#alfred vikings season 5 x reader
Text
Sworn Enemies PT10
PAIRING: Alfred X Reader
WORD COUNT: 7874
WARNINGS: Violence.
SUMMARY: While Alfred and Y/N remain at odds, King Harald’s army moves in. An arrest is made, and Y/N learns of a possible sibling.
PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 | PART 7 | PART 8 | PART 9
MASTERLIST
A/N: guess who's back (back back) back again
Apparently it was wrong of you to assume that your wedding night would be between just you and Alfred. Instead, here you were, standing in the middle of your chambers, wearing nothing but a slip and a cloak, surrounded by strangers including a Priest and a few of your handmaidens.
Alfred stood in front of you, also dressed in his undergarments and a long cloak, clearly avoiding your eyes. You weren’t quite sure what was happening, but you trusted him, so you remained silent.
The Priest recited something in Latin as two men began taking off Alfred’s cloak. At that same moment, you felt two pairs of hands on your shoulders, attempting to pull yours off as well. In shock, you shrugged them off and turned to confront your handmaidens.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
The two women looked slightly intimidated as they answered, “Undressing you, my – Your Grace.”
You looked at them dumbfounded, “Why?”
The Priest stopped his recitation and turned to you. “Are you not aware of how marriage consummations are carried out?” he asked.
“Of course, I am,” you said, “But if that is what we are doing, why are you all still here?”
No one said a word. You looked between each of the men, waiting for an explanation, but none came. Not until Alfred spoke.
“The Priest has to bless the bed – as he has just done – and then they watch us...get into bed.”
You blinked, taken aback by his words. You had not been told that this was going to happen.
“It is how things are done, Your Grace,” the Priest said.
“I don’t care how things are done,” you snapped, narrowing your eyes and turning to Alfred, “Do you not think this is a little perverted?”
All the men in the room, bar Alfred, let out a horrified gasp.
“Excuse me, just what are you implying?” the Priest asked.
“I am not ‘implying’ anything,” you said, “I am saying that it is none of your business what Alfred and I do - or don’t do - on our wedding night.”
Everyone in the room looked at you like a woman who had just murdered an infant. Alfred sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair, “My Lords, may I have a moment alone with my wife?”
They all nodded and began shuffling out of the room, muttering incoherent sentences under their breaths and shooting death glares at you. As soon as the door closed shut, you let out a sigh of relief and visibly relaxed.
“Y/N-” Alfred began with a pleading tone in his voice.
“No, Alfred,” you swiftly cut him off before he could even begin to make a case for tradition, “I will not consummate my marriage like this.”
“I am not fond of the custom either, but it is tradition,” he said, “I'm afraid we don't have a choice.”
You shot him a look and crossed your arms, “And if I told you that in Kattegat we would have to make a sacrifice to the gods, would you do that?”
“We are not in Kattegat, this is Wessex.”
“Yes. And I am not Saxon.”
He let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head, You knew that you were putting him in a difficult position, and that the Priest would not be happy if you didn’t go through with this, but nevertheless, you stood your ground. You had already compromised a lot since coming to Wessex, and this was one thing you would not waver on.
Alfred looked up at you, and upon seeing your arms still folded across your chest and your raised brow, he knew there was no talking you into this. “What am I supposed to tell them?” he sighed, finally giving in.
You let out a breath of relief and looked away thoughtfully. “You’re the King,” you said with a shrug, “Tell them whatever you want.”
He chuckled softly and pressed a kiss to your cheek. “Only for you,” he whispered, a gentle smile on his lips as he walked past you and out of the room.
You walked over to the side of the bed and sat down, letting out a deep breath as you ran your hand over the soft, silky material of the bedding. On the other side of the bedroom door, you could hear voices arguing and assumed that your refusal to do this ceremony was not going over well.
Before long, Alfred returned, shaking his head in annoyance, “We have agreed to dispense with the formalities.”
“You have?” you asked in disbelief.
Alfred shrugged his shoulders as he walked towards you and leaned against the wall, “Well, they were more reluctant than I, but the important part is that we came to an understanding.”
You cracked a smile as you nodded your head, knowing that they probably did not have much choice in that.
Alfred pushed himself off the wall and walked to the other side of the bed. He sat down on the edge, his back turned to you. Although you had been left to your own devices, you suspected that Alfred had only grown more anxious. You could see how tense his shoulders were from where you were sitting.
“Alfred?”
“Yes?”
You hesitated before speaking, “Are you scared?”
“I’m not,” he scoffed, but bowed his head and mumbled softly, “Just nervous.”
You knew Alfred had lived a more sheltered life than most and was not used to intimacy. This would be his first time with a woman, and you remembered how nerve-wracking it had been for you despite being exposed to it for most of your life.
You stood up slowly, removing your cloak in the process and letting it fall to the floor, before walking towards him. He flushed a little as you hiked up your slip and straddled his thighs, but made no move to push you off of him.
He froze as you slipped a hand under his silk shirt and shuddered as you lay your palm flat against his chest. Your lip twitched a little as you flicked your gaze up at him, “Your heart is beating very fast.”
He chuckled nervously and avoided your intense gaze. “Perhaps I’m...just a little bit scared,” he whispered.
You moved your hand from his cheek and brushed his hair out of his face. He let out a deep sigh at your touch and licked his lips nervously.
“You don’t have to be scared with me,” you spoke softly before leaning down and capturing his lips in a kiss.
__________________________
“You’re lying.”
“I am not lying, Judith,” you said, “I heard everything. Their plan is to kill Alfred at the War Council. Lord Cyneheard and others are all working together...And Aethelred is their leader.”
Judith looked like she was about to explode with anger. You had told her everything you saw and heard the night before, but she was in denial. She couldn’t bring herself to believe that Aethelred would ever do anything to harm his own brother.
“No,” she shook her head once more, biting her nails anxiously, “No, you’re lying.”
“What reason do I have to lie?”
“I don’t know!” she suddenly yelled before storming towards you, pointing an accusatory finger, “You know Aethelred is the closest person to Alfred. Perhaps you want him out of the way so you can control my son again.”
You let out a sigh of frustration, “Alfred and I are not even on speaking terms.”
“Exactly,” she said, smiling widely like she had just caught you in a lie, “You claim that you are angry at Alfred for betraying you, yet here you stand warning me about an alleged attack on his life. Why should you care if he lives or dies?”
The question caught you off guard. Of course, you knew exactly why. You cared because he was the one who had formed an alliance with your brothers, and without him, it was sure to fall through.
You cared because he was the father of your child.
Most importantly, you cared because despite everything he had done to you, despite every lie he had told you, you still loved him, and his death would only destroy you.
But you were not about to let Judith know that.
“I don’t know,” you whispered as you turned away from her, your hand resting on your stomach, “I just do, I suppose.”
With a deep sigh, you turned around to face Judith, more determined than ever. “You may not believe me, Judith, but I know what I heard,” you said firmly, fists clenched at your sides, “Now, if you will not do anything to help me, I will find people who will.”
You kept your gaze on her when you finished speaking, waiting - hoping - for a response. If there was one thing that you and Judith should be able to come together on, it's Alfred’s safety. She held your gaze for one long moment, but eventually looked away, shaking her head in denial.
A defeated sigh escaped your lips as you ran a hand through your hair. You stood there for a moment, trying to come up with other ways to save Alfred’s life. Judith had been your one and only hope, and for a moment, it almost felt like all hope was lost. At least until you remembered that you were not alone in this Kingdom anymore.
“Fine,” you spat as you brushed past Judith and stormed out of the room, “I’ll save him myself.”
__________________________
After your heated conversation with Judith, you were in no mood to celebrate Aethelred. Unfortunately, the presence of the King and Queen was required at his wedding - even if he was trying to assassinate said King.
All eyes turned to you as you walked into the chapel and a feeling of deja vu washed over you. Alfred looked surprised when you walked up to stand with him – as if you had much choice in the matter. Standing anywhere else would only draw more attention than you wanted, and neither of you could afford to cause a divide this close to a battle.
You could feel his eyes on you as you took your place beside him, but you didn’t entertain it. Eventually he turned to face the altar.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered as you both sat, giving the rest of the room permission to do so as well.
You glanced at him for a second, a little surprised, but didn’t say a word. Not when you couldn’t tell whether he was being honest, or if he was simply trying to pull you back into his clutches.
And then the ceremony began.
Once again, you felt Alfred’s eyes on you as Aethelred and his bride recited their vows. The same ones the two of you had sworn to each other almost a year ago.
This time, when you turned to look at Alfred, you let your gaze linger. The nostalgia overwhelmed you as you felt yourself forgetting everything that had happened recently. All the lies, the secrets, the deception. For a moment, it was just you two, back where you were when you said those vows to each other. When you told the people that you were marrying for an alliance, while secretly being consumed with a blinding love for him.
And then you remembered that the love was only ever one sided. That the pretence was not for the people as you’d thought at the time, but for you. To keep you in line.
Suddenly, your eyes began to brim with tears, and you cursed this affliction that comes with pregnancy. You looked away from Alfred, not wanting to let him see you like this. Heartbroken over losing him.
You rose along with the guests as Aethelred and Ethelfled were pronounced husband and wife, and the couple exited the Church. You discreetly wiped your eyes as they did so, but not so discreet because Alfred caught it.
“Y/N, is everything okay?” he asked, eyebrows furrowed in concern.
You turned away from him as you began leaving behind the couple, “I’m fine. Leave it.”
“But you’re crying,” he said as he followed you out, trying his best to keep a straight face to avoid alarming the other guests.
As soon as you were outside and away from prying eyes, you turned to face him fully, hands on your hips and a scowl on your lips.
“Do you see any tears on my cheeks?” you snapped.
Alfred was bewildered. “No, but I thought I saw–“ he stopped when you raised a brow, “In there, you and I, we– I thought we–“
“You thought wrong,” you cut him off, “You saw what you wanted to see. Whatever you felt in there, you alone felt. I watched your brother and his wife speak the same vows you and I swore to each other...and I didn’t feel a thing.”
He looked like the air had been knocked out of him, “Nothing?”
“Nothing,” you said, whispering it as if doing so would allow you to pretend you hadn’t said it.
His eyes travelled to the ground before turning to leave. He hesitated as he took a few steps away from you, but kept on walking.
You let out a breath as soon as he was out of view, clutching your chest in a futile attempt to numb the heartache. The words were painful to say, but at least now he could stop pretending that the damage hadn’t been done. You knew there was absolutely no way back. It was time he caught up.
“The two of you are fighting,” a voice came from behind you – Bjorn’s.
You rolled your eyes as you turned to face him, “And that makes you very happy, doesn’t it?”
Bjorn didn’t respond. Instead, he watched you carefully, tilting his head as he tried to read you. “What did he do?” he asked eventually.
“It’s none of your concern.”
“You are my sister, and your husband has upset you,” he said, “Of course it is my concern.”
You wanted to tell him everything, not caring if it would only prove his distrust of the Saxons right. You just needed your brother. But you had a duty as Queen to uphold, and now was not the time to cause a rift between your brothers and Alfred. They needed each other to defeat King Harald.
And no matter how angry you were right then, you certainly didn’t need your brothers committing treason by murdering Alfred for what he had done to you.
“Even married couples fight, Bjorn,” you said, “You should know. How many times have you been married now?”
He chuckled and shook his head, crossing his arms as he did so. “He must have done something terrible if you will not tell me,” he frowned as he brushed past you, “But don’t worry, I won’t ask again.”
__________________________
Ubbe had grown close to Alfred in the last few weeks, and you knew that it would not be difficult to ask for his help in stopping the planned assassination. The rest of your family - Bjorn to be specific - proved to be the real task. Still, you managed to bring them all to the dining hall just a few minutes before the War Council and ask for their help.
“So, you want us to help you stop these people?” Bjorn asked, the hint of a smile on his lips, “Why would we do that?”
You narrowed your eyes at him and clenched your jaw. His amusement was making a mockery of the situation. “Need I remind you that without Alfred, your deal for the lands in East Anglia will never be upheld,” you said, “And without him we will all hang...At best.”
Bjorn rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything. He knew that you were right, and he hated it.
“Why can’t you tell your husband and allow his own men to protect him?” he asked, “Or are you still not speaking to him?”
Ubbe’s head snapped towards you. “You and Alfred are not speaking? What happened?”
You glared at Bjorn for exposing your marital troubles before letting out a heavy sigh, “It’s only a quarrel, nothing important.”
“I suppose it explains why you did not attend Ubbe’s baptism,” Torvi said as Bjorn rolled his eyes, “But it is strange that Alfred did not say anything about this to you, Ubbe.”
They began speculating amongst themselves, completely ignoring that you were standing right in front of them. You looked to Lagertha, pleading with your eyes to make them listen to you.
“I don’t think your sister called us here to discuss her marriage, do you?”
You gave her a small nod as they all turned their focus back on you. “I have said all that I need to say,” you said, “I need your help. Please.”
You watched as all four of them - Bjorn, Lagertha, Ubbe and Torvi, shared a look between themselves, and let out a sigh of relief when Bjorn nodded.
“But after this is done, I want all of us to meet back here,” Bjorn said, his eyes on you.
“What about?”
“It is a family matter,” he said as he stood up from the table he was leaning on and walked past you to the door, “I will see you after the meeting.”
__________________________
Being a protector had always been a part of your identity. As a child, you protected Ivar from the other children who couldn’t understand why he was different. After your father left, you protected your mother from the enemies who seemed to come from all sides. And now, here you were again, surrounded by enemies and desperate to protect your unborn child and her father from those that wished to harm them.
You glanced at Alfred standing beside you, blissfully unaware of the danger he was in. Judith stood on the other side of him, looking almost as anxious as you felt. She knew that if there was to be an attack, it would be today. It was clear that a part of her was simply in denial. You could tell by her pale face and anxious eyes that she was on edge.
The sound of Alfred addressing the crowd seemed to fade into the background as you scanned the crowd for Aethelred. Before long, you caught sight of Cyneheard whispering something to a fidgety Aethelred. Your breath caught in your throat as you saw the glint of the daggers hidden in their robes, ready to attack.
As you looked around, trying to find either of your brothers in the crowd, you noticed how strange most of the men were behaving. They kept glancing quickly between Aethelred and Alfred, hands hidden in their robes, no doubt gripping weapons. They were waiting for something.
Finally, you spotted Bjorn in the corner of the room and gave a subtle nod towards Cyneheard who now had a firm grip on Aethelred’s forearm as he whispered harshly into his ear. He began making his way towards the pair, his hand resting on the hilt of his axe.
Cyneheard continued to whisper into Aethelred’s ear. That was what they were waiting for - Aethelred. But the man they had put their faith in was hesitating. From where you stood, he looked pale and sweaty. He was breathing hard, averting his eyes quickly when he caught you staring.
For a moment, you wondered if he could actually do it. He might harbour negative feelings towards Alfred, but killing your only brother is easier said than done.
You discreetly raised a hand to Bjorn, asking him to wait as you watched Aethelred shuffle from foot to foot nervously. He wouldn’t do it. He couldn’t do it.
Finally, he whispered something back to Cyneheard, which enraged the older man and caused him to spit something back in reply and back away slowly. They had lost.
You let out a sigh and closed your eyes, a small smile pulling at your lips. But that relief was short lived when you heard what Alfred was currently announcing to the room.
“I am thankful to all of you, and to God, for allowing me to lead you into battle,” he said, “I know that I have the support of my beloved brother Aethelred, and of Ubbe, Bjorn and Lagertha.”
He turned to look at you earnestly, “And my wife, Y/N, who will be there by my side...as she has been from the start.”
Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion as you watched him. How could he say something so foolish? He would only get himself killed. You were fighting to save his life, only for him to endanger it on his own. The irony was not lost on you.
As Alfred concluded his address, you stood speechless and watched him leave the throne room with his guards. Judith approached you, anger evident in her eyes.
“I knew you were lying,” she spat through clenched teeth.
“I didn’t lie.”
“Then why was there no attack?”
She waited for a response or explanation – neither of which you had to offer. When she realised that, she turned and left in a huff, relieved that the ordeal was over.
You, on the other hand, knew that it was not. Although you wanted to rush after Alfred and convince him not to join the fight, there was someone more important that you needed to confront.
__________________________
It had been a while since you had pressed a dagger against someone’s throat.
You had missed the feeling.
After the War Council, you followed Aethelred and ambushed him just outside his study. There was a short struggle - one that ended with him pushed up against his bookcase with the sharp end of a dagger aimed at his jugular.
“Tell me, Aethelred,” you whispered, “Have you ever seen me angry?”
“I've seen you in battle,” he grunted as he tried to move his neck away from the blade, “It’s nothing special.”
You chuckled lowly and tilted your head to the side. “In battle? That is me at my most calm,” you said, “The only time I get angry – blinded with rage, really – is when someone threatens my family. Just ask King Aelle.”
Aethelred looked down at you, his expression wavering. “What do you want?”
“A confession.”
“A confession? I have not done anything.”
You pushed the blade against his neck, nicking the skin and drawing blood, making Aethelred freeze in place. “You conspired to murder Alfred and take his place as King.”
“I did no such thing!”
“I saw you,” you said, “You and your friends. Lord Cyneheard? Is he your second-in-command?”
He looked away from you guiltily.
“I listened at the door of your secret meeting place,” you continued, “And I heard you plan to murder Alfred today at the War Council, so don’t lie to me.”
Silence as his gaze dropped to the floor. His whole body deflated, arms falling to his sides as he stopped fighting you.
“I did it. I conspired to overthrow my King,” he murmured almost to himself, his brows knitting together, “I tried to murder my own brother.”
