WORSHIPPING HANDS,          FINAN
chapter two.          faces of old

THE JOURNEY TO Winchester wasn't long.  The kingdom of Devlin itself wasn't very far from Winchester.  Devlin was apart of Wessex and therefore its place of origin didn't stray far from the home of King Alfred and his family.  Elvina had assumed that the journey would be a two days ride and stood corrected when she and the rest of her Husband's family had arrived at the heart of Wessex nearly two days after she left the comfort of her home.  Ælflynn had announced the matter of their arrival to the guards stationed at the front gates,  allowing them in once Elvina's name had been announced,  making way for the former Princess of Wessex to enter with her Husband and in-laws.

          MANY TOWNSFOLK OF Wessex had been delighted to see Princess Elvina once again.  They had been saddened to see the young woman leave following her marriage ceremony nearly a year and a half ago.  A lot of the townsfolk had adored Elvina when she was just a young girl,  praising her beautiful looks and kind demeanor whenever she managed to slip her Queen Aunts grasp and skip around the bustling town.  A few older woman had reached out their hands to grab onto the pale ones of Elvina,  cheering in delight and mumbling prayers for her welcomed return.  The former Princess had smiled at the woman who gently took her hand in theirs and greeted them,  allowing them to express their excitement to see her.

          "I WASN'T AWARE how much the towns people loved you,  Els," Ælflynn chuckled out,  slightly leaning over on his horse to tease his cousins Wife.  A teasing smirk stretched onto his lips once he saw Elvina's reaction to his statement,  her rolling her blue eyes at him and shaking her head as she ignore his teasing remarks.

          "I DO NOT blame them,  Husband.  Elvina seems to be the type to have anyone down on their knees from just a simple smile," Lenora retorted,  winking at Elvina as she smiled.  The brunette woman noticed how, albeit the former Princess being cold and distant towards others,  she still seemed to have a certain effect on people.  Lenora didn't know if it was her enchanting looks or her sweet and gentle personality that caused others to blindly follow and love Elvina. She admired the other womans demeanor and the way she carried herself. She could tell that Elvina had years of experience regarding courtly manners,  her resolve unbreakable and tone just right to get those into the palm of her hands.  Lenora wasn't much a believer in witchcraft,  or any other spiritual craft for that matter,  but she did think that Elvina was blessed by a Goddess herself with looks that could bring any man to his knees.  She was certain that if it came to and Elvina was given the opportunity to lead an army into battle,  the opposing men would happily join her side once they saw her leading the war party.

          ELVINA ONLY SHOOK her head at the couples remarks as she reached down and interacted with the people of Winchester.  Oh,  how much she missed her first home.  She'd often dream about coming back and just spending the day with her Uncle or cousin Æthelflæd and sneaking into the kitchen in the late night to steal some of her favorite pastries.  She missed the warmth of the castle and found herself longing for the stuffy air,  even if she felt like she could barely breath from how sticky and stuffy the Winchester air often got in the summers.  All things Winchester made her feel at home.

          "PRINCESS!" A VOICE called out,  catching her attention as she whipped her head up and towards the source of the noise,  "Elvina!  Elvina!".

          THE WOMANS EYES lit up in surprise and excitement as her blue orbs landed on a familiar male figure,  their dirty blond hair jumping all around as they tried to look over the crowd and get a good look at her.  Edward,  she realized,  smile big and bright as she urged her horse closer and closer towards her youngest cousin. 

          "OH,  EDWARD!" SHE exclaimed,  quickly dismounting her trusty stead once she was at the entrance of the main castle where her Uncle,  Aunt,  and youngest cousin took position in front of as they watched her and her Husband enter Winchester.  "I missed you so much,  Ed," she whispered against his rowdy hair as they embraced each other.

