grandpa though 💔 He would have been the best grandfather 😤😤

favorite friendship for this character: haha the implication that alfred has friends is so funny....but no his closest friend is his chronicle (it’s really his diary). To answer this question seriously though, Aelswith may be his wife but she’s also his best friend!! They judge people together just as best friends should. I love them <3

my crossover ship: I’m not really a crossover person so I don’t really have one. Also he’s a real person so that’s just kinda... idk nahhh lol. I guess, off the top of my head, Allura from Voltron???? They’re both...royals...and they’re relatively similar in personality. I don’t even know I’m just throwing stuff into the void 😜 but oh no i’m kind of seeing it now oop- 😖

here’s the link to the ask meme!

[fan-fantasies]

What a Fool (P.6)

A/N: this was going to be the last part but it was a lot longer than I expected to you guys will have one more (smutty) part after this one!

Pairing: Sihtric x reader

Warnings: mentions of violence kinda

Masterlist

Part 5 // Part 7

Sihtric looked at you with a shocked expression.

“What do you mean you will not be returning to Coccham? That is your home,” he said.

“Mercia will be my home for now. I believe it is best that I stay here to heal, from wounds both physical and otherwise,” you told him. You could see the pain and regret in his eyes and as much as you wanted to comfort him, to tell him you’d return home with him, you simply could not.

“Please do not let the foolishness of Finan and I keep you from Coccham. I promise we would leave you alone if that is what you want.”

“I think some time apart would be best for everyone,” you sighed.

“I do not think I could bare not seeing you every day,” he said, his head hung low.

“It is not forever, Sihtric. You know you will all return to Mercia. Uhtred can never keep away from the Lady Aethelflaed,” you smiled softly. They truly did love one another yet you knew their love was hopeless. Maybe all love was hopeless and it was best no one should endure it.

“I am certain it will feel like forever,” he told you. Before any more could be said, a knock at the door interrupted you.

“May I steal a moment with (Y/N)?” Finan asked. Sihtric seemed hesitant but you nodded. You figured you might as well get all of the awkward conversations over with in one shot. Sihtric gave him a warning glance before he left.

Finan sat on the edge of your bed and sighed.

“This is all my fault, (Y/N),” he said.

“That is not true,” you replied. “No matter what anyone says, he still agreed to your little game.”

“But I was the one that took advantage of his feelings for you and goaded him into it. I honestly did not think you had feelings for him as well. If I knew it was mutual I never would have intervened,” he admitted.

“You are a cruel man for playing with your friends’ feelings,” you snapped. “Forget Finan the agile, they should call you Finan the arsehole.”

“Trust me, lady, many do,” he chuckled. You let a small smile play on your lips.

“As I have informed Sihtric, and as I am sure he is informing Lord Uhtred right now, I am to remain in Mercia.”

“But-”

“No arguments. I need the space to heal.” He gave you a sad look but nodded.

“I will spend the rest of my days trying to make it up to you and Sihtric,” he said.

“I will not stop you,” you replied.

“What is this? I hear you are remaining in Mercia?” Uhtred asked, not bothering to knock on the door. “I cannot be without my best warrior.”

“Hey!” Finan and Sihtric shouted at the same time.

“You know it is true,” you smirked. Finan rolled his eyes but shrugged in agreement.

“She may remain here as long as she likes,” Aethelflaed said, coming to sit next to you.

“Thank you, lady.”

“Do not let these two turd-for-brains keep you from coming home. Say the word and I will dispatch them to Francia,” Uhtred said.

“I will return home soon enough. I swear to it,” you said. He looked at you with a soft expression.

“Oh I know you will. I will come to fetch you myself,” he replied. He came and pressed a kiss to the top of your head. “We will be leaving in the morning. Alfred has called us back to Winchester and we must return at once. We will not be gone too long.”

“Do not forget about us,” Finan joked.

“If only I could,” you sighed. He gave you a sad smile and left, following Uhtred and a hesitant looking Sihtric. You knew he had more to say but Aethelflaed remained by your side and he did not want to risk her blade if he said the wrong thing.

“You should rest, my friend. Today has been enough to exhaust even the strongest of warriors,” she said, patting your hand.

“While my body begs for rest, my mind screams too loud to let it,” you sighed.

“I can have a tonic made to help you sleep,” she offered.

“That might be my only options,” you said. She left you to fetch her healer. You knew yourself too well and you knew that sleep would evade you while your mind was spinning.

