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"You dirty bastards," Finan shouts. "Come on, lord. Get his shield! Come on! Christ, if you want to play that game." Luna flinched as Uhtred got hit by Bloodhair, she did not want to see this. Sihtric pulled her into his armored chest so she wouldn't have to watch.

"You are happy with this, Ragnar? You believe this to be a fair fight!" Beocca shouts angrily.

"It's a fight." Ragnar said stiffly.

"He deserves it, kill him! Take his balls!" Brida shouts. Luna glares at the woman as Sihtric holds her tighter.

"Take his legs off Uhtred, lord here. His shoulder!" Uhtred starts to kick Bloodhair's ass making Finan shout happily. "Yes, lord!" Uhtred goes to kill him when Ragnar harshly shoves the man down.

"It's over."

"No, it's not over until he's dead." Bloodhair screams as he stands up.

"I say it is over." Ragnar demands.

"I demand my woman." Bloodhair shouts.

"I will not lose one single man before the true battle has begun." Ragnar explained.

"It was to the death." Uhtred claims.

"Uhtred, please." She begs to will her lover to stop.

"If you disagree with me then fight me." Ragnar snapped and moved to Uhtred.

"Kill him, Ragnar. And be done with it." Brida snarled with anger.

"It is over. It is done, take what belongs to you. Take your witch." Ragnar says and Bloodhair seethes in anger.

"She belongs to me!" Bloodhair screams childishly.

"I shall see you across the battlefield, no doubt. I will kill you." Ragnar warned.

"Leave while you're still alive. Alfred needs his ass to be wiped." Brida taunted but Uhtred did not reply as they followed Uhtred to the horses.

"Enjoy your prize." Cnut mocked as Uhtred cut Skade's bindings, and when Uhtred shoved the man.

"You ride with me now." Uhtred helps Skade on her horse as Luna gets on Sihtric's horse.

"Skade, he must remain cursed, it is your duty!" Bloodhair demands.

"He has defeated you, twice over. I belong to Uhtred now." Skade claimed and sent Luna a smirk.

"I've tasted your blood! What you see is mine! Ragnar, he cannot be allowed to leave." Bloodhair demands as Brida throws a spear and lodges it in the gate.

"I didn't mean to miss, next time I won't." Brida threatened.

"The gates, now. Let us be rid of them." The group rode off into the snowy terrain. Skade rides next to Finan and Uhtred, Osferth glanced at Lina in concern when she sighed.

"I hope this has been resolved when the children come." Luna whispered as Sihtric rubbed her stomach softly, she smiled when he kissed her jaw.

"Me too, my moon."

"This is where we must leave you. There's a ship waiting at Eoferwic, Alfred will be wondering where we are." Beocca says and looks at Uhtred with Thyra following along.

"Alfred will know exactly where you are." Uhtred replied.

"Yes, you that is most likely. Do not get yourself killed until Aethelflæd is safe." Beocca demands.

"That would be unfortunate." Uhtred agrees with a smile.

"It would and I would have had a wasted journey. Aethelflæd is important to the king and to all Saxons. After she is safe, what then?" He asked the Dane.

"Fate will decide." Uhtred leans over to pat the priest on the back.

"Uhtred, you are my brother. And you shall always be my brother." Thyra speaks softly and then rides after Father Beocca leaving Uhtred stunned. They end up in a nunnery with Aethelflæd, Luna doesn't like the way the princess was looking at Uhtred. She's never had to be jealous of her men because she felt like their relationship was secure, but she could never compare to Aethelflæd.

"Your guards are not, lady." Finan said after a moment of chugging down some ale. Finan reached over and rested a hand over her belly as he spoke, she and Sihtric placed a hand over Finan's.

"Not what?" Aethelflæd asked and glanced at her in curiosity.

"They're not guards. Their swords are trinkets." Sihtric said with a smirk. Aethelflæd watched her for a moment when Uhtred leaned forward to look down at his friends and woman.

"It's true." Finan agreed.

"They're good men."

"Are they? Do you know them personally?" Aethelflæd frowned at her as Uhtred grinned.

"I'm sure they're loyal but they are not guards." Finan explained.

"They are barely men." Uhtred added and looked over at Luna with a wink.

"I do not like you, young man. You have a very high opinion of yourself." Aethelflæd smiled at the Abbess.

"I am heathen, I am godless and an enemy of Alfred. But I will keep you all safe." Uhtred told the holy woman.

"And who is it that wishes me dead?" The elder woman asked them. Finan grinned over at her as he spoke.

