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They ride out after Alfred and Erik's departure and Gene rides along the group with a dun-colored stallion, Sunny, gifted to her by Ragnar. She rides in between the horses of Hild and Finan, they watch as Sihtric's horse rides up to Uhtred's own.

"Lord, lord! Have you made a decision yet? Have you given it thought?" Gene looks at Gisela who smiles at her and then at Sihtric softly. Gene looks to Hild who is as lost as she is and fails to understand the look Gisela had sent her.

"Given thought to what?" Uhtred asked.

"Uhtred." Gisela scolds her husband.

"My request to marry, lord. I would like to be her husband." Sihtric says suddenly quieter, though Gene still hears him. Gene frowns and turns to Finan, the man sighs and points at her and then Sihtric.

She didn't understand.

"Lord, you will answer the man." Gisela encourages, Hild looks on with a small smile having finally pieced it together.

"I will think about it at Winchester and give you my decision." Uhtred finally says, a dismissal in his voice, Sihtric smiles gratefully at the man and rides back to his spot.

"Thank you, lord."

"But if she curses you, I will not be blamed for your death. Nor for Ragnar possibly hunting you down." Uhtred yells back and smirks when Sihtric grows pale, Gene sucked in the air realizing Sihtric wants to marry her. Sihtric deserved a woman who would be a good wife and mother, not her. She was a seer who was sworn to protect Uhtred at any cost.

"Stop that." Finan scolded and smacked her leg, she glanced at the male and noticed he wore a disappointed expression. "Whatever you are thinking, don't. You would be the best wife and even mother if you allowed yourself to be." He whispered knowing she would not want others to hear.

"Fin, I don't know how to be either one of those. The first man to show me kindness outside of my brothers was Ragnar, and though he was my first love, we weren't truly together. Sihtric deserves more than what I can give him." She whispers back with a frown, Hild clears her throat quietly and leans over to speak.

"You aren't my favorite dane by any means, but you are loyal and protective. You would do anything to protect those you love, such as Ragnar and Uhtred, curses aside. And Sihtric would not want anything from you that you could not give." Finan nodded in agreement and patted her thigh once more.

"Well, he should be getting the blessings from my brothers, Ragnar, and you," She looks at Finan whose face softened at the mention, almost as if he was getting emotional. "Not Uhtred."

Once they arrive at the town they pass by Aethelwold, the weasel is once again drinking ale. He stands quickly and moves to see Uhtred before speaking loudly.

"If it is not the great lord Uhtred of the small and little-known village of Coccham."

"I see you are drinking again, Aethelwold." Uhtred smirks at the man in passing.

"It's just a cup or two, nothing more. I have news for you, you know where to find me." Gisela turns to look at him with a worried expression, fearing for the fate of her husband.

"Shut up, shit for brains." Gene snapped and leaned over to shove him into the nearest man. The group soon reaches the stables and Gene watches as Uhtred and Gisela walk away to speak privately. Sihtric jumps down from his horse and moves to her, he reaches up intending to help her off the stallion, and she allows him. She, however, did not account for the fact it left little to no space between them, Sihtric smiled down at her with a gaze, she'd only seen Ragnar direct at her.

Shit.

Sihtric loved her and not in the friendly manner she had assumed it to be.

"Sihtric, about your request to Uhtred—" She had meant to gently refuse him her hand in marriage when he interrupted.

"You do have a choice in this, Genie. I wanted his blessing in the hopes that maybe in the years to come you would say yes. I fully intend to earn your love as Ragnar did." Sihtric reached up to cup her face in his rough palms, a thumb caressing her cheek, she gasped when he trailed his thumb down her jaw.

"I am not someone to marry, Sitty. I may never be able to stop protecting Uhtred or stop my spells. I would not be truly dedicated to you, to us, not when Uhtred must always be my main priority. And the years of abuse and starvation my body went through during the slaver ship, I might not be able to bear you a child." She whispered, a piece of her broken at the thought of being barren. She wanted to be with him, she wanted it with her whole being as she did with Ragnar. But they would have no legacy with her and she hated that.

"You misunderstand me, I want you for who you are now and who you may become. Yes, I would love children with you, of course, I would, but I do not require them to love you or to wed you. I want you and all that entails, be it curses or saving Lord Uhtred. I just want you." Gene couldn't escape the softness in his eyes even if she wanted to, his beautiful eyes held so much love and longing for her that a small part of her ached to touch him.

They had gotten so lost in one another's trajectory that they failed to notice a growing crowd near them and she would have kissed him too if Finan hadn't cleared his throat. The two quickly pull away while Finan watches on in disapproval, he guides Gene away from the Dane and gathers with the crowd.

"Is that Aethelred?" Uhtred asks as he and Clapa stand with them, Clapa places a hand on both her and Finan's shoulders.

"Hmm." The Danes and the seer answer.

"From what I know, Alfred could not have chosen a bigger turd." Uhtred stated, distaste lacing his tone of voice.

"I've never met the man, but by the look of him he was indeed shat out the arse of a giant." Finan replied. Gene huffs out a laugh and leans over to see Aethelwold, who has shoved his way to Uhtred.

"He's obsessed with Uhtred." She muttered to Clapa and Finan, while doing so she brushed her hand along Sihtric's and smiled when he took her hand in his own without a second thought.

"Perhaps he wants to suck the lords cock." Clapa grinned as Finan stifled his laughter.

"He is to be king of Mercia, they say the ealdormen of the Witan, are saying." Aethelwold says sharply and sends a glare at the group.

"Lord of Mercia, perhaps. Alfred would never allow another Saxon to be called king."

"Nor would a certain dead man called Bjorn. He wishes to meet you." Uhtred sighs and drops his head. Gene giggled at the annoyed expression he was trying to hide, Clapa shushed her playfully.

"Come with me." Uhtred demands.

"Ow, ow. You're pinching my skin, you're pinching my skin!" Aethelwold yells as Uhtred shoves him back through the crowd.

"Should I follow them?" Sihtric asks Finan, the man hesitates before gesturing for him to do so. Sihtric lets go of her hand and moves between her and Clapa, she smiles when he brushes his hand across her back gently before leaving.

"Subtle." Finan mumbled and she just shoved him out of embarrassment.

"Lord?" Sihtric calls out seeing Aethelwold against the wall and Uhtred standing near him.

"Don't speak, don't move!" Uhtred ordered, Sihtric immediately complied and looked down. He then moves to the Dane after saying something to Aethwold.

"You will be glad to hear that I have made my decision: you may marry her. If and only if she agrees to the arrangement."

"Thank you—" Sihtric moves closer to Uhtred with a big smile, but Uhtred quickly cuts him off.

"Upon completion of a task. You will fetch Clapa and Gene, you will go to the stables and wait for me. Ensure the horses are watered and fed, but ready." The Dane nods and goes running off before turning back to look at Uhtred.

"Thank you, lord! If we have a son we will name him Uhtred, lord." Sihtric yells happily.

"No, you will not!" Uhtred snaps appalled and slightly horrified.

"No, I will not." Sihtric says with a smile.