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"Do you know who I am, hm? I am the true lord of Bebbanburg! And I am taking it back. I have no fight with you. Only this man is doomed. Are you happy to see me, uncle? Huh? I have waited a lifetime to avenge myself. I will enjoy taking my time with you! Mm. No one else will suffer if you swear loyalty. None of you are my enemies, you are men of Bebbanburg. And, as lord of Bebbanburg, I will provide for and protect you. And this cruel shit, who had hated you and mistreated you, will die. I've come home, swear to me and you will have my oath. Aidan...you remember me? Who has your allegiance?" Uhtred said smugly.

"I am loyal to the true heir of Bebbanburg." Aidan spoke.

"Good." Uhtred replied with a smirk.

"Bear witness all, the true heir of Bebbanburg!" Aidan points up where Wihtgar rests, he holds a crossbow pointed straight at Uhtred. Nilsa reached up to grab the hammer pendant in worry, she knew her mother's spirit wouldn't allow her husband to die. Her necklace would protect him.

"Who are you, boy?" Uhtred shouted.

"Wihtgar, son of Aelfric. Very much alive and back at Bebbanburg, flesh, and blood. And I could kill you with this arrow in a heartbeat." Wihtgar threatened.

"You can try. The arrow would miss."

"Then you know nothing of the weapons of the desert." Wihtgar taunted with a proud smirk.

"Put down the bow. Put down the bow!"

"You've lost everything, Osbert." Aelfric taunted making Uhtred distracted in his anger.

"I won't tell you again, put down the bow!" Uhtred flinched in shock when an arrow was suddenly impaled in his uncle's eye. He looked up at Wihtgar who smirked. Nilsa reached out to grab Osferth's hand in fright, she didn't see how any of them would survive this. Osferth turned his hand over to intertwine their fingers as he caressed the back of her hand with his thumb.

Uhtred's men ready themselves for battle as Wihtgar looked out at the men of Bebbanburg, plus his mercenaries.

"A son does not always love a father. Learn from that, fool. Now, who's with me?" Wihtgar shouted as his men cheered. "Who is with Wihtgar of Bebbanburg?" Men cheer once more.

"Get ready! Get ready to fight!" Finan shouted. It didn't escape her that Uhtred's men formed a shielded line around her, Osferth sent her a troubled look when he felt her grip his hand in distress. The monk wished he could bring her more comfort.

"My father's weakness drew you here as it drew me, he could not hold his lands, so I have put him out of his misery. Your men and woman, to the wall!" Wihtgar shouted down. Nilsa released her tight hold on Osferth's hand as she moved closer to Uhtred's son, she weaved between the men as they moved back. She refused to allow anything to happen to the young boy.

"Go. Be ready." She heard Uhtred order.

"Move."

"Have faith. Your father has escaped worse than this." She heard Beocca telling Young Uhtred, she placed her hand on Sihtric's arm as she gently guided him around her.

"Your father stole these lands from me when I was a boy! And he allowed the Scots to ravage them. If you want men to call you the true lord of Bebbanburg...earn it! Come down and fight me like a man!" Nilsa watched as her husband shouted with pure anger, she locked eyes with Finan who expressed his anxiousness in his wild eyes.

"I hold the fortress! I have no need to fight you!" Wihtgar shouted.

"Wihtgar! Lord! You do not know me. I was your father's priest. I knew his strength and his flaws, this enmity was of his making. You have settled that!  Now, let us make peace. You are cousins! Let this be a new beginning, unite against your common foe together. You can defeat the Scots, and secure the land, for the sake of your children. For all Saxons." Beocca glanced at Uhtred who was tense. Nilsa wished she could go to him and comfort her love. Uhtred looks at his son and wife as they look to him for any sign that may show what he is thinking.

"You have spent too long in Winchester, priest. And you have forgotten the north. We do not seek peace. You are a stranger here, Uhtred Ragnarson. But I am wiser than my father. I will not leave a rival alive to challenge my birthright or my bloodline. I will kill you, Uhtred." Wihtgar speaks with a smirk as Uhtred looks at his wife and son in worry. "But first...you will watch the death of your boy." Nilsa's eyes widened as she quickly moved around Sihtric to find Young Uhtred.