You wanted so badly to forgive your friends and go back to how things were, but it was much too soon. You were unsure if you would ever be able to trust them again.

Sleep came easily once you downed the tonic. The pain from your wound and the pain in your heart were soon forgotten. It was not until the next morning that you woke to voices outside your chamber door.

“Let her rest! You have done enough to unsettle her,” Aethelflaed snapped.

“I only wish to say goodbye,” Sihtric argued.

“Perhaps if you were not such an arseling you wouldn’t have to say goodbye,” she replied. You smiled at her witty remark. She always came to your defense even when you did not need it.

“Lady, let the poor man in,” you said. Aethelflaed poked her head in the door with a scowl.

“I can send him away,” she offered. You shook your head and sat up, hissing at the sudden sharp pain.

“You should not be moving!” Sihtric scolded, rushing to your side.

“You should not wake a lady from her slumber,” you replied.

“I am sorry. I only wished to see you one last time and say goodbye. And also tell you again how sorry I am and that I love you. I will always love you,” he said. The sincerity in his words made your heart flutter.

“You act as if you are never going to see me again,” you chuckled sadly.

“We do not know where fate will lead us and if it is to Valhalla then I will go knowing that I have told you my true feelings,” he said.

“Sihtric, you will go nowhere but to Winchester and you will return to me. Swear it.” He looked up at you with a hopeful look in his eyes.

“I swear, lady.” He pressed a kiss to your hand and you wished to pull him closer, to feel his lips on yours once more, but you refrained.

“Sihtric, we are leaving,” Uhtred said, standing in the doorway. “Do not get too used to the Mercian air, for we will be back to fetch you soon.”

“I will be here and ready when you do,” you said with a smile. “Stay safe.”

“As long as you promise to do the same.” Both men nodded and Sihtric stood up from your bed. Osferth and Finan piled in the room, the younger man rushing to give you a gentle hug. “You are in charge while I am absent, Osferth.”

“Yes, lady,” he chuckled.

“I wish it were me in that bed, nursing a wound,” Finan said.

“That’s just because you’re lazy,” you joked. He cracked a smile and bowed his head to say goodbye. They all took their leave, but not before Sihtric gave you one last glance. You longed to go with them but you knew it was best to remain. Aethelflaed would make sure you were tended to and you could ensure she was protected. Everything would be an adjustment but one you were willing to endure to heal properly.

**two months later**

“(Y/N), they will be arriving shortly!” Aethelflaed called into your chamber. You rushed to get ready so you could meet them at the gate. Uhtred had sent a messenger ahead to announce his journey to Mercia. Alfred had sent the men north for a while and it pained you greatly to be away from them for so long. You cherished your time with Aethelflaed but you knew your place was with Uhtred.

You found Aethelflaed in the great hall making sure the meal was prepared for the warriors. It made you smile at how giddy she was to see Uhtred. You wished for the same happiness but you could not help but feel a pit in your stomach.

You felt like you were in a decent enough place to put everything that had happened behind you and move forward. The only thing that worried you was not knowing how Sihtric felt. Perhaps being away from you made him realize he did not want you after all. Or maybe he found someone else in the north. So many thoughts ran rampant in your mind.

“Lady, they are here,” a guard announced. You looked at your friend and smiled, both rushing to the courtyard.

“What a sight for sore eyes!” Uhtred yelled, opening his arms to greet you with a hug. Osferth followed suit and you gladly welcomed him.

“Where is Sihtric?” You asked, panic flooding your veins.

“It was his turn to tend to the horses,” Finan said, coming up beside Osferth. “He has missed you, lady.”

“We all have,” said Osferth. You placed a hand on his cheek with a smile.

“And I have missed you,” you said. “All of you.” You have Finan a quick hug then pulled back and punched his arm.

“Aye!”

“You deserve worse than that,” you said.

“I will take any punishment you dish out,” he sighed.

“I will take you up on that offer, but I wish to go find Sihtric.” You wandered off toward the stables and saw the Dane watering the horses. Every ounce of anxiety you had about seeing him melted away.

You decided to play with him so you tiptoed behind him and pulled out your blade. You grabbed him from behind and pressed the blade to his side. His body instantly froze. “Surrender to me.”

Sihtric’s body immediately relaxed when he heard your voice and you dropped the blade. He spun around with a small smile gracing his handsome face.

