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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. Althea felt Aethelwold looking at her but she refused to look at the coward, she used to think the world of her cousin and he betrayed her like it was nothing.

"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. Althea and Finan shared a bored look that made her smile.

"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." She scoffed at that.

"That's hard to believe, cousin." Aethelwold flinched at her tone and looked away.

"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 they were leaving Steapa stopped them, and the three tensed at the sight.

"Your father wishes to speak with you, Lady Althea." She hesitated for a moment and looked at Uhtred, he gave her a small nod and she sighed. Of course, Uhtred would always tell her to make amends. She followed Steapa as he led her to the dying king, the guard reached out to squeeze her arm lightly.

"I will be here if you need me." Steapa said softly as she walked into her father's chamber. Alfred weakly glanced her way and smiled, he looked like death warmed over. She sat on his bed as he reached out for her, she clasped his freezing hand in her own as they sat in silence.

"I am sorry, my sweet girl. I have been cruel to you, unnecessarily so." Alfred spoke with struggle and she glanced down at their hands.

"It took for you to be on your deathbed for you to apologize?" She hissed out and went to stand, Alfred gripped her hand as tight as possible as he begged her not to leave.

"Please, Althea. Do not leave me yet." Althea nodded and sat back down. "I have not been the father you deserved and for that I am sorry. I have done horrible things to you and your children, my own blood. I should have not forced you away." Althea blinked away her tears as she caressed his hand.

"I just wanted you to be proud of me, to acknowledge me as something other than the spare daughter. I just wanted you to love me." She choked out into sobs and Alfred tugged her close so she would lay on his chest. He stroked her hair softly as he held her closer to him, and he weakly kissed her forehead.

"I have always loved you. And I will always be proud of you, you stood up for yourself and now you have a husband and a family. You are safer with them than you ever would have been with me." Althea smiled sadly as he spoke.

"If I had not treated you as a spare daughter, would you have still married the Dane?" Althea frowned at the question and sat up, she looked into his glazed eyes and nodded.

"Yes, father. We are meant to be, it was destiny. And despite everything we have gone through, the good and the bad, I know that your God and his Gods paired us together for a reason." Alfred grimaced when he moved slightly but reached out to cradle her face.

"My only regret is having never bonded with you and your children." She clutched his hand against her face as she cried. "I love you, my sweet girl. And I hope that you will find it in your heart to forgive me someday." She nodded slowly as she leaned over to kiss her father's forehead.

"I already have." She whispered and left. She sniffled as she left and paused when her mother stood in front of her, she expected to hear an insult or feel a slap but neither happened. Her mother raised her hand and ever so gently wiped away her tears before walking into the room. Steapa guided her away from the room when her mother released an anguished scream, her father was dead.

"He held on just for you, Lady Althea." Steapa whispered as she cried, he pulled her into an embrace as she grieved her father.

Later Beocca, Finan, Thyra, 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. The group turned to her when she joined them, her eyes were bloodshot, and dried tears remained on her cheeks. Thyra held out her arms for the woman and she melted into her, Althea was glad her sons didn't see her in this state again.

"I will not leave Winchester, I cannot." Uhtred says determinedly, he reaches up to rub Althea's back as he speaks.

"You can and you must." Finan says.

"Not until Edward is king." Uhtred claims with a small amount of bitterness.

"You promised Alfred this?" Beocca stated.

"I did." Althea turned to Uhtred in shock, the Dane held out his hand for her and she quickly grasped it.

"If the pardon does not hold, then you cannot stay and wait to be imprisoned and killed." Finan pleads with the Dane.

"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. Althea played with Uhtred's fingers absentmindedly as she listened, Uhtred smiled sadly at the woman.

"Which is a further reason why you must stay, wait for Edward. Which is why Alfred asked you for what seemed like 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, Althea, 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.

Althea hugged her sister briefly and moved back to Uhtred's side, she refused to join them up front and held onto Uhtred's hand as they watched.

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. Althea shook her head in disbelief and followed Finan as he ran 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.

"Steapa, please." She begged the man, she couldn't lose Uhtred too. She had already lost one father, she couldn't bear losing this one too. Steapa gave her an apologetic look when two of the guards grabbed her, she gasped in fright when they pulled her away from Uhtred and Finan. She struggled in their hold and began to panic, something wasn't right.

"Let go of me!"

"Steapa, let her go." Uhtred urged the man.

"I cannot. Her brother wished for her to stay here and away from the Danes." Althea shook her head as she begged him not to.

"I am married and a mother, I will not be held prisoner." She shouted as she head-butted the guard.

"I am sorry, Lady Althea. Truly, I am. But he plans to annul your marriage with Sihtric, he refuses to let you and your children stay together." Uhtred looked between Steapa and Althea with an expression full of pain.

"No, don't do this." Finan pleaded to the man as Althea was taken away despite her screams and struggle.

"Finan, do nothing." Uhtred demanded as he followed Steapa. He couldn't risk Althea or her unborn children.

"He's a free man." Finan says defeated as he slumps against the wall.