"Several people, I imagine." Luna noticed Skade had been staring right at her for a few moments and instead of asking she just laid her head on Finan's shoulder.

"What Uhtred is saying, is that the lands are changing. Men are becoming sick with greed and we must all be on our guard." Aethelflæd explains.

"Well, perhaps. But I know when I am hearing half-truths. I do not like him." The abbess scoffs at him. "And I like her even less." She replied motioning to Skade as she left.

"Nor I you, hag!" Skade shouts making the Abbess pause and turn around, Finan giggles next to her.

"She reminds me of my mother and that woman was never wrong either." Finan says making them laugh. Uhtred leaves to tend to his horse and Skade pulls her to the side as Aethelflæd leaves.

"She's after our man, Luna." Skade claimed glaring at Alfred's daughter, Luna raised an eyebrow at her.

"My man, first of all. And why do you believe so?" Luna questioned and Skade smirked at her as she intertwined their fingers.

"Unlike her, I have my intentions known. We could share Uhtred, do you think she would allow that? Do you believe he would choose you over her?" Luna frowned at her and waved off her husbands when they stood up at her expression. "Come with me, I will show you. After all, can he really be trusted? He kissed me in front of Bloodhair to claim me." Luna felt her heartbreak but she refused to cry with the witch watching her.

Skade pulled her close as they walked to the stables and the closer they got the more she dreaded it. Skade nudged her close to the crack in the door as Aethelflæd stood too close for comfort, Uhtred was caressing the princess's hand as she spoke.

"Shhh! You are here and I am glad of it. Soon I shall travel to my estate and I shall face both my husband and the Danes," She placed a hand on Uhtred's face. Luna watched as Uhtred didn't pull away as he gazed at her softly. "I shall fight, I must as my father must, he too shall match."

"Aeth-" Uhtred began but was cut off by her kissing him, Luna couldn't contain the tears anymore when he didn't pull away.

"If you will excuse me. I promised the abbess I would pray with her. There is much to pray for." The princess said and left through the other door. Skade rubbed her back softly and a part of her wasn't sure if it was genuine or a mockery of affection.

She shoved the seer away and walked to the woods for some air, she clutched her stomach as she screamed. She collapsed by a tree and curled up to cry, she was so heartbroken that not even the cold bothered her.

She loved Uhtred. And he claimed to love her too. How could he? And with Skade and Aethelflæd no less.

"A stór, what happened?" Finan asked as he draped his cloak around her. Both he and Sihtric kneeled in the dirt to comfort her, Sihtric wiped her tears away when she looked at him with bloodshot eyes.

"Let us go inside, my moon. You are freezing, come on." He said gently as he picked her up bridal style, she nuzzled her face into his neck and realized how cold she was. Once they find an empty room the three curl up against one another, Finan strokes her hair as Sihtric rubs her back.

"I found out Uhtred had kissed Skade," Finan makes a disgusted look and she nods. "And I just watched him and Aethelflæd kiss." Sihtric frowns and kisses her shoulder, and Finan caresses her jaw softly.

"If you cannot see what he has, then he is an idiot. We would not ever do that to you, Luna. You are ours as we are yours." Finan said kissing her hand making her smile.

"Finan is right. I would die before I would be with another woman." Sihtric confessed and laid her forehead against the back of her head.

"I had always thought the three of you and Gisela was it for me. And I have found that perhaps I am only meant to be with you two." She whispered and lay against Finan's chest.

Not long after the group gathers at the table when the Abbess runs in with the nuns in panic, she boards up the door and turns to them.

"What is it?" Uhtred asked.

"Abbess?"

"Danes, outside. I just witnessed them kill a man." The woman said quickly and terrified.

"How many Danes?" Finan asked as the men stood alert and unsheathed their swords.

"I did not count, but many."

"Why aren't they bursting through the door?" Sihtric asked.

"Finan, hold. Sihtric, they may not know we're here." Uhtred says.

"They have asked for the lady Aethelflæd." The Abbess says, Luna scoffed at the name.

"Well, they know someone is here." Osferth replied sarcastically.

"There are two other hostages."

"We wait inside and will remain silent. Abbess, you will go to them and talk to them." Uhtred ordered and the Abbess began to panic.

"No, no. I...I...I will not."

"Yes, you will because you must." Uhtred insisted.

"Did I not say I did not like you?"

"You did. Allow them to believe you are unprotected and deny Aethelflæd is here." Uhtred explains.

"Or we give them what they want? I say the princess has been more trouble than she's worth. She's the reason you turned against your family, let her die." Luna said with a scowl as Uhtred frowned at the harshness.