“I will always surrender to you, lady,” he said. The two of you shared a moment of silence and stared at one another, neither knowing what to say.

“I am glad you have made it back in one piece,” you said.

“I promised I would return to you,” he gave a small laugh.

“You have promised many things, Sihtric.”

“And I plan on fulfilling all of them,” he said, taking a few steps closer to you. He moved slowly, watching your reaction. “I have missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too,” you nearly whispered. He stopped right in front of you, a hand reaching out to touch the fabric of your dress near your hip.

“And you are fully mended?” He asked.

“Yes, quite,” you said, eyes never leaving his. He gripped your waist and tugged you closer to him. Your hand touched his face gently, tracing the scar along his cheek.

“I pleaded with Uhtred every day to return to you,” he admitted. “I fear he only returned south to silence me.”

“I feared the Lady Aethelflaed was going to send me north just to keep from hearing me lament about how I missed you,” you told him. He dipped his head lower, his lips only inches from yours. Your heart started to race as you tilted your head ever so slightly.

“How much did you miss me?” He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I could simply show you,” you said. You could feel his soft lips brushing against yours, waiting for you to make the move.

“HEY LOVEBIRDS!” Finan shouted, tearing you two apart. “Ain’t payback a bitch?”

“No, but you are,” you snapped. Sihtric rolled his eyes at the laughing Irishman.

“Uhtred sent me to fetch you for the feast, but I could just tell him you’re too busy.” He sent a wink your way and you sighed.

“I suppose we should go. I’m sure you are hungry from your journey,” you said looking at Sihtric.

“I certainly am,” he said, staring at you intensely. There was a hunger in his eyes and it would not be satisfied with food. It sent a shiver down your spine. He pressed a sweet kiss to your cheek before whispering in your ear. “You can show me how much you missed me later.”

To be continued…

The Last Kingdom Taglist: @cornervase @camillabrady @moldy-khunt @stray-bi-kids @emilyhufflepufftlk @solinarimoon

[fan-fantasies]

Find a Way

A/N: I know I said I was going to start writing more for The Last Kingdom a while ago and kinda fell short on that but I’m back with a few new ideas! I’ve literally rewatched the entire 3 seasons about five times now and it hasn’t gotten old. Not gonna lie, this fic was inspired by Shrek in a way lol. I should have an Uhtred fic up in the hopefully near future. I hope you enjoy! -Heather

Pairing: Finan x Reader

Warnings: Swearing and violence/abuse

Summary: You are the daughter of a lord who was promised to marry another ealdorman. You are captured by Haesten and his men during a raid and your soon-to-be husband asks Alfred to help fetch you so Alfred sends his most fearsome warriors. 

Masterlist

King Alfred had summoned Uhtred and his men to the palace. Normally it was just Uhtred that was called before the king but Alfred wanted them all to understand the severity of their quest. 

“Lord king, why is it our duty to save this woman whom we have never met for a man that we have also never met?” Finan asked. 

“This man whom you have never met has the potential to become a king and therefore this woman is his future queen,” Alfred answered. 

“Then why does he not save her himself?” Uhtred questioned. 

“He has sought our help because he has heard of your reputation and wishes for the very best to rescue her. It will strengthen the bonds between our lands as allies and there will be a handsome reward for your efforts. Now ready your horses and gather as many men as you need. You will leave immediately.” Alfred stood and exited the hall, leaving behind the warriors. 

“How many men should I call upon, lord?” Sihtric asked Uhtred. 

“Just Osferth. It will just be the four of us.” 

“Lord? Are you certain that is a wise decision? This woman is in the middle of a camp of Haesten’s men and they will not hesitate to try and spill our guts,” Finan said. 

“This mission requires brains, Finan, not brawn. Gather your things and meet me at the stables with the boy.” Finan exchanged a concerned look with Sihtric. Finan did not fear a battle, but to face a Dane army with only four men over one woman did not seem to make sense to him. He was ready to die for a cause that he could support, but this was not one. 

The four men rode for days to reach Haesten’s fortress as Beamfleot. Uhtred’s plan was to march to the front gate and ask to be allowed to enter. Alfred had given them some leeway to negotiate a price, both from Alfred and her betrothed. But if the warriors knew anything, it was that Haesten had a tendency to prefer women over wealth. He thought with his cock and that would be their downfall, Finan was sure of it. 