          "I MISSED YOU even more,  cousin," Edward replied,  widely smiling into Elvina's white blonde hair.  The youngest child of Alfred truly did miss his elder cousin.  He very rarely left her side while she still resided in Winchester and followed after her wherever she went.  Edward looked up greatly to his cousin and wanted to be just as kind and gentle as she was,  admiring it as a strengthen.

          THE ELDER OF the two had pulled away from the embrace,  still holding the younger at an arms length as their hands rested atop their shoulders.  "How you have grown,  Edward!" Elvina gasped,  gawking at how much taller the young boy had gotten,  a few inches taller than she.  The oldest has to slightly strain her neck to be eye to eye with Edward,  flabbergasted at how quickly he grew in just a short amount of time.  He was barely up to her collarbones when she left Winchester.

          "IT IS GOOD to have you back,  Vina.  Even if it's only for a short while," Edward spoke,  a small chuckle escaping his lips as his cousin gawked at how much he'd grown since the last time they saw each other.  He was incredibly excited to have Elvina back and can't wait to spend as much time with her as he could.

          "WHILE IT IS sweet to watch your reunion,  we need to hastily bring things to a close so we can make room for those who are coming," an eerie familiar voice interjected,  budding between Elvina and Edward's sweet reunion. 

          ELVINA HAD TURNED her head towards the voice and her stomach dropped at the owner.  There stood behind her was her elder brother,  Æthelwold,  with his hands behind his back as he stood with neck tall.  A small smirk overtook the man's features as he saw the slight dread take over his sisters body language.  Elvina wasn't expecting to see her brother this soon.  She thought he would be spending the majority of his time in one of the various alehouses within the kingdom of Wessex.  And even then,  she was hellbent on avoiding her drunken bastard of a brother at every turn during the short duration of her stay. 

          "BROTHER," SHE NODDED,  unlatching herself from Edward as she acknowledged Æthelwold. 

          "SISTER," HE RETURNED,  head bowing.

          ÆTHELWOLD WASN'T EXACTLY thrilled to see his dear sister either,  but now that she was here,  perhaps he could relish in the kind of life she was experiencing.  I wonder how Arthur has treated her,  he thought,  I hope he puts her in her place.  God knows that Father never did.

          EDWARD HAD BARELY noticed the tension between the two siblings and instead urged Elvina to follow him into the castle so he could show her the new renovations they had added while she was away.  And as Elvina was dragged into the castle she once called home,  a sad pair of dark eyes followed her figure as she was guided away from the prying eyes of Winchester's townsfolk,  wishing that she had noticed them first thing while she had made her way into the kingdom.

          FINAN FELT HIS heart stop the moment he laid eyes on Elvina for the first time in nearly two years.  His breath caught in his throat and butterflies erupted in his stomach as he saw the woman sit atop her horse as the stead gracefully walked through the hoard of people that gathered around the former Princess.  He watched as she interacted and grasped hands with the townsfolk,  her smile making him involuntarily smile.  Finan's eyes never left her figure as she busied herself with greeting the people of Winchester and her young Prince cousin.  He felt his heart swell with longing once it started beating again,  the organ and his soul calling out for his former lover.

          THE LONGER FINAN stayed in the crowd and the longer he watched her move from place to place,  the more the memories they shared together pushed themselves to the forefront of his mind,  mainly the last interaction they had.  As he began to remember the last things he said to his dear Ellie,  his feet began to walk on their own and back towards wherever Uhtred was,  lungs constricting with grief at the thought of how much his words impacted her.

(          THE WORDS UHTRED had uttered to him only moments prior had continuously echoed throughout his head as he drunkenly stumbled through the door of his small house in Winchester.  Finan managed to catch himself on the door handle in time before he fell face first onto the floor,  laughing to himself as his vision blurred for a moment and his whole body tingled from the ridiculous amount of ale he consumed. 

          She is to be married,  Finan.  I cannot approve of this engagement when she is to be wedded to another.