"No!" Uhtred screams.

"And all the fools who follow you to your doom!" Wihtgar continued as he aimed the bow.

"No! Wihtgar! Don't! Finan, drop your swords! Now!" Uhtred commands as he grows more distressed.

"This is the end, Uhtred. Your name will be forgotten." Wihtgar releases the arrow just as Nilsa grabs Young Uhtred and pulls him into her chest to protect him, Beocca moves in front of them both to avoid Uhtred losing both another wife and son.

Beocca gasped in pain and began to fall back as Finan and Sihtric caught him. Nilsa guided Young Uhtred's face into the crook of her neck to avoid him being traumatized further, she blinked away the tears as she held the boy close.

"Uhtred..." Beocca whispered before dying. Nilsa let a choked sob slip out as she was answered by the universe. For her child to live, someone had to die. And that turned out to be Beocca. She clutched the teen boy close as she worried that Uhtred would blame her for his father figure's death. She wouldn't hold it against her husband if he did. A sick part of her hoped he would. She deserved it.

She gently stroked Young Uhtred's hair as she refused to look away from Beocca's body. She did that, she might as well have cursed Uhtred as Skade had. He would resent her and the baby, she felt it in her bones so strongly.

"Beocca!" Uhtred screams in such a gut-wrenching way that nearly has her crying. He was in so much pain and there was nothing she could do to help him.

"Make for the ship! Sihtric shouts as Uhtred begins to fight. Sihtric gently guided her away from the battle with Uhtred's son. She watched with a broken heart as Uhtred tried to shake Beocca awake as he cried, she saw him taking Beocca's cross as Sihtric ushered her into the exit stairway.

"Lord!" Sihtric shouts again as they descend the stairs. Osferth fights off some of the guards as he helps guide her onto the ship, Young Uhtred grips her hand tightly as he stays huddled against her side. "Untie the ship! Osferth, start bailing! Where is Uhtred?" Sihtric speaks as the ship is targeted by Wihtgar. Sihtric looked at her with a softened expression when he noticed her crying silently, he allowed himself a moment to reach out and gently wipe away her tears.

"They're over there!" Young Uhtred shouted as they saw Finan and Uhtred coming their way.

"We need to go. Now!" Sihtric shouts to them as he leaves her side.

"Get going! Go!" Finan jumps on the ship as Uhtred turns to look at Wihtgar with pure hate. A warning almost.

"Lord, we do not have time!" Sihtric yells to his friend.

"Uhtred, hurry! They'll try to sink the bastard boat!" Finan adds and looks to her for help.

"Come on, father!" Young Uhtred speaks with fear.

"Uhtred, please." She says in a weak whisper and Uhtred turns to her immediately with a frown. Nilsa looked away afraid of seeing what was behind his beautiful and expressive eyes, she wondered if he regretted meeting her now.

"Ready the oars!"

"Easy!" Sihtric says as he helps row the boat.

"Pull! Pull!" Finan repeats like a mantra as the men, outside of Finan row the ship, Finan notices her broken expression and dull eyes pull her into his chest. The men around them grunt under the strain of the angry waves as Uhtred looks back at his fading birthright. Thunder rumbles as lightning lights up the sky.

"He hates me." She said in such a soft-spoken tone that the Irishman barely heard her. He stroked her brunette hair gently as he kissed her temple, he felt her tremble in his embrace and tightened his arms around her waist. He shushed her quietly as she sobbed into his neck, he felt himself blink away his tears as he held the woman he loved. The woman that would never be his.

"He does not, beautiful. That, I can promise." Finan whispered into her ear as he watched Uhtred. The man was silent as he rowed and Finan glanced around the ship until his eyes landed on his other two comrades. Both look at Nilsa and Uhtred, both wanting to comfort the woman they fell for and their friend.