CHAPTER TWELVE ─── celebrations
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It had seemed that Finan's words were true, for near to four days later, they set out from Coccham to Winchester to attend the wedding of Alfred's daughter. Yrsa adored being back in the saddle, patting her horse's neck as she hung back from the men, with Hild. Ahead of her, Finan and Sihtric were bickering, but Yrsa paid it little heed.
They were normally bickering.
"I do not understand." She rolled her eyes as Hild shook her head in amusement. "A nunnery sounds boring."
"Peaceful, Yrsa, it's considered to be peaceful." Hild looked on as Sihtric rode to Uhtred's side, talking in hushed tones, before continuing to distract Yrsa. "Just because it is not fighting does not mean that it is boring."
"But then, you will not come with us?"
"No. I will stay and help others with God's guidance." Yrsa kissed her teeth, pulling a sour face. She did not notice that her lover and Uhtred were talking together. "Don't pull that face, young lady."
"But you have left me alone to deal with these fools all by myself."
"Fools?" Finan turned around, a scowl appearing on his face that signalled he and Yrsa were going to have an argument. He had yet to learn that arguing with the woman normally lead to a very bruised ego. "I'll have you know, Yrsa, that I am a very clever man."
"Did you not mistake a goat for a woman?" Yrsa shot back, arching an eyebrow.
"I was drunk!" Finan glared as Yrsa shrugged, as if to say that it mattered little. "Nothing happened and any woman would be lucky to have me."
"Is that why you have to pay them to sleep with you?" Yrsa's grin grew wider at her favourite past time. She adored winding Finan up, finding that his reactions were very funny for her. Hild chuckled at the younger girl's antics. "Or that they run away from you when you appear in a pub?"
"If you had not met Sihtric first, you would have fallen for me as soon as I said hello." Finan nodded his head and pointing at Yrsa. The woman pulled a face.
"No, I think I still would have fallen for Sihtric. You are too old for me."
"Too-" Finan trailed off, shooting her an annoyed look as Sihtric joined his side once more. "Yrsa says that I am too old for her."
"Yrsa is correct then. You are far too old for her."
"You could be my father." Yrsa and Sihtric both grinned as Finan glared. He did not like it when the pair decided to be in a teasing mood together, as his confidence normally plummeted. Hild chuckled behind them, shaking her head in amusement.
"Stop teasing the poor man." Hild gave Yrsa's leg a quick slap as she turned to grin at the nun, excitement in her eyes. "You will ruin his ego."
"Would you sleep with me, Hild?" Finan asked, eyes wide as Hild pulled a face.
"I am a woman of God, Finan," She shook her head. "You are not enough to tempt me astray."
That drew laughter from all of them as Finan scowled, muttering about how horrible the Danes were and that Hild had betrayed his trust. Yrsa cackled, triumph brewing within her. She had won this round.
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When they arrived in Winchester, it was to no fanfare. Yrsa rode in beside Sihtric, behind the Lady Giesla and Hild, with a scowl on her face. She did not like being around so many Saxons, it made her itch for a fight.
"If it not the great Lord Uhtred of the small, and little known village of Coccham." She turned at the call of Uhtred's name, her eyebrows furrowing as she saw the nephew of the King, Aethelwold.
Her scowl deepened.
Aethelwold and her had gotten off on the wrong foot the first time they had met, and things had not improved between them ever since. His leering eyes and inappropriate comments had almost caused many a fight, with both Yrsa and Sihtric having to be dragged away from him. If she got through the next days without stabbing him, it would be nothing short of a minor miracle from both her gods, and Hild's bizarre one.
"I see you are drinking again, Aethelwold." Uhtred muttered, not stopping as they rode through the town.
"Just a cup or two, nothing more." He called. "I have news for you. You know where to find me."
He turned, grinning up at Yrsa as she rode past, but her face stayed in a scowl. Sihtric took note, his eyes narrowing as he steered his own horse closer and glared down at the short Saxons. He was not dim witted, as Finan liked to jest, he knew that Yrsa was a goddess to walk amongst them. But, she was his woman and he did not like the Saxon boy eyeing her up like a piece of meat.
She did not deserve that.
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"Yrsa!" The woman paused, wondering what she had done as she turned to face Uhtred. They had begun to settle the horses, but Yrsa had not been paying attention and it seemed that everyone else had disappeared. "You have not done anything, I am not here to chide you."
"Good." She straightened back up, leaning on the stable door as her nerves calmed. "Lord, what can I do for you?"
"I need to speak with you."
"About?"
"Sihtric." Yrsa's eyebrows furrowed.