          FINAN STEPPED THROUGH his house with a small cautious step before he slammed the door closed,  not bothering to check if it had actually closed or not.  His eyelids felt incredibly heaving and he soon found himself fighting off sleep while he still stood upright.  The Irishman gently shook his head as he tried to orientate himself and regain his surroundings,  eyes bouncing around the room so he could refocus his sight on solely one thing.  His dark orbs froze on an oh-so-familiar figure that had seated themselves at his dining table in the middle of the room,  only a small lit candle illuminating their features.

          "FINAN..." ELVINA WHISPERED,  her voice harsh and hoarse from the amount of crying she had done on her way to her lovers home.  He wasn't in the house when she arrived so she decided to wait for him to come back to talk to him.  She had hoped that he was spending time with either Sihtric or Uhtred at the alehouse and didn't find out the awful news she had been informed of hours prior.

          THE IRISHMAN SHOOK his head as he swayed a little,  dominate hand going up to stop whatever Elvina was going to say to him.  "No.  I'm stoppin' you right there," he slurred,  straining his eyes to focus on Elvina's saddened features.  "I love you.  I loved you but yet 'ya marryin' another man," he slightly shouted,  anger becoming prevalent in how he was acting.

          THE BLONDE FLINCHED back in surprise and hurt when Finan raised his voice at her,  new and old tears rolling down her raw and reddened cheeks.  He knows,  she thought to herself as dread began to fill every crevice of her entire being.  The hope she had previously of him not knowing and them potentially going through with their plan had been stomped on and ripped to shreds as she watched Finan stumble over his feet as he walked closer to her.

          "FINAN,  I LOVE you.  I don't know the man my Uncle married me off to!  I didn't even find out about it until three hours ago," she spoke,  voice cracking with emotion as she stood up from her seat at her lovers dining table.  "You know that I do not want this.  I have repeatedly expressed to you how much I despise being a chess piece in my Uncle's game of King.  Do not put the blame all on me!" She continued,  feelings of anger and desperation crawling up her spine and settling itself in her throat.

          "HOW COULD YOU have not known?  Hell,  Uhtred even knew before you!  It's the latest gossip of Wessex apparently," Finan shouted,  becoming red with anger and from the alcohol in his system.  He could feel that the things he spoke of wasn't what he truly meant but he had been so blinded by anger,  despair,  and ale that he just shouted out whatever came to mind first.  And anger seemed to be the first thing that overcame Finan.  "I bet you knew but decided to stay and play with my heart," he hissed,  tears falling down his cheeks.

          "HOW CAN YOU say that?" Elvina gasped,  heart tightening at the fact Finan truly thought and said that to her.  She loved him with her entire heart and showed him pieces of herself that she never thought she'd show to anyone else willingly.  "I didn't know!  Why don't you believe me?  I love you,  Finan.  I would never keep that kind of information from you," she continued as she fought back the sob crawling up her chest and throat.

          FINAN SHOOK HIS head and threw the empty bottle of ale in his hand to the side of him,  the cup hitting the wall to the left of Finan,  making Elvina jump back and wrap her arms around her stomach as a reflex. 

          "YOU'RE A PRINCESS,  woman.  It's what everyone of royalty does!  Play with commoners feelings and give them some sense of hope before completely ripping it out from under them," Finan stated,  hands wildly moving in the air as he talked,  expressing his frustration.  "You just wanted someone to hump and play with before some other man came into the picture and whisked you away.  Is that all I was to you?  Just a fuckin' toy?".

          THE WOMAN SHOOK her head at Finan's words,  mind swirling with overwhelming thoughts as her brain tried to scramble for a response to his accusations.  But nothing came out as she stuttered and struggled to properly breath.

          FINAN DEEPLY FROWNED and huffed before he ordered Elvina to exit his house,  stepping to the side to give her some space to pass by.  "Leave," he whispered, "Leave and never come back.".

