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Uhtred, Gisela, Finan, and Luna all walk into the Witan, Alfred looks over at her with a glare.

"Lord, Lady Ælswith. I'm here with news of Aethelflæd."

"From the Northman."

"From my own spies, who sleep within the walls of Beamfleot, lord. Aethelflæd is alive, my men have seen her with their own eyes." Gisela places her hands around Luna's arm while Finan stands next to her leaving no space between their shoulders.

"Oh, praise him." Ælswith speaks with happiness.

"Praise him to the heavens." Alfred agrees.

"Then why have they not made their demand clear."

"They have been spreading news of their hostage, lord." Uhtred informs.

"Boasting...about seizing a woman." Aethelred says in disbelief.

"Boasting of the great army they will raise with the ransom." Luna speaks causing the men to look at her, she glared at a few.

"This is what I fear, lord. No man in this hall should be in any doubt when their demand arrives they will be considerable as will be the consequences." Odda speaks up.

"Of course, they'll make outrageous demands. That is the purpose of strong negotiation to ensure there is agreement." Alfred says looking over at Luna and her lovers in disgust.

"You intend to negotiate, lord?" Odda questions.

"I intend to recover my daughter."

"Regardless of the price, lord. Mercia is not a land of plenty, far from it." Selwine informs nervously.

"Wessex shall pay its share of silver, and if necessary its share of blood. I will do what needs to be done, if that means negotiation then I will negotiate." Alfred demands.

"Lord, I would advise that you don't attend the negotiation. The presence of the king and father would only serve to increase their price." Uhtred says.

"But if not the king, then who?" The Witan began to clamor about.

"There will be silence!" Alfred orders. "Aethelred?" Luna scoffs at the disrespect to Uhtred.

"Yes, lord."

"It must be you. This is for Mercia to resolve, you must go to Beamfleot." Alfred demands calmly.

"Of course, lord."

"And a representative of Wessex, lord. As the burden of your daughter is to be shared between the two kingdoms." Odda stands a moment after and looks at Alfred.

"I would suggest that the lord Uhtred represents Wessex." Aethelwold stands and agrees.

"Forgive me, lord. But I do believe he is your only choice." Beocca says.

"Lord?"

"Uhtred, you will accompany Aethelred." Luna smiles as Gisela leans more into her watching the scene.

"I will do all I can, lord. Lady." The group leaves the room and gathers their weapons, Finan hands Uhtred his sword and Luna her bow and arrows.

"Uhtred! Uhtred, forgive me but I have asked the king to excuse me from this journey to Beamfleot. For my sins, God has always placed me at your side and I feel shame for abandoning you." Beocca looks over at Luna who gives him a respectful nod. Finan now had his arms around her and swayed them softly as Gisela giggled at them.

"No, Beocca. Your place is in Winchester with Thyra."

"Bless you, Uhtred. You have given me so much but given me the courage to approach Thyra, that was your greatest gift."

"I will be in your prayers, no doubt." Uhtred teased.

"Perhaps....always."

"What will happen when we reach Beamfleot? Will there be a ritual, a toast, a meal?" Osferth, the baby monk, asked as they began their journey. This time she was with Finan and the man was getting very handsy it seemed. One of his hands gripped the reins while the other slipped under her dress and slowly trailed up her naked thigh.

"There will be a heathen sacrifice: the youngest member of the visiting party will be split with an axe." Osferth paled at the thought making Luna laugh.

"They will want to humiliate us." Uhtred answers instead and gives Finan a questioning look when she inhales sharply. He looks down and sees Finan's hand moving a specific way between her thighs, their beautiful lover squeezes her legs together to keep his hand in place. She tried not to rut against his fingers that curled just right inside her and hid her face in his neck.

"In what way?"

"An insult, a challenge." Uhtred answers and cannot seem to pull his gaze away from his best friend and their woman.

"Why?"