You faltered.
You had not expected it to be that easy. That he would admit it without much hassle. And most shockingly, he looked ashamed.
Slowly, you dropped the dagger from his neck and stepped back a little, eyeing him cautiously. “Why did you do it?”
He shook his head, his eyes still on the ground. “It wasn’t my intention for it to go this far,” he muttered, “I was angry after my mother forced me to give up the Crown to Alfred. And, yes, I envied all that he came to be. All that he came to have.”
“The more people accepted him, the more I burned with rage,” he said, his eyes raising to meet yours, “He had taken everything that was rightfully mine and I was left with nothing. Not even our mother looked at me with anything more than disdain.”
You looked away when you caught yourself empathising with him. Sigurd had felt the exact same way about your mother and Ivar. And deep down, there was a part of you that had felt that way at some point too.
“Why you?” you asked, stepping forward, "Why did they choose his own brother to replace him?"
"I have royal blood, the right wife, and most importantly, the correct allegiance," he spoke frankly, "They knew that I would rule like my father did, and that in my hands, Wessex would always come first."
"Wessex has always come first with Alfred."
“They do not see it that way,” Aethelred said, “Alfred was making too many changes in the Church. He offered land to our enemies, and even worse, married a heathen.”
You frowned and folded your arms across your chest. “Was that not always the plan? For Alfred to marry me, have a child that is part Viking and use us to broker peace?”
“It was, originally,” he confessed, “We’d expected you to be with child shortly after the wedding, but it never happened. And then your brothers arrived and you were no longer needed.”
“So what changed?”
“Alfred did,” he said as he moved across the room, “He refused to be rid of you. We'd thought we were the ones deceiving you, but the whole time, Alfred was deceiving us.”
What did that even mean?
“What changed your mind, then?” you asked and stepped closer to him, “Why not take what you wanted? You could have killed him, killed my brothers and I, and taken the throne for yourself.”
His gaze faltered as he looked away from you and walked towards his desk, leaning forward against it, his knuckles pressing down hard on the wood.
“Alfred did,” he whispered almost to himself, “Even without knowing that I had betrayed him, he was somehow able to remind me of the sacred bond between brothers. After speaking with him today…I have never been more disgusted by myself. By the fact that I ever entertained the idea of harming him in any way.”
He turned to face you. “I will never forgive myself for the part that I played in this treasonous act. And I swear to you on my life that I will never betray my brother again."
You didn’t say anything to comfort or reassure him. As far as you were concerned, he deserved to stew in his shame. But you couldn't ignore the sincerity in his tone.
"I told your mother about my suspicions and your plans," you said, eyeing him as a horrified look descended upon his face, "She didn't believe me."
The wave of relief that washed over Aethelred was clear to see, but it only enraged you. How could he escape justice after all that he had done? Were you just supposed to pretend like none of it had happened? Did Alfred not have a right to know that his brother tried to kill him?
"Judith may not have believed me, but Alfred will."
His eyes bulged out of his head as the vein in his forehead began to pulse. He was panicking. Good. You wanted him to feel a fraction of the fear that you felt when you found out about his plans.
"Please. You cannot tell him," he managed to splutter as he stepped closer to you.
You simply eyed him with contempt as he pleaded with you, "Alfred deserves to know what kind of man his brother is."
"Do it for his own sake," he said, "Knowing this will crush him, and he needs to be focused on the coming battle."
Aethelred waited with baited breath as you mulled it over. He was trying to manipulate you, and you knew it. Still, he had a point.
"I'm not so foolish as to believe that anything you say or do is for Alfred's benefit," you spoke curtly, "But one thing is true: Alfred loves you, and I will not be the one to break his heart by telling him about you."
Yet another breath of relief escaped his lips. He bent down against the desk taking in deep breaths and mumbling some sentiment of gratitude.
You couldn't stand the sight of his pathetic self anymore, and with a huff, made a move to leave the study. But you couldn't go without delivering one final warning.
"If I ever suspect that you plan to do something to so much as undermine Alfred, I will hack the bones in your back and carve out your lungs while you still breathe."
__________________________
Even though you were late to Bjorn's meeting, you had not missed much. Bjorn had introduced a man who claimed to be Ragnar's son and had a grudge against Alfred. Arguments ensued.
Somewhere amongst the aggression, you heard someone call your name.
"Y/N," Ubbe nudged you with his shoulder, "You've been quiet. What do you think about this?"
You trained your eyes on your alleged brother. Magnus. He kept glancing at Bjorn out of the corner of his eyes, clearly uncomfortable under your scrutinizing gaze.
Slowly, you stood from your chair and approached him. He held his breath as you narrowed your eyes at him.
"You don't look like us," you observed.
"That hardly proves anything," he scoffed, "You don't look like your brothers either. Nor Ragnar"
"Of course not, I look like my grandmother," you glanced over your shoulder at your brothers, "Bjorn and Ubbe look like Ragnar."
You were quiet again as you continued to stare, this time not just examining his physical appearance, but his story too. None of it made any sense.
With a heavy sigh, you turned to face your brothers with a shrug. "I don't believe him either," you finally said, agreeing with Ubbe and Lagertha.
Magnus suddenly exploded. "How can you say that to me?! After all I've been through to find all of you?"
Bjorn held up a hand to silence him. "Why don't you believe him?" he asked.
"His story does not match Ragnar's. Or anything Ragnar would say or do," you said, "Our father would never say that he loves you. I was his daughter and he was barely able to say those words to me. And if he truly claimed you as his son, he would have told Ivar, so that he could tell us."
"Maybe Ivar kept it from us," Bjorn suggested.
"He wouldn't have kept it from me," you said, then turned to Magnus, "You may very well be Viking, but you are not our brother, Magnus."
His body visibly shook with anger as his face went red and his clenched fists turned white. But instead of unloading all his frustrations on you, he stormed out of the room, muttering incoherently to himself.
Bjorn glared at all of you before standing to leave without a word.
"Bjorn," you called out to him before he left, "Don't believe anything he says. Not about Ragnar, and not about Alfred."
__________________________
Ubbe had a plan – a good plan.
Despite this, you remained anxious. The army was riding out in a day, and you couldn't help but feel unprepared.
You'd decided to visit the battlefield to make sure everything was in order. So far everything seemed to be that way, except for one thing.
"Edwin!" you called for your Second who came running to your side, "We need at least three more catapults on the left."
"Yes, Commander," he nodded and rushed off to carry out your order.
Suddenly, the sound of grunting and swords clashing came from behind you. You swiftly turned around, hand on your axe ready to be drawn, only to find Ubbe sparring with Alfred. You would have intervened, but Alfred seemed to be holding his own against your brother, a sight that was surprising to witness.
Alfred smiled when he successfully defended himself against Ubbe's attacks, a smile which faltered when he spotted you standing just a few feet away. You quickly looked away and pretended to examine the catapult. He approached you before long, but chose not to speak as he stood beside you.
"I did not know you would be here," you said, refusing to look at him.
"Ubbe thought I should familiarise myself with where we will be fighting soon."
You sighed and closed your eyes when you remembered the stupid decision Alfred had made to participate in this battle. At least you still had some time to talk him out of doing something so life endangering and foolish.
"Actually, I'm glad you are here," you cleared your throat and looked up at him, "I wanted to speak to you about something."
His eyebrows raised in surprise, “What do you need to speak to me abou–”
“You cannot lead the army,” you cut him off sharply.
“What?”
“You heard me,” you jutted out your chin and folded your arms, “You cannot lead the army, Alfred, you can barely fight.”
“I can fight,” he retorted, “I have been training with Ubbe for months now.”
You scoffed in response, “A few sparring sessions with my brother and you think you are ready to fight a Viking army led by King Harald?”
“Yes.”
You let out a frustrated sigh and buried your face in your hands. Why was he being so stubborn? Especially when you were trying to save his life.
“I am only trying to protect you,” you whispered harshly.
He chuckled softly and cocked his head to the side, “I remember trying to do the same for you only a short while ago.”
“That is not the same."
“Is it not?” he asked rhetorically. He let out a sigh when you didn’t speak. “It is my duty to lead the army,” he said, willing you to understand, “How can I expect my men to fight for this Kingdom, if I will not fight for them?”
You shook your head swallowed the lump in your throat, “You have nothing to prove.”
“Yes. I do.”
“You could die,” your voice cracked as you spoke. You turned away to avoid his gaze, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing that you still cared.
“I know,” he said and sucked in a deep breath, “Which is why you need to know the truth.”
“Gods,” you rolled your eyes and began to walk away, "I have heard all that I need to hear.”
"No, you haven't," he grabbed your arm and pulled you back towards him rather roughly, “Why won't you just let me explain?”
You snatched your arm back. "Because I know what you are going to say," you said, "That you are sorry for lying to me, and that even though it started with deception, you truly do love me now. I know. But it does not change the fact that you have hurt me deeply. Your explanation is not good enough."
"I-," he began in a soft voice, "I am so sorry, Y/N."
You blinked back the tears brimming in your eyes and whispered, "It's not good enough, Alfred."
__________________________
The day had come to ride out to battle and neither you nor Alfred had taken the other's advice and chosen to stay back. Judith said her farewells to her sons then, for some reason, decided to escort you out to your horse.
"What was the name you gave, when you came to me about Aethelred?" she asked out of the blue.
Your brows furrowed, "Cyneheard?"
"I thought so," she said, her voice eerily calm as she looked straight ahead, "I know I was a bit dismissive with you, but I assure you, I will do everything I can to get to the bottom of this matter."
You both came to a stop when you arrived at your horse. "What does that mean?" you asked as you turned to her.
"Never you mind," she said as you climbed onto your horse, "I trust you will keep Alfred safe on the field?"
"Of course."
She cracked a smile and walked away to stand with Aethelred's wife. You tried to forget the conversation, but you couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that something was about to happen.
You waited as Alfred approached and climbed onto his horse next to you. He didn't say a word, his eyes instead scanning the crowd before finally settling on one man.
"My Lord Cyneheard," he said, his voice just as calm as his mother's.
"Yes, Sire?"
"You will not be leaving with us today," he continued.
You turned to Aethelred with furrowed brows and noticed just how alarmed he looked.
"Why not?" Cyneheard asked, guilt evident just from his tone.
"Because you are arrested. For treason."
A tiny gasp escaped your lips at Alfred's command. Your head snapped towards Judith as Cyneheard was pulled off his horse and dragged through the mud into the Villa. She simply gave a smirk and a grateful nod before turning to go back inside.
You were still in a daze as you rode out of the compound, shocked by what had just happened, and by the feeling of unease that Judith had managed to spark in you.
__________________________
The army had temporarily set up camp as you waited for Ubbe to return from King Harald. He needed to buy enough time for your army to travel around King Harald's if you were to ensure that the battle would be fought on the grounds you had chosen. He would be back soon so you returned to your tent to put your armour on.
The bustling of the men outside served as a reminder of what was coming. You sat glued to a chair as you imagined all the ways this day could go wrong. All the people you could lose.
You thought of your baby, and what would happen to her if you hit the ground too hard, or if you were struck in the wrong place. The mere thought of losing her devastated you, and you knew it would crush Alfred. He would never forgive you.
“Y/N? Are you there?”
It was him now. You could just make out his silhouette through the thin fabric of the tent. Slowly, you pulled on your boots and walked to the front of the tent, hesitant to let him in.
“Y/N...I can see you.”
You sighed and placed your hands on your hips. It wasn’t about him, you were just afraid that talking to him would end in vomiting or tears, and you could do without either today.
“Come in,” you said, opening the flap and stepping aside to let him pass.
He ducked his head as he walked in, looking like a giant in your low tent. He stopped in front of you, eyeing your form as he thought of the right words to say.
“I have been worried about you,” he looked at you earnestly, “I haven’t slept.”
He wasn’t lying, and the sentiment warmed your heart.
“I have been worried too,” you replied, “Every time I close my eyes, I think about everything that could go wrong.”
"You have been in this situation more times than I," he said, "Is it normal to feel this way?"
"I suppose. But there is something about today..." you sighed as you looked into his eyes, "It feels like there is more at stake."
He held your gaze for a moment as you both stood in a comfortable silence. Until you realised that it had lingered too long and he was standing a bit too close. You looked away quickly and cleared your throat as you stepped back.
"Why did you come here, Alfred?"
He ran a hand through his hair, a thoughtful expression suddenly descending on his features.
"We could die today," he said, "And I needed to see you...and to speak to you-"
"Alfred," you cut him off and turned to grab your sword belt and axe, "You and I are not going to have this conversation today of all days."
"I know, I just," he stopped, searching for the right words, "Before we go out there, I just need to know that you don't hate me."
You raised your gaze to look at him, and your heart sank when you realised just how heartbroken and bereft he was. Suddenly, all the fight, all the anger, was gone, and all that was left was sorrow and an aching heart.
“I could never hate you, Alfred,” you whispered, a hint of shock in your voice at the possibility that he would ever think that.
He perked up at your words, asking, “You don’t?”
“I don’t,” you said, then let out a bitter chuckle, “I have wanted to. And, believe me, I have tried. It would be easier.”
A long stretch of silence followed, neither of you knowing how to go on. Even though you loved him, you didn’t know when — or if — you could ever forgive him.
“I don’t know where we go from here,” Alfred sighed, “Believing that you hated me had a sense of finality, but now…our future seems uncertain.”
You simply shrugged and looked down to secure your axe on its holster, “It always has been.”
“Not to me.”
You flicked your eyes up at him to find him gazing intently at you. He loved you. Deep down you knew it.
A part of you wanted to trust him again. A part of was searching for a reason to forgive him. Why couldn’t you just take that first step?
When you didn’t reply, Alfred let out a short breath and turned to leave the tent.
“Wait.”
He froze in his steps and quickly turned around.
You sucked in a sharp breath. "If you loved me – if you truly loved me – why did you convince your advisors that you were only marrying me to produce a Viking heir?" you asked, "You were already the King, you didn't have to. And why didn't you tell me of your plans."
"What was it you said to me once?" he said, cracking a smile, "As King, I can do whatever I want. But it also means that I cannot do whatever I want."
You remembered saying the words to him, and couldn't believe he did too.
"As for not telling you," he continued, "I foolishly thought that I was sparing you. I realise now how wrong I was."
"You should have moved on after I left, married a lovely Princess," an exasperated sigh left your lips as ran a hand through your hair, "We could have saved ourselves from all of this. Why didn't you?"
"Is it not obvious?" he asked, "I met you, I fell in love with you, and then I couldn't live without you."
You didn't know if you believed him, but you were certain that your heart had skipped a beat.
__________________________
It was time.
All the planning, the scheming, and forged alliances had led to this battle.
Atop your horse and staring down King Harald's army, for a moment, none of it seemed real. Your head was still in that tent, going over what Alfred had said again and again.
You glanced at him, proudly sitting on his own horse beside you. He had never looked more like a King – a true leader of his people. Broad shoulders, stern expression, and motivational words. But only you could see the way his lip quivered when he spoke, and the way his hands shook as he held onto the reins.
"Are you afraid too?" you asked and he turned to look at you. He hesitated before answering.
"Yes."
Slowly, you reached out and took his hand, intertwining your fingers as you did so. His breath caught in his throat as he looked up at you. You held his gaze and squeezed his hand. No words needed to be said. You both knew what it meant.
__________________________
The battle had raged on for what felt like an eternity, and things were not looking good for your side. You had chosen to stay behind and command the archers in an effort to protect your child, but now...
With a grunt, you jumped off your horse and spoke to the soldier beside you, "You have command."
"All of you, with me now," you yelled the order to all the soldiers on your right before charging into battle.
Within minutes of being in the thick of it, you lost count of how many men you had taken down. It was like your body was acting on its own, slaughtering people who were once your fellow countrymen like they were nothing but cattle.
You came up behind a shield maiden who was attacking one of your soldiers and slit her throat. As her body slumped against yours, you spotted Alfred out of the corner of your eye locked in his own battle with a man twice his size. He would never make it out of that alive. Not on his own.
Without a second thought, you threw the body aside and started to run, expertly dodging every sword and axe thrown in your direction. You could see Alfred's face as the weight of his opponent's sword bore down on his shield. He knew he couldn't defeat this man. You willed your legs to run faster.
The next few seconds felt like time slowed down. Your heart sank into your stomach as you realised you wouldn't make it to Alfred. The regret of all the things you wished you had said to him in that tent hit you like a ton of bricks.
You heard yourself scream as the man raised his sword to deliver a final blow. Just as he did, an axe came flying out of nowhere and buried itself deep in his skull.
Aethelred stood just a few feet away, breathing heavily as the man sunk to the floor and a pool of blood gathered around his head. He walked over and dislodged the axe from where it was embedded, then to Alfred to whom he offered a hand.
You froze as you looked on in shock, surprised by Alfred's saviour, but more grateful than you had ever been in your entire life. It was only a moment's hesitation, but you knew you had made a grave mistake the second you felt it.
An arrow in your thigh.
You didn't realise when a strangled cry tore through your throat as you fell to your knees. It sounded like it had come out of someone else's lips. The blood gushed out of you even as you pressed your hand to the wound.
And then a second arrow.
This time, you felt the pain everywhere and you couldn't be sure where you'd been hit. All you could see was an arrow head protruding from your torso, and the excruciating pain that came with it. It was too much to even attempt to scream.
As you collapsed to the ground, struggling to stay awake – to stay alive – the clashing of swords and cries of dying men all faded to the background. You could only hear one thing. Echoes of the same sentence repeated over and over again.
"The Queen has fallen!"
