Kingdom Come

V. Black Hole Sun

The two gently headbutted each with affection. "I know," he whispered. "But I need to learn from my father now, be with him." He paused and held her cheeks in his large, rough hands. "I will always love you, Jaehaera Uhtredsdottir," Bjorn told her, kissing her forehead one last time. "But my family needs me, like your own. You have been all of my life." Her heart broke at his words, and she closed her eyes.

Jaehaera nodded and pulled away from him. He still held her in his arms. "we will look at the same stars," she reminded him. "If we separate, we will find each other. Til the end."

Bjorn nodded. "Til the end." For one last time, Bjorn kissed the girl he had always loved. He didn't think he would ever love anyone as he loved her. She quickly pulled away from him and turned around to walk to Brida. The two hugged and Brida placed her hands on the girl's cheeks lovingly.

    Jaehaera mounted her horse with her father, and after him, the group rode for Wessex, for Wintanceaster, as Alfred commanded. She rode behind Sihtric and Finan next to Thyra and Hild. She closed her eyes and willed her heart not to break. She had loved the boy all her life, and she knew of nothing else. Jaehaera understood why they had to part, but her heart didn't. Her brain had yet to inform it. Hild drew her horse closer to Jaehaera and Thyra placed her hand gently on the girl's arm. The action made Jaehaera open her eyes to see the two women, smiling sadly at the girl. She returned the smile, but it fell just as quickly as it had come. Uhtred and Jaehaera both looked back at Brida and Ragnar that watched them leave from the ramparts one last time. The two smiled at them sadly, and she could see Brida and Ragnar return.    Sihtric looked back at the girl behind him. He could kill Bjorn for leaving her behind. Who could ever leave a girl like her? They rode to the home of the King of Saxons. He might like a few of them, but he wasn't one. He could read the sadness and discomfort on the girl's face, he felt the same. But when she smiled at him, and he smiled back he knew that he would face a whole hoard of Saxons if he knew Jaehaera waited on the other side.

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Despite it has been three years since the battle she fought at Dunholm, her armor still fit snugly on her body. Jaehaera brushed the waves that lapped against the boat she and the others sat in. Her father stood in front, as the men behind her rowed them to shore. They were in Deccet now, on a task from Alfred. It's a kingdom of Mercia, her father had explained to her. "We're here," Uhtred told them. "Grounder ahead. Be ready," he commanded them. His voice echoed across the quiet water to the other boats in the party.

She leaned forward, taking a breath, before looking at the rocky shore fast approaching in front of her. A hand touched her shoulder briefly, and she turned to see Sihtric who sat with Finan. They hit the shore with a soft thud, and all of them jumped off and stalked into the woods once the boats were tied. Jaehaera walked ahead of Sihtric with Finan and her father ahead of her. She rolled her eyes as they began to bicker amongst themselves like always. Sihtric and Finan were still in disbelief at how oblivious Jaehaera was about Sihtric's feelings for the girl. They didn't understand how the girl couldn't see what was right in front of her. It's been three years of listening to Sihtric flirt endlessly with her to no avail. And Finan began to feel sorry for the boy. Maybe she wasn't as smart as they all thought her to be. Her father, on the other hand, grew tired of them rather quickly. The three bickered like siblings and got distracted easily. He already had to deal with that fathering Jaehaera, he still did not need two other children to raise before the battle.

Sihtric glowered at Finan, his temper rising. "She said she loves me!" Sihtric cut of Finan. Jaehaera rolled her eyes at the two of them, and Finan laughed. She did not wish to speak about this girl Sihtric had met, it set her teeth on edge but she didn't know why. "I swear. She says she loves me."