"Because they can." Finan answers and grins when Luna grips his arm when she climaxes, a low moan buried in his neck as she trembles in his arms. "My beautiful woman, perfect just for us." He whispered into her ear and kissed multiple spots on her face. Some time passed before they were inevitably ambushed.

"Hæsten, we are traveling to Beamfleot." Uhtred sees the Dane glance at them.

"For Alfred?" Hæsten calls out.

"For Alfred, yes."

"I am here to take you to the fortress, lord. You and two others." She looks over at Uhtred who does not seem surprised.

"I  travel with half my number, no less." Hæsten contemplates the request before agreeing.

"The Lady Aethelflæd, she is well? There will be no negotiation until I have seen her." Aethelred demands.

"She is well. My lord Erik sees that she is most content, lord." Luna frowns at the underlying meaning.

"Ride in and we will follow."

"Oh, you will not be needing a horse." Hæsten and his men chuckle. Walking to Beamfleot was not something she expected especially not after Finan fingering her less than an hour ago.

"You will kneel." Sigefrid ordered as they walked in, Osferth went to do as asked before standing back up when denied them. Luna looks around her fortress and frowns seeing none of her people, the place was foreign to her now. Finan placed a hand on her hip seeing the sadness in her eyes and Uhtred moved to block her from the brother's sight.

"We will not. We have come here in peace and equals. You've made us walk a good distance to meet you, that is respect enough." Uhtred looks at them with annoyance and Luna fights a smile.

"You should have joined me, Uhtred."

"If you wished me to join you, why have a deadman tell a prophecy? Why didn't you simply ask?" Uhtred taunts and looks at the brothers.

"Well, me, you would refuse. But the gods..."

"The king of Wessex sends his greetings. He hopes you have enjoyed the company of his daughter." Uhtred cuts the man off, and Sigefrid chuckles.

"Enjoyed her?"

"Oh, she's not his favorite. Why else would he have allowed her to marry the pig's arse standing behind me?" Luna snorted in amusement.

"Before any negotiations take place, the pig's arse wishes to be certain that his wife is well." Aethelred demand.

"And if she is not well, what then? What will the pig's arse do, fart?" Sigefrid chuckled once again. "Will you fight me? Will you fight my brother?" Erik taunts as if Aethelred personally offended him.

"I would like that." Sigefrid says.

"You alone will kneel."

"I will not." Erik shoved the Mercian lord onto his knees as the Danes laughed.

"I have come to negotiate! I demand respect! If you do not wish to hear my price then I will leave happily." Aethelflæd is shoved through the crowd that very moment.

"As you can see, she is well."

"I would like to speak with her." Sigefrid looks at Aethelred with a smirk.

"Then do it." Aethelred walks past them with caution.

"You could join us, Lady Luna. This was your home, perhaps you could reclaim it by marrying one of us." Sigefrid ridiculed her with a smirk, his eyes looked at her chest for too long making her grow uncomfortable. Uhtred cleared his throat sharply and placed his arm out to crowd her between him and Finan.

"I would rather die."She snapped making Sigefrid chuckle, he raised an eyebrow at Uhtred and Finan.

"You have many titles, Lady. It would seem whore should be added."

"You will not ever speak to her in that manner!" Uhtred snarled with a hand reaching up for his sword. "Or I will leave peace behind and put your head on a pole."

"What is your price, it must be fair. Or you can keep her." Aethelred said interrupting them.

"You talk of your woman like you do not care?" Sigefrid questioned.

"She is important to me of course. But she has a price beyond which I cannot go, I will not."

"Then name it. Name this price." Sigefrid demanded.

"One hundred pounds weight of silver, my lands cannot afford no more."

"Does this man speak for Alfred?" Sigefrid points a thumb at Aethelred and turns to Uhtred.

"He does not."

"Hmm, Weland! Where is Weland? I do not see him. Weland! Ah, Weland." A giant of a man shoved his way through the crow to Sigefrid. "This man here hit him." Aethelred scoffs but grows pale when the big man smiles and then swiftly knocks him out.