***
Well this was a long time coming, huh? Thank you to all these lovely supporters! I'm sorry this took forever ❤️
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#king Alfred#Prince Alfred#Alfred Vikings#Alfred vikings season 5#king Alfred x reader#Prince Alfred x reader#Alfred vikings x reader#Alfred the great#Alfred the great x reader#Bjorn x reader#ubbe x reader#torvi#vikings#vikings tv show#vikings season 5#vikings fic#vikings imagine#bjorn ironside#ferdia walsh peelo#alexander ludwig#jordan patrick smith#kathryn winnick
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List of things I would change about Vikings
Bring Siggy, Siggy Jr, Sigurd, Ragnar, Athelstan, Helga and Gyda back
Make Gyda and Siggy Jr bad ass shield maidens
A "I hate you but I can't kill you because you are my brother " relationship between Sigurd and Ivar.
Sigurd would actually help Ivar deal with his anger issues
Siggy being a mother to the boys
Gyda showing her half brothers how to fight
Romantic relationships that doesn't last 2 episodes
Make it more historically accurate (example Sigurd got married to one of King Aelle's daughter)
Athelstan sassing Hehmund when he makes a comment how Athelstan isn't a real priest because he is friends with a heathen and has a child "I was going to ask you for advice but I heard moaning from your room so I decided not to disturb "
Magnus being best friends with Alfred and Aethelred
Imagine Siggy Jr falling for Alfred or Aethelred but Bjorn won't let her be with whom she wants to be because they are different religions (I am a sucker for that cliché)
Make Lagertha actually look old not put a gray wig on her
Imagine the king aelle's daughter being afraid of Sigurd but he says "I won't force you to do anything with me. You don't have to love me. You don't have to have my children. You are free to do whatever you want because I don't want to be in this situation either. But we have to for the sake of our people and our country. We don't have to be husband and wife but let us be friends. "
Gyda having an army and going on exploring the world with her dad.
Siggy Jr and Gyda not liking Margaret
"Did you spit in this soup Margaret? "
"How did you know? "
"I can taste the cum. "
#vikings#bjorn lothbrok#bjorn x reader#ivar lothbrok#ivar's heathen army#ivar x reader#vikings ivar#ivar imagine#hvitserk#ubbe#ubbe lothbrok#ubbe x reader#ubbe imagine#alfred the great#aethelred#viking history#sigurd#siggy#season 5#gyda#ragnar lothbrok#rollo lothbrok#freydis
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Salvation.
“do not hide from me” you whisper, cupping your palm under his jaw gently.
yet, he still refuses to look at you.
and you do not blame him. he’d just lost his mother and brother for Christ's sake.
you did not expect him to be up and about, waltzing around as if everything was fine.
you’d be a bit concerned if he did.
but, the fact that he felt as if he had to hide from you? that hurt you, hurt you to your very core, hurt you more than any other man had in your lifetime.
his eyes flutter shut, leaning into your palm subtly.
“i don’t mean to”.
“i know. just...do not shut me out. not now, not ever”.
he nods, still not looking at you.
you crouch down between his legs, resting your head upon his thigh, the other still upon the soft skin of his neck.
“when was the last time you’d slept a full night?”.
at this, he gives a dry chuckle, shrugging, finally opening his eyes.
to your horror, they were completely red, the black circles around them making the veins in his eyes protrude, almost as if they were sticking out to mock you.
“you can’t do anything”. they mock. over and over.
“i don’t think i ever have, to be honest”.
his palm comes down to rest in your hair, gently brushing it away from your face, causing you to hum happily.
he watches you with that stare. that stare that says how much he loves you, how much he adores you, how much he craves you.
“except...”.
your brows furrow as you wait for him to continue.
“that night. the night i met you”.
you feel your jaw fall slightly slack, eyes never leaving his.
“alfred...”.
“it was the most calm i’d ever felt. having someone as warm as you in my company, it was unlike any other feeling. you made me laugh, and smile genuinely for the first time in a long time. and i never thanked you for that”.
despite the stinging in your eyes, you shook your head and gave him a soft smile.
“there is no need to thank me for anything”.
alfred leans forwards, elbows resting on his knees as he gently pressed his large palms to his lovers face.
“there is so much to thank you for. i fear i will never be able to thank you enough” alfred sighs, letting his eyes follow each curve of her face.
she smiles, smiles so beautifully that alfred almost has to look away.
but he doesn’t.
“just love me. keep me close. never let me go”.
alfred slides from his throne to the floor, sitting in front of you with his arms open, taking you in them and holding you tightly, rocking you back and forth.
“i will always love you, i will keep you by my side for as long as you’ll allow me to, and i will never let you go”.
you tuck yourself into his chest, accepting his loving embrace.
you press a gentle kiss to his pulse point, smiling to yourself when you felt it jump.
“please, for me, just rest today. come to bed with me”.
alfred pauses for a moment, wanting to listen to you, follow you back to bed and just sleep for a while.
he honestly could not remember the last time he felt truly rested.
he looks down at you, seeing your beautiful (e/c) staring into his so innocently, you only wanted to help him.......
“guards!”.
two men bursted into the room, looking at alfred and you with confused looks, but they did not question it, they awaited their kings orders.
“clear my scheduale for today. me and my wife are in need of some deserved rest”.
alfred did not miss the smile upon your face.
hours later, as you and alfred lay in bed, he can’t help but watch you for a while.
lips slightly parted as small puffs of air leave them, cheeks pale under the seeting sun’s light that pours in from the window.
alfred’s on his side, his left arm supporting his head, the other clutched tightly in your hand that was resting on your side.
he smiles, realizing that no woman would ever make him feel the way you do. he never wanted anyone else. he’d never love anyone the way he loved you.
he settles closer to you, relaxing his head down on his pillow, his eye lids drooping.
and he finally falls asleep, your beautiful face being the last thing he sees, and it brings him pure bliss knowing it’s going to be the first thing he sees when he awakes.
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TOP GAMES ON PS5 IN 2021
TOP PS5 GAMES IN 2020
Dear reader, I took a crazy vow on myself and a task that may be a bit difficult is to search for all the upcoming games for the PS5 platform which are widely dispersed to collect them here in one article for easy access after that, this article includes exclusives, confirmed third-party games For the platform, the online games, the titles that will get a free upgrade for the platform on the PS4, the Indie games and finally the titles that will fall under the Sony rule for the 13th of July, which requires any developer to develop his game on both PS4 and PS5 if it will be released after the 13th date. Therefore, you may find some games in our comprehensive guide for today. They are not officially announced for the next generation but will be released sooner or later.
Note: This article will be updated continuously with all new and any upcoming PS5 titles officially until the next generation release date. So, put that article in your bookmarks and come back to it later. This is the biggest guide you can find for PS5 games. I hope you like it and let's start.
Exclusives:
During the PS5 event that took place on June 11, we got an idea of the upcoming console exclusives and 23 new games.
1- Horizon Forbidden West
In the warmly awaited second part of Alloy's journey, our heroine goes to West America in San Francisco in a Post Apocalyptic world in which machines hover everywhere to save humanity from a new danger. We have seen in the official presentation of a new game of machines, a wonderful environmental diversity that will put speed The PS5 SSD is under test and of course, various villains
Release date: 2021
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2- Spiderman Miles Morales
We did not believe at first glance that Insomniac Games had been able to create a new Spiderman game in two years until we learned that it would be a Standalone game like Uncharted The Lost Legacy, this time game puts us in the shoes of Miles Morales, who discovered his supernatural abilities at the end of the events of the last part, and we saw him swinging with movements and forces New, such as being able to hide and use his electric hands, the events of this part will take place a year after the first in New York during the winter, and we expect to see a masterpiece that relies on the power of the PS5 largely in terms of ray tracing and lighting, details and innovatively using the SSD.
Release date: 2020 Holiday Season (could be a launch title for PS5)
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3- Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart
A second game from Insomniac Games, where we return in a new adventure with Ratchet and Clank across dimensions where planets and dimensions come together for a mysterious reason and our heroes have to save the world. The unnatural, the lighting, and the use of Ray Tracing are remarkably amazing and finally, we knew that we would be playing the female character of Lombax.
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Release date: unknown
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4- Gran Turismo 7
Polyphony Digital Studio returns with one of the most amazing realistic car racing series through the seventh part of Gran Turismo, almost the game developed to show the power of ray-tracing technology and the most dazzling reflections on cars, the game promises us the return of the story phase with more modification and customization methods than before... The game will fully exploit all the features of the PS5 from ray tracing, 3D audio, SSD, and Dualsense to give you a different feeling in driving, but its developer aspires to deliver its frame rate to 240 frames per second and more than that too.
Release date: unknown
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5- Demon's Souls Remake
One of the most highly requested remakes from players, Sony, and Bluepoint Games have already fulfilled their promise by showing them to Demon's Souls Remake, which was first released on PS3 and paved the way for the emergence of Souls games in the current form that we see. Generally, the game will contain an unknown Fractioned phase with its purpose and two methods. To play, either focus on the frames without graphic quality or vice versa and you are free to choose.
Release date: unknown
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6- Destruction All-Stars
A game similar to Twisted Metal with some of the flavors of Rocket League, where different heroes compete with their cars to destroy others' cars inside arenas. Unfortunately, we did not know other details about it, but from what we saw, we think that you can jump out of your car and play with the same character in all that chaos
Release date: unknown
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7- Returnal
This is Housemarque's new IP, of the action and Rogue-Like genre, that game takes you to an alien planet controlled by an astronaut, the problem is that the planet changes automatically with each time you die to always witness different events that are repeated with time and quickly change After your death, you are inside a repetitive cocoon, our heroine tries to break it and save herself from madness. Generally, the game is based on action, fighting with weapons using the 3D Audio features of the PS5 while using the Dualsense features!
Release date: unknown
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8- Astro’s Playroom
Astro returns in an adventure of its own that will use all the features of the PS5, but you will feel the fluctuation of the atmosphere and the rain already through the sensors of Dualsense, the game will be available for free with the purchase of the PS5.
Release date: 2020 holiday season
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9- Sackboy A Big Adventure
Sackboy returns on his own adventure alone this time when he'll have to navigate obstacles beautifully.
Release date: unknown
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10- Quantum Error
A horror, excitement, and suspense game developed by Teamkill Media, in which you play a fireman as he tries to rescue his colleagues from a building that burned in mysterious and very terrifying circumstances that will put the horror games in a realistic framework for the first time in terms of the survival factor, the game will benefit from all the capabilities of PS5 even the Dualsense to sense danger With ray tracing to give additional realism, the game will work on a 4K display resolution at 60 frames per second according to the developer, the game will also release to PS4, more details you can find in bulk about this news during the developer team's interview with Playstation UK magazine
Release date: 2021
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Read: Did Sony fail when it made the Japanese media review the PlayStation 5, or is there a secret battle you want to win ?!
Second and third party games (some of them are for PS5 and PC only, so these titles are not purely exclusive)
These titles are not purely exclusive for PS5 because they are developed by second or third party studios. Generally speaking, I have used Playstation UK magazine, which leaked 38 games for PS5 by third-party developers.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
The next Assassin's Creed segment from Ubisoft Montreal, which will take us to the era of Vikings, has been confirmed for the next generation of platforms, including the Xbox Series X as well, which will be the game optimized on it than the PS5 to run at a resolution of 4K and 60 frames per second, in general, the game talks about our hero Eivor, who He wants to move his clan from the Vikings to England to start a new life, only for King Alfred the Great to stand in his face, and of course, Eivor will use all he has and this includes the Hidden Blade and being the Assassin to win that battle, in general, you can know literally everything about the game through the link that we collected for you in it All about the game or read our comprehensive guide to it below, and we await the announcement of its gameplay at the upcoming Ubisoft Forward show.
Release date: 2020 Holiday Season with leaks to release in October as a PS5 launch title
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Watchdogs Legion
Watchdogs Legion has been confirmed for PS5, our game takes place in England or London to be exact, as Deadsec tries to eliminate the ruined hands that manipulate the country politically, the amazing thing about the game is that you can control literally any NPC and each of them has amazing hacking capabilities and thus gameplay Completely different from one personality to another.
Release date: unknown after several delays
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Rainbow Six Quarantine
One of Ubisoft's games is sure to come to the next generation, but we do not know much information about it except that it will be a co-op game, with a deadly virus and this is all. In general, as I mentioned Ubisoft exhibition is coming, and we will definitely see it there. Of course, the article will be modified constantly as I mentioned.
Release date: unknown
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Gods and Monsters
A game that will take you to the world of Greece to fight the well-known gods of Greece (God forbid) in deep antiquity. We do not know much about it except that it comes to the next generation as well.
Release date: unknown
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FarCry 6
I know that Ubisoft has not officially announced the game, but this is what will happen at its next exhibition, and FarCry 6 will definitely come to the next generation platforms, especially as it may be released in 2021, and according to the latest leaks, the game will take you in a world outside of America finally and rumors talk about a tropical atmosphere such as Narcos. There is nothing for sure.
Release date: unknown
Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War
I also know that all the leaks confirm that Activision is preparing for a live event inside the COD Warzone game to announce Black Ops Cold War, but this has not happened but, it is obvious that Activision's next title in a series like Call of Duty is coming for the next generation, whether the PS5 or Xbox Series X.
Release date: unknown
Project Athia
A new project from Square Enix and Luminous Productions announced during the PS5 event, and it seems that our heroine will be a female and will have special abilities, including distant jumping and speed with fighting dragons and strange-shaped monsters, generally, we will know more soon, this game will be exclusive for PS5 home platforms to be issued to the PC also at a later time.
Release date: unknown
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Outriders
From the publication of Square Enix and the development of People Can Fly, Outriders are among the first games that we have known of their official arrival for the next generation, whether PS5 or Xbox Series X, in the Destiny-like Action RPG and Co-op, Outriders give us a great fighting mix between Gears of War and Bulletstorm.
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There are sections for the characters, each with special abilities, whether fiery, defensive and so on. We watched the game on the ground at the end of May during the first live broadcast of Outriders Broadcast in which we saw the capabilities of The Trickster along with the fighting style, designing the planet Enoch world to which human groups go Outriders for his exploration of whether or not he is habitable after Earth in Single Player or Co-op story will be breathtaking.
Release date: 2020 holiday season
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Resident Evil Village
Capcom announced the Resident Evil Part VIII bomb, the title we had been very expecting due to the leaks. Generally, the eighth part would have a completely different horror direction based on fear of the unknown, magic and sorcery that we had seen in Outlast before as well as the presence of Zombies with shields, wolves, vampires. And an evil character called Alan who founded a group called The Connections occupying the village in which the game takes place, our hero is Ethan, who returns again after his marriage to Mia to live in that infested village until Chris Redfield reaches them and kills Mia with petrified and cold blood..the game uses the features of PS5, especially the acoustics Three-dimensional to enhance the horror feeling more fully.
Release date: 2021 also coming for PC and Xbox Series X
Pragmata
A new game from Capcom, you showed us during the PS5 event. The truth is we did not understand much of it, but it seems that it will be kind of science fiction games, virtual worlds, and the difference between them and reality.
Release date: 2022
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Godfall
From Gearbox and Counterplay, Godfall offers us a new concept of RPG and looter games named by its developer Looter Slasher, simply the world of Godfall is a world of fantasy where the five elements of life, whether fire, water, land, and otherwise form forbidden kingdoms within a world called Aperion in which there are warriors They call the Valorian Knights. We do not know their goal, but within the game’s objectives is to obtain the best shields in this world, which are called Valorplates. Generally, you will be able to choose one of three types of warriors. You have to look for stronger shields in the framework of the RPG with combat full of Hack and Slash a little bit.
Release date: 2020 holiday season for PS5 and PC
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Deathloop
From the Arkane Lyon team from Bethesda, Deathloop introduces a little new idea where you have to play a character called Colt and you have to accomplish some goals and kill eight people before the day ends and if you fail, the game will repeat your day from the beginning with differences in the design of the stages through each time you lose The challenge becomes different, it is a bit like Returnal, but the difference will be in the presence of a hostile character who will try to stop you in various ways.
Release date: 2020 holiday season for PS5 and PC at a later time
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GhostWire Tokyo
This game will take you to a time when humans have ended and the city of Tokyo has become an abyss devoid of any life except for some souls that swirl around which you have to confront, there are different types of souls, each with its own characteristics, abilities, and you will also have supernatural abilities to defend yourself, the game seems very mysterious And it's worth a try.
Release date: 2021 for PS5 and PC
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Starfield
The mysterious Bethesda project about space, we do not know anything about it, but it seems that its announcement is soon, the game is released for the PS5 and this is known, but when? this is the question.
Release date: unknown
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Elder Scrolls VI
Another awaited game from Bethesda's side is generally coming to the next generation but according to news, don't expect it anytime soon.
Release date: Unknown. May be 2022
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Hitman III
The third part of the Hitman World of Assassination series has been announced, this part will be the last and will be the darkest of them. Its events take place in Dubai in some missions, but you can expect the return of all the beloved elements from the past parts such as disguise, stealth, and innovative ways that you can reach your goals.
Release date: January 2021 for PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC
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Battlefield VI
EA did not announce it for a moment, even after the end of the EA Play exhibition, but the company stated that its game will be released for the next generation only with the PC. According to a leak, its events may take place in the modern era for the first time since Battlefield 4, and we hope so.
Release date: unknown
Dragon Age 4
We did not get a new announcement for Dragon Age 4 for a moment except for some hints, in general, it was confirmed that it is already a next-generation game.
Release date: unknown
Next Need For Speed segment
We learned from this news that Criterion Games is currently working on the next part of Need For Speed, and it will be the largest and widest game in the series, and of course, we can assure that it will be a next-generation game and so far, it has not been announced.
Release date: unknown
The Sims 5
We only learned that Sims 5 is coming to the next generation including PS5 through Playstation UK magazine, but EA didn't mention anything about it for a moment.
Release date: unknown
Dying Light 2
After postponing, again and again, we can say that Techland still has a lot to do before refining the game Dying Light 2 optimally, and therefore, it may be released in a large proportion for the next generation. Until now we do not have any other information about the survival game that has a world full of Zombies and has a Parkour system. Outstanding.
Release date: 2020
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Sniper Elite 5
Believe it or not, dear reader, there is a new part of Sniper Elite, and also the developer has not announced anything about it for a moment, we learned about its coming to the next generation through the report of Playstation UK magazine.
Release date: unknown
Observer System Redux
A game of the type of mystery, investigation with the side of suspense and excitement, puts you in the shoes of a detective who analyzes crimes with very modern technical means and then traces the perpetrator to the end, the events of the game take place in a future world similar to the world of Cyberpunk 2077, and the truth is that the game was a masterpiece when its developer showed us An extended section of the gameplay, as the game is beautifully decorated with ray tracing technology.
Release date: 2020 holiday season for all next-generation platforms.
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Elden Ring
We do not know anything about the Elden Ring game developed by From Software in cooperation with writer George RRMartin, but as long as the game is with him, we will wait forever, it is assumed that this will be the expected new Souls game, but its news has been cut short for a while and it is expected that we will not hear about it until 2021.
Release date: unknown
Lords of The Ring Gollum
A new game for the Lord of The Rings puts you in the Gollum shoe, one of the most prominent monsters or characters in this world. We do not have many details, but the game is coming to the next generation.
Release date: unknown
WRC 9
As far as we know, it has joined the WRC 9 series, which is one of the most prominent racing games for Codemasters, the team that develops the Dirt series, but in general, there is a new part waiting for us from WRC 9 for the next generation and so far has not been officially revealed.
Release date: unknown
Star Wars Squadrons
Up to this point, EA has not officially announced that its next satellite game will come for the next generation, but its release date is in October and therefore I think that an improved version is waiting for us soon. More about the game, its story, stages, Cross-Play, and Multiplayer, here is the link.
Release date: October 2 for the current generation and PC
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Dirt 5
The most famous realistic racing game ever is officially coming to the next generation, and it seems that Codemasters has literally excelled in that game as it introduces a heavily modified Career mode for the first time that will feature both Troy Baker and Nolan North with a very large list of races, circuits across the tracks of the world and inside the atmosphere Very dynamic, the multiplayer is here, everything is here and the graphics look fabulous, the game will support 4K display resolution with a frame rate of up to 120 frames on Xbox Series X and it is also highly optimized for it, all the details announced for the game you can find here.
Release date: October 2020 for PS5, Xbox Series X, PC, the current generation, and Stadia
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The awaited Batman game
I don’t know how long I’ll be waiting for this game from Warner Bros Montreal, but it seems that it could happen at the DC fandom event on August 22nd, where we might see the first show of the upcoming Batman game, which is sure to come to the next generation.
Release date: unknown
Harry Potter RPG game
At least, we know some details about that game from Avalanche's side, it will be an RPG, an open world where the Hogwarts school is explorable. It is assumed that you will play with a normal wizard and learn magic arts until you reach higher levels.
Release date: 2021 or so it should be
NBA 2K 21
During the PS5 event, we saw NBA 2K 21 for the first time ever and it looks like it will be stunning in terms of graphics, from sweaty to realism of the moves themselves.
Release date: 2020
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Metal Hellsinger
This game is a mix between Doom and Beat Saber in terms of music, where you will kill monsters in the form of a fast shooter like Doom with the same brutality, but with musical rhythms such as Beat Saber, the idea is different, it looks promising and officially confirmed its coming to the next generation.
Release date: 2021, for the next and current generation, and for PC
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Chivalry II
A game of the type of planning, wars, and strategy, which looks very good, especially in the aspect of war and fighting.
Release date: unknown, for current, next-generation, and PC
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Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines II
This game introduces you to the world of vampires, and the most wonderful thing is that you will play with one of them from a list that includes different types of them and each has his own personality, abilities, etc.
Release date: 2020 for the current and next-generation as well.
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Sherlock Holmes Chapter One
Studio Frogwares is now working on a new game for Sherlock Holmes Strana that we control in his early days and in the early days of his career as a detective before he became famous in this way, the events of this part take place on an island in the Mediterranean where he tracks Sherlock who killed his mother, gets to know Watson and then they travel To London - The methods of investigation and linking conclusions with each other will return again. You will also be able to disguise themselves for the first time only to speak to certain people, and so on.
Release date: 2021 for the next generation PS5 and Xbox Series X, the current generation, and PC
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Control
Remedy announced a while ago that its game Control will be among the titles that support the next generation, whether Xbox Series X or PS5.
Release date: unknown.
Scarlet Nexus
A fighting game based on anime by Bandai Namco, coming for PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC
Release date: unknown
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Read: GTA5 enhanced version may be exclusive to Playstation 5
Other third-party games:
- Chorus, coming in 2021 for the current, next-generation, for PC and Stadia
- In Sound Mind is coming for PS5 in 2021
- Dustborn is similar to Walking Dead in 2021
- Cris Tales game on November 17th for the current and next-generation as well.
Games to get a free PS4 upgrade to PS5:
I talked to you about the idea of Cross Gen games that are issued between two generations and the idea of a free upgrade, which is simply followed by Xbox through the principle of Smart Delivery. As for Sony, it leaves the issue of the current generation games on specially developed copies for the next generation in the form and free upgrade in the hands of the developers, more information about each You can find this dilemma here:
Playstation has announced some games for PS4 that are free for PS5 if you buy them on the current generation, and they are:
GTA V
For the third time, GTA V is released for the new generation after its release on PS3, PS4, and now for PS5, and this announcement occurred during the platform unveiling event that Rockstar Games started with its slogan that almost whacked us to follow with a provocative announcement about GTA V coming for free for PS5 if I owned it as a player on The PS4, of course, in an improved image befitting the features of PS5 and the next generation in general, the improved version will be available with the launch of the PS5 and in addition to PS4 players getting it for free, they will get a million in-game currency every month until the official release of the platform.
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In general, I did not like the company's milking policy for GTA online in particular, so I wrote that article:
FIFA 21
Believe it first, believe, we learned about FIFA 21 coming for free for PS5 for PS4 owners through the Blog. He mentioned that point between the lines on the official EA website and not during the EA Play Gallery itself. What was shown in the EA Play event was how titles like Madden 21 and FIFA were used. 21 for next-generation capabilities graphically, details of that can be found here.
But we soon talked to us until we discovered in the official FIFA 21 Blog that the game will get a free upgrade for the PS5 and this applies to the physical and digital versions of the game, generally more details about the pre-order bonuses you can find here
Release date: October 9th on current, next-generation, and PC platforms.
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Marvel’s Avengers
One of the most anticipated games from Crystal Dynamics, which taught us new details and information in bulk from here:
The game will take us on a storyline journey in which we control our beloved superheroes as they try to confront the villain MODOK, we have a fun fighting style full of moves and superhero abilities, we have a very deep mod system, story, and co-op missions, RPG style, side missions and a lot more and above all, you will get Marvel's Avengers is getting a free upgrade to the PS5 if you own it on the PS4 and it will use all the features of the PS5 in terms of ray tracing, Dualsense, 3D audio, SSD and more.
Release date: September 4 for the current generation and PC, for the next generation.
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Cyberpunk 2077
It was CD Projekt Red who detonated the Cyberpunk 2077 delay bomb until November 19, but it followed this news with a positive thing, which is that the game gets a free upgrade for the PS5 if you bought it as a PS4 player, and this will happen through an initial update of the game using the Backward Compatibility feature for both platforms, followed by an update. Huge to add next-generation benefits and generally ended since the days of the Night City Wire event, which showed us important information about Cyberpunk 2077, and we analyzed journalists' impressions of it after four hours of play.
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Release date: November 19 for current, next-generation, PC, and Stadia at a later time.
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Madden 21
EA announced that Madden 21 will get a free upgrade for PS5 as well.
Release date: August 25 for the current generation and PC, next-generation at a later time.
Read: The SSD in the PlayStation 5 may limit the lifespan of the device.
Other games to mention:
Operation Tango 2021
Remothered Broken Porcelain 8/25
Ghostrunner 2020
Twin Mirror 2020
Haven 2020
Rogue Lords 2021
Everspace 2 2021
Torchlight III 2020
System Shock Redux
Empire of Sin 2020
Samurai Jack Battle Through Time 2020
Destory All Humans 28/7
XIII Remake 11/10
Star Renegades 2020
Prodeus 2020
Gothic Remake
Moonray 2021
Path of Exile 2
Cygni All Guns Blazing
Paradise Lost
So to recap, here is the exact list of PS5 release games:
Godfall
Spiderman Miles Morales
Astro’s Playroom
Dirt 5
Outriders
Observer System Redux
Deathloop
Madden 21
FIFA 21
GTA V
Cyberpunk 2077
Marvel’s Avengers
NBA 2K 21
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Destiny 2
Jett The Far Shore
Buggsnax
Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2
Those were all the details that you wanted to know as a player about all PS5 games, I hope you have reached this stage of the article already and hope you share your opinion and do not worry, a list exactly like the Xbox Series X games awaits you soon.
from Gaming News Center https://ift.tt/34YfJsk
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Sworn Enemies PT 10 (Sneak Peek)
A/N: I promised a sneak peek, so here’s a sneak peek. The chapter opens with this flashback and there’s a lotta action in it so I really wanna get it right! Merry Christmas! x
Apparently it was wrong of you to assume that your wedding night would be between just you and Alfred. Instead, here you were, standing in the middle of your chambers, wearing nothing but a slip and a cloak, surrounded by strangers including a Priest and a few of your handmaidens.
Alfred stood in front of you, also dressed in his undergarments and a long cloak, clearly avoiding your eyes. You weren’t quite sure what was happening, but you trusted him, so you remained silent.
The Priest recited something in Latin as two men began taking off Alfred’s cloak. At that same moment, you felt two pairs of hands on your shoulders, attempting to pull yours off as well. In shock, you shrugged them off and turned to confront your handmaidens.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
The two women looked slightly intimidated as they answered, “Undressing you, my - Your Grace.”
You looked at them dumbfounded, “Why?”
The Priest stopped his recitation and turned to you. “Are you not aware of how marriage consummations take place?” he asked.
“Of course, I am,” you said, “But if that is what we are doing, why are you all still here?”
No one said a word. You looked between each of the men, waiting for an explanation, but none came. Not until Alfred spoke.
“The Priest has to bless the bed - as he has just done - and then they watch us...get into bed.”
You blinked, taken aback by his words. You had not been told that this was going to happen.
“It is how things are done, Your Grace,” the Priest said.
“I don’t care how things are done,” you snapped, narrowing your eyes and turning to Alfred, “Do you not think this is a little perverted?”
All the men in the room, bar Alfred, let out a horrified gasp.
“Excuse me, just what are you implying?” the Priest asked.
“I am not ‘implying’ anything,” you said, “I am saying that it is none of your business what Alfred and I do - or don’t do - on our wedding night.”
Everyone in the room looked at you like a woman who had just murdered an infant. Alfred sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair, “My Lords, may I have a moment alone with my wife?”
They all nodded and began shuffling out of the room, muttering incoherent sentences under their breaths and shooting death glares at you. As soon as the door closed shut, you let out a sigh of relief and visibly relaxed.
“Y/N-” Alfred began with a pleading tone in his voice.
“No, Alfred,” you swiftly cut him off before he could even begin to make a case for tradition, “I will not consummate my marriage like this.”
“I am not fond of the custom either, but it is tradition,” he said, “We don’t have a choice.”
You shot him a look and crossed your arms, “And if I told you that in Kattegat we would have to make a sacrifice to the gods, would you do that?”
“We are not in Kattegat, this is Wessex.”
“Yes. And I am not Saxon.”
He let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head, You knew that you were putting him in a difficult position, and that the Priest would not be happy if you didn’t go through with this, but nevertheless, you stood your ground. You had already compromised a lot since coming to Wessex, and this was one thing you would not waver on.
Alfred looked up at you, and upon seeing your arms still folded across your chest and your raised brow, he knew there was no talking you into this. “What am I supposed to tell them?” he sighed, finally giving in.
You let out a breath of relief and looked away thoughtfully. “You’re the King,” you said with a shrug, “Tell them whatever you want.”
He chuckled softly and pressed a kiss to your cheek. “Only for you,” he whispered, a gentle smile on his lips as he walked past you and out of the room.
You walked over to the side of the bed and sat down, letting out a deep breath as you ran your hand over the soft, silky material of the bedding. On the other side of the bedroom door, you could hear voices arguing and assumed that your refusal to do this ceremony was not going over well.
Before long, Alfred returned, shaking his head in annoyance, “We have agreed to dispense with the formalities.”
“You did?” you asked in disbelief.
Alfred shrugged his shoulders as he walked towards you and leaned against the wall, “Well, they were more reluctant than I, but the important part is that we came to an understanding.”
You cracked a smile as you nodded your head, knowing that they probably did not have much choice in that.
Alfred pushed himself off the wall and walked to the other side of the bed. He sat down on the edge of the bed, his back turned to you. Although you had been left to your own devices, you suspected that Alfred had only grown more anxious. You could see how tense his shoulders were from where you were sitting.
“Alfred?”
“Yes?”
You hesitated before speaking, “Are you scared?”
“I’m not,” he scoffed, but bowed his head and mumbled softly, “Just nervous.”
You knew Alfred had lived a more sheltered life than most and was not used to intimacy. This would be the first time, and you remembered how nerve-wracking it had been for you despite being exposed to it for most of your life.
You stood up slowly, removing your cloak in the process and letting it fall to the floor, before walking towards him. He flushed a little as you hiked up your slip and straddled his thighs, but made no move to push you off of him.
He froze as you slipped a hand under his silk shirt and shuddered as you lay your palm flat against his chest. Your lip twitched a little as you flicked your gaze up at him, “Your heart is beating very fast.”
He chuckled nervously and avoided your intense gaze. “Perhaps I’m...just a little bit scared,” he whispered.
You moved your hand from his cheek and brushed his hair out of his face. He let out a deep sigh at your touch and licked his lips nervously.
“You don’t have to be scared with me,” you spoke softly before leaning down and capturing his lips in a kiss.
#alfred x reader#king alfred x reader#king alfred#king alfred vikings#prince alfred#prince alfred x reader#alfred the great#Alfred vikings#alfred vikings season 5#vikings tv show#vikings series#vikings season 5#alfred vikings x reader#Alfred the great x reader#vikings fic#vikings imagine
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King Alfred Masterlist
SERIES
SWORN ENEMIES
PART 1: She’s Viking royalty, he’s Saxon royalty. They should hate each other. They really should…
PART 2: Ivar finds out about Y/N’s secret relationship with Alfred, and Alfred makes her a proposition.
PART 3: Y/N finally makes her decision.
PART 4: Y/N is surrounded by people who don’t trust her, and people she doesn’t trust. Alfred is forced to explain to his people why a Viking is living with him while Judith attempts to protect her son. Back in Norway, Ivar is forced to come to terms with the fact that he has driven his sister away.
PART 5: Alfred and Y/N deliver news that will change the Saxon and Viking world as they know it.
PART 6: Y/N continues training the Saxon army in preparation for the worst-case scenario. Alfred and Y/N finally get married. Y/N realises that there may be someone conspiring against Alfred. An unexpected guest arrives in Wessex.
PART 7: The arrival of Ubbe, Bjorn, Lagertha and Torvi causes some tension between Y/N and Alfred. Judith puts a plan in motion to replace Y/N with a more appropriate wife for Alfred, while Y/N learns of a conspiracy in the Church.
PART 8: The fallout of Cuthred’s murder. Princess Ealhswith arrives in Wessex, and Y/N finds out a secret that Alfred has been keeping from her.
PART 9: While Y/N is left reeling from Alfred’s betrayal and the news of her pregnancy, King Harald’s army approaches Wessex. Y/N investigates her suspicions.
PART 10: While Alfred and Y/N remain at odds, King Harald’s army moves in. An arrest is made, and Y/N learns of a possible sibling. Alfred and Y/N attempt to make amends before battle.
#alfred#alfred x reader#king alfred#king alfred x reader#alfred the great#alfred the great x reader#vikings imagine#vikings fic#vikings season 5#vikings#ivar the boneless#ivar x reader#hvitserk#bjorn ironside#lagertha#torvi#Prince Alfred x reader#Prince Alfred#alexander ludwig#ferdia walsh peelo#alex hogh andersen#kathryn winnick#ubbe x reader#ubbe ragnarsson#jordan patrick smith
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Sworn Enemies PT1
PAIRING: Alfred X Reader
WORD COUNT: 1640
WARNINGS: Violence.
SUMMARY: You’re Viking royalty, he’s Saxon royalty. You should hate each other. You really should…
Requested by @ryuzakiackerman1 : Hi can you do story about Reader and Alfred (Vikings) reader being Viking…. Saving his life and he falls for her….
A/N: This is a repost because my old blog got deleted. There’s a few changes. Reblogs and comments are always appreciated 💛
PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 | PART 7 | PART 8 | PART 9 | PART 10
The first time you saw Alfred was at the Battle of York, in the heat of battle.
You threw your axe into a Saxon soldier's back and watched as he fell to the ground. Stalking over to his fresh corpse, you pulled the axe out of his back, blood splattering all over your face.
"Seven," you muttered in satisfaction as you moved on to your next target. It was a ritual that you had started after the death of your father, Ragnar. Every battle since then, you had counted how many Saxons you killed, the numbers tallied on your back.
"Eight," you groaned as you sliced another soldier's throat. You threw your axe at an approaching enemy and smiled in satisfaction as it lodged into his face. You ran over and pulled out the axe, once again having your face coated in the blood of your enemy.
"Nine."
It was as you were standing up that you spotted him; Alfred. He was lying on the ground, shield up, as one of your Viking soldiers threw his hammer again and again against the shield. You watched as the shield started disintegrating before your eyes before you decided to interfere.
You stalked over to the Viking and shoved him hard in the back making him stumble, but he remained standing. He turned around with a growl, only to falter when he saw you standing before him.
"He's only a boy!" you seethed as you pointed your axe at Alfred.
"A Saxon boy!" he scoffed and punched you right in the nose. For a moment, your eyesight became spotty as the pain spread from your nose to the rest of your face, but once your vision cleared, you let out a loud growl and threw your axe into his back. As soon as he turned around to face you, you threw the axe into his neck.
He stared at you as he fell to his knees, eyes full of shock and anger. You knelt down and held him close to you as the life faded from his eyes.
"I'm sorry," you whispered, "Odin will welcome you into his Great Hall. Tonight, you shall feast with the Gods." As his body slumped against yours, you lay him on the ground before approaching Alfred.
He looked up at you with confused and fearful eyes. You sighed and held out your hand to him. He hesitated before taking it to pull himself up and used your body as a crutch. He held onto you as you walked him to the gate.
When you arrived just outside the gates, you were met by a man who immediately grabbed Alfred from your arms and stared you down angrily.
"Thank you," Alfred muttered as he breathed heavily, clutching the older man's chest, who you came to learn was his father, the King of Wessex.
Slightly taken aback by the sincerity of his gratitude, you simply nodded and turned around, heading back into battle.
__________________________
The next time you saw him was in the woods when you and a group of people had left York to go hunting. Your hunting party was ambushed by the Saxons and you were the only who survived. How? Alfred had spotted you before the slaughter began and led you to a nearby river.
"Why did you save me?" you asked, circling him slowly. Even though you knew he wasn't a threat, you wanted him to know that you were.
"I could ask you the same thing," he said, clasping his hands in front of him. He seemed calm despite the fact that he was now alone with you, a skilled warrior.
"You dress like a great warrior, but you don't fight like one," you finally relaxed, "I wasn't going to just let you die."
"Not many pagans share your ideology," he said, raising an eyebrow, "When your people attacked the monastery at Lindisfarne, they slaughtered monks. Men who hadn't ever lifted a finger to harm anyone."
You stared blankly at him, then at your surroundings and back to him.
"Would you like me to kill you then?" you asked entirely seriously as you waved your axe. He let out a low chuckle, his eyes dropping to the ground as he tried to control himself.
"No. I don't want you to kill me," he answered, a small smile on his face. You nodded and moved over to the river bank to sit down. You dropped your axe on the ground before collecting some of the water and pouring it over your head and face. He moved closer, and surprised you by sitting down beside you on the muddy bank.
"What is your name?", you asked him as you began to undo the braids in your hair.
"Alfred," he answered, raising his knees up slightly and resting his arms against them. You paused for a moment, looking him over, before letting out a loud laugh.
"What?" he asked, grinning at your sudden burst into laughter.
"My brother would kill me if he knew I saved the life of a Saxon Prince," you chuckled and resumed undoing your braids. His eyes narrowed slightly as he tilted his head to the side.
"My name is Y/N. My brother led the attack on your men at York," you informed him, but he didn’t look too surprised.
"Well...my father would kill me if he knew I saved the life of Ragnar Lothbrok's only daughter," he laughed softly which made you crack a smile.
"If you’d known I was a Saxon Prince," he began as he looked up at you, "Would you have let me die?"
You stared down at your reflection in the murky water, pondering the question for a moment, then looked up at Alfred. "No," you said, "Would you?"
"No," he answered, without hesitation and you felt a small smile growing on your face.
__________________________
For weeks after that second meeting, you would sneak out of York to meet up with Alfred. It wasn't long before you fell for each other. In him, you saw a quiet, kind and smart Prince, and in you, he saw a fierce warrior, with a gentle heart. A Saxon Prince and a Viking Princess. Everything about you both screamed that it was wrong, but it didn't feel that way to you, nor to him. And every time you left him, you swore that it was the last time, that you wouldn't return. But every time, you found yourself walking around the woods, calling out his name.
Like today.
"Alfred?" you called out when you saw that he wasn't at your meeting spot. He was always late, but you understood because the Saxons protected their royalty the way a mother does her newborn babe. He told you about the numerous manoeuvres he had to make to leave the camp without being seen, and you thanked the Gods for being Viking.
You heard the crunching of leaves behind you and turned around to face Alfred.
"I'm here," he grinned as he walked towards you slowly. You smiled softly as he took your hand in his and intertwined his fingers with yours. You both looked down at your hands, wondering how it was possible that you were both standing here together.
One of his hands rose to cup your cheek, his thumb stroking it softly as he leaned in and captured your lips in a sweet kiss. You felt his hand grip your waist and pull you closer as you smiled into the kiss. It didn't last long before he pulled away, leaning his forehead against yours.
Before Alfred, you'd been...involved with other men. Not one, not two, not even three. But it was different this time. With Viking men, there was this raw, animalistic nature. You found yourself having sex with them before the relationship had even been established...but not with Alfred.
He was gentler, he had even hesitated before he kissed you for the first time. You suspected it was due to him being Christian. They frowned upon intimate relationships before marriage. Despite the fact that you had never slept with him, only kissed him on the lips, almost chastely, there was this passion between you that you had never felt with anyone else before in your life.
He played with the hair that framed your face, his eyes staring into yours intensely before he spoke.
"What's wrong?" he asked, sensing the tension in your eyes. You had tried to make this moment last a bit longer, but he saw right through you.
"My brother, Ivar...He knows I've been leaving York," you sighed as you pulled away from him slightly, "He suspects something."
"And he thinks you've been seeing the Saxon Prince?" he chuckled as he pressed your knuckles to his lips, "That's a very big assumption to make."
"Ivar, although intelligent, is also very paranoid," you sighed, "He might not know about us, but he might be thinking that I am divulging battle plans to our enemies."
"So, what do you want to do?" he asked, eyebrows furrowing. You let out a loud sigh and rubbed your face with your hands.
"I don't know," you whispered, "Maybe I should stop coming."
"No." he stated, shaking his head, "Why would you do that?"
"Alfred...you and I both know that it is only a matter of time before your father or my brother finds out," you told him as you held his hand and ran your thumb against the back of his hand, "And if they don't, we're still at war. And one side has to win." He frowned, his grip on your hand tightening.
"Alfred?" you asked when he didn't say anything for a while. He simply pulled you closer and wrapped his arms around you. You buried your head in his chest, feeling his breath on your neck as he spoke.
"I'm not letting you go."
#alfred#alfred the great#king alfred#alfred vikings#alfred x reader#alfred the great x reader#king alfred x reader#alfred vikings x reader#vikings season 5#vikings#vikings imagine
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Sworn Enemies PT4
PAIRING: Alfred X Reader
WORD COUNT: 4332...maybe more after editing.
WARNINGS: None.
SUMMARY: Y/N is surrounded by people who don't trust her, and people she doesn't trust. Alfred is forced to explain to his people why a Viking is living with him while Judith attempts to protect her son. Back in Norway, Ivar is forced to come to terms with the fact that he has driven his sister away.
A/N: Please reblog and leave comments, I love reading them 💛
PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 5 | PART 6 | PART 7 | PART 8 | PART 9 | PART 10
MASTERLIST | INSTA
“IVAR!”
Hvtiserk stormed through the doors of King Harald’s hall, only to find Ivar lying leisurely on a bench opposite Harald.
“Calm down, brother,” Ivar rolled his eyes as he used his hands to prop himself up, “What is it?”
Hvitserk looked at the table that sat between Harald and Ivar. It was littered with various foods; meats from duck to beef, potatoes, gravy, and all kinds of vegetables. Half of the food had already been eaten, which explained why Harald and Ivar were looking fatigued.
“You feast while our sister remains missing?” Hvitserk yelled, boring holes in both men.
“She’s not missing,” Ivar waved a hand dismissively and lay back again, “She’s probably sulking somewhere over her Saxon prince.”
“We haven’t seen her in over a month.”
“Vestfold is a large place. There are many places to hide.”
Hvitserk let out a sigh as he sat down, deciding to take a calmer approach towards his brother.
“Yes, it is,” he said, focusing his gaze on Ivar, “And we have searched every inch of it. She is not here.”
Ivar paused, his eyes widening ever so slightly. It was safe to say that he was surprised.
“Well? Aren’t you going to say anything?” Hvitserk asked as he threw his hands in the air and stood up, “You act as if you don’t even care!”
He stared down Ivar with fury in his eyes. Ivar could see his hands shaking in anger, but he simply ignored it. It wasn’t true after all. No one cared about his sister more than he did. No one.
***
The Great Heathen Army was marching towards Wessex, but had stopped at Repton to feed and water the horses. Ivar sat in his chariot silently as his horse fed from the river. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ubbe, Hvitserk, and Sigurd talking and laughing as their horses drank. Bjorn was deep in conversation with King Harald. Everyone had someone to talk to - everyone but him.
More often than not, Ivar felt like an outcast amongst his brothers. He didn’t feel like a famed ‘Son of Ragnar’. More like a nobody. Someone who had to try harder for recognition. The only people who had made him feel loved were his sister, and his mother. His mother had loved him more than anyone else in the world - and now she was dead.
Ivar clenched his fists as Lagertha’s face entered his mind. She was the reason why he was now alone. Perhaps that’s why he challenged his brothers at every turn, and why he was angry all the time. It wasn’t just because of his legs, it was the loneliness.
“Ivar,” he heard a soft voice come from behind him. When he turned around, he saw Y/N climbing onto his chariot. She stood beside him and rested her arm on his shoulder, “What are you thinking about?”
Ivar smiled and turned back to the river, “Our mother.”
She nodded as a small smile found its way onto her face. “I miss her too,” she whispered softly. Ivar turned around to look at her, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
“You do?” he asked as she looked down at him.
“You sound surprised.”
“I assumed you shared our brothers’ feelings towards our mother’s death,” he spat as he remembered their indifference, “They don’t care.”
Y/N shook her head as she turned to look at their laughing brothers. “I’m sure deep down they care,” she murmured, “Perhaps, just not enough.”
“Mother didn’t show any of us as much affection as she showed you,” she added as she turned back to Ivar who was looking straight ahead, “But I know she loved me. She made sure I learned how to protect myself and taught me how to read...She loved all of us.”
They were both silent for a long time. Eventually, the rest of the camp started getting ready to continue the journey. As Y/N turned to jump off the chariot and go to her horse, Ivar spoke up.
“I was thinking,” he began thoughtfully, “What if we changed our tactics during the battle?”
“What do you mean?”
“The Saxons will be expecting us to fight in a certain way,” he continued, “If we came up with a new strategy, expanded the battlefield, they will be caught off guard.”
“Ivar, that’s...brilliant,” she said, “Have you told Bjorn?”
Ivar scoffed, “He won’t listen. He thinks I’m just a child.”
“Well, this is a chance to prove to him otherwise,” she said, encouraging him, “You may not have full physical strength, but you're very smart, Ivar. And your intelligence will serve us well. In this war and all wars to come.”
Ivar paused for a moment before nodding slowly.
*
When Bjorn finally found a suitable area for the army to make camp, Y/N descended from her horse and started helping the rest of the men unload the weapons and food from various wagons. Half-way through unloading one of the wagons, she spotted Bjorn climbing back on his horse with Ivar behind him on his chariot, ready to depart.
She walked up to Ivar and climbed onto his chariot.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going with Bjorn to take a look at tomorrow’s battlefield,” he said nonchalantly, then looked up at her with a smirk.
She let out a laugh and grabbed Ivar’s face in her hands. “I told you,” she smiled, “Listen to your sister and all will be well.”
She ruffled his hair and jumped off the chariot, walking back to the wagon. Ivar smiled to himself as she walked away.
Maybe he wasn’t alone after all.
***
“I care,” Ivar said through gritted teeth, his eyes blazing as his hands balled into fists.
“I told you when one of our ships went missing,” Hvitserk continued angrily, “She’s GONE!”
Ivar slammed his fist against the table, and suddenly, the room descended into eerie silence. The only sound that could be heard was Ivar and Hvitserk’s heavy breathing.
“Where could she be?” Ivar muttered to himself, a hint of worry in his voice.
“There is only one place I imagine your sister would go after your betrayal,” all eyes snapped to Harald who had finally spoken up, “Ubbe.”
“We didn’t betray her.”
“Oh, didn’t you?” Harald smirked as he raised an eyebrow and stuck a forkful of potatoes in his mouth.
“And Y/N would never side with Lagertha,” Hvitserk added, but Harald simply chuckled.
“Wouldn’t she?” Harald shook his head at the two younger boys. His own brother was siding against him in this war, why wouldn’t their sister?
__________________________
You leaned against a book shelf as you looked out of the window thoughtfully. It had been a week since you arrived in Wessex, and according to Alfred, his people were getting restless. Right now, one of Alfred’s advisor’s was cautioning him on how to proceed.
“The people are questioning why the King has a Viking living in his home,” the man, you hadn’t caught his name, said, “They need an explanation.”
“Then we won’t tell them that she’s Viking.”
“They already know that she is.”
Alfred let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, “And how did they find out?”
“Saxon guards have always had loose lips,” you spoke up from your corner as you picked some nonexistent dirt from under your nails. When you looked up, the Lord was looking at you incredulously, while Alfred had the hint of a smile on his face.
“Er, yes. The guards are responsible for leaking the information,” the man chose to ignore your comment as he turned back to Alfred, “The people are already uncertain about your capabilities as King, this will only sew more doubt.”
“And do you doubt my capabilities, Lord Durwyn?” Alfred’s eyes were threatening.
“No, no, Your Grace! Of course not!” the man said hurriedly. You almost laughed at the sudden fear in his eyes, and from the look on Alfred’s face, he was amused too.
“We’ll hold a meeting tomorrow to introduce Y/N to them,” Alfred sighed as he stood up from his chair, suddenly standing over the man, “Is that all?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Then you may leave,” Alfred raised a hand and the man immediately left the room. He placed a hand on his hip as he let out a heavy sigh and turned to you with a tired smile.
“My grandfather never told me that being King was so stressful,” he chuckled softly. You walked closer to him and wrapped your arms around his waist, his hands immediately resting on your hips.
“That’s because he had less than holy ways to relieve it,” you smiled up at him innocently. A blush tinted his cheeks as he chuckled softly and looked away from you.
“Alfred?”
You immediately pulled away from Alfred when you saw Judith, his mother, enter from the door behind him.
“Mother? What is it?”
She smiled and placed a hand on his arm, guiding him towards the door. “Lord Manton has some matters to discuss with you.”
“What matters?”
“He didn’t say,” she shook her head quickly. Alfred shrugged and left the room anyways, but not before throwing a quick smile at you over his shoulder.
As soon as the door closed shut, Judith turned to you with a forced smile, “Y/N. Good morning.”
You nodded, not knowing what to say to her.
“I hope you’re finding your stay here comfortable?” she asked, seemingly concerned, but there was something off about her tone.
“As comfortable as a Viking could be in this place,” you chuckled as you tugged at the dress you'd been given to wear, “The dresses are tighter than I would like. And the people...colder.”
“Well...If you’re not comfortable here, you can return home,” she said as she circled the table and walked closer to where you stood, “I’m sure Alfred would understand.”
You smiled thinly at her as Judith masked her true intentions with a smile, “I can assure you, Judith, I will be fine here. With Alfred.”
The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife. A frown made its way onto her face, and you knew that her real feelings were about to out.
“Alfred is my son,” she said through gritted teeth, “I will not stand idly by and watch as he is manipulated by a pagan with a pretty smile and whatever is under her dress.”
You tried to hold it in, but the laughter that escaped your lips was uncontrollable. It only served to leave Judith seething–of course, she maintained an outward appearance of composure.
“You will be happy to know that your son is a devout Christian and remains chaste,” you rolled your eyes at her, “As for your other accusations, I have no reason to manipulate Alfred. Believe it or not, I care about him. Not that I have to, or even care enough, to prove it to you.”
You stepped closer to her as you spoke and smiled. You were much taller, and you hoped it was intimidating.
“I admire the way you care about your son - it’s honourable - but I won’t be scared off so easily,” you said, “And I don’t know much about you Saxon women, but I don’t have to spread my legs to manipulate men.”
Her jaw clenched as she eyed you. You waited for her to say something, but as it became clear she had nothing to say, she frowned and stormed out of the room.
You let out a sigh when she was gone and flopped down into the chair Alfred had previously been sitting in. You threw your legs over the arm of the chair and leaned back.
Judith’s concern over Alfred had gotten to you. She had every right to be worried about him; any sane person would be. It made you think about your mother. Would she have been concerned about your relationship with Alfred? Probably not. Although she loved you, the only person she ever really worried about was Ivar.
But there was always someone who worried about you. Your father, Ragnar. You smiled as you thought about him. You had so few memories of him, but every single one brought a warm feeling in your heart. He loved you more than anyone else in the world, and you always thought it was because of the other daughter he lost. He always told you that you reminded him of her–but much fiercer. And you were certain that until his dying breath, he had loved you the most.
***
He was back.
After ten years, your father had finally returned. When you emerged from the crowd and saw him, you felt like you couldn’t breathe. He looked at all of your brothers before he stopped in front of you. His placed his hand against your cheek ever so softly before turning away from you and addressing the crowd. You froze in place. You never thought you would see him again. Everything that came out of his mouth was just white noise. The only thing you could focus on was the fact that he was here.
Now here you were, hiding behind a tree as you watched him from a distance. He was sitting at the trunk of a tree, twiddling a stick in his hands. Your brothers had just left him there after refusing his offer to go with him to England. It wasn’t a secret that they were angry with him; you understood why. But for some reason, you weren’t.
Yes, you wondered why he left and why he stayed away so long...why he never even said goodbye. But you weren’t angry.
Slowly, you emerged from behind the tree and began walking towards him. His head snapped up at the sound of your footsteps and when his eyes landed on you, he shot to his feet in surprise.
You nervously approached him as his eyes seemed to avoid yours, but when you stopped in front of him, he finally looked at you.
What was that in his eyes? Guilt? Shame?
“Y/N,” he whispered in the quietest voice you had ever heard him use. You looked over him properly, your eyes scanning over his dirty clothes and beard. You wondered how long it had been since the last time he bathed.
Despite the smell and any hidden resentment you still felt, you hesitantly wrapped your arms around him. As you buried your head into his chest, a sigh of relief escaped your lips and you shut your eyes. You squeezed him tighter when you felt his arms slowly hug you back and his chin rest on your head, making him chuckle. You knew the tears that had rolled down your cheeks were soaking through his shirt, but he didn’t complain.
Eventually you pulled away from him with a smile.
“You’ve grown,” he said proudly as he placed his hands on your shoulders.
“And you...smell,” you scrunched up your nose and brushed his hands off you which made him laugh.
“Shut up,” he lightly punched your shoulder the way he used to do when you were a child. You both fell into a comfortable silence as you sat down at the trunk of the tree again; your head resting on his shoulder.
“Why did you leave?” you asked after a short while, your hands playing with blades of grass.
He let out a heavy sigh and looked up at the sky, “I had my reasons.”
You nodded, knowing that he wouldn’t elaborate further than that.
“Why did you come back?”
“To see what has become of my sons. And you.”
“And now you want them to go with you to England?”
He nodded as a look of disappointment crossed his face, “They don’t want to come.”
You dusted off your hands and looked up at Ragnar, “They’re just angry.”
He turned to look at you with a raised brow. “Are you angry?” he asked. His smile was teasing, but it was clear he was holding his breath for your answer.
You didn’t have to think about it.
“No.” You shrugged your shoulders and sat up to look at him properly, “And I want to go with you.”
Ragnar did a double take before frowning at you, “Go with me where?”
“To England, of course.”
“No.” He said it like it was a done deal and attempted to brush the subject away.
“No?”
“No.” He looked to you with stern eyes, “I will not put you in harm’s way.”
“Father, I’m not a child anymore,” you said, getting increasingly annoyed, “Mother put away her pride and let Lagertha train me. I can fight. I can protect myself, I-”
“I don’t care!” The loud sound of his voice startled you into silence. He focused his gaze on you, eyes serious, and his voice firm, “It is too dangerous.”
You frowned and turned away from him, folding your arms across your chest.
“You are my only daughter–my heart,” he whispered softly, “I don’t care that you are strong, I would never risk your life.”
You let out a heavy sigh and moved back to his side in defeat, your head resting on his shoulder again as he wrapped an arm around you.
Ragnar was never one to express his feelings very often. He had only told you that he loved you once, when you were young. But he showed you and told you in many other ways since then.
This was the last time he ever did.
***
“This is Y/N Ragnarsdottr. A friend and ally of the Crown.”
You stood beside Alfred who sat on his throne addressing his court. You didn’t recognise any of the faces, but from what Alfred had told you earlier, they were Dukes, Lords and a few common people. And from the looks on their faces, they weren’t happy with what they were hearing.
“‘Friend’? ‘Ally’? How could you use these words to describe a pagan? A heathen?” one of the Dukes said and you rolled your eyes in response.
“She is Ragnar Lothbrok’s daughter. She has taken Saxon lives along with her heathen brothers,” another continued from where the previous stopped, “You can’t trust her.”
“She could be a spy,” this time, it was one of the common folk, “Just waiting for her brothers to return so they can bring more hell and carnage to our lands!”
You let out a scoff as you stared the men down.
“Am I allowed to speak?” you finally said. Alfred looked up at you and nodded, granting you permission.
“I would like to say one thing,” you began as you stepped forward, “I have been alone with your King more times than I count. I saved his life at the Battle of York, when your men couldn’t,” a smirk formed on your lips, “If I wanted him dead - I assure you, he would’ve been dead a long time ago.”
You watched the various reactions that crossed their faces–from fearful, to horrified.
“That is all.” You stepped back when you finished and nodded to Alfred, who was struggling to fight off a smile.
“Your concerns do not fall on deaf ears,” Alfred reassured them, “But I trust Y/N, and it is with this trust that we can find a way to end the war with the Vikings. We were at this point, years ago when my grandfather, and her father tried to call a truce. That allyship failed due to a lack of trust.”
He paused in an effort to allow his words to connect with the people, “I won’t be making that same mistake.”
There was silence in the room as everyone mulled over what he said, but then someone broke it.
“With all due respect, Your Grace,” one man foolishly began as he stepped forward, “Why would she help us? Why would she leave her brothers to come here?”
Alfred faltered for a second, and you noticed. He didn’t have an answer to that
“Are you questioning the decisions of your King, because that is who I am; your King,” again, you saw that side to Alfred, the aggressive side shrouded in a composure–just like his mother, “In case you’ve forgotten.”
“Absolutely not, Your Grace, I-”
“Good.” Alfred cut him off as he stood up, “Then we’re done here.” He turned to you and nodded, signalling for you both to leave the room.
That went well.
__________________________
Later that night, you found yourself knocking softly on Alfred’s door. Judith had made sure that your room was on a completely different wing to Alfred’s, so it was quite a walk to get there.
He opened the door slowly, looking confused when his eyes landed on you.
“I’m sorry, were you sleeping?” you asked when he rubbed his eyes.
“No, no,” he shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. He hesitated for a moment before opening the door wider, “Come in.”
You entered, the door closing shut behind you, and walked towards the bed to sit down.
“I wanted to talk to you,” you began as he sat beside you, his body angled towards you.
“What about?”
“After what happened today, I’ve been thinking,” you said, playing with your fingers nervously, “Maybe I should go back home.”
“What?” Alfred suddenly seemed more alert, “Why?”
“I saw the way your people reacted when you spoke to them,” you explained, “I don’t want them disrespecting you as King because of me. I think things would be easier if I came back when they were more comfortable with you as their leader.”
“I was only crowned two months ago,” Alfred said as he took your hands in his, “Those men will question every decision I make for the next six months. I don’t know how things work with your people, but here, people don’t shift their loyalties so easily.”
“Understandable.”
“You already know I want you to stay,” he whispered, “It’s only a matter of if you want to.”
You let out a heavy sigh and shrugged, “As long as I am not causing you any trouble.”
Alfred cracked a smile and took your hand in his, but your face fell when you remembered what happened at court. You didn’t want to keep anything from him, including the reason why you left your brothers behind.
You let out a sigh and frowned, “I saw the way you reacted when that man questioned why I would leave my brothers for you.”
Alfred said nothing, but his silence spoke many words.
“You never answered his question,” you raised an eyebrow at him.
“He didn’t deserve answer.”
“No, he didn’t,” you smiled and placed a hand against his cheek, “But you do.”
“When Ivar found out about...us, he imprisoned me and swore to kill you.” You paused to let the information sink in, “After the battle, he forced me to return to Norway and refused to tell me whether you’d lived or died. He tormented me with your fate and Hvitserk just did as Ivar wished.”
Alfred remained quiet as he paid attention to what you were saying. You let out a sigh as you continued. “He would have tormented me for as long as I lived. He didn’t care that it was hurting me, just that I was punished,” you said through gritted teeth, “That was when I knew...They don’t love me as much as I love them. So why should they have my loyalty?”
Alfred let out a sigh and wiped away a tear that had rolled down your cheek. “I’m glad you came here, but I’m sorry it’s because you fell out with your brothers,” he said, “And thank you for telling me.”
“If I’m going to stay here with you, I don’t want there to be any secrets between us,” you smiled as he wrapped his arms around you in a hug – completely unaware that in that moment, Alfred was consumed with guilt.
__________________________
Bjorn had loved his sister more than anything, and her loss was one of the most painful things he had ever experienced. So when you were born, he felt the responsibility of protecting you. You weren’t like the rest of your brothers, and thank the Gods, he thought, you weren’t like your mother. You were kind and caring. You weren’t arrogant, but loving. Just like Gyda, but much fiercer.
He cared about you, which is why when he met his brothers Ivar and Hvitserk again, on the battlefield, his first thought was of you.
“Where is our sister?” he asked when they rode up on their horses. Neither he nor Ubbe could see you at the front lines and you hadn’t rode up with Hvitserk and Ivar to meet them. In all honesty, he was relieved to see you weren’t there. He didn’t want to have to hurt you over a stupid war that shouldn’t even be happening.
Hvitserk and Ivar turned to look at each other, then back at Ubbe and Bjorn who glanced at each other. Their brothers were acting strange, and it was glaringly obvious.
“We thought she was with you,” Hvitserk asked as Ivar jutted out his chin proudly to mask his guilt.
“Why would you think that?” Ubbe’s eyes narrowed at Hvitserk in confusion.
But Bjorn knew exactly what was going on. His hands tightened on his horse’s reigns until his knuckles turned white. His nose flared and his left eye twitched as he tried to control his anger.
“What have you done, Ivar?”
***
This a repost of Sworn Enemies because my old blog got deleted. There’s a few changes, but it’s mainly the same.
Special thanks to these people! I’m glad you guys like this series 💛:
@shelbi-percifull , @florenceivy , @cbouvier23 , @icylodge , @simvez , @squirrelacorngliterfarts , @writingeverynowand-then , @fromforeigntofamiliarity , @studyingthemind , @fuckthatfeeling , @brooklynalpha , @girl-obsessed-with-things , @deficilimbecile , @paarachvtes , @xbergiex , @olamishamigo , @xinyourdreamsx @camu-winchester , @feyrearcheron44 , @alpha-pac , @candyheartsandcigarettes , @ok-roemanov , @ajxlawley
#king alfred#king alfred x reader#Alfred vikings#alfred vikings x reader#alfred#alfred x reader#alfred the great#alfred the great x reader#alfred vikings season 5#king alfred vikings#vikings season 5#vikings imagine#vikings#vikings tv show#ivar the boneless#ivar x reader#hvitserk#hvitserk x reader#Bjorn Ironside#bjorn x reader#bjorn ironside x reader
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Sworn Enemies PT6
PAIRING: Alfred X Reader
WORD COUNT: 5776 pre-editing
WARNINGS/THEMES: Fluff…mostly.
SUMMARY: Y/N continues training the Saxon army in preparation for the worst-case scenario. Alfred and Y/N finally get married. Y/N realises that there may be someone conspiring against Alfred. An unexpected guest arrives in Wessex.
A/N: Please reblog and leave comments, it’s what I feed on 💛
PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 7 | PART 8 | PART 9 | PART 10
MASTERLIST | INSTA
“What makes Vikings such great warriors?”
Ten men stood before you, each of them with their hands behind them, backs straight and eyes forward. You were almost certain that if you suddenly began to undress, not one man's stance would waver.
These men were chosen by the former Commander. “They are the best of the best,” he had said. You would have preferred to observe and select your own men by yourself, but the Saxons were already unhappy with Alfred’s choice to name you Commander, so you decided to accept the men he presented.
They were to learn from you and relay the knowledge they learned to the rest of the army, making it faster and easier to whip them into shape. So far, they seemed to be receptive and had proved themselves to be capable. But to beat your enemy, you have to know them, and these men knew nothing about Vikings.
The men were silent as they stared straight ahead and you raised an eyebrow, “That was not a rhetorical question, I am looking for an answer.”
They remained silent.
“No one can answer?” you asked as you looked at each man in front of you.
“You,” you pointed at one of the soldiers to your right and he immediately stepped forward, “What makes the Vikings such great warriors?”
The man glanced awkwardly at the men around him before clearing his throat, “I have never fought a Viking army.”
Your eyebrows shot up in surprise as you walked closer to him, “Never?” He shook his head once more, looking ahead as you spoke to him. You let out a heavy sigh and began walking back to where you were stood previously, muttering, “That is not reassuring.”
“But my father fought them.” You stopped in your tracks and turned around when the soldier spoke again.
“He said they fought like they were not afraid of death.”
You struggled to hide the smile that formed on your lips. “Yes,” you cleared your throat and continued addressing all the men, “And why do we fight like we do not fear death? Hm?”
“Because you are all savages,” one of the soldiers on your left spoke.
An eerie silence descended over the courtyard as your eyes narrowed. A few of the slaves around had paused their work to observe what would happen next. You clasped your hands behind your back and walked towards the soldier, lips pursed in anger, stopping right in front of him.
One second, you were staring at him with hard eyes and the next, your fist was connecting to his nose. Blood streamed from his nostrils as he gripped his nose tightly with his hand. After a few seconds, he released the nose, letting the blood flow, before standing back at attention, arms at his side.
“I asked for factual reasons, not your opinions,” you spat as you turned to return to the the front, “Anybody else?”
The silence was deafening. The disappointment was clear on your face as you let out a sigh and shook your head.
“You must know your enemy, understand them, their culture, their beliefs, if you want to defeat them,” you spoke, loudly so each and every one of them could hear you, “We fight like we do not fear death because we believe that dying on the battle field grants us entrance to Valhalla, or for you, heaven.”
You paused for a moment to let your words sink in before addressing them again, “Do you fear death?”
One of the soldiers snorted, “Everyone fears death, my Lady.”
You cracked a smile, “Unless I am in a dress, I would prefer it if you referred to me as ‘Commander’.”
“Yes, Commander.”
“So, why?” you asked and he glanced in your direction in confusion, “Why should you fear death if you are going to heaven?”
You clasped your hands together in front of you then walked along the row of men. “Are you sinners?” you asked rhetorically, cocking an eyebrow.
Stopping in your tracks, you faced the soldiers with a hardened gaze. “I hear you have a very forgiving God,” you said, “Pray. Repent. I don’t care what you have to do.”
“From this day forth I want you to fight like Vikings,” you commanded, meeting as many eyes as you could, “I want you to move like Vikings. Think like Vikings...Be Viking.”
Silence descended over the courtyard. Only the sounds of birds squawking were discernible. A feeling of pride overcame you as each of them hung on your every word. They were your army.
Your instruments of wrath.
***
Alfred had been watching you from the balcony above the courtyard. His eyes never left your form, whether you were simply talking to the men or sparring with them. He was in awe. After the session, when you looked up to see if he was still there, he finally shifted his gaze away from you in embarrassment. It didn’t matter because you had already felt his eyes on you.
As you approached him, Alfred outstretched an arm, intending to wrap it around you, but you drew back. “I don’t want to get your clothes dirty,” you chuckled, looking down at your muddy clothes. He simply rolled his eyes and hugged you anyways, placing a kiss on your forehead.
“You broke that man’s nose,” he laughed as he looked down at you. You looked to the man whose injuries were now being tended to.
“It will heal,” you shrugged which made Alfred raise an eyebrow before laughing once more.
You fell into a comfortable silence for a moment, which allowed you to think. The further into your mind you went, the guiltier you felt. Soon, the content smile on your face had been replaced with a frown.
“What is it?” Alfred asked, noticing your expression.
You let out a heavy sigh and looked up at him. “Do you think the Vi-,” you cut yourself off and rephrased the question, “Do you think my brothers will come soon?”
Alfred was clearly confused by the seemingly random question, but nevertheless, he shook his head and answered, “I don’t know.”
You let out a breath and looked down at the courtyard, “If they do come, do you think we will be prepared?”
“That is a question I should be asking you, don’t you think?” he asked, looking down at you, but you didn’t answer, nor did you look up at him, “Y/N. What's the matter, really?”
Shutting your eyes for a moment, you debated whether you should confess your fears to him. Then you heard him whisper, “You can trust me with whatever you are feeling,” as his thumb stroked the top of your hip.
Shaking your head, you opened your eyes and turned to face him, both his hands now resting on your hips, “I feel like a traitor. Like I have betrayed my people.”
“You told me yourself that the only reason you came here is because your brothers betrayed you,” he replied. You nodded your head and frowned.
“They did,” you whispered, “But Bjorn and Ubbe did not. And everything I'm doing here affects them just as much as it affects Ivar and Hvitserk.”
Alfred’s hands left your hips and rested on your shoulders, “Y/N, all of this is only a contingency plan.”
You sighed and shook your head. “Alfred, we have to be realistic,” you said, “Do you really think that there will be peace with no more bloodshed?”
Alfred dropped his arms to rest at his sides. “You’re right.”
“Both Vikings and Saxons have too much pride to settle this peacefully,” you continued, looking out into the courtyard once more, “There will be many more battles before anyone wins this war.”
“Y/N...” he trailed off, “I am trying to do this the best way I can.”
You turned to look at him and placed your hand in his. “I know,” you nodded, looking into his blue eyes, “But you do not think the way your people do, and as King, it is your responsibility to reflect your people’s views,”
“Or I can do whatever I please.”
You rolled your eyes. “Yes. As King, it means you can do whatever you want. But it also means that you cannot do whatever you want.”
Silence descended on you both once more.
“I keep thinking about my Uncle Rollo,” you whispered, “He betrayed my father and our people hated him for it - they still do. And he did it all for fame.”
“You have a better reason than your uncle did.”
Cocking your head to the side, you shrugged your shoulders. “Perhaps,” you said, “But I still wonder if my justification is good enough.”
A frown formed on Alfred’s lips and you looked away from him. You knew that saying that would hurt him, but you had to let him know how you felt. He let go of your hand and rested his hands on the balcony rail, looking out into the courtyard. You sighed and turned to face him, “Alfred, I’m-”
“Lady Y/N?” a young woman’s voice sounded from behind you. With a heavy sigh, you turned around to face her, an eyebrow raised in question. She cleared her throat, licked her lips and clasped her hands in front of her. You intimidated every woman - and some of the men - in this country, and you found yourself witnessing their fear every time they spoke to you.
“Lady Margaret sent me to tell you that your dress is ready for fitting,” the woman spoke. Lady Margaret was the seamstress who had been in charge of dressing you ever since you arrived in Wessex. She was one of the few women who had embraced you with open arms. She was arguably your only friend in the country. Except Alfred, of course.
“Can we have the fitting later, I’m...busy right now,” you said, glancing to Alfred for a moment.
The young woman looked uncertain. “The ceremony is tomorrow,” she explained, “I imagine Lady Margaret would want time to make any necessary adjustments.”
You let out a sigh, “Fine.” You gave a quick, backward glance to Alfred who was...it was hard to explain how hurt he looked. But it was not the time to talk. You turned back to the woman and nodded your head, “Let’s go.”
__________________________
You couldn’t recognise yourself in the mirror. The girl staring back at you, she looked like you, but at the same time, she didn’t. Because never had you ever looked this-
“Stunning.”
Through the mirror, you spotted the owner of the voice. He pushed himself off the door frame of the bedroom before walking in. “That dress is stunning,” he began as he stopped just behind you, “Perfect for the woman wearing it.”
“Thank you, Aethelred,” you forced a smile on your lips, “It is beautiful, isn’t it? Lady Margaret did a wonderful job.”
“It’s in her blood,” he shrugged, “Her mother made my mother’s dress.”
“I imagine she looked a vision.”
“I don’t doubt it,” he chuckled.
Focusing your gaze on the dress, you admired it once again, letting out a sigh of content as a smile tugged on the corner of your lips. The dress was red lace from top to bottom, with long sleeves and a neckline that rested just below your collar bone. The Saxons were not too keen on showing skin.
Aethelred suddenly moved closer, his fingers lightly tracing the intricate design on your waist line. The sensation caused the hair on your skin to stand on end, and you sucked in a sharp breath. You were irritated. “Look at that detailing,” he whispered, his breath fanning your face because he was standing so close.
You lifted your gaze to look at him through the mirror, and it was only then that you realised how close he was. He stood just behind you, close enough that the heat radiating from his body completely enveloped you. His hand was still on your waist, and his gaze fixed on you. A person who did not know any better would assume that he was the man you were marrying tomorrow - and that made you uncomfortable.
“Such a shame,” he murmured, “That you met him first.”
You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion and cracked a smile, “Why is that a shame?”
“If we had met first, perhaps I would be the man you were marrying.”
You blinked after his statement before soft laughter escaped your lips. When he did not join you, you immediately ceased your laughing and tilted your head up to look at him.
“You're serious?” you asked him, eyebrows raised in surprise, “You think if I had saved your life during the battle, you would be in Alfred’s place?”
His silence spoke many words. That was exactly what he was insinuating.
“You don’t agree?” he asked with a raised brow, he was genuinely surprised by your reaction.
“No. I do not.”
You turned back to the mirror and brushed his hands off of you, suddenly feeling irritated.
“Well,” he sighed, a forced smile on his lips, “It’s still a shame.”
You watched as he leaned down to whisper into your ear.
“It would have been nice to have you by my side when I'm King.”
You paused to let his words sink in.
When I’m King.
When.
By the time you registered what Aethelred had said, he had already disappeared from the room. He intended to become King soon, and the only way he could take that title from his brother is if Alfred died. A feeling of dread descended upon you as you connected the dots. Was Aethelred planning on murdering Alfred?
__________________________
Alfred occupied the biggest room in the castle. You had only been in there a handful of times, and even so, you had only ever gotten as far as the bed. Judith did not approve of your visits to see Alfred. She believed that you were trying to tempt Alfred into ‘sinning’. Quite hypocritical of her considering the story of Alfred’s conception. The truth is, she wanted you as far away from her son as possible, which would become impossible after the wedding.
Now here you were, standing in front of Alfred’s door. This was the first time you had ever felt nervous when going to see him. You were worried that he was still angry with you after what you had said earlier, a misunderstanding. You needed to apologise. He was the only person in the entire country that you could trust, and after your conversation with Aethelred, you feared that you were one of the very few that he could trust.
You knocked softly on the door and waited quietly.
No answer.
“Alfred?” you knocked slightly harder and called out his name.
Again, no answer.
With a sigh, you twisted the handle and pushed the door open. The bed chamber was empty, and his bed was made. It was getting quite late, you had assumed that he would be here.
Turning to leave, you stopped in your tracks when you heard sloshing sounds coming from the privy where his baths were usually drawn. You followed the sounds and peeked your head around the doorway.
Alfred was sitting in the bath, his arms resting on the sides and his head thrown back as he stared at the ceiling. He looked deep in thought.
“Alfred?” you called out softly. He raised his head at the sound of your voice, a shocked expression on his face when he found you standing there.
“Y/N,” he answered in surprise and sat up a little. You stepped forward and entered the room completely.
“I need to talk to you,” you said, clasping your hands in front of you, “Are you busy?”
He looked taken aback for a moment before shaking his head and gesturing to the stool beside the bath. You nodded and walked over to the stool to sit down. You started to wonder where the slave girl who washed him had gotten to. Why was he alone in here?
“Where is Agatha?” you asked, turning to face him. He simply shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.
“Very well.”
You sat in silence as you gathered your thoughts while Alfred soaked. He seemed tense, but you made no comment about it.
You knew you had to apologise to him, but the conversation you had with Aethelred earlier was nagging at you. Alfred trusted his brother more than anyone else. If you confessed your fears of his betrayal...you were afraid to find out who Alfred would choose to believe.
“Why are you here, Y/N?”
Alfred’s question pulled you out of your thoughts. You cleared your throat and adjusted your seating, “I came to apologise to you.”
He nodded but did not respond.
“Alfred,” when you called his name, he turned to look at you, “You know I didn’t mean what it must have sounded like to you."
His gaze softened, but still, he did not speak.
“Even though I don’t regret coming here to be with you, I have moments where I feel like I betrayed my people. My brothers, my mother and father’s memory,” you looked down at your fingers sadly, “You have to understand, I abandoned everything to be here with you, and it is not easy to just...let go. If you can't see that, then...”
You waited with a held breath for Alfred’s response, and eventually he spoke.
“I'm not angry,” he let out a breath, “I was just surprised. You've seemed so happy in the last few months.”
“And I have been,” you reassured him, “You were worth it then, and you are now. That has not changed.”
Alfred’s face broke out in a smile, “I would wait until after the wedding to say that to me.”
“Why is that?”
“My mother tells me that ‘marital bliss’ lasts only a short time,” he chuckled and leaned back in the bath, “Very soon, you will be tired of seeing my face.”
“Oh, I am sure,” you agreed sarcastically, “When we start having sex, that will definitely ruin our marriage.”
Alfred’s cheeks suddenly turned a deep red and you chuckled at his innocence.
“You are very sweet,” you placed a quick kiss on his lips then stood up. On your way out of the room, you turned around to smile at him, “I will see you at the wedding tomorrow.”
__________________________
It was the wedding day.
You stood just outside the throne room, alone, apart from two guards who stood by the door. Their hands rested on the handles, waiting for your signal to open the doors. You twiddled your thumbs nervously as you took deep breaths. You wished there was someone beside you to calm you down. Why did you have to do this alone?
“Can you remind me how the wedding is conducted?”
You had just returned from the courtyard where you’d been training some of the men in the army. Sometime in the middle of your earlier conversations, Alfred had stood behind you at your vanity and began helping you to undo the braids in your hair as you coached him on how to do so.
“The ceremony will take place in the throne room,” Alfred smiled, “With a few Lords, Dukes, and family.”
“Why not in the Church?” you asked in confusion, looking at him through the mirror.
“It is not the same for Royalty,” he answered, moving on to another braid, “The Bishop and Priest will come to the throne room and officiate the ceremony there.”
“I see.”
“Traditionally,” he continued, “The bride’s father would accompany her as she walks down the aisle. He would then hand his daughter to the groom; it symbolises the groom taking on the responsibility for the welfare and happiness of his bride. In our case, however, you will be walking alone because-”
“Because my father is dead.”
“Yes...”
“And even if he wasn’t, he has killed hundreds of your people,” you pursed your lips, “I sincerely doubt he would be welcome.”
“Yes...” Alfred cleared his throat awkwardly and continued, “So you will be walking alone.”
You had been preparing for this for the last few weeks, and it was time to face the crowd. You sucked in a sharp breath and straightened your back before nodding to the guards. At your signal, they pulled the doors open, revealing the throne room.
Clasping your hands together, you raised your chin slightly and began to walk slowly into the room. As soon as you entered, you realised every single pair of eyes was fixed on you. Suddenly, your strong gaze started to waver, and you felt the urge to run back out the way you came.
You turned away from the mirror and looked up at Alfred, “What if I get nervous?”
Alfred laughed like you had just told a joke.
“You? Nervous?”
“I will be alone,” you explained, “None of those people like me. I might feel intimidated.” You lowered your gaze and avoided his eyes, embarrassed to show any vulnerability.
“Yes, you will be alone,” he nodded then placed his fingers under your chin, tilting your head up, “And you won’t care.”
As you walked, you looked around at the staring people standing for you.
On the left side of the aisle, Margaret stood there beaming at you. It comforted you ever so slightly. You cracked the smallest of smiles and gave her a slight nod before turning to the right aisle.
Sitting in the front row was Judith and Aethelred. Shockingly, Judith was not scowling, nor did she look like she would explode at any moment. She looked...indifferent. You were visibly taken aback and found that your confused eyes remained on her until you reached the altar.
“You won’t be alone for long,” Alfred shrugged as his hands returned to your hair, “When you reach the altar, I will take your hand and the ceremony will officially begin.”
Alfred stood on the right side of the altar. He was wearing a velvet cloak, held together with a golden chain. His crown balanced atop his head and a soft smile graced his lips when he saw you. He took your hand in his as you approached. You held your joined hands up, visible for everyone to see as you faced the Bishop.
On the step in front of you was a table holding two lit candles and one unlit, a giant cross, a bell, and a small jug.
“We will both climb the step and kneel in front of the table.”
You awkwardly fixed the red veil covering your hair and adjusted your position on the floor. You were sure your knees were starting to bruise due to the hard concrete floor.
“Then the Bishop will hand us each a stick...”
You lifted your veil ever so slightly to glance at Alfred. You were unsure of what to do next. He must have felt your stare on his face because he turned to you and nodded to the lit candle in front of you.
You copied his movements as he used the candle in front of him to light his stick. Together, you lit the middle candle. A few days ago, Alfred had told you that it was a symbol of unification between the pride and groom.
“And finally, we take our vows.”
“Do you, Alfred, son of Aethelwulf, before all these witnesses here gathered, take this woman, Y/N, daughter of...” the Bishop swallowed thickly before continuing, “Ragnar as your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this moment until death parts you?”
"I, of course. will answer with -”
“I do.”
Alfred glanced at you for a moment and gave you a reassuring smile before turning back to the Bishop.
“Do you, Y/N, before all these witnesses, take this man, Alfred, to have and to hold, and forsaking all others, to serve and obey from this time henceforth until you die?”
“Obey?”
Once again you turned to face Alfred. “I have to swear to obey you for the rest of my life?” you asked, completely bewildered, “That is not marriage, that’s slavery!”
The conditions for marriage were completely different with Vikings. Your mother never had to swear to obey your father. Margrethe never had to swear to obey Ubbe. It was strange as well as insulting.
“It is the way we do things here,” Alfred shrugged, “You can seek comfort in the fact that you are not Christian. Your vows are not binding...to you.”
It seemed like everyone, from the guests, to the Priest and the Bishop, were waiting with held breaths for your answer. You couldn’t be sure which answer they were waiting and hoping for; ‘I do’ or ‘I don’t’.
You opened your mouth to answer when you accidentally inhaled some of the smoke coming from the burning incense that the Priest was holding. Alfred shot you a concerned look as you broke into a coughing fit, but you quickly recovered and waved him off.
You looked up at the Bishop and cringed, “I’m sorry.” His plain expression remained unchanged.
You cleared your throat and licked your dry lips nervously. Everyone was waiting. Pushing out every doubt in your mind, you sucked in a deep breath and nodded, “I do.”
The bishop gestured to you both with his hands, “You may stand.”
Both of you stood and clasped your hands in front you. The Priest handed you a gold ring, similar to the one he gave Alfred.
“Let these rings be a permanent sign that you are united in holy matrimony,” the Bishop declared as you and Alfred slipped the rings onto each other’s fingers, “In the eyes of these people, and in the eyes of God.”
A chorus of “Amen” was heard as Alfred took your hand and you both turned around to face the guests as man and wife.
The Viking princess and the Saxon King.
Married.
__________________________
“This is so strange.”
A feast was thrown in honour of the King and his new Queen that evening. However, what the Saxons referred to as a celebration, was actually quite dull. Viking funerals were livelier than this. Everything here was so...tame.
All through the feast, various people had approached yours and Alfred’s table to offer their congratulations and a few gifts. The whole time, you only managed to muster up a smile and a few thank you’s, but mainly left Alfred to do the greeting.
In all honesty, you were uncomfortable sitting there. You were surrounded by people you didn’t know in a dress that was starting to itch. Earlier, you were informed that it would not be lady like to scarf down all the food on your plate, and so, you were growing hungrier by the minute.
But above all else, you couldn’t shake the unfamiliarity of being referred to as someone’s ‘wife’, as well as the overwhelming guilt that came with the term. For every second of happiness you were feeling, there was a conflicting sadness over the fact that your brothers were not here. Neither was your mother...or your father.
Even if he was alive, would he have approved? Would he have hated you for, literally, getting into bed with a Saxon?
“What is?” Alfred asked from your side, pulling you out of your thoughts.
You glanced at him for a second then back to crowd and let out a deep breath. “Everything,” you sighed, “It’s so...surreal.”
“I agree,” he chuckled, “I was only getting used to being addressed as ‘King Alfred’. Now, there are two things I have to get used to.”
“I became a wife and a Queen of Saxons in one day, I think there is a lot more for me to get used to,” you downed the red wine in your chalice, glancing at Alfred over the top of the cup as you drank.
“I was not aware it was a competition,”
“It would only be a competition if you had a chance of winning.”
Alfred chuckled, amusement in his eyes, “Competing over who has more right to feel overwhelmed. I expect this is normal for newlyweds?”
“I suppose so,” you pursed your lips then turned to Alfred. You both let out a soft laugh just as Judith approached your table.
She was wearing a smile on her face. She looked from you to her son, hands clasped in front of her.
“It is...heartwarming to see the newlyweds so jovial,” she smiled. You awkwardly looked at Alfred, not knowing what to say. He was very well aware of your...strained relationship with his mother. She did not like you, and the feeling was not mutual.
“It was a beautiful ceremony,” she continued, then swallowed, “And you looked beautiful, Y/N.”
You were once again visibly taken aback by her compliment. She stunned you into silence.
“Congratulations to you both,” she finished and turned to walk away.
Alfred rose from his seat and walked around the table to his mother before pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Thank you, mother,” he smiled softly.
“Thank you, Judith, for your kind words,” you said, a little breathlessly, still in shock. She simply flashed another forceful smile before walking away to join a few of the other women in the room.
You were about to discuss what could have possibly caused Judith’s sudden change of heart when you were interrupted by Aethelred.
He walked up to the table, a proud smirk on his face and an empty goblet in his hand. “Brother,” he cheered as he grabbed Alfred’s face and placed a sloppy kiss on his face. Alfred couldn’t help but laugh at his brother’s drunkenness, but your laughter was forced. You were still wary of him after what he had said yesterday.
When I am King...
What did that mean?
“I never thought you would be the first to be married, brother,” he shook his head in disbelief, “And to a Viking woman! It says something that you had to look outside the country to find someone willing to marry you.”
You rolled your eyes as Alfred chuckled at his brother’s words. “Oh, I assure you brother, from Northumbria to right here in Wessex, the women are weeping over the great loss they have suffered today,” Alfred winked and sipped his wine.
“The women are more than welcome to seek comfort in my warm embrace-”
“Okay,” you cut them off as you stood up, “This dress is extremely uncomfortable, and seeing as you will be discussing women for the time being, I shall use this opportunity to rid myself of it. Excuse me.”
Alfred watched you as you descended the steps and manoeuvred through the crowd, until you exited the room before turning back to his brother. Aethelred was staring.
“Well?” his brother asked.
“’Well’, what?” Alfred downed his wine, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“Why are you still sitting here? Follow her.”
“What?”
Aethelred leaned forward to whisper into his brother’s ear. “You know the reason why you married the heathen. The one reason,” he hissed, “Now go and put a son in the woman.”
