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Uhtred still smiled and watched as Elara and Æthelflæd jumped off their horses! Æthelflæd immediately walked up to Uhtred and hugged him! Elara led the horses to the stables and then she also walked up to Uhtred, but she didn't hug him, on the contrary, she just patted his shoulder whilst walking past him! Meanwhile: Sihtric, Finan, Osferth, Stiorra, young Uhtred and the two children sat inside the hall and waited for Uhtred! When the doors swung wide open, Sihtric immediately turned his head and when he caught sight of Elara, he instantly jumped off his seat and walked towards her! When he reached her, he immediately wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to his chest! She laughed and kissed his forehead...Finan and Osferth just widely smiled at them!
~~~~~~

Finan:"You're still alive, Elara, that's almost a miracle!...(*Elara rolled her eyes*)...didn't they give you a dirty look in Aylesbury?"
Elara:(*she shook her head*)"No, because unlike you, I have never done anything to the poor people there!...(*Finan rolled his eyes*)...how are the children?"
Uhtred:"They're doing well! Ælfwynn plays with her animals and Æthelstan reads!...(*Elara narrowed her eyebrows*)...why do you look so confused now?"
Elara:(*she detached from Sihtric*)"So I know who Ælfwynn is, but who Æthelstan is, I have no idea!...(*Æthelflæd slightly laughed*)...is this going to be a longer story now?"
Sihtric:"Æthelstan is Edward's bastard son!...(*Elara's eyes widened*)...however, Edward doesn't really want him with him, so that's why he is here!"
Stiorra:(*she rolled her eyes*)"And gets on my nerves!...(*everyone turned their heads*)...when can we go back to Coccham, father?"
Elara:"Coccham?...(*Stiorra turned her head*)...what the hell is Coccham?"
Osferth:(*he sighed*)"The village we used to live in!...(*Elara tilted her head*)...well before we moved to Rumcofa, of course!"
Stiorra:"Rumcofa?! Father, this is so much better than Coccham!...(*they laughed*)...so: when can we go back to Rumcofa?"

~~~~~~
Uhtred laughed and handed his daughter a mug of water! Stiorra only rolled her eyes and sat down besides Elara! Sihtric and Finan only grinned at each other and each took a sip of their ale! Around evening Uhtred decided to leave for Aylesbury and his men were to come with him! Æthelflæd and Aldhelm quickly decided that they want to accompany them, so that Æthelflæd could talk to her brother! Uhtred agreed without further complaining and then turned to Elara, who already knew, what he wanted to ask! So she quickly nodded and then walked back to the hall! Uhtred looked after her, until he heard the doors close...he sighed, before he walked up to his horse and the others!
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Æthelflæd:"What are you thinking about, Uhtred?...(*Uhtred looked at her*)...are you worried that something might happen to the children under Elara's supervision?"
Uhtred:(*he shook his head*)"No, it's just that she's suddenly so dismissive of me!...(*he lowered his head*)...I don't know what I did to her..."
Finan:"Lord, it's Elara we're talking about here...she doesn't need a reason to be dismissive!...(*Osferth nodded*)...besides, you of all people should know that her past is gnawing at her!"
Uhtred:(*he lifted his head*)"You're right!...(*Finan tilted his head*)...yet I can't shake the feeling that there's something else going on..."
Sihtric:"And what would that be, Lord?...(*Uhtred shrugged his shoulders*)...let's just ride to Aylesbury and sort out the matters that need to be sorted out there! Then you can find out what is wrong with Elara!"

~~~~~~
Uhtred sighed before he climbed on his horse and rode towards the gates of Saltwic! His men, Æthelflæd and Aldhelm followed him and within seconds they were gone! Elara meanwhile sat in the hall, drank another mug of ale and watched the children play! Somehow it made her smile, because it reminded her of her childhood! Her childhood where everything was fine and no one was worried about anything...her childhood she missed more than anything! Uhtred was right: there was something else going on with Elara, but she just couldn't get herself to tell him! He would only call her crazy or delusional...and for what? Only because she slowly forgot how the voices of her mother, father and Rognvaldr sounded like? Sigtryggr's voice she remembered in pieces...for that she recalled the last sentence he said to her, before him and Rognvaldr left: ‚be safe and don't cause any trouble! If I hear you caused trouble, you're going to be in trouble yourself, all right?'...after that her memory is blurred...
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Stiorra:"What are you thinking about?...(*Elara got snapped back into reality*)...oh sorry, I didn't mean to pull you out of your thoughts!"
Elara:(*she waved it off*)"It's all right! If you hadn't done that, I'd just be crying now!...(*Stiorra sat down besides her*)...you're lucky to have a father like Uhtred! And you're lucky to have your brother..."
Stiorra:"I thank the gods every day for my family even though I miss my mother terribly every day!...(*she sighed*)...she passed away when she gave birth to my younger brother..."
Elara:(*her eyes widened*)"I'm terribly sorry about that, my condolences!...(*Stiorra slightly smiled at her*)...I lost my mother, my father and one of my brothers to death! What happened to my other brother or where he is, if he is still alive, nobody knows..."
Stiorra:"My sincere condolences! That's terrible!...(*tears rose in Elara's eyes*)...how did you handle that? I mean, in my eyes you are the strongest person in the world...I admire you!"
Elara:(*she wiped away the tears*)"Thank you, Stiorra, but I am anything but strong!...(*Stiorra tilted her head*)...and to be honest, I haven't really processed the whole thing yet! I don't even know how to do it..."

