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three years later

A ship at night sails to a small town in Mercia, and at the front stands Lord Uhtred of Bebbanburg. They soon reach land and seek out to defend the village nearby, all while they bicker and tease one another lightly.

The current victim was none other than Sihtric. It wasn't unheard of to hear the Dane speak of Uhtred's seer, most men dare not even mention her name. But Sihtric wasn't just any man, he was her best friend of three years. The two had grown close since moving to Coccham, it had started with her patching up any wounds he would obtain during missions like this. Their bond was made when they spoke of their love for their mothers and hatred for their fathers.

But it was truly unfair that Finan had inside knowledge from both sides, seeing as they both trusted him.

Finan would often be found lying in bed when Gene would walk in and cuddle up to him speaking of anything and everything. He wanted to bundle her up in his arms and never let her leave, his paternal instincts often taking control when she was near. And she had never spoken it but she saw him as a father figure too.

"She says she likes me, I swear." Sihtric speaks, and Finan smirks teasingly. Finan would not deny that she likes him, but Sihtric would not gain her affection easily.

"She would."

"Sihtric, she's a seer." Uhtred stated. Sihtric looked at the men in confusion, he liked her oddities and spell casting, but it did not deter him one bit.

"No, she's more than that." He defends, he frowns at the thought of her only being seen as a weapon to use.

"What she loves is your blood." Finan says bluntly. Sihtric blushes at the remark when Clapa laughs and smacks his back. It was true she would use his blood for spells but he would never deny her anything. She had claimed his eyes meant his blood held some sort of power.

"I wish to marry her." Finan paused briefly and turned to Uhtred. He liked and trusted Sihtric, sure, but Gene was his baby girl, his iníon. ( it means daughter )

"She might not want a husband, boy." Clapa spoke, he too loved the girl like a daughter and he has threatened many men in her honor.

"And I wish you to kill Danes and survive the night," Uhtred said in a bored tone. "We're the only chance the villagers have." In the distance, women scream leading them to crouch in the bushes to look.

"They have begun." Uhtred sends Finan and Clapa ahead to scout the area, and Clapa kills the older man at the campfire. Finan puts his sword to the younger man in warning before speaking.

"If you wish to live, boy, take your hand away from your sword." The boy goes to do as ordered before aiming for the Irishman, but Finan kills him immediately.

"There will be no more than thirty raiders. We hide and we wait. We attack on my command, not before." Uhtred demands and walks past Finan.

"You all heard the lord, we find cover." Finan yells out and by the cover that meant hiding behind trees.

"Now." Uhtred whispers once the group of villagers and Danes come into view.

"We kill every bastard one of them!" After fighting the Danes the women scream and run, they kill all but one of the men.

"Finan, hang three of the dead from the trees visible from the river." Finan nods and grabs a man from the ground.

"Take back what belongs to you. You are safe now." The Irishman tells the villagers. Uhtred walks up to him and looks down at the poor excuse of a dane kneeling by Finan.

"You will go back to your rat's nest and tell anyone who cares to listen: beyond Lundene the river belongs to Alfred, and it is guarded by Uhtred of Bebbanburg and his seer." Finan lets the man go with a pat on his head before harshly shoving him down, the two friends exchange a smile. Once arriving back in Coccham, Uhtred is greeted by his family.

"Now there's a welcome sight, my wife and my boy," He picks up his son and grunts. "I think we might be feeding him too much." He says playfully.

"Don't forget your daughter, she is here too," Gisela scolds him and kisses him. "It went well?"

"It did, not a scratch."

"You have a visitor, he has been here all night. Gene refused to leave him alone, she doesn't trust him." Gisela said, smiling when Stiorra squealed at the mention of her aunt. When they enter the hall Aethelwold stands up with a pale face, Uhtred glances to his left and sees Gene with a knife in her hand, not pointing it at the boy but rather twirling it in her grasp nonchalantly.

