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"Lord Uhtred." Sigebriht says as he turns away from the window.
"Lord Sigebriht you stand with Aethelwold?" Uhtred questioned in disbelief.
"I stand for a strong Wessex, where exactly do you stand lord? May I ask, is it with Edward?" Finan moved to sit down as Aethelwold poured Uhtred some ale. Revna sat in his lap and moved her arm around his shoulders, Finan smiled up at her as he rubbed her back absentmindedly.
"You say it as though there are men against Edward?" Uhtred said accusingly.
"There are men who doubt him, yes. But if Uhtred were to stand alongside him—" He is cut off by Aethelwold who hands Uhtred the cup.
"I was at Ethandun, I stood beside you in a shield wall. He is barely a man." Aethelwold snapped in irritation.
"And Alfred could barely lift a sword above his head, yet he was a man to follow." Uhtred defended.
"I say again, Edward is not Alfred. He is not a man to follow. The Danes know this." Aethelwold says with a scoff.
"You're still with them, admit it." Finan spoke with boredom.
"I am for Wessex."
"Are you? I doubt that, weasel." Revna said as she played with Finan's hair.
"Lord, you did not answer my question. Where does Uhtred stand?" Sigebriht questions and Uhtred sits the cup down. He looks at Finan as they leave and Finan gives them a mocking smile as he closes the door, Revna slides her arm around his waist to pull the Irishman closer.
Later Beocca, Finan, Thyra, Revna, and Uhtred sit at the table at Thyra's home once again. Finan rubs his head as he holds his cup, the man is stressed and worried for his friend. Revna frowned at her lover and moved to help soothe his stress, she squeezed the back of his neck gently and then trailed her fingers down to his back. Finan sighed as she relaxed into her comforting hands.
"I will not leave Winchester, I cannot." Uhtred says determinedly.
"You can and you must." Finan said and groaned when she managed to rub the knot out of his tense spine, Uhtred watched the two in amusement.
"Not until Edward is king." Uhtred claims with a small amount of bitterness.
"You promised Alfred this?" Beocca stated.
"I did."
"If the pardon does not hold, then you cannot stay and wait to be imprisoned and killed." Finan pleads with the Dane.
"That's a normal day to him." Revna teased.
"Where else should he go?" Thyra defends as she moves to Beocca's side.
"Anyway a horse can take him, anywhere a ship can go." Finan stressed as he rubbed his beard.
"Uhtred came here for a reason. He came for Ragnar's blood, he has a task to fulfill. The blood must be kept safe, a battle is coming. You must choose a side." Thyra said ominously.
"The problem being is neither side wants him." Finan claims and Uhtred chuckled in disbelief, Revna cracked a grin and leaned down to kiss his cheek.
"Which is a further reason why you must stay, wait for Edward. Which is why Alfred asked you for what seemed as a simple promise." Beocca claimed in realization.
"Bastard thinks." Uhtred mumbled.
"He knows your honor, Uhtred. That is all." Thyra claimed softly and placed her hand on Beocca's shoulder.
The announcement of Alfred's death is emotional for most of Wessex and the opportunity for the rest. Finan, Thyra, Revna, and Uhtred stand amongst the people as they begin Alfred's funeral ceremony. Tidman begins to harass Thyra once again and she quickly leaves to avoid a scene, Finan watches in confusion. Revna felt him tap her thigh as he motioned to Steapa.
Steapa quietly and slowly makes his way to Uhtred, he leans down to whisper to the man in hopes of not disturbing the grieving family. Beocca watches from his place up front and makes eye contact with the queens, he frowns at the sight.
"Lord, I have orders to kill you, should you not leave the hall quietly." Uhtred sighs but does as asked and the couple runs out to get answers.
"Steapa, what is this? Hmm, what is this?" Finan shouts in desperation and confusion. Steapa motions to the guards and they slam him against the brick pillar. Revna snarled at the action and tossed the men off, some may have ended up with a black eye and a broken nose. She stood protectively in front of Finan as she glared at the men in pain.
"Finan, do nothing." Uhtred demanded as he followed Steapa. "Control her!" Uhtred shouted with a smirk and she wanted to strangle the man.
"He's a free man." Finan says defeated as he slumps against the wall. Revna guided his head to rest against her shoulder as she kissed his forehead.