~~~~~~
From the one second to the other, Elara broke down in tears and Stiorra immediately hugged her! Moments later, young Uhtred, Ælfwynn and Æthelstan stood besides Elara and just looked at her! When Elara and Stiorra detached from one another, young Uhtred, Ælfwynn and Æthelstan also hugged Elara! And even if people say, Elara is cold-hearted, what might be true, she would do anything to make sure, these children stay alive and won't be harmed! Meanwhile: Uhtred and the others reached Aylesbury and led their horses to the stables! Then they walked towards the hall and Æthelflæd immediately walked towards Edward! Once he noticed her, he turned around and waited for her to say something...
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Æthelflæd:"Edward, I need to talk to you about Ælfwynn!...(*Edward tilted his head*)...Æthelred has allowed me to choose the husband for Ælfwynn, so I ask you not to stab me in the back!"
Edward:(*he took a deep breath*)"And have you already thought about it?...(*Æthelflæd shook her head*)...okay, and where is Ælfwynn right now?"
Æthelflæd:"She is safe! Safe, where all this mistrust and all this hatred cannot harm her!...(*Edward got angry*)...as soon as I find a husband for my daughter, I will let you know my decision!"
Edward:(*he hissed at her*)"No, you're going to have her brought here, and you're going to have her brought here right now!...(*Æthelflæd flinched*)...if she's not here in Aylesbury by tonight, I'll decide who she marries, is that clear?!"

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Æthelflæd nodded, turned around and left the building! Uhtred, Sihtric, Finan, Aldhelm and Osferth followed her! She sat down outside an ale house and the others joined her moments later! Then they watched as Edward's guards and Cenric saddled their horses for departure...only no one knew, to where they were leaving! Meanwhile: Elara had calmed down again and currently braided Ælfwynn's hair! Suddenly Æthelstan and young Uhtred came running into the hall, anxious and trembling! Elara instantly stopped braiding Ælfwynn's hair and turned to the two boys...
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Elara:"What's the matter? What did you see?...(*Æthelstan swallowed*)...anything disturbing?"
young Uhtred:(*he nodded*)"Men are on their way here!...(*Elara's eyes widened*)...I can't say how many, but they are not my father's men!"
Elara:"Okay, you listen to me very carefully, okay?!...(*the children nodded*)...you hide now and wait until I come for you! Nobody moves until you hear my voice or see me, is that clear?!"
Stiorra:(*she nodded*)"And what are you going to do?!...(*Elara shrugged her shoulders*)...there will be too many to fight!"
Elara:"Even if there are too many, I have to at least try!...(*Stiorra shook her head*)...at most I'll get a few scratches, but that will be all! Don't worry and hide now!"

~~~~~~
Young Uhtred, Æthelstan and Ælfwynn went outside to hide in the high grass, meanwhile Stiorra decided to hide behind a wooden wall! Elara took a deep breath, before she saw, how the riders rode through the gates! She instantly drew her dagger and hid it behind her back...then she slowly walked towards the entrance door and opened it carefully! Cenric and his men shot her confused looks, but grew serious within seconds! Cenric immediately asked her, where Ælfwynn was, but Elara refused to answer his question! He became inpatient and asked the question again...but still: Elara refused to answer his question! Meanwhile: Uhtred and the others still sat outside the ale house, drinking a mug of ale each and thinking about, where Cenric and his men, could have departed to! It took Uhtred a while, before he realised and came to a conclusion...
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