“Uhtred, what do I owe the dishonor?” Haesten called down from the top of the fortress. 

“You have someone here that I would like to discuss, Haesten. Let us enter, we are hungry and thirsty,” Uhtred said. 

“And my arse is sore!” Finan added. 

Haesten chuckled and nodded for the guard to open the gate. Uhtred and his men left their horses in the stable to be fed and watered while they went to the hall. Upon entering, they spotted a woman hanging from a cage above the hall. Finan’s heart leaped in his chest when he caught a glimpse of your face. It was slightly scratched up and you looked to be crying, but there was an underlying beauty that he could not ignore. 

“So what is it that you wish to discuss with me Uhtred?” The burly Dane asked. Ale was poured and food was served, easing some of the tension in the room. 

“I have word that you have something that does not belong to you and I am here to negotiate a price to return her,” Uhtred explained. 

“Ah, you are talking about the beauty that I found. She is mine, there is nothing to discuss or negotiate.” Haesten motioned for one of his men to fetch her from her cage. It was lowered to the ground and she was pulled out. She whimpered at the man’s grip on her arm. Finan growled under his breath as she was thrown into Haesten’s arms. She struggled against him but he held her firm in his grip. 

“She belongs to another and we have authority to offer you silver for her safe return,” Uhtred told him. 

“I belong to no one!” You tried to pull away from Haesten but he was much stronger. Finan saw the bruises on your arms and collarbone figuring that you fought against your captors often. 

“You will be quiet!” Haesten threw you to the floor, your head bouncing off of the wood. You tried to crawl away but he grabbed your leg and pulled you backward. His grip loosened when he felt the tip of a sword at the back of his neck. He stood up slowly and turned around to face the blade. Behind it stood Finan who had a rage in his eyes that they had not seen before. Normally, he was calm and collected at all times even while staring down the enemy lines in battle. Seeing Haesten treat you like that set something off in him that he had not known was there. 

“Shall we make the square, Irishman?” Haesten asked. 

“How about I just kill you right now?” 

“Finan, no. We are here to negotiate, not to fight,” Sihtric jumped up and put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. While the men were scuffling, you had tried to crawl away unnoticed. Unfortunately, Dagfinn turned just as you were about to stand and run to the door. He yelled for Haesten and all the men turned their attention towards you. Osferth and Sihtric jumped in front of you to shield you from the Danes while Uhtred stood by Finan’s side. 

“She is mine and will not be bargained for. If you want her then you will fight for her, either in the square or here in the hall my men against yours,” Haesten snarled. 

“And you are sure that there is not a price in which we can offer for her?” Uhtred asked once more. 

“She rides too well,” Haesten chuckled. You cowered behind Osferth in shame at his statement. Finan saw red and lunged forward but Uhtred held his man back, surprised at his tenacious attitude. 

“Make the square; I will fight,” Finan said. Uhtred pulled him aside with a bewildered look on his face. 

“Just a few days ago you thought that this was a pointless quest and now you want to fight Haesten to the death? What changed?” 

“No one deserves to be treated as she has been. Haesten is a weasel and should die,” Finan snapped. He looked over his lord’s shoulder and saw that you were gripping onto Osferth’s robes while the Danes stared you down. He needed to save you from these heathens. 

“I agree, Finan, but I do not want you risking your life when there may be other ways,” Uhtred told him. 

“Well, are we making the square or not?” Haesten yelled. Finan gave Uhtred one more look before walking past him. 

“We are.” 

The men gathered outside and formed the square. Uhtred pleaded with Finan once again and offered to take his place, but Finan was uncompromising. 

Haesten stood across from him, ax and shield in hand, while Finan wielded his sword. You stood off to the side in chains held by Dagfinn. You watched as this man whom you had never met put his life on the line for you. You figured there must have been a hefty reward for your return and that is why he was risking everything. Just another meathead looking for a fight and some silver. 

Haesten made the first swing, Finan easily dodging it. The men went back and worth before Haesten eventually knocked the shield out of Finan’s grip. He smiled as he took a swing at the warrior’s head. Finan ducked and kicked out at Haesten, tripping him. Haesten landed on his back but used his shield to block Finan’s sword. He managed to get back on his feet and knocked Finan back a few steps. The men squared off once more, stuff staring each other down. Haesten let his eyes find you in the crowd and he smirked. 