"Aethelwold, how much of my ale have you drunk?"

"Not a cup, not a drop of ale has passed my lips for ten days or more." He states nervously, Gene raises an eyebrow at that and shares an amused look with Uhtred. Uhtred leans down to kiss her head in passing before heading to his chair

"You have been ill?"

"Not ill, but...sober," He trails off. "Which, as you know, is unlike me but it is important that you accept that I am sober." Uhtred grunts.

"Say what you are here to say, you have waited long enough." Uhtred demands and sits down to eat.

"The dead speak. I have seen it and heard it. The dead speak." Gisela paused next to Gene for a moment while Gene knew it to be lies. She would have felt the disturbance in nature if it were true. When Uhtred glances at her she gives him a subtle shake of her head denying Aethelwold's claim, and the lord relaxes immensely.

"The dead?" Gisela asks quietly.

"A corpse. I saw him rise from his grave and speak."

"What did this corpse say?" Gisela was now entertaining the idea for mere fun. Gene hid her smirk behind her pale hair as Aethelwold took the bait.

"What he said, concerns us both, us all, hence my visit, and what I tell you are his words, not mine, you understand?" Aethelwold looks over at Gene but quickly turns away noticing her knife was closer to him.

"What did he say?" Gene questions, leaning over closer to the boy.

"That I should be king." Uhtred smiles in disbelief while Gene scoffs.

"No, believe me, it is true. He said that I should be king of Wessex and that you, you should be king too. He said that you, Uhtred, will be crowned king of Mercia," Gisela sat next to her and Uhtred looked over at her in confusion and concern. "Bjorn heard it through the three spinners." Gene tensed at the name.

Damn it, Erik.

She was so going to curse her brothers after this.

"Bjorn?"

"That is his name." Aethelwold confirms and they sit in a moment of silence.

"He is a dane?"

"A dead dane, yes, therefore, a good dane." Aethelwold chuckles at his joke while the girls remain unimpressed.

"Have you spoken to my brothers Erik or Sigefrid recently?" Aethelwold ignores her, but Gene notices him beginning to sweat. She smirked at him and tapped the tip of her blade against his chair taunting him.

"We are royalty, you and I, I have done my utmost to serve Alfred but with no reward, no response—" Uhtred cuts him off by standing and going upstairs to change. "Where are you going?"

"To wash the blood off my hands and then to bed!"

"You do not believe me." Gene turns her head to look over at Gisela, the woman pats her head absentmindedly.

"Where did you see this corpse?" Gene asks, this time he does not ignore her.

"Mercia, beyond Watling Street." She narrows her eyes at the weaselly man.

"You crossed into Daneland." Gisela speaks once more.

"I went to the part of Mercia that Alfred gifted to the Danes, yes."

"You happened to wander across Watling Street?" Uhtred asked.

"I was sent for! I was invited and the same will happen to you. I know what I saw," Aethelwold muttered and turned his attention to Gisela. "You will be a queen."

"I may not wish to be a queen." She shoots down his attempt to manipulate her into believing him, and Uhtred makes another appearance this time shirtless.

"When Bjorn is ready to speak there will be a messenger." His whiny voice was starting to annoy her, she reached over for her ale to calm her momentarily.

"Tell me, do you wish Alfred harm?" Gisela asked, she slapped Gene on the arm for nodding a yes.

"No. No, of course not. I mean, I wish him death, but I would not harm him." He chuckled nervously.

"I wish both for you. And I do hope it is Uhtred or I that does so." Gene says sharply, a wicked grin making itself known.

"I know what I saw. I will not outstay my welcome. Thank you for your kindness." He says to Gisela only and leaves. But before he could slip out the door Gene grabs his arm tightly.

"I remember as a child my brother would use a man named Bjorn to scare me from wandering into the woods. They would claim he rose from the ground too. I do not believe you, weasel. Watch your back, yeah?" The man grew pale and quickly ran out the door leaving behind a furious seer.