"What about Sihtric? He has not done something either, has he?" Yrsa tried to wrack her memories for if something had happened that would anger Uhtred. She did not want Sihtric to be thrown out from Uhtred's warriors. She did not want to lose another home.
"No, he's done nothing. You are both fine." Uhtred placated, seeing the worry on Yrsa's face. "I wanted to ask you a question. About your future."
"Yes?"
"What do you want in your future? Do you wish to marry? Have a family?" Uhtred leant beside her, watching as Yrsa thought for a moment.
"I have never truly thought about it, but maybe. I think I could see myself with a family." Yrsa nodded her head, a brief image of a child with Sihtric's dark hair running around flashing through her mind. A smile started to form on her face, but she brushed it away to narrow her eyes at Uhtred. "But I do not want that if it means that I cannot fight with you, Lord. I swore to my mother that I would, and I mean to uphold that. I do not wish to sit at home and mind the hearth, waiting for the warriors to return. I was born a warrior and I would like to keep it that way."
"I do not think that even the gods could force you to sit at home, and most certainly not me. Hild perhaps." Yrsa hummed and nodded her head. If anyone could make her stay, it would be Hild. "But if you were to marry, I would not force you to do anything that you do not want to."
"Why the sudden interest in my future?" Yrsa cocked an eyebrow.
"Because I want what is best for you, just as your mother and father would." Uhtred gave her auburn hair a gentle tug as Yrsa snickered. "Come, let us go and watch the parade."
Yrsa laughed harder as Uhtred gave her a shove, turning to glare at him as they meandered through the street to join the others of their party. They turned at the sound of Yrsa's laughter, grinning as the pair joined them. Sihtric beamed, holding an arm out for Yrsa. The girl quietened her laughter, before tucking herself into Sihtric's side and watching as the Mercians paraded in front of them, accompanied by loud cheers.
"Is that Aethelred?" Clapa asked as Yrsa cocked an eyebrow and turned to face her boys.
"He looks like a prat." They all snorted, turning away from the soldiers to laugh at her words.
"Yrsa-" Uhtred warned, shaking his head at the girl.
"What? It is true." She shrugged. "I said the same thing about Guthred and I was right."
"Aye, but you can not say it in front of him. I fear that this one will punish you far more severely." Uhtred warned as Sihtric and Finan stifled laughter. Yrsa shrugged once more, before beginning to twist her golden armbands. "From what I know, Alfred could not have chosen a bigger turd."
"You are just as bad as I am." Yrsa hissed, turning to Uhtred with an annoyed glare before looking back at the blond haired princeling.
"I've never met the man, but by the look of him he was indeed shat out the arse of a giant." Yrsa coughed at Finan, covering her laughter as Sihtric squeezed her tighter.
"He is to be King of Mercia, they are saying." Yrsa's laughter turned to a scowl as she found Aethelwold standing behind them. Sihtric's face grew dark, his glare growing as he watched the man. "The Ealdormen of the Witan, are saying."
"Lord of Mercia, perhaps." Finan stepped forward, positioning Yrsa behind him. They knew of Aethelwold's obsession with her, and they also knew that a fight was not needed at this time. "Alfred would never allow another Saxon to be called king."
That was the last Yrsa heard of the conversation, as Uhtred and Aethelwold's tone became hushed and then Uhtred was dragging him away through the crowd.
"Here's hoping that he punches the man."
"I wish." Sihtric hissed, before pressing another kiss to Yrsa's curly hair. "I will go and get him."
Yrsa hummed, folding her arms as Sihtric walked off, calling for Uhtred. She was just hoping that this all went well.
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She was wrong.
"I think that this is stupid." Yrsa threw Beastie's reins over his head, scowling visciously. "Why are we trusting Aethelwold? He is a rat. A stinking, weaselly, good for nothing rat."
"Yrsa, I have no answers for you." Finan walked towards her, before holding his hands out. She placed a foot into his palms, counting before he boosted her up onto her horse's back. "It is a mystery but I am sure Uhtred will have the answers."
"Aye, he better because if not, I'm going to hit him." Yrsa muttered, leaning forward to tighten her girth as Sihtric joined her side. "Do you know anything?"
"No. I know nothing." He pulled his horse closer, before leaning over to press a feather light kiss to her lips. "It will all work out and I am here."
"That brings me hope."
"Could you two stop that?" Finan rode through the middle of them as Yrsa and Sihtric rolled her eyes. "This is a serious meeting that we are about to have and we can not have you and Sihtric more that ready to sleep with each other."
"Finan, if you do not piss off, I will stab you."
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Hiya,
Yrsa and Finan are actually chaotic siblings, Uhtred is their father and Hild is their mother. I love all of them so much, and I'm so hyped for this book.
Let me know what you think,
Love Li xx