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"Lord, we need to change our plan. We cannot wait for him to attack because he will not. Her value is even greater than I thought. He will wait for as long as it takes." Uhtred says once the group meets in the hall once more.

"Æthelred and the Mercians will be close." Alfred claims. Finan props his leg on the bench behind where Gene sits. She turns behind her and notices he looks uneasy, she frowns in concern.

"They will be seen. What we must do is stop them on the road. I can send Finan to do just that. And then we must join them, we must choose the place of battle, lord. But we must act quickly while his blood burns." Uhtred said looking at the king, Finan watched nervously.

"Join Æthelred where?" He asked.

"I am thinking Fearnham. There's a hill."

"I know it, lord. It gives us an advantage." Beocca backs up Uhtred's advice.

"But how do we join Æthelred here at this hill? And how do we ensure Earl Sigurd will follow if that is the plan?" Alfred questions and looks to Uhtred for the answer.

"Finan will find the Mercian's and we will ensure Bloodhair follows. You and Uhtred will draw him." Gene said looking at Uhtred who nodded.

"And if Æthelred cannot be found?" Alfred asks.

"We fight alone but we must act quickly. It must be today."

"I'm ready lords, it won't take me long to find the Mercians." Finan says and stands up looking between the king and lord. Alfred gives a slow nod.

"To Fearnham. Go." Finan nods and kisses Gene's head quickly.

"Be safe, father." She whispered as he left with a soft smile.

"Go to Gisela." Uhtred tells her and with an understanding nod, she goes to her horse. Sihtric runs up to her with a look of worry, she kisses him to soothe his anxiousness.

"Be safe, Genie." He whispered as he traced her jaw softly. She does as promised and does not stop, she rides day and night to Winchester. She rushes to her children and gives Thyra a grateful smile when she moves out of her way, she notices the way Thyra is looking at her.

"Thyra?" She looks to the woman's right and sees a child but no mother. Her heart breaks a little when Thyra shakes her head. Gisela was gone. Her sons and daughter hug her tightly as she frowns, she kisses each of their heads and ushers them into their temporary home.

"Mama, what is it?" Her daughter asks.

"Aunt Gisela is gone, baby." Her children look confused and glance around.

"Where did she go? She was here this morning." Erik said and climbed into her lap.

"She's in Valhalla now. Just like Uncle Erik." He nods slowly and looks over at Fintan who frowns. A couple of days later Uhtred arrives, he dismounts his horse and walks to them with a worried look, Finan and Sihtric glance at one another in worry at Hild's expression.

"Uhtred, she is gone. She has given you a son but she's gone." Hild speaks and pulls him into a hug before he can fully grasp the situation, he sniffles against her shoulder.

"I must go to her."

"Uhtred, no." She whispers and Uhtred looks at her with sad eyes.

"No, I must go to her." He begged crying. Gene watched with a broken heart as he looked at her hoping it was a lie.

"Uhtred, she's in the ground, it was days ago. She's gone." Hild said quietly. Uhtred turns to Skade and his friends with teary eyes, he avoids looking at his son as he walks away.

In Winchester Uhtred, Finan, Hild, and Gene walk into the graveyard to remove Gisela's body from the Christian soil. Once the men and Gene start to shovel the dirt Hild intervenes.

"Uhtred, a moment, please. Lord, I pray, forgive the breaking of this peaceful ground it is an act of love. Amen." Hild prays and nods to a depressed Uhtred.

"Amen." Finan mumbled. They dig until the three can pull the wrapped body of the woman from the ground. Gene moves to Uhtred's side as he lights the pyre and he starts to cry quietly, Finan moves to his side at the sight.

"Lord, lord." Finan says quietly and grips Uhtred's shoulder. Gene pulls him into a hug and closes her eyes to stop her tears when he starts to sob.

"It's beautiful. She is drifting away from the earth and upward to the heavens." Uhtred sniffled and laid his head against her shoulder as they stood watching the flames.

"We've done a good thing here. God knows it. The Gods know it." Finan said with a watery tone. They stay there until morning and Uhtred aims to retrieve his children to leave Winchester for good. Stiorra grabs the stone made into the hilt of his sword as they walk.

"Uhtred! Uhtred! You are needed at the palace by the king." Gene frowns at Uhtred's defeated look, she places a hand on his back and looks over at the priest disapprovingly.

"For what reason? We are to return to Coccham." Uhtred sighs.

"It would be better if you heard it from him yourself. Alone." Beocca stated and watched as Uhtred sat down his daughter next to Gene's own.

"Go, I'll watch the children." She pushes him toward Beocca when Uhtred hesitates to move.

She takes the children back into the place Uhtred is currently staying, she ignores Skade who watches her closely. Stiorra and Eithne cuddled into her arms as young Uhtred stood next to Erik and Fintan hugging them with a frown.

Uhtred enters an hour later when it grows dark, Stiorra runs to her father when he appears angry and distressed. They hear Finan and Steapa shouting insults back and forth making her smirk.

"Sister Hild!" Uhtred's son and her own yelled running to the woman, the abbess hugged them and moved the children to bed.

"Come to bed," She chuckled and turned back to the couple. "Lord, there can be no bloodshed. They are throwing insults out there, but they will soon tire of that. Come." She says to Stiorra and puts her to bed too.

"There will not be bloodshed."

"You should say that to Steapa. His head is hurting from thinking. Is there a solution?" Hild questions and looks at them.

"I did nothing wrong."

"Uhtred, you killed a monk. A holy man and not for the first time. And why in God's name is she still here?" Skade smiles at Hild wickedly while Gene looks at Uhtred at the news.

"Fuck, Uhtred. How bad is it?" She asks Hild who ignores her.

"I did not intend to kill the monk nor do I regret it." Uhtred sighs looking at her.

"It was fate." Skade said and glanced at Uhtred in curiosity.

"Fetch Beocca. Ask him to bring the demands of the king."

"I will tell Beocca that you are ready to talk and to listen be sure that you do. It would if you cut her throat." Hild motioned to the newest seer.

"He cannot. He dare not," Hild leaves them to fetch the persist. "Tonight lord, you'll break your oath to Alfred. You'll have no choice."

"You will be quiet." Uhtred demands.

"It is a new beginning."

"I did not wish for a new beginning. This is your doing. This is your doing, all of it. You speak another word and I will end your life, no matter the curse or consequences." He threatens and she leans away to instead look over at Gene. Gene stands near Sihtric and Skade as Beocca enters, and Finan leans against the beam behind Uhtred. He looks worried.

"Uhtred, the king and Edward have conferred and they have decided there will be no trial. No punishment at all, saving a small wergild to be paid to the church."

"A small wergild?" Finan asks.

"One hundred pieces of silver." Finan chuckled.

"And that's all? No lifelong oath?" Gene questions with a scowl. Sihtric intertwined their fingers together when Beocca shoots her a glare.

"Of course not." Aethelwold cuts in.

"One hundred pieces of silver and your oath."

"He has my oath." Beocca exhales.

"The king wishes that you swear an oath to the Atheling, to Edward."

"Of course. He cannot help himself." She scoffs.