Una sat forward in her elaborately engraved chair. She had been waiting for this moment a long time, waiting on the Danes to come and claim her life. It felt surreal in a way. This group of people being here, after a long decade, was quite comical to her. They were the least intimidating bunch of Vikings she had ever seen. Una could see in the dim light of the lanterns hanging from the rafters that the group's body conditions were quite rangy.
Una suspects that these have been slaves used as bait to enter the kingdom. From there, they could sabotage from the inside out, not from physical force, but by gathering intel on the weak points in the kingdom's barriers.
Una could see the woman she had spoken to, she looked fragile in this light, and yet still, she wore the garb of nobility. This might be yet another ruse. No noble that Una has ever seen has had a sunken face.
"Who are you? What business do you have here?" Una said, squeezing the top of the chair arms in both of her hands.
"What is the meaning of this? Where is the Queen!" The woman shouted angrily, disregarding what Una had asked.
"Speaking," Una said with agitation.
"You!?" The woman said, looking beside herself.
"Why yes, I am the Queen you so desperately wanted to see. Now, what was it that you needed to tell me? Ah, yes. Vikings have tragically ravaged your people, and you fear for your life. Is this not correct?" Una grinned and sat back on her throne.
"Enough of your nonsense, where is the Queen!? I demand to see her this instant!" The woman seethed.
Una had enough of this Dane. She stood up and walked toward her. The two women who were at her side backed away and were replaced by the four men in the hoods.
"As I said before, I am the Queen of this land. Now, what is your true purpose for being here!" Una said, unafraid to walk up to her.
The woman was just as tall as Una, but she lacked any weight or strength to fight her. Una was not afraid. Even her guards looked weak.
"I demand you, answer me!" Una shouted.
The woman grinned maniacally.
"It was to ascertain where the queen was; obviously, you are no queen." She laughed.
"Hmph," Una said, folding her arms.
"Darren!" Una shouted.
Suddenly a tall guard came through the hall and stood in-between Una and the woman.
"Please escort our guests to their chambers. They have been on a very arduous journey to find me and are not in their right minds. A deep rest would do them wonders."
"Yes, my liege," Darren said, revealing his sword hidden behind his cloak.
Suddenly one of the men in hoods slipped between Una and Darren. He pulled Una down and held her neck at knifepoint. Una was not scared. More or less, she was shocked and slightly amused. Her intuition was yet again correct.
"We won't be going anywhere until we get what we want. And we want the Queen."
Darren turned around to act, but before he could, the other three men pounced on him and held him to the ground.
"Do not fight back, Darren! They speak before they end up injuring themselves." Una said under the tension of the man behind her.
The man that held her arms behind her back had more strength than she imagined. As he pulled Una back farther on him, the woman in the silk gown fled, trying to pry the doors around them, only to be met by guards.
"You see now, and I am the Queen, you wench! I have you all surrounded. There is no use in this petty squabble. Now, if you would please." Una said, squirming in the man's grip.
"You have found me, the ruler of this land, now what do you want. Gold, land, my head?" Una said.
Suddenly the man holding her in place loosened his grip as if what Una said distracted him. That was a mistake on his part. Una swiftly sunk and was able to twist herself underneath him. She knocked one of his legs from under him and pulled his arm to his back. She then slammed him to the ground before he could make a murmur. Una had him pinned in a position that even the strongest man could not move from.
They all began to shout in another language, the same language that Una's family assassinator used to order his soldiers. This made Una start to swell with anger, and she pushed even harder down on the man, enough where he began to wince in pain. She could feel his shoulder popping, almost to the point of dislocation. She did not care. These were Danes, these were Vikings, and they were all evil in her eyes.
Una could see she was in quite the predicament. Darren was pinned down like this man under her. The women of the group were trying desperately to flee, and they both were surrounded. No blood has been shed yet, but Una feared it might come to that if she cannot find out their prerogatives here.
"You fail to answer me again," Una shouted as she could feel the man squirm from under her.
"You wretched whore! We will tell you nothing!" The man said.
"I will ask you once more why you have come. I don't want to use force, but you leave me no choice." Una shouted as she pressed harder on the man's arm.
"Eahh!" He cried out, trying to push up, but it only dislocated his arm.
"Now, Darren, call your men!" Una ordered.
"Yes, my lady." He said, barely under the weight of the three men on top of him.
They were thin but still firm. Darren was Una's right hand, just like she had been to her brother at one time. Darren was the best fighter in Snowdonia, alongside Una. For the past three years, he helped Una develop strategies for overtaking back the lost land during Una's father's reign.
So far, they had taken back well over ninety percent, and Una suspects that these intruders are from the last segment of the lands, the unconquered region. This was where Eurion lost his life. Una was most hesitant about going there, so she has saved it for the last fight.
Darren called for his men, and they came pouring in, swords pointing down at everyone. The woman was flung against the ground like rag dolls. The three men have pulled away from Darren, and he walked over to Una.
"Are you alright?" He asked, holding his hand out to Una.
"Quite." She said, taking it as she dismounted the back of the man.