“Do not worry, lady, I will win and you will have the pleasure of being bedded by me tonight. You belong to me,” he laughed. Finan saw you from the corner of his eye. You stood proudly despite being in chains but he could see the fear on your face. He swung at Haesten again and again until he was pushed to the very edge of the square. He put his shield up but it was pushed to the side by the Irishman’s blade. The tip of his sword found Haesten’s throat and the Dane put his hand’s up in surrender. 

“She belongs to no one.” Finan thrust his sword through Haesten’s neck while his men in the crowd gasped. The Dane fell to the ground, blood pouring from his throat. He let out one final breath before he was dispensed to Valhalla. Finan pulled the sword from his neck and went over to Dagfinn. The man put your chain in his hand and stepped back. 

Finan freed you and put a gentle hand on your back to guide you. Your eyes did not leave the slain Dane that was still laying on the ground. Sihtric and Osferth readied the horses to ride. Uhtred watched as Finan offered you food and ale, only to be declined. You should have been elated that you were free from the Danes, and you were, but you knew that the fate that awaited you was not one that you wanted either. Perhaps you could escape in the night, although you were much safer with these warriors. 

“We will have you home in a few days, lady,” Osferth reassured you. You gave him a forced smile and mounted the horse that was previously Haesten’s. He wouldn’t be needing it anymore. 

You rode from the fortress until the sun began to set. You stopped to make camp for the night not far from a lake. You let the men assemble the tents and fire before preparing the food. 

“I wish to bathe. I shall return,” you told them. You started in the direction of the lake but stopped when you heard footsteps following you. “Are you going to watch me?” 

“I only wish to protect ya, lady. I will not look, I promise.” Finan gave you a bashful smile. 

“If you do then I shall thrust a sword through your heart,” you said. He let out a loud laugh and nodded. 

“It’s a deal.” He walked beside you until you reached the lake. He stood at the bank while you stripped and waded into the water. You reveled in the feeling of the freshwater caressing you. You felt free and clean, if only for the night. 

Once you were done you returned to the shore and put on the new dress that the men had brought for you. You left the old one, ragged and torn, in the mud. You and Finan walked back to the camp in silence until he finally spoke up. 

“I hope you do not fear us, lady. We mean you no harm. You may speak freely with us,” he said. 

“I do not fear you. I simply do not wish to speak with the men that only see me as a means to wealth and reputation. But you do have my thanks, lord. Truly I am grateful that you fought to free me. I am guessing that my husband-to-be offered a handsome prize for my safe return? Surely not because he cares but because I am worth land and more silver than he is offering.” Finan was taken back by your honesty. He knew that women did not like being offered up as brides by their fathers to secure riches but they did not often speak out against it. 

“There is reward in your safety, my lady, but that is not the reason that I fought Haesten. You are a woman, not an object and he was mistreating you. You did not deserve that. You deserve none of what you’re going through,” he said honestly. You stopped in your tracks and looked him over suspiciously. He seemed to be telling the truth. 

“Well again, you have my thanks. If only my betrothed had an ounce of your courage he might have rescued me himself, but then again we would not have met if that were the case and that would be a great shame.” You grabbed his hand and have it a squeeze, letting him know your words were genuine. You expected him to let your hand go but he held it as you walked. His grip was loose enough that you could free your hand if you wished but you found comfort in his gentle touch. 

Once you had returned to camp you sat between the Irishman and the baby monk. He reminded you of your baby brother so much. You listened to the men talk, absurd things leaving their mouth every other sentence. You let yourself enjoy the company and even laughed along with them. Finan kept his gaze on you all night, the fire making you glow with beauty. When it was finally time to sleep, you chose to lay in his tent with him. He made you feel safe and like an actual human being. 

The journey home was a long one and each day you grew sadder. The men noticed the change in your demeanor and became concerned. The more time that you spent with them, the more you did not want to leave them behind. The life you were set to live was not one you wanted and that weighed heavily on you. Osferth remained by your side while the others went out to hunt for something more than bread and apples. It was your final night on the road as your new home was not far away. 

“I fear that I cannot let her go, lord,” Finan admitted. Sihtric and Uhtred exchanged a look of sadness and understanding. 

“She is betrothed to a future king already. I would not waste my time worrying over her,” Uhtred responded. He could see the way his friend looked at you and the way you looked at him. He did not want to see Finan get hurt because he knew that that is exactly where this was heading. 

“He does not deserve her. He could not be bothered to save her himself. He does not value her,” he sighed. 

