Chapter 15 Queen Emeline #2
“I know exactly what I say. Do not patronize me. We will be on our way. Thank you for your hospitality.” I attempt to turn, but Aethelbald yanks on the chain around my throat, almost choking me.
“You forget your place?”
“No, I will never forget that I am your queen and you, you are nothing but your father’s son…both spineless.”
“Say that again,” he challenges, tonguing his cheek.
“I am Queen Emeline, and I do not take orders from a charlatan. Abbot Maxwell, please inform the church that I have had a change of heart. I see that the pushback was a sign from the Lord, showing me the righteous path which I strayed from.”
“What are you doing?” Aethelbald hisses, pulling on the chain. “You signed the paperwork. We had a deal.”
“One which you went back on when you killed my daughter! I will never surrender to you. Or anyone for that matter, because without the support of the church, your paperwork may as well be kindling.”
Everyone looks at me like I’ve lost my mind, and perhaps, I have.
“This is your choice!” Aethelbald roars, spittle running down his chin. “Let it be known that this is all your fault! I was prepared to compromise, but I see now that there is only room for one of us. And I don’t like to lose. Sigrith!”
I frantically search the area for Sigrith, but when I see Skarth’s line of sight travel to the top level of the monastery, I gasp.
Sigrith has Sune and Loki.
They are blindfolded.
My brain lags behind and cannot comprehend what is happening as Sigrith picks up Loki and tosses him over the high wall.
“No!” Skarth bellows, attempting to rescue our children, but four soldiers hold him down. However, they won’t hold him for long; not with rage animating his very being.
Just as Sigrith picks up Sune, I break apart my hands, resulting in the cuffs coming free. Aethelbald is stunned, lowering his guard and losing his grip on the chain. I snatch a sword from the belt of a soldier and drive the sword into Aethelbald’s shoulder.
Instantly, he drops the chain, howling in pain as he clutches his bleeding wound. I don’t have time to relish the sight, though.
I run for Sigrith. “Please no!”
But it’s too late.
Sigrith throws Sune over the wall to his death.
A guttural scream rips from my throat as soldiers attempt to stop me.
But there’s no stopping me.
The devil himself possesses me as I cut down anyone who stands in my way. Fights erupt around me as the brothers commence fighting the soldiers. They are peaceful people, but when their beliefs are threatened, they will fight for what’s right.
No one exists but Sigrith as I focus solely on her. I impale a soldier on the end of my sword and use him as a shield as I fight my way toward Sigrith. When mere feet away, I use my foot to pry off the soldiers from my sword and place it at the hollow of Sigrith’s throat.
To my surprise, she doesn’t fight.
She merely smiles…a smile I know all too well.
“Forgive me, systir. It was the only way to save them.”
“Forgive you?” I cry. “I will torture you for the rest of your days, and it still won’t be enough!”
With a raucous roar, I am about to take off Sigrith’s head, before she twists and seizes onto the end of the chain and forces me to look over the wall. And what I see…is surely a miracle.
“It cannot be,” I gasp, trembling hand over my mouth.
“We are one,” she says in Norse. She is once again the woman I once knew and loved, but I soon realize that she never left because Sune and Loki are not dead.
On the contrary.
They are in the arms of my Viking, my Ulf.
He holds my boys with nothing but protection, and when we meet eyes, he nods. He was always coming back for me. Just like he always has.
Which means…the mole is Sigrith.
She was on our side all along and simply biding her time for today. She knew we couldn’t win without an army, and now, we have an army because beside Ulf is Aeden and his Irishmen.
“He had to believe. I am sorry for all that I did. But—”
“Shh.” I hush her, throwing my arms around her. “You outsmarted us all. I’m sorry for ever doubting you.”
She hugs me back, nothing but love surrounding us.
“The children were always in your care when I believed you wanted to hurt them?”
She nods. “They are my nephews. I never harmed them. I only alluded to Aethelbald that I would.”
“Thank you.” I choke back my tears.
“Do not thank me just yet because your children are in the care of Ulf.”
I cannot contain my laughter.
It feels good to laugh once again.
“He must be made an example of,” I say, meaning Aethelbald. “And his army is larger than ours. We cannot win today. Soon, he will have soldiers from Wessex and Mercia at his disposal. The monarchy is a mess. England’s rulership is pure pandemonium.”
She nods. “You are right, but we can give him a message, and that message is…he’s a dead man walking.”
The cries of men mar the blackened sky. It’s a melody of soldiers and brothers. I do not want any more innocent blood spilled.
“Let’s give him that message then, shall we?”
Sigrith nods.
