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Uhtred and Nilsa were soon accompanied by Finan and Sihtric as they left the palace. Despite his frustration he refused to let go of her hand, he found comfort in the kind woman and she did not reject his advances to his surprise.

"Now is not the time," He mocked with rage. "Years, I've waited. Years, I've given my sword. Years, my home has been denied to me. There's no debt." He scoffed at that and calmed for a moment when she squeezed his hand.

"We will get you your home back, Uhtred." She said softly and grinned when Uhtred leaned over to kiss her forehead.

"Winchester is a snake pit." Finan says as they stop at an alehouse, he guides her in front of them protectively when he notices the lustful looks.

"We will think of another plan." Uhtred informed them as they sat, he released her hand to smack the table. "Do you think our band can take the forty men at Bebbanburg?" Uhtred questioned seriously.

Nilsa wasn't taught in the ways of war so she instead traced her finger over the grooves in the wood, some made shapes and others were just curved lines.

"Two on one? Ask me when I'm drunk." Finan mumbled.

"Come on, Finan. Our men are three times the fighters Aeofric's are." Sihtric said softly and Nilsa couldn't help but shiver. His voice was soothing in a way she's never known, he speaks in whispers and she knows that he could have easily been a deity in disguise. He was too beautiful to be a mortal. She quickly shook that thought away, she was married. She would not prove Edward right about her being a whore.

"I know. It's just in unreachable walls and boiling tar that worries me." He mumbled. Sihtric takes his cup of ale and as he drinks it he looks over at Nilsa, she hadn't noticed his eyes were different until now.

They were gorgeous, it was as if his two sides of heritage were fighting for dominance. She smiled softly at the Dane and looked over at Finan who looked defeated.

"Not to mention the Scots waiting to take it all for themselves." Sihtric watched as she began to trace the grooves in the wood again and slipped his rings off as he placed his hand in front of her.

"You will get pieces of wood in your finger, lady." He said simply as she placed his hand in her palm and used her free hand to trace the tattoos on his fingers and knuckles. Osferth graced them with his presence a moment later as Uhtred watched his wife softly.

"What are you doing here? Is the plan off then? Are we just staying here to get drunk?" Osferth asked and ignored the glare Finan sent his way.

"The plan is unchanged we head to Bebbanburg." Uhtred said as he rubbed Nilsa's back in thought, he didn't mind that to the Saxons his wife cradling another man's hand would be seen as disrespectful. He trusted no one but his men with her anyway, she deserved to do as she pleased. And if tracing Sihtric's tattoos with her fingertips soothed the growing anxiety, who was he to deny her that comfort?

"Take the fortress, then we get drunk." Nilsa cracked a smile at that. Finan was an odd one, like her, except he used jokes to reassure himself. Sihtric and Finan share a worried look as Osferth looks over at her.

"Just us? Without an army?"

"You don't need an army to kill one man. We kill Aelfric, the gates will open." Uhtred said confidently. They soon leave and as they walk the streets of Winchester Uhtred's men begin to speak.

"It's getting into Bebbanburg, that's the problem." Finan said as he placed his hand on her back to guide her between him and Osferth. It made him nervous when she wasn't in their line of sight.

"I say we just turn up and ram the gate." Sihtric said with a smirk.

"Or we just ask nicely to be let in. Next idea." Finan makes the sign of the cross when he sees a nun, Nilsa shakes her head in amusement. She sees Osferth turn back to watch the nun with a small smile, she arches an eyebrow teasingly when he blushes at her gaze.

"We are not dressing up as nuns." Finan said as he tapped Osferth's chest, she giggled at the two while Sihtric rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't going to say that." Osferth defended.

"But you were."

"No, I wasn't." Osferth said and Nilsa intervened to stop the bickering.

"Or I could?" Finan immediately shook his head no.

"It would not work, lady. You look like one of the goddesses Uhtred and Sihtric pray to." Nilsa blushed at his confession.

She has been called beautiful many times but never has she been compared to deities as these men have implied so many times.

"You are too beautiful. He is right, it would not work." Osferth added making her even more flustered. Sihtric noticed and shoved the men playfully to get them to stop and then gently nudged her closer to Uhtred.

"Lord Uhtred! Thank you for offering your men to help clear the stables." Hild said with a warm smile.

"What!" Finan shouted as the three men became confused. She snickered softly as Uhtred grabbed her hand and pulled her to Hild.

"Lady Aethelflaed will meet you in the garden. Do not turn me into a brothel keeper." She ordered and Nilsa frowned. She didn't realize her husband and the lady of Mercia were so close.

"Oh, but you enjoy the savage life."

"Uhtred!" Hild scolded as two novices looked at them.

"Do your novices not know that?" He asked teasingly as he turned to Nilsa. Hild lets them be as she leaves and Uhtred cups her face in his palms with worry. "What is it, Nil?"

"Have you and the lady of Mercia..." She trailed off with a pout and Uhtred smiled at her in amusement.

"We have kissed, yes. But I chose not to cross that line, I did not see myself with her. And I am glad for that choice because now I have you." Nilsa smiled shyly and hummed happily when he leaned down to kiss her.

"Ladders." They hear Osferth say in the distance as he points at Finan. Sihtric and Finan share a look of disbelief before walking away.