“And what chance do you think you have at a life together? Are you going to ask her to run away with you? Plead with the future king to have her instead?” Sihtric asked. 

“I will find away,” Finan growled. 

The men returned to camp with a couple hares as their prize. You prepared a stew for them to be added into while they skinned and cleaned them. You heard someone approaching from behind and turned to see Finan. 

“Good evening to you,” he nodded. 

“Good evening, Finan. Care to help me cook?” You asked sweetly. 

“I wouldn’t want to poison us all,” he laughed. You gave him a smile before returning to your work. “I want you to stay with me.” 

“Finan, what-” 

“Lady, I have come to care for ya and I fear that I cannot lose ya,” he told you. “I want to show you how you should be treated, cared for, and cherished. You are strong and beautiful and I’m a better man for knowing ya.” 

Your heart felt like it was going to burst from your chest upon hearing his words. You had come to care for the Irishman over the last few days and would have loved to stay with him. You did not want to be sold off as a wife to a man you had never met but you did not know how to escape the obligation. 

“Finan, I would love nothing more than to stay with you, but-” 

“But nothing, (Y/N). I will find a way to make it happen. I swear.” He grabbed your hand gently and stepped closer. You felt hopeless but something in his eyes told you that he wasn’t going to give up on you. He pressed a soft kiss to your forehead before letting you return to supper. 

Once you reached Winchester the warriors brought you before Alfred. Your fiance was sitting at his side, looking you over from head to toe. The hungry look in his eyes made you uncomfortable. Finan noticed this as well and stepped in front of you. 

“Lord king, we have recovered the lady as asked and even killed the Dane Haesten,” Uhtred spoke.

“Uhtred, you have my thanks entirely for returning me my bride to be and in one piece it seems. You shall have the reward that you were promised,” your fiance spoke. His voice was nasally and arrogant. Finan stepped up before the men and your stomach felt ill. 

“Lord, with all due respect, we do not want your reward. I know that this marriage between the two of ya has been arranged to be beneficial to your lands but there must be some other way. I am here to ask ya for her hand instead. I would like for her to be my reward, not that she is an object to be won of course. I was the one that killed Haesten, therefore, removing the threat against your lands. You called upon Alfred for help because it would again strengthen your rule and assure an alliance between the kingdom. Would a marriage between yourself and a woman of Wessex not be more suitable for that purpose?” Alfred looked utterly mortified at Finan’s words. He had not expected that one of his warriors would want to keep you for himself. He did not want the lord sitting at his side to become enraged and start a feud between the lands. 

“That is an interesting take on the matter, Irishman. Finding a woman from Wessex would take time and bargaining, however, and I already have a woman in front of me that has a price settled for. Why should I waste my time finding someone else just because you want to bed my woman?” the lord asked. 

“I do not just want to bed her. I would wish to take her as my wife. I know that I am nothing and could not offer her the title of queen, but I feel as though I have earned the right to at least discuss this with you.”  

“Alfred, what do you think?” The man asked. 

“I think that a marriage between our two lands would be most beneficial. I do have someone in mind who would be a suitable match for you. It is entirely your decision, however, and should you want to marry this woman here then that is your right,” Alfred answered. It was not that this lord did not want to marry and bed you, because he did, but he saw a marriage with Wessex to be more beneficial for him. 

“You may take the woman, Irishman. I should like to discuss the alliance with Wessex further,” he told Finan. He could not keep the smile from his face as he turned to you. You were speechless, never expecting the chance to be with him. You all turned to leave but Alfred cleared his throat causing you to turn around. 

“If you step out of line like this again, Finan, I will have your head,” he warned. Finan sucked in a sharp breath and nodded. 

“My apologies, lord king.” Alfred waved you all off and you took that as your chance to leave. Your steps were quick as you did not want to give them the chance to change their mind. Once outside of the palace gates you leaped into Finan’s arms. He held you tightly against him while Uhtred patted his back. 

“I guess you’re going to have to get used to us, lady,” Osferth laughed. You ruffled his hair and laughed. 

“I told you I’d find a way,” Finan mumbled into your hair as he pulled you back into his arms. The rest of the men joined the hug. You finally felt safe and cared for. You had found a home. 

-----------------------------------------------

If you’d like to be added to a taglist just let us know!

Permanent for all: @lokilvrr @m-a-t-91 @blueeyedbesson