She picks up a fallen sword, and we commence fighting side by side, just as we have done countless times before. We are an unstoppable force. When she ducks left, I weave right. We’ve got one another’s backs—literally.
Soldiers swarm the monastery, and carnage soon follows.
Just as I knew he would, Skarth annihilates anyone who stands in his way.
Even with his hands bound, he is still a force no man can match.
Watching Skarth fight is something of utter beauty.
There is an elegance in the way he moves.
There is an art form to his kills. I suppose this is the spirit of a true warrior.
Watching him dominate every man who stands in his way stokes the fire within, and I follow suit, tearing down anyone who stands in my way. My heart breaks when I see fallen brothers dead or writhing in pain. This violence was brought onto their doorstep because of me.
I promise to make this right.
Both Skarth and I make a beeline for Aethelbald, who fights off his brothers, and I am surprised to see a few of his own army turning on him. These men were once my soldiers but served Aethelbald as they believed him to be the stronger leader. However, now they fight against him.
How the tables have suddenly turned.
Aethelbald fights with one arm. He knows he cannot win.
So like the coward he is, he quickly shoves through the men and mounts his horse, riding away and deserting his army.
The soldiers who fight for him look in horror at their so-called leader’s form growing smaller in the distance because he’s not coming back.
When I get closer to them, the fight in them dies, and some lower their weapons in surrender. Others, however, would rather take their own lives than fight for me once again. So like their leader, they follow his lead and flee the scene.
I let them go because the next time we meet, it will be in battle.
A dozen or so men remain, accepting whatever fate befalls them for their decision. Brothers help their fallen comrades stand and tend to their wounds.
Skarth frantically approaches, ready to tear off Sigrith’s head. “The children are okay. Sigrith was on our side all along,” I spat out quickly. “Ulf has our sons. He’s here with Aeden and his Irish army.”
“They are all right?” he asks, his eyes softening.
“Yes, my love. Sigrith ensured our sons were okay. She was always on our side. She was merely pretending because she was fighting for us when we could not.”
Sigrith bows her head. “Forgive me, brother. I tried to protect Loki, but they harmed him when I was not there.”
“There’s nothing to forgive, Sister.”
Sigrith slowly raises her chin, tears in her eyes. “Allow me to free you.”
She retrieves the key from a metal loop around her waist and cautiously approaches Skarth, unlatching the lock of his shackles. Once he is free, she steps back and accepts whatever punishment he deems fit for her betrayal.
But when he embraces her tightly, she realizes there is no punishment because she did what any of us would do.
He speaks Norse to her, stroking her hair lovingly. The sight brings tears to my eyes.
“Mother!”
Somehow, through chaos, everything is where it should be.
Sune and Loki come running toward me, their beautiful faces filling my heart in the way only a child can do. They launch into my arms as I crouch down to meet them. I cannot contain my tears. I am finally whole once again.
I peer at Skarth over the heads of our sons. He is apprehensive. But I nod that it’ll be okay.
Loki pulls away, wiping the tears from my cheek.
“I failed you, my son,” I say, touching over his eye patch.
“I do not need my eyes to see,” he states with a smile.
Once upon a time, his visions troubled me, but now, I see how special he truly is. “You are my life. As are you, Sune.”
Sune is slightly standoffish. Not that I can blame him, and when Skarth approaches, he steps in front of me, my forever protector.
Skarth drops to one knee and bows his head. “Forgive me, son. If you cannot, I understand. You were there for your mother and brother when I wasn’t. You are a warrior. Fearless and righteous. I am proud of you.”
I don’t push Sune. He can have all the time he needs.
Loki stands in front of Skarth and places his hand over the crest of his head. “A crown soon sits here, Father.”
Could it be…I rule with a king, a Viking king?
Skarth slowly lifts his chin, nothing but love and adoration swirling in his eyes. “You are a miracle, my son. Chosen by the gods to speak for them. I love you. I love you both.”
The sight is too much because my family is whole for the first time.
And when Ulf appears, I realize he is part of that family unit. He smiles, and my heart almost bursts with joy.
Skarth slowly stands and turns to face Ulf. They have a turbulent past. But Skarth extends his arm. Ulf grips Skarth’s forearm, and Skarth does the same to him. They shake with both hands locked on one another’s forearms; a true warrior’s handshake.
Skarth says something in Norse, and Ulf listens intently. When Skarth makes eye contact with me, I realize that I am the topic of discussion. Ulf nods and bows his head.
“They have come to a truce,” Sigrith explains. “No more fighting. Well, for now anyway.”
Abbot Maxwell approaches me. Thankfