#because aethelstan seems to know that what he was doing was not the right thing | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ladyfenring · 1 year

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fond

"Was any of it real? Tell me the truth." "I grew fond of you."

pre-canon moment between Ingilmundr and Aethelstan

rated m

for @wildwren, @aadmelioraa, and @aelflaeds

read it on ao3 if you wish

He watches the candle burn down to the red line, the Roman numerals melting away. His father would find such an invention ridiculous, another useless Saxon absurdity, but Ingilmundr is charmed by it. There are many aspects of Saxon life he finds charming.

He glances at the bed, where Aethelstan is gently snoring. They normally pray after, to wash away their sin, but he wore Aethelstan out tonight, and the other man fell asleep before the sweat had cooled from his skin.

Aethelstan shifts in his sleep now, a dark brown curl falling over his forehead. Impulsively, Ingilmundr walks towards the bed, leaning down to push back the stray lock of hair; and then he catches himself. Aethelstan is asleep; there is no need to keep up the pretense now. He straightens up, his hand falling to his side. Slowly, he turns, walking away from the bed and out of the chamber.

His feet carry him to the chapel, empty at this late hour and dark but for a lone candle wavering on the altar. Ingilmundr takes a seat at one of the benches, watching the darkness pulse around the small flame. Suddenly, a shadow breaks free from the darkness, slithering up the aisle and dropping onto the bench beside him.

“I hear the king has taken to his bed.”

His spine stiffens. “He overexerted himself on the hunt, that is all.”

His sister laughs. “If riding his horse can send the man to his bed, then his end is truly near.”

“Perhaps. Or he may only be tired. We thought he was dying before and he rallied then,” he reminds her. “Besides, Aethelstan did not seem unduly concerned.”

She smirks at him. “Oh really? He did not seem unduly concerned?”

He shoves her shoulder. “All I mean to say is, if the king’s own son does not believe he is dying, I do not think we have cause to act yet.”

“Perhaps the king’s son has his mind on other things,” Astrid suggests, the smirk still wide on her face.

“Stop giving me that look,” he says irritably. “I am only doing my duty.”

Her finger reaches out to trace a spot on his neck. “Yes, such a difficult duty it is.”

He slaps her hand away, pulling up his collar to hide the love bite. “I have his trust. His confidence. He tells me things.”

“While you have his cock in your mouth?”

“He listens to me,” he says, his face hot. “Because he trusts me. I have influence over him.”

“And you enjoy the taste of his cock,” she adds helpfully.

His face is still hot, but he makes his voice sound cool and detached, like their father when he talks to someone he doesn’t care for. “I have tasted worse things and for far less reward.”

“True. But I think it is more than that,” she says, looking at him closely. “I think you like Aethelstan.”

“I–” he starts to deny, but Astrid raises her eyebrows. Like it or not, she knows him better than most. “I have…grown fond of him,” he allows.

She nods, satisfied. “Well, do not grow too fond of him. You know what must be done.”

He nods, too, turning his gaze back to the altar. “I do.”

She gets to her feet, making a rude gesture at the cross before letting the darkness swallow her up again.

Ingilmundr sits there for a long moment, staring at the flame on the altar.

He has learned in his time amongst the Saxons that a candle is always supposed to burn in the chapel, to signify God’s presence. A deacon is supposed to come in from time to time and ensure that at least one candle is always burning, and in the palace of Winchester, Ingilmundr knows there are dozens of deacons assigned to this task.

But he watches as this lone candle burns down, down, down, until the flame gutters out and the room is shrouded in darkness.

Does this mean, he wonders, that God is not here?

He stands up, slipping out of the chapel and back to Aethelstan’s room. The other man is right where Ingilmundr left him, the stray curl still lying across his forehead. Ingilmundr pauses, and then he leans down, brushing back the curl.

Aethelstan’s eyes flutter open, a smile slowly curving his lips. “Where have you been?”

“In the chapel, praying.”

Aethelstan’s smile fades. “For our sin?”

Ingilmundr sits on the edge of the bed, taking Aethelstan’s hand in his. “Yes. Does that upset you?”

“No. Yes,” Aethelstan admits. “It upsets me that what brings me joy is a sin, and it upsets me that to live without sin brings me no joy.”

“If it did not bring us joy, it would not be a sin,” Ingilmundr reminds him, stroking Aethelstan’s hand. He moves his hand higher, cupping Aethelstan’s jaw. “But if my faith is to be tested, I rejoice that I have such a companion with whom I can share the burden.”

Aethelstan’s eyes fall to his lips, and without a second thought, Ingilmundr kisses him.

Aethelstan moans, his hand gripping the hairs at the back of Ingilmundr’s neck. Ingilmundr can feel Aethelstan starting to draw back, his eyes roving towards the crucifix on his wall.

“Should we…?”

“Yes,” Ingilmundr says without hesitation, pressing Aethelstan back against the pillows and kissing him again. Aethelstan groans as Ingilmundr takes him in hand, his own hands fumbling to relieve Ingilmundr of his clothes.

“Ingilmundr.” Aethelstan pulls back, his pupils blown wide and his cheeks flushed. “You are more than…just a companion to me.”

Ingilmundr’s heart starts to pound.

“I love–”

Ingilmundr kisses him, an ungainly clash of lips and teeth and tongues as his pulse thunders in his ears. “I know,” he whispers. “I know, I know, I know.”

#aethelstan x ingilmundr #seven kings must die #seven kings must die spoilers #the last kingdom #fic by me

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maxverstepponme · 1 year

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i want to say that i did like the movie, but i feel they ruined aethelstan. i have nothing against gay people or the LGBTQ+ community at all, but i feel like the whole movie was based on his sexuality and how this brought him conflict because his lover was only using him. it made him seem weaker and way different from what we saw on the show. the way he stood before edward and basically told him he was wrong? power move from him. i think he deserved more and i know harry would’ve delivered.

Totally agree nonnie. I get it’s partly fantasy but Aethelstan was a real person & king of England. There was no proof at all that he was gay & given he was god fearing I highly doubt it. Also even in the books TLK is based on he isn’t gay so I feel like they added it in to be relatable/get more views etc

I wasn’t 100% happy with the ambiguous ending, in the books uhtred doesn’t die but in the film it’s hinted at that he does but not confirmed.

Overall I loved the series & the film was decent.

I live about45 minutes away from Bamburgh castle & I highly recommend a visit if you live in the UK or plan a trip to the UK. We’re off again in June to see TLK exhibit

I call him “The Christian Ivar” 💀 man went from begging Uhtred to let him go with him to almost killing him LMFAO. Besides the gay thing, something that ruined Aethelstan -or the movie- for me was that we didn’t see why he became this way. I know this is because they had to fit everything into a movie and I know the asshole -I don’t even remember his name because I hated him since he made his appearance and I was right- had something to do with it, but we all thought he was the same Aethelstan until he stabby stabbed Aelfweard. I never liked Aelfweard, and even though Aethelstan was right when he said if he didn’t kill his brother he’ll come after him later, what the fuck.

I cried the entire movie and I’m not even joking. I didn’t stopped crying since the moment they said Edward was dead so maybe they did me a favor not showing Tim 💀 then Aldhelm, then Finan’s wife, Sihtric not being seen for like five minutes and then the whole Valhalla thing. Man, I was A MESS. I cried even more when I realized Ragnar wasn’t in the Valhalla take 😭

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morosemagick · 3 years

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Warriors of Menace | Finan x Reader One Shot

My entry for Rosie's 100 Follower Challange!!

Prompt: “You are very well behaved today. What have you done?”

Warning: Absolutely none, just a shit ton of fluff lol

Words: 2121

Tagged:

@solinarimoon @emilyhufflepufftlk @for-bebbanburg @evelynshelby @lauwrite1225 @obipoelover @magravenwrites

Life is much different for you now than it was five years ago. Long gone are the days where there was a shyness about you, and your nerves rattled at the idea of forming friendships of this ragtag band of warriors. Time has been good to you, and after years of being a part of this little, mix-matched family founded by Uhtred of Bebbanburg, it’s safe to say you knew these men well. You understand all of their quirks and knew all the signs of how they behaved. The good days and the bad days were easy to recognize, and when mood swings would accord or the occasional argument between them would happen you’d know just how to put out the fire.

It’s this ability to understand these misunderstood warriors that brought you close to Finan, and in what felt like a blink of an eye… you were his wife.

And he was an excellent husband.

You understood him the most. Finan could not hide his moods from you. Happiness, frustration, anger. You knew the calling card for all of his moods, and he knew all of yours. When you first realized he had feelings for you, you could pinpoint all the little things he would try to do to get you to realize he loved you. It was heartwarmingly adorable and you didn’t let him go long without telling him you felt the same. Since your marriage, you have been a unit in sync. There is nothing Finan can hide from you after almost four years of marriage.

Including when he’s being an absolute menace.

You're in your kitchen making lunch, a large pot of stew over the fire because part of you already expects to feed more than just your family. It’s what you do at this point. You may have married Finan, but you feel like you married the whole crew of warriors with the way you care for them. The food is just about done when, just as expected, Finan comes bursting through the front door with Sihtric in tow.

By the way they come in giggling like children, you know they’re up to no good.

“I know you are not tracking dirt through my home, Finan,” You tell him as you stir your wooden spoon through the pot, and you can hear your husband coming up from behind you.

He kisses the side of your head, “I would never, darlin’,” Finan snickers, placing a hand on your rather round belly, “And how is the wee man today?”

“You are going to regret calling her that when she reveals herself as a daughter,” You smirk as you glance his way and he gives you another kiss, “Speaking of wee men, where is Aethelstan?”

“With Osferth and Eadith,” Sihtric explains as he sits at your table, and you can hear Finan walk around your home. When you glance back, he’s making the table for four.

“And what is he doing with Osferth and Eadith?” You ask as you fully turn around to look at both men, only to find them poorly failing at hiding their smiles, “Finan?”

“Yes, my love?” He asks as he returns to your side, and by his smile you know he's up to no good.

"Where is that boy of yours, and do not lie to me," You tell him with a raised brow and arms crossed so he knows you mean business.

You call Aethelstan just his when the two of them are on your nerves, but the boy is yours. Even though, technically, he is not.

"He's doing us a favor, Y/N, he will be home shortly," Sihtric tells you, trying to save Finan from whatever hole he's currently digging himself.

"Uh-huh," You smirk and now Finan is carefully trying to push you away from the food you are cooking, "What are you doing?"

"Finishin’ for you," Finan tells you with another kiss on your head, "Go sit, I'll bring the pot to the table."

You glance between the two men and head to the table anyway, sitting down next to Sihtric, "Who are you two, and what have you done with my husband and his best friend?"

"We are always this compassionate, Y/N," Finan chuckles as he brings over lunch, "Oi, go grab bread," he whistles to Sihtric and the Dane stands and does as he's told, "You shouldn't be workin' so hard when you're busy makin' us such a wonderful child."

Okay, now you know they're up to no good.

Before you can ask what they’ve done, Aethelstan all but bursts through the front door, slamming it rather hard for a child before realizing you are at the table staring at him. He smiles wide, the cheeky grin a telltale sign of trouble he picked up from Finan in the year of you raising him. He walks directly to you, like he hasn’t done a thing wrong, and places a kiss on your cheek. (Another sign he’s gotten from Finan, as well.) “Hello, Mother.”

“Go clean yourself up before lunch, you little trouble maker,” Your smirk at the boy, and Finan ruffles his hair as he runs off. The two of you aren’t really supposed to let him call you by those names, but neither of you has the heart to tell him otherwise. Besides, it’s already been a year and if he wants to call you Mother and Father that’s exactly what he’s going to call you.

Aethelstan cleans himself up and then joins you all at the table, sitting down across from Sihtric and next to Finan. The two of them move in sync as they fold their hands over together above their food, and to the side of you, Sihtric lowers his head in respect for your religion.

“Thank you, Father, for this delicious meal we are about to receive, and for this family you allowed us to grow,” Finan prays and you just stare at him with eyebrows scrunched and your lip curled into a smirk.

Because you know that getting Finan to pray before meals is usually a hassle.

“In your name, we pray,” Aethelstan continues, “Ahem.”

The three of you sign to your God and Sihtric just keeps his head down till you are done, and then the three men start to eat. You, however, just continue to stare at your husband until he finally looks at you and smiles, “What?”

“You are all very well behaved today,” You start to tell them all, and Finan just smiles wider as you lean forward and rest your chin in your hand, “What have you done?”

“You know us, Y/N, nothin’ too awful,” Finan starts to explain.

“It’s true, Y/N,” Sihtric adds as he rips himself a piece of the bread loaf, “We only do things out of love. That’s just the kind of warriors we are.”

“Aye, he’s right.” Finan agrees as he continues eating.

“Oh, I am sure,” You say in response even though you don’t believe any of them, but luckily enough for them your too hungry to push the topic further. So instead, you start to eat the lunch you’ve slaved over and enjoy this time with your family.

The meal is mostly quiet, albeit some sweet words of gratitude from the men at your table, thankful for the meal you prepared for them. You almost make it through the whole thing in peace, when a knock at your door startles the men.

“Finan? Sihtric! I know you are in there,” It’s Osferth, and he sounds rather frustrated. He knocks on the door again, a little harder, as the two men at your table start to slowly rise and head for the back room. “Open up! We need to talk, now!”

Finan and Sihtric start to sneak for the back door, shit-eating grins on both of their faces, “We were not here, Y/N, we have not been home all mornin’.” He tells you as they make their escape, leaving you there to roll your eyes and answer the door yourself.

When you open the door to greet Osferth, he looks absolutely flustered, “Osferth, how are you today?”

“Lady, I have been better,” He’s always so polite, the sweet former monk, and no matter how many times you tell him not to call you lady, he cannot seem to shake his manners, “I hate to bother you, but I need to speak with Finan and Sihtric.”

You chuckle, folding your arms across your belly, “You just missed them, but I have some stew left over from lunch if you are hungry.”

“I should be on my way, I really need to speak with them,” Osferth explains as he rubs at the back of his neck and you chuckle at the shyness he holds after years of friendship.

"Osferth, come in and tell me what my husband and Sihtric have done," You open your door wider and move to the side so he can come in, and after a second of hesitation, he sighs and complies.

Osferth walks over to the table that Aethelstan has managed to vanish from without you noticing and slumps into his seat, "I am going to kill them." He groans half-heartedly.

You laugh, grabbing him a clean bowl before joining him at the table, "What did they do?"

"Sihtric told Eadith I am interested in her, and then Finan had Aethelstan pick flowers for her saying they were from me," Osferth sighs heavily as you serve him some stew, "They've ruined everything."

"I thought you did fancy Eadith? What's the problem?" You ask him as you put the bowl of stew in front of him.

"She does not think of me in that way," He groans, looking defeated, "Now she'll think I'm a pervert who only wishes to hump her."

"Or she will think you are shy, and that Finan and Sihtric should mind their own business," You tell him as he eats through his frustration, "My husband may be a menace, but he does the stupid things he does out of love."

"She does not think of me in that way, Y/N," He tells you as he temporarily lowers his spoon, "She is beautiful… and I am just- a baby monk."

You laugh with a big smile across your face because your friend couldn't be any more wrong, "Is that really what you think? Osferth, she is clearly fallen for you."

"Do not pity me, Lady, I do not need your lies to lift my spirit," He tells, looking defeated as he finishes his stew.

"Enough of this," You tell him as you take away the dirty dishes and rise from your seat, "You will go to Eadith and confess your feelings, or I will send Aethelstan to do it for you."

"Y/N-"

"Go! Now, before the day is over," You command, shoo-ing him from your table, as he reluctantly rises, "And be sure to come back to thank me when it's over."

He groans as he walks out of your home, making you laugh as you start cleaning plates. A moment or two after he's gone, you can hear creaking coming from your bedroom, and then two big arms wrap around your body.

"Where is Sihtric?" You ask your husband, not needing to turn around to confirm it's him because you would recognize these arms anywhere.

"Gone home to his own wife," Finan tells you with a kiss, "Enjoyin' his final days before Osferth certainly murders us all."

"He will not murder anyone," You chuckle as you turn around, still in his arms, "Osferth may not have your confidence or Sihtrics' flirting skills but I am positive he will find that Eadith shares his feelings."

"How are you so sure?" Finan scrunches his brows in confusion, "And what do you know of how Sihtric flirts?"

You chuckle, standing on your toes to reach your husband's lips as you give him a kiss, "I just know things, my love, it is my gift from God."

Finan grabs you by the cheeks as you lower yourself, kissing you with much more passion, his lips still on yours as he growls, "If I find out Sihtric has tried to bed my wife-"

"It was long before you were mine," You tell him with a smirk, "No need to start anything over it now."

"That is my gift, mo ghrá," He snickers as his kisses move from your lips to your neck, "I am a Warrior of Menace, after all."

You couldn't argue with that as your warrior brings you back to bed, determined to show you just how much he was yours.

An excellent husband, indeed.

#finan x reader #finan #finan the agile #the last kingdom #tlk fanfic #tlk #tlk osferth #tlk sihtric #tlk finan #tlk aethelstan #rosies100 #mcloveproductions

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destinyisall-tlk · 2 years

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I completely agree as much as i don’t want Sigtryggr to die i think its gonna happen and im ok with that as long as he’s in at least 4-5 episodes which he probably will be because i don’t think brida will just come in and kill him right away. first they need some built up tension and stuff like that so let’s say he’ll be in at least 4 episodes before he dies. Oh and another interesting thing for me is Aethelstan holding Stiorra in the woods and she seems to be crying as she watches something? Maybe she sees as Sigtryggr gets killed? My naive ass refuses to believe that Brida will kill him early on in the show so i just make up scenes that could make him stay in the show longer😂 I just don’t know why Stiorra would say to Uhtred that all his destiny has brought her is pain and grief. Because if grief is meant to be because of Sigtryggr then what does Uhtred’s destiny have to do with Brida killing him (if she does) As far as i know Uhtred’s destiny is Bebbanburg so i don’t see how Brida’s involvement could be Uhtred’s destiny if you know what i mean. For example it would make sense if Sigtryggr died for Uhtred and then she would blame him but it doesn’t make sense if Brida kills Sigtryggr that Stiorra would still blame Uhtred. Like i said Brida is not Uhtred’s destiny, it’s Bebbanburg.

But at the same time trailers are often misleading on purpose to make us think some things will happen for certain and then they don’t.. and when you think about it we haven’t even seen many of the characters in the trailer? It seemed to be focused mostly on Brida and Uhtred. Aethelflaed literally got just one little peek in the trailer and we haven’t seen any of the new characters.

*sigh* lets just hope that Sigtryggr’s role will be bigger than what we can expect from this trailer and that the scenes with Stiorra were made to mislead us into thinking he’ll die🙏🏻

i hope, at least, sigtryggr is in half the season. i don't want him to just be a background character. i think you're right, brida wouldn't just come in and then kill sigtryggr, there needs to be some sort of lead up. maybe she doesn't kill him at all? (which i hope). and considering the episodes will probably be around that 50 minute mark, i'm hoping 4-5 episodes - if sigtryggr is in it for that long - still gives us a lot of content.

so that was aethelstan. i thought he was supposed to be on uhtred's side? so why would he be holding stiorra back...so many questions surrounding just that one clip, ahaha.

i'm with you, my naive ass is refusing to believe sigtryggr was only kept alive to be killed by brida. there is no way i accept that his death comes at her hand (at least not directly).

i think she meant it as a general thing. because uhtred's destiny to reclaiming back bebbanburg has led him to marrying, then losing stiorra's mum. it's led him to have kids and then they have be the casualty of uhtred being sworn to alfred, etc. i mean, it's even plausible that sigtryggr may die as a result in helping uhtred take back bebbanburg. or as a result in helping uhtred take down brida, and since, you can argue, if the danes never killed uhtred's brother and if uhtred had never got captured by the danes and met brida, then his destiny would have never resulted in stiorra watching the person she loved getting killed (i really hope that makes sense, 'cause in my head it did ahaha)

oh, for sure! trailers are supposed to make you think one thing and then another based off the way scenes have been cropped and mixed together. and i wonder if the trailer is a mix of the entire season or if it's just the first or last half of S5?

they have a lot of new characters mixed with characters that are grown (like aethelstan and aethelflaed’s daughter), plus the core characters. i mean, it’s a lot.

i need some whump sigtryggr scenes. need some heart eyes between sigtryggr and stiorra and protective sigtryggr.

#alternative6666 #ask #the last kingdom

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lauwrite1225 · 4 years

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Broken Crown || Finan x OC || Chapter 6

Summary : Since the day he has been enslaved, Finan never thought that he would have to face his origins. But when an old friend made his arrival to Wessex, the Irishman his forced to deal with his past.

Other chapters

English isn’t my first language, if you see any mistakes, tell me :)

Warning : None

06 || COCCHAM

The rode to Coccham was calm and Ailis thanked God for that. Just like Uhtred told her, it took them a day and half to arrive. They had stopped just before dawn to prepare a camp for the night. The four men were of good company around the fire. They spend most of the evening telling old stories about each of their beliefs. Ailis quickly understood that the purpose of this was to scare the one nicknamed “Baby Monk”. He had maintained that he wasn’t afraid, but the Irishwoman noticed him blench few times when noises were to be heard further in the wood.

Midday had passed when Ailis perceived the wooden walls of Coccham. Indeed, it wasn’t as big as Winchester, but it seemed pleasant. When they arrived, a small amount of people gathered near the gates, greeting the warriors’ return. The group dismounted their horses and walked to the stables. As she was unsealing her mare, Ailis’ attention was caught by Finan.

He was talking to a woman with a long ginger hair, a little lighter than Ailis’ one. She had a big smile as she spoke to the Irishman. Near them, there was a little boy, no more than ten, with a thick brown hair. Finan ruffled it, laughing at something the woman said.

“She’s not his wife.” She jumped when she heard the voice of Uhtred behind her. She turned to him, noting the amused smirk of the Lord. “And he’s not his son.”

“I was not…” She tried to protest, but she cut herself. It would be a lie to say that she didn’t think them to be his family. She shook her head and posed the saddle on a fence. “Does he have a wife?” She asked to Uhtred.

“No. There were some women, but he never married one.” Ailis frowned. During all this time, she expected him to have at least married someone. But as she dedicated her life to her duty to the King, Finan seemed to have dedicated his to be a warrior. “Come, I’ll show you where you’ll sleep.” He waved to her and she took her bag.

As she walked alongside Uhtred, she took the time to observe the village. The houses were all of reasonable sizes, just enough to shelter a family. But there was a building that was way bigger than the others. And it seemed, it was where they were going. Uhtred pushed one of the doors and Ailis discovered a giant room. A large table was in the middle of it, messy chairs around. On each side, weapons of all sorts were hung on the walls and a wooden stair was leading to a floor where she could perceive a bed. It was far from being Winchester’s palace or the castle of Navan Fort. It was simpler, but it felt warmer than the cold stones. The Lord of Coccham led her to a door that revealed a room. Ailis let her bag drop on the bed and sat on it.

“I hope it’ll be fine for the night.” Said Uhtred, leaning on the door frame. She let a hand brushed the fur, appreciating the softness of it and looked up to him.

“It’s more than I could have asked for.” He nodded with a smile and straightened. He crossed his arms and took a more serious expression.

“So, talk to me about those Danes.” Ailis moistened her lips, mentally bringing together all she knew.

“Thorvard was the man at the head of the settlement and it appears that it’s also him who leads the attacks in Ulaid.” She had never met him, only crossed his gaze during battle. He was tall with the shoulders of a bull. She never had fought him, but she had seen him, slaying her best warriors with his axe. His weapon was bigger than a usual one, however he wielded it as it was a feather.

“Sigtryggr isn’t there?” Queried Uhtred, narrowing his eyes.

“No, he isn’t. He never came to Ulaid. Even if he’s pledged to Sigtryggr, Thorvard’s revenge only serves him.” Uhtred lightly nodded.

“How could you describe him?”

“He’s an impressive man, he loves fighting. But spies speak of him as an intelligent man as much as he is a good fighter.” If he was the devil incarnation during battles, she learnt that the man had some kind of sense. He didn’t like the unnecessary losses. His revenge had been thought and prepared.

“Then it’s a good thing that he thinks.” Declared Uhtred, starting to leave the bedroom. Ailis stood up and follow him in the hall. “He’ll probably be more open to negotiations. And your King, do you think he’ll be pleased with Edward’s offer?”

“He won’t.” Ailis huffed. “But it’s our only solution.”

Uhtred pointed one of the chairs, inviting Ailis to take a seat. Then, he poured two cups of ale and sat in front of her. She took a moment to scrutinize the well-known Dane Slayer. He was an attractive man with deep blue eyes. A huge scar was running down his side face, making a crescent moon. By only catching his gaze, she could feel the strong warrior he was. She could easily understand why Finan followed him. He inspired confidence.

They continued their discussion, Ailis describing Conall to the Lord. She portrayed her King as an ambitious man, but also stubborn. She explained to him how they attacked the settlement in the South of Ulaid. How they attacked the Danes just before sunrise, while most of them were still asleep. It hadn’t been a battle made in the rules of the art, but when it came to fight the Danes, there was no rules.

When dawn started to fall, all of Uhtred’s warrior joined them to the great hall. There was also others that Ailis hadn’t met yet, but she quickly understood that they were occupying important positions in the city. For an hour they just talked about what happened during the Lord’s absence. Then, the discussion came to what will happen next.

“We’ll leave Coccham in two days.” Ailis turned to Uhtred who chewed a piece of bread before speaking again. “We will cross Mercia, to the North to join the Irish Sea.”

“Do you have a boat to cross the sea?” She asked. To cross the sea, Ailis paid a merchant to make the trip on his boat. It wasn’t a big ship, but it was robust enough to overcome the waves.

“I’ll ask the Lady of Mercia to provide us one.” He explained, his voice lighter as he mentioned the Lady Aethelflead, if Ailis remembered well her name.

“Will she accept?”

“She will.” Answered Finan to Ailis, sharing a smirk with Sihtric and Osferth. Uhtred glared at the three warriors, seeming less amused than them. The redhead wonder what was the meaning of these looks. But she finally ignored them, speaking again to gain the men attention.

“If you are sure of it, then it’s perfect. It should be the end of spring when we’ll reach the coast, with luck the wind will be at our advantage.”

“And if it isn’t?” Osferth suddenly asked, his eyebrows rose and his spoon half way between his plate and mouth.

“Then the crossing will be less pleasant.” She chuckled.

“You’ve never seen a wind rougher than the Irish one, Baby Monk.” Added Finan, pointing the younger warrior with his finger.

“During winter, when it spins in the loopholes, you’d swear hearing ghosts.” She said, her smile not leaving her face as she remembered the windy nights, she had spent with the brothers exploring the castle looking for old spirits haunting the corridors.

“Or maybe it really was ghosts. Who knows ?” Dared Finan, meeting her eyes. If she didn’t have to lie for him, she would tell everyone that he was the first to freak out when the doors would slam or when a mouse would pass near his feet in the castle’s crypt.

The rest of the meal was filled with laugher and ale. Progressively, people left the table and each one joined his house to pass the night.

…

The following morning, Ailis let her curiosity lead her into Coccham streets. It was almost noon when she walked out of the great hall. She didn’t expect to sleep so much but didn’t regret it. Her journey to Wessex had been grueling and the return would be just as much. At least, she won’t be alone.

Her steps led her to a clay court, where the kid she saw the eve and another, older, were training to fight under the watchful eyes of Finan and Sihtric. On a bench, the woman whom Finan was speaking to was watching as well. She encouraged the young boy when he succeeded touch the other on the leg. Amused, Ailis walked to her.

“Your son will be a good warrior, one day.” She told her before sitting on the wooden bench. The woman seemed surprised to see her, or maybe it was what she said because a light laugh escaped her lips.

“Aethelstan isn’t my son.” Ailis rose an eyebrow. “He’s the first-born son of King Edward.” She explained to her, looking back to the boys.

“A bastard?”

“Kind of.” She answered, leaning her head to the side.

“Your Lord really has a thing with bastards.” She laughed at her remarked. “We haven’t been introduced, what’s your name?”

“Eadith.” She smiled. She found her really pretty with her graceful features and green eyes.

“Ailis.”

“Oh, I know. The men spoke to me of you.” Ailis frowned, wondering what could have said the warriors about her. “You are an old friend of Finan, right?” She nodded.

“We knew each other when he was still in Ireland.” She explained, turning her gaze to the boys.

“Of what I know, it must be a long time you haven’t seen him them, then.”

“It was.” Ailis lightly chuckled.

“Ailis ! You want to fight with us?” Shouted Finan defiantly, catching the two women attention. Aethelstan and the other boy stopped their training to look at her.

“Why not?” She smirked, standing up. She stretched her arms as she walked into the clay court. “You’ll fight with me Finan?”

“With pleasure. Give her your sword, Sigurd.” Ailis turn to the older boy who handed her his wooden weapon. She stared at him, finding some similar features with Sihtric.

Finan took Aethelstan’s sword and spun it into his hand. The woman did the same, judging the weight of the weapon. It was lighter than her usual training sword, who was made of steel but blunt.

Then, she looked up to Finan. He was smiling ear to ear, already in position to attack. She fought a lot with him when they were young and he usually was the one to win. He always had been a good fighter, always coming back in one piece from the few battles he had to take part of in Ireland. But it was during competitions that Finan won his nickname: The Agile. Her friend never had been a good dancer, but when he was in a fight, she could swear he was dancing. It was all a game for him, a game that he always won.

“Ready?” She challenged him, slightly bending her knees to have more balanced.

He nodded and without waiting more, he ran toward her, his sword splitting the air. Ailis parried in a swift move before rotate and try to hit him in the flank. But Finan was quick too and jumped back. After this first attack, they took a moment to judge each other. Ailis noted that Finan’s blows were strong, if she didn’t keep a good grip on her pommel, she’ll lose her sword.

As Finan went on the offensive again, she waited the last minute to avoid the blade by leaning back. She needed to find an opening in his attack to unbalanced him. Finan’s strokes were precise despite their strength. His way to fight was fiercer than before, but it was what was required during battles. And Finan had fought many battles.

After a few minutes of dodges, dust had arisen by dragging her feet on the clay. But finally, she found the weakness she was searching. When Finan was raising his sword to try a strike on her shoulder, his right flank was overdrawn. So, she waited his next similar move. She parried and avoided until it came.

Her eyes lightened when Finan rose his sword to the right. As the weapon came down to her shoulder, she bent her knees and changed her sword of hand behind her back. The sound of the wood whistling in the air just above her head indicate her the right moment to strike. In a quickmove, she hit Finan in the ribs. Not expecting it, he stumbled a little, but Ailis didn’t let him time to regain balanced. She caught his wrist and lifted her leg to hit him in the abs with the shin.

Finan staggered even more desperately trying to find balance as she harassed him with her sword. He blocked her just before the wood could touch his thigh. She was taking the advantage. When he parried a hit meant to touch his shoulder, he found himself almost against her chest. He looked down to her. He narrowed his eyes while smirking, trying to understand what will be her next move. But her piercing blue eyes didn’t betray her and in a second, he fell onto the floor. Too focus on her expression, he didn’t notice her tripping him up and pushing him back with her forearm.

Lay on the ground, Finan rubbed his eyes to remove the dust in it. He opened them when he felt the wooden point against his throat and the laugher of Sihtric.

“Dead.” Smirked Ailis putting her foot on the Irishman’s arm who was still holding his sword without pressing. He let go of it, in surrender. He sighed and grabbed the hand she was holding him. She pulled him and he stood up.

“I got distracted.” He simpered.

“Of course.” She chuckled, hitting slightly his butt with her sword as she walked to Sihtric and Sigurd. She gave back the weapon to the boy who seemed still impressed by the fight he assisted.

“You are a really good fighter.” Commented Sihtric, patting the shoulder of the boy she supposed to be his son.

“Thank you Sihtric. Maybe next time you’ll be the one to bite the dust.” She teased him. Sigurd smiled, amused at the idea of his father beat by the warrior. Sihtric glanced at Finan, who shrugged his shoulder, laughing.

As she left the men to their training, she felt her heart warm. The complicity that was bounding Uhtred’s men made her feel like they were a family. Fighting wasn’t the only thing that kept them together and witnessed that was agreeable.

…

Finan was lying on wooden pier, appreciating the chill air of the night and the calm sound of the river. His legs swayed over the water as he felt the effect of alcohol dissipate. They laughed a lot during the dinner in the great hall, and drink a lot too. It probably wasn’t reasonable to stay up that late as they would leave tomorrow morning.

But Finan couldn’t find sleep. Tomorrow would be the first day of their journey to Ulaid and he was apprehensive. With his Lord’s protection, he knew he would be safe until they reach Navan Fort. It has been so long since he left, nobody would remember of the exiled Prince Finan of Ulaid. But when they’ll have to meet the King, his brother. He wouldn’t have forgotten about him, he could never.

His brother. The King. God knew how hard it was for him to believe that Conall was King. Maybe it could have been him. However, the idea didn’t please him.

He turned his head when he heard footstep on the planks. Soon, he recognized Ailis, sitting next to him. She was silent as she tightened the cloak on her shoulders. He smiled a little. He didn’t know if it was the fact that he missed her or the effects of ale, but he appreciated her presence even more than in their youth.

He couldn’t know if she was feeling the same thing because the smile that was on her face during the meal wasn’t here anymore. She let out a long sighed before looking down to him.

“Finan ?” He rose an eyebrow and made a small noise with throat, meaning she had his attention. “When will you tell them?” She softly asked him.

He clenched his jaw and looked up to the stars. He knew he had to tell them, but he couldn’t find the courage to do it. Ironically, for a man who ran into battles against the Danes.

“Listen, Finan. I know you have been through a lot and that you never wanted to deal with the past again. But you don’t have other choices.” She put a hand on his inciting him to meet her gaze once more. And he did. This time, he saw the sincerity she had towards him. “I won’t tell them, I promise you. But you should tell them, before they learn it by another.”

She was right. Even if he asked Uhtred to not come into the castle, how could explain the reasons? To Uhtred, Finan was a war catch. Enslaved by the Danes after his Lord had lost a battle. Why would a bastard without importance could be scared to meet a King?

“I will.” He answered, almost whispering.

His response seemed to please Ailis, because she softly smiled to him and lightly squeezed his hand before standing up and leaving him.

A/N : Wouhou, first chapter without flashback ! I don’t think they’ll be other flashbacks in the next chapters, but never say never ahah.

Also, as you can read, this is a slow burn lmao. I am trying my best to evolve their feelings without being too abrupt, and it’s clearly not an easy thing.

Tagged : @geekandbooknerd @astral-finan @ucancallmechlo @queen-manning @naihqh @kelly-fasel @pokeasleepingsmaug and @queerbroceliande

#broken crown #finan the agile #finanxoc #finan #fanfiction #the last kingdom #tlk #the last kingdom fanfic

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