          ELVINA GAVE THE Irishman a shocked look,  blue eyes never leaving his as tears continued to rush down her cheeks.  Once she realized that Finan was serious and genuinely wanted her to leave,  she obliged.  And as she left the house of her previous lover,  she left her bleeding and beating heart on the table.           )

          FINAN HAD BEEN inconsolable for days after.  He refused to leave his room as time went on.  The only person that was able to convince him to get out of his bed and bathe for the first time in days was Hild.  She practically dragged the man out of bed and slapped him upside the head for his mopey behavior.  Eventually,  he managed to cope with the heartbreak but he still felt an emptiness wherever he went,  which no ale nor woman were able to fill.  The thought of laying with another woman made Finan sick to his core,  often having to reject the barmaids in the alehouses he frequented in their advances.  Even though he and the Princess Elvina were no longer lovers,  he still felt as if he was betraying her in humping another woman.

          ONCE THOSE WORDS left his mouth that fateful night,  he immediately regretted it.  Finan truly didn't mean the words he said.  He was just angry,  confused,  and sad at the news of her arranged betrothal.  He knew that if Ellie had known of the arrangement that she would've told him and never allowed their relationship to continue.  Finan just wanted Elvina to feel what he felt in that moment and he succeeded.

          SHE PROBABLY WILL hate me forever,  he thought to himself,  mindlessly walking the streets of Winchester.  She'll never forgive me.  Hell,  I know I wouldn't.

          "FINAN?  ARE YOU alright?" A voice asked,  pulling him out of his stupor.  Sihtric had been on his way back to watch those who were invited to Lady Æthelflæd's wedding enter the front gates when he saw Finan stumble through the crowd and began to speed walk to wherever he was heading towards.  The Dane could tell that his friend wasn't okay and decided that it would be best to check in on him.

          "WHAT?" THE IRISHMAN asked,  shaken out of his thoughts.  Everything was processing too slowly for Finan's liking,  making him rapidly blink before everything came back into focus.

          SIHTRIC FURROWED HIS eyebrows together in confusion.  "I asked if you were alright,  Finan.  Are you?" He repeated,  hand going up to grasp his shoulder in comfort.

          FINAN ONLY NODDED in response and let out a breath he was fully aware of holding.  He gulped and tried to swallow down the dry lump that was forming in his throat,  not too sure if he wanted to cough or sob in response to the foreign feeling.

          SIHTRIC WASN'T TOO convinced that his friend was alright but didn't press it further.  So instead,  he decided to share his good news with Finan in attempts to distract him from whatever was on his mind,  "Uhtred had agreed for me to marry!  We should go celebrate with ale,  ale, and more ale!".

          THE NEWS OF his friend gaining Uhtred's approval on marrying the woman he had been talking about nonstop for months,  made Finan genuinely happy for Sihtric.  So,  with a nod and Finan wrapping his arm around Sihtric's shoulder,  he exclaimed for them to celebrate and dragged the two of the to the alehouse.  Albeit going for the main reason of celebrating his friends potential engagement,  he was also hoping to drown out his sorrows and the overwhelming guilt that overtook every sense the Irishman had.  He hoped that he could make things right again with Elvina.  But Finan knew that he would have to pray extra hard that night if he wanted his wish to come true.

authors note!
— i find it super "hoziery" that
finan was the only one out of the
two to see the other & watch as she
happily interacted with the folk of
winchester & not even attempt to
look in the crowd for him which leads
to him nearly having a panic attack once
he lays eyes on her. but that's probably
just me.
emma d'arcy is 5'7 while edwards actor is 5'10
just for clarification if anyone was wondering
how tall they were.
lenora & ælflynn are the type of couple
to meet you only once & then unofficially
adopt you & consider you apart of the
family.  they've only just been introduced
but it's canon already.
also, fuck æthelwold. me & my homies hate
that man ❌
anyways, hope you guys enjoyed!! 🫶🏼🤍