Before she could completely move away, the man grabbed her leg and pulled her down. Una slammed against the hard floor, and within an instant, the man was on top of her back with a knife, trying to plunge it through her neck.
Una grabbed the man's arm with the knife and twisted it back before the guards could react. He couldn't use his dislocated arm to help push against Una's grip. She turned under him and grabbed his neck, and swung him into the ground where Una was on top of him. She pushed his neck into her hand so hard that his face turned dark red. His other hand with the knife was nearly white from being crushed in Una's other hand.
"Una!" Darren cried out!
She looked up at him, and she released his grip, though she hesitated. Una wanted to kill him, but she knew she did not reserve the right to do so just yet. It was not until she heard the words that they were there for blood.
She released the man's hand, and the knife dropped away. She quickly grabbed it and threw it in a corner. She released her other hand and sat there, still straddling the man.
"Who are you! Why do you wish to kill me!" Una shouted angrily.
She could see his iceberg blue eyes bloodshot from nearly being strangled to death. He would not speak. He turned over and was looking for the knife. His face was still red. When he realized it was confiscated, he sat up and stared coldly into Una's dark forest green eyes.
"You cannot be the nimble Queen I have heard legends of. You're much too heavy." He smirked.
His hood fell back when he rose, revealing long flaxen hair fixed at the nape of his neck in a long pleat. Una felt insulted but did not show it. She quickly stood up and walked back to her chair, and sat. It was a sight to behold. Everyone had a sword pointed at their throat.
"I am the Queen. I will assure you that this fact is drilled into the very core of your being. You have been quite rude to me this night, so I will ask that you sit and think about what has happened. I will come up with your sentences later." Una elaborated.
"What are ye, me mum!?" One of the men laughed hysterically before the tip of a sword pricked his neck, and he fell silent.
"Take them away, please. I wish to see them no longer." Una scoffed, looking up at the intricate rafters above her.
"Where to, my liege?" A guard said.
"Anywhere but here, perhaps the chambers in the west wing would suffice for now. Make sure they do not escape, and I would ask that you don't speak to them." Una said, sitting her chin on her arm and sinking back in her chair.
"Yes, it will be done." The guard said.
"Thank you, Aidan," Una said with a sigh.
She watched as they all took them away, three guards per individual. The women were crying, and the men were cursing. Una just rolled her eyes and sighed again. She watched as Darren apprehended the man that tried to stab her.
"Wait, Darren, he stays," Una ordered.
The man looked over his shoulder and glared at Una colder than the one from earlier.
"You may stay too, Darren, if you wish," Una said as she stood up.
"I think you can handle him; he is far weaker than he looks." Darren laughed as he threw the knife at the floor next to Una.
"Hey, watch it!" Una laughed as she plucked the knife from out of the wood floor.
She always fancied Darren; he was best friends with her brother, so they practically grew up together as a family. Naturally, Una's feelings of a close bonded friendship turned to affection. She did lust after him. He was quite handsome, and he could fight and plan well. He was everything Una knew she couldn't have, not until she had that Dane's head who killed the King. Una had to conceal these emotions because her only devotion was to her sword. She did not have time for producing heirs and establishing a family.
Her only great love, for now, was to her sword. It was the last link between her and that Dane. If only she could find the bastard, she could move on. Darren had been married to Una's handmaid since he was sixteen anyway, so Una definitely did not allow these affections to surface. It was out of the question and a distraction from duty. Why would Una risk quickly spoiling the relationships she has helped establish and strengthen. She was best friends with his wife, after all. It was a betrayal beyond comprehension.
"I bid you a good night, Una. Try not to play with him too long. He doesn't appear to be the sentimental type." He laughed, exiting the room.
"Until the morrow. Thank you for your aid." Una smiled at him and waved as she watched him disappear behind the large wooden doors.
"Now then," Una said, sitting back into her chair.
She knew he wouldn't try to leave; he knows palace guards surround him.
"Tell me, why are you part of such an elaborate ploy to see the queen?" Una asked, swiveling the knife in her hand.
At this moment, the blade nicked the palm of her hand, and she dropped the knife to the ground by accident. The man sprinted up and tried to grab it but ended up catching the knife-edge as Una managed to capture the other end. He would not let go. They just stood there looking at their hands, holding the knife.
"You are a stubborn thing; do you not realize you are holding the blade edge?" Una said with no emotion.
"It is my father's blade; I'd rather my hand is slashed than to lose it to some hedge-born bitch like you." He said, looking sharply into Una's eyes.
In a second struggle, they both dropped it. Una watched it roll off the steps, on its side. Una's eyes suddenly widened. In the smearing of blood, she could see an inscription foraged into the fuller. The same notation is in the sword that Una carries at her side. It read 'Ulfberht.'
Una's heart stopped beating for a moment. She couldn't think. All she saw was the image of her father being gutted again. She could almost feel his pain. A searing, intense pain she felt in her heart. At this moment, she looks down and sees that the man has plunged the knife into her breast. She couldn't rationalize this. The pain was real. Una couldn't believe she let her guard down. This was the result, and she, too, was being cut into by another Ulfberht blade.