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three years later

A dane ship sails to a town in Mercia, and at the front stands Uhtred. They reach land and seek to defend the nearby village, all while they talk and tease one another lightly.

Currently, the two targets are Sihtric and Finan.

"She likes me, I swear." Sihtric defends as Uhtred smiles.

"She would."

"Both of you should just kiss her." Uhtred stated Sihtric stuttered in shock while Finan avoided looking at Uhtred in shame.

"She is your woman, lord." Finan said ignoring the feelings he had for her.

"Yes, she is also Gisela's woman. She loves you both, so kiss her." Sihtric blushes at the remark while Clapa laughs and smacks his back.

"I wish to marry her in the ways of our Gods," Sihtric confesses, Finan paused briefly and turned to Uhtred. "Finan could even marry her in the Christian way." Finan rubbed his beard hoping to hide the redness blooming on his cheeks.

"You have to be able to speak to her first, boy." Clapa said teasingly, it was true that in the three years, she'd been in Coccham he hadn't been able to speak more than a few sentences to her. She's too pretty and he can't concentrate.

"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 best and tell anyone who cares to listen: beyond Lundene the river belongs to Alfred, and it is guarded by Uhtred of Bebbanburg." 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. Gisela holds their daughter while Luna is holding the hand of Uhtred's son.

"Now there's a welcome sight, my women and my boy," He picks up his son and grunts. "I think we might be feeding him too much." He says playfully, he leans over to kiss Luna softly. She smiles when his son pushes Uhtred's face away from her, as of late his son has been the protector of Luna and follows her around like a little duckling.

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

"It did, not a scratch."

"You have a visitor, he has been here all night." Gisela said, smiling when Stiorra squealed at the sight of her father and additional mother. When they enter the hall Aethelwold stands in greeting, Uhtred glances to his left and sees Luna glaring at the boy.

"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. Luna stands against the wall amused.

"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, heart it. The dead speak." Gisela paused next to Aethelwold for a moment and looked at Luna in worry. Luna moves to the woman and places a hand on her back.

"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 as she and Luna sat next to him.

"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 the woman.

"What did he want?" Luna questions, leaning against Gisela, the Dane propped her chin on Luna's shoulder.

"That I should be king." Uhtred smiles in disbelief while Luna rolls her eyes.

"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 frowns and Uhtred looks over at her in confusion and concern. "Bjorn heard it through the three spinners."

"Bjorn?" The women ask.

"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 emotionless.

"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."

"And where exactly did you see this corpse?" Luna asks, she sighs when Gisela rubs her torso softly.

"Mercia, beyond Watling Street."

"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 the women. "You both will be a queen."

"I may not wish to be a queen." Gisela answers and Uhtred makes another appearance this time shirtless, Luna trails her eyes down his naked torso, and Uhtred catches her eyes with a grin.

"I am already Queen, Aethelwold. I only have to reclaim it." Luna said with a smirk seeing his jealousy a mile away.

"When Bjorn is ready to speak there will be a messenger."

"Tell me, do you wish Alfred harm?" Gisela asked leaning forward, Luna was curious about the answer.

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

"I know what I saw. I will not outstay my welcome. Thank you for your kindness." He says to Gisela and Luna before leaving. Luna goes to find Finan or Sihtric while Uhtred and Gisela speak more in-depth about this Bjorn fellow. The Irishman finds her first by looping his arms around her waist and pulling her against his chest, she blushed as he kissed her head.

"A stór, you look ravishing." He whispered into her ear and she giggled when he spun her around and into Sihtric's waiting arms. The young dane shifts her hair to the other side as he kisses her bare shoulder.

"It's not nice to tease a lady." She says playfully as Sihtric rubs her side, Finan leans against the wooden pillar with a grin.

"Is it? Looks like we have to make it up to you, my moon." Sihtric answers with a hum. Her breath hitches when Sihtric's hands grip her hips and pull them back against him sharply, Finan moves in front of her to graze his fingers up her arms as he leaves no space between the three. She has imagined many versions of this moment but the middle of the street was not one of them. Finan cradles her jaw with his palm as he leans into her while Sihtric kisses a line behind her ear.

"Find a bed, I beg of you. I have seen too much of you already Lady Luna." Hild says behind them, they break apart in embarrassment. It was true, Hild had accidentally walked upon Uhtred making love to her as Gisela traded kisses with them both, Uhtred could not look at the nun for weeks.