Alfred looked up at his older brother and nodded his head. Aethelred gave him a short squeeze on the shoulder before ushering him along. As Alfred walked out of the room, the guests erupted in cheers for what was about to come.
It was time to consummate the marriage.
__________________________
A significant amount of time had passed since the wedding.
Nothing changed much. You continued to train your men, while Alfred dealt with the pretentious Lords and Ladies that you had no patience for. You still had a temper that was best channeled into sparring.
It seemed like the Saxons had grown to trust you. There was no longer any animosity towards you, not any that was obvious anyways. The longer you and Alfred were married, the greater the pressure to produce heirs became.
You had been ill for a few weeks now, and Alfred was sure that the pregnancy was making you ill. Despite reassuring him that it was only a fever, he, along with his mother, brother and a few others, had insisted on you being seen by the midwife.
Which is why you were currently sitting in your bedroom, being examined by the midwife. She had taken some measurements and inspected your urine. Now, she was examining your breasts, a thoughtful expression on her face.
You were growing impatient. You were absolutely sure that you were not with child, but you still wanted a swift confirmation to expunge any and all worries.
“When was your last bleed?” she suddenly asked, looking up at you. You thought about it for longer than you expected. Was it...
“Um-”
“Lady Y/N,” you were interrupted by a young woman entering the room, “The King has requested your presence in the throne room.”
You let out a heavy sigh, “Can it wait?”
“I’m afraid he says it is urgent,” she shook her head, “You have visitors that he would like you to meet.”
You frowned in confusion before nodding your head, “Very well.” You rose and began to dress yourself with the assistance of a few of your hand maidens who had entered the room.
As you stood outside the throne room, you could hear loud chatter and what sounded like arguing. You could not hear Alfred’s voice, however.
What is going on?
You pushed the door open and entered the room. As you walked towards Alfred’s throne, the room grew silent and everyone stared at you.
“I would like you all to meet my wife, Y/N” Alfred said proudly as you stopped beside him. It was not an tone that you associated with him, which only added to your confusion.
You leaned down to whisper nervously in his ear, “What is happening, Alfred? Why are all these people staring at me?”
“You have guests,” Alfred pointed into the crowd of people, “From Kattegat.”
That one word sent you into a trance.
Kattegat. Home.
Who was here? Ubbe? Hvitserk? Ivar?
You stepped forward and squinted your eyes to see better. Standing somewhere in the middle was a tall burly man. His head was shaved bald, but his beard was blonde. His blue eyes stared at you intensely. Blue eyes that resembled your father’s. Blue eyes that you could never ever forget.
“Bjorn?”
*
This a repost of Sworn Enemies because my old blog got deleted. There’s a few changes, but it’s mainly the same.
Special thanks to these people! I’m glad you guys like this series 💛:
@shelbi-percifull , @florenceivy , @cbouvier23 , @icylodge , @simvez , @squirrelacorngliterfarts , @writingeverynowand-then , @fromforeigntofamiliarity , @studyingthemind , @fuckthatfeeling , @brooklynalpha , @girl-obsessed-with-things , @deficilimbecile , @paarachvtes , @xbergiex , @olamishamigo , @xinyourdreamsx @camu-winchester , @feyrearcheron44 , @alpha-pac , @candyheartsandcigarettes , @ok-roemanov , @ajxlawley
#king alfred#king alfred x reader#Alfred vikings#alfred vikings x reader#alfred#alfred x reader#alfred the great#alfred the great x reader#alfred vikings season 5#vikings season 5#vikings imagine#vikings#vikings tv show
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Sworn Enemies PT2
PAIRING: Alfred X Reader
WORD COUNT: 2914
THEMES: Fluff, Ivar being Ivar.
SUMMARY: Ivar finds out about your secret relationship with Alfred, and Alfred makes you a proposition.
A/N: This is a repost because my old blog got deleted. There’s a few changes tho. Reblogs and comments are always appreciated 💛
PART 1 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 | PART 7 | PART 8 | PART 9 | PART 10
It had been more than two weeks since your talk with Alfred and you had not stopped seeing him despite your little brother's growing suspicions. He made sly comments and stared at you every time you were in his presence. You knew you weren't doing what he thought you were doing, but you still found yourself feeling guilty. That was because you knew that your relationship with Alfred was a greater betrayal than giving up battle secrets.
"Will I see you tomorrow?" Alfred's blue eyes flicked up from your intertwined hands to look into yours.
"You ask me that question every day before we part," you smiled softly at his question, "You know better than to ask me." You leaned up and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips, his hand cupping your cheek. When you pulled away, his hand didn't leave your cheek.
"I shouldn't feel like this," he murmured, his eyes looking into yours as his thumb stroked your cheek softly. You swallowed thickly at the intensity of his stare.
"Feel like what?" you whispered, your voice coming out huskier than you had intended it to, but Alfred was unfazed.
"Like I love you," he said almost in a daze, then his eyebrows furrowed and his gaze focused on yours again, "I love you."
You let out a breath at his confession and dropped your eyes to the damp ground. Aside from your father, your mother and every brother with the exception of Ivar, no one had ever told you they loved you. No one. That was probably the reason why you felt hot tears prickling in your eyes.
"You do?" you felt your eyes well up as he nodded, a small smile gracing his lips, "I do too...I love you."
A wide grin broke out on your face at the realisation. Alfred leaned down and pressed a kiss to your cheek, but before he had a chance to pull away, you grabbed his face and smashed your lips against his. He pulled you flush against his chest as he kissed you back with just as much passion and fire in your hearts.
Your hands left his face and you wrapped your hands around his neck. You wanted to keep yourselves locked in this embrace, and you knew that without the extra encouragement, Alfred would have pulled away long ago.
During your heated kiss, you heard a crackle behind you, and apparently Alfred heard it too, because he pulled away from you just as abruptly as you did him. Your head snapped around to look behind you.
"Did you hear that?" Alfred whispered to you, his eyes looking in the same direction yours were.
"Who's there?" you called out. You listened as more footsteps retreated quickly and you turned to Alfred with alarmed eyes.
"You should go back to your camp, Alfred," you said, your voice panicked as you tried to push him to go, "It's not safe."
"They could be my men, then it's not safe for you," he gripped your upper arm to stop you from heading towards danger.
"I don't mean to insult your men, but I have no doubt that I can handle them," you smiled, your hand resting on the axe on your hilt. He looked down to where your hand rested and smiled.
"I forget your women are not like ours," he said before leaving. You knew you could handle Alfred's men, what terrified you was the thought of your men spying on you, and you felt sick at the thought of them reporting what they had witnessed to your brother.
__________________________
You walked into Ivar's version of the Great Hall in Kattegat and felt eyes staring at you as you walked towards his high table. He was sitting on it, legs dangling in front of him as he had some leftover meat from the meal he had just finished. Hvitserk stood somewhere to the left of you, leaning against a wall. His eyes followed you as well, but he didn't look angry, he looked...disappointed.
But Ivar...He didn't look like anything. Over the years, he had learned to conceal every single emotion he felt with what others would call an ‘evil grin’. He believed that since he already had a weakness, in the form of his legs, his emotions shouldn't be one too. The only way to tell what he felt was by looking into his eyes. From where you stood, you couldn't see them, so you didn't know what he was feeling right now, but you could guess: betrayal.
"Where have you been? Hm?" he asked once you stopped in front of him. He leaned forward, and at your silence, he simply shrugged and ate another piece of meat.
"I will tell you where I've been, hm?" he raised his eyebrows looking almost amused, "I went for a walk to...stretch my legs," he joked, garnering a few laughs from the audience, "Imagine my surprise when I found my dear, sweet sister in the arms of a Christian Prince."
Oh.
The rustle in the leaves wasn't Ivar's men. It was Ivar.
You felt your heart drop to your stomach as you looked down at your feet guiltily.
"The son of the man who is leading the slaughter of our men right now," he chuckled, but then his voice changed - it became harder, "The grandson of the man who sent our father to his death."
Your eyes snapped up to meet Ivar's and you found that they were bluer than ever. He had dropped the tight, fake smile and replaced it with a scowl. Never had you ever been afraid of Ivar in your life.
Until now.
"Why?" he asked, his voice sounding sinister. You looked away from him again and avoided the gaze of the other men and women in the room.
"He's not the man you think he is," you whispered, but gaining more courage, you looked up to Ivar, "His father and grandfather's sins are not his own."
"'Sins'?" his eyes narrowed and you knew what he was thinking - that you sounded just like them.
"He's a good man," you said, defending Alfred before your brothers and your army.
"He's a Christian," Ivar spat the word in disgust, anger evident in his eyes. You frowned and jutted your chin out. Suddenly, you weren't afraid anymore. The truth in your words helped to build your confidence.
"The man our father trusted and loved more than anyone else in this world was a Christian," you reminded him of Athelstan, a man Ivar never met. Ivar's left eye twitched as he sat back and stared at you with hard eyes.
"If you are going to kill me for my betrayal, little brother," you stepped forward so you were at least closer to him as you whispered, "Go ahead and do it." You stayed there in that position, waiting for him to react and when he didn't, you felt as though you had won.
You turned around and began to walk briskly out of the hall, but as soon as you reached the doors, you felt two men at your sides grab each of your arms. You struggled against their holds, but even you knew that it was no use.
__________________________
The men dragged you to the dungeon underground and chained you to the wall. Ivar had told you that before he and your father parted, Ragnar was kept in a place just like this one. You didn't know whether it was the setting or the fact that you were sure your death was looming, but you felt closer to your father than you had in a long time.
You heard footsteps outside the dungeon, and from the grunting and shuffling, you knew it was Ivar. He appeared in front of the barred door, two men at his sides to hold him up, but he grabbed onto the bars as they opened it before he dismissed them.
Once the men were gone, he let himself drop to the ground. You watched silently as he crawled towards you slowly, his eyes never leaving yours. You were sure he was trying to intimidate you. He kept crawling until he was beside you before propping himself up into a sitting position and leaning against the wall next to you.
You were both silent for a moment. You didn't know why he was not speaking, because it seemed like talking was Ivar's favourite thing to do.
"There is going to be a battle here tomorrow," he suddenly broke the silence and you turned to look at him. His eyes were on the floor, and he looked dazed.
"Many people will die, and most of them will be Saxon," he said, letting out a little chuckle as he turned to look at you with glee in his eyes, "What I have planned, they will never see coming."
"We will take them completely off guard, and they will die in the hundreds," he continued with a small shrug, "You better pray to the Gods, to Freya, that I don't catch your Saxon Prince. Because if I do, I won't spare him."
You gasped at his statement and watched wordlessly as he pushed off from the wall and began to crawl out of the dungeon.
"All my life, I have done nothing but love you," you began and he froze, "Despite the horrible things you would say to me, and our brothers. Despite mother treating you like a King and leaving the rest of us to fend for ourselves. Despite you murdering our brother."
Ivar's whole body tensed at the mention of Sigurd, but he still didn't turn around to look at you.
"I loved you through it all," you choked back a sob, "Why are you doing this me?"
He turned around slowly, his eyes soft.
"Dear sister, don't you see?" his head tilted to the side, and he looked...caring, "I'm doing this because I love you."
A gasp escaped your lips. This was the first time you'd ever heard him say he loves you. The second time you'd ever heard him say he loved anyone.
Without another word, he turned around and crawled out of the dungeon, his men barring the door after him.
__________________________
You didn't see anyone again until the next night. You had heard the fighting earlier in the day, and from the cheers after hours of gnawing on your nails and balled up fists, you gathered that your people had won. You had waited in agony for Ivar to come down with news. Any news.
The waiting was the torture. You wanted to know Alfred's fate whether he was alive or not. That was the only thing you cared about since Ivar had left you alone the day before. You had not slept a wink all night and day, the thought of food never even crossing your mind. You thought he would come down to brag abut murdering your love, if he had killed him, but it had been hours and not one person had come down.
It was nightfall when someone finally did. Ivar sauntered in on his crutches with two men who brought food for you. They dropped it along with water in front of you, but you pushed them aside as you stared at your brother, waiting for him to speak. After a minute of you staring at him, he finally did.
"What?" he asked in fake confusion, his eyebrows raised.
"Ivar!" you yelled at him and pulled at your chains, but he didn't even flinch. He simply let out a hearty laugh.
"Calm down, sister, I have good news," he smiled at you, and your heart leapt to your throat. Good news for you, or for him? From the smirk on his face, you guessed it was the latter.
"We are going back home. Tomorrow," he smiled with mischief in his eyes, and for a moment, it looked like he had been possessed by Loki himself. As soon as he announced that, he turned and began to limp out of the room.
"Ivar!" you called out to him angrily and he let out an annoyed sigh and turned to look at you, "Is he dead? Alfred...Did you kill him?"
You could feel tears welling up in your eyes already. You were pleading with him to tell you the fate of the man you loved, and he could not even give you that. He simply narrowed his eyes at you, before limping out of the room.
That was when you realised your punishment. It wasn't this dungeon. It wasn't even going back home. It was never knowing what happened to Alfred.
__________________________
It had been a month since you had returned to Norway, but you were at Vestfold, King Harald's Kingdom. Ivar had still refused to tell you Alfred's fate, even though he saw how much not knowing had devastated you. You barely spoke to anyone, not even Hvitserk who was adhering to Ivar's wishes and refusing to tell you Alfred's fate either.
Your violent self had taken over, and with a refusal to talk to anyone, came a hatred for everyone around you. Anything as minor as someone standing in your way when you wanted to walk past would cause you to snap and injure someone.
Which was the reason why you chose isolation. You were at the river bank, cleaning your sword as well as sharpening it, when you heard footsteps behind you. In the blink of an eye, you were standing upright with your sword pressed against the stranger's neck.
"Who are you?" you asked as you eyed the man. He had long black hair and a scruffy beard, but something about his eyes made you believe he wasn't one of you. He wasn't Viking.
"Forerynel êow Y/N?(Are you Y/N?)" he asked, his eyes narrowing at you.
"Gêse yfel. ðêos ârweorðung êower?(Yes I am. Who are you?)" you demanded his identity as you pressed the sword against his throat harder. You assumed he noticed the uncertainty in your tone, because he began speaking in your language.
"King Alfred sent me," he said and you felt your throat hitch. Did he just say what you think he did?
"King Alfred?" you breathed, tears welling up in your eyes as the man handed you a letter, "I thought he was the Prince?"
"He was. The King died, and Prince Aethelred declined the throne," the man answered and you struggled to control your breathing.
You thought about the possibility of this being an elaborate hoax set up by Ivar and you imagined him hiding behind the trees, laughing to himself. The thought made you feel sick.
The seal on the letter was not broken, so you knew this man was trustworthy, however, when you read the letter, you thanked the Gods that this man had not read it, because if he had, you doubted he would have brought it to you.
Y/N,
I hope this finds you well.
When I didn't see you again after that day, I assumed that your brother had discovered us. I was hoping to find you some way, but then I found out that you had returned home. No doubt your brother’s doing.
But I’ve been doing some thinking, and it doesn’t have to end like this. What I'm going to ask of you may seem impossible at first read, but I want you to consider awhile before you make a final decision.
Come to Wessex and marry me. Together, we can come to a solution about this war that your brother and I could never reach. We can bring our people together, the way your father and my grandfather failed to do so many years ago.
But above all that, I love you, Y/N, and I want you by my side.
Please consider my request. I will wait for you, however long it takes.
-Alfred
You noticed the royal stamp beside his name, and it made his words all the more real. You hadn't realised you were crying until you finished reading. You wiped your eyes and dried your cheeks before looking up, only to find that the man was gone. Back to Wessex, probably. You looked down at the letter in your hands with a heavy heart.
You had never felt more relief in your life.
Alfred was alive.
A breathy laugh escaped your lips as you dropped to your knees. You lay down flat on the ground as you absorbed everything Alfred wrote. You had a choice to make.
Your brothers. Or your lover.
#alfred#alfred the great#king alfred#alfred vikings#alfred x reader#alfred the great x reader#king alfred x reader#alfred vikings x reader#ivar the boneless#ivar x reader#hvitserk#vikings#vikings season 5#vikings fic
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Sworn Enemies Update (Important)
Hey guys!
Really terrible news. I accidentally deleted my blog earlier today (here’s the full story) so, basically the whole of Sworn Enemies as of right now is no longer on tumblr.
Luckily, I have it all backed up on Quotev, as well as the draft for part 10, so I’ll be reposting them all today!
I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be tagging you guys in the reposts, just so you guys can find them. Obviously, you don’t have to reblog them, but it would really help me because it would make it easier for casual readers who aren’t on the tag list to find the blog and the fics! 🙏🏾
I am soooooo sorry for this! I feel so guilty, this happening on top of he long wait between parts. I’m so soooo sorry and thank you so much for sticking with me through all this bullshit! 💛💛💛💛💛💛
@shelbi-percifull @florenceivy @cbouvier23 @icylodge @simvez @squirrelacorngliterfarts @writingeverynowand-then @fromforeigntofamiliarity @studyingthemind @fuckthatfeeling @brooklynalpha @girl-obsessed-with-things @deficilimbecile @paarachvtes @xbergiex @olamishamigo @xinyourdreamsx @krazykatkay456 @camu-winchester @feyrearcheron44 @alpha-pac
#sworn enemies#alfred the great#king alfred#prince alfred#alfred the great x reader#king alfred x reader#prince alfred x reader#alfred x reader#vikings imagine#vikings season 5#vikings season 5 imagine#alfred vikings season 5#alfred vikings x reader#alfred vikings#bjorn ironside#lagertha#ubbe#ubbe ragnarsson#ubbe lothbrok#torvi#king harald#harald finehair#ragnar#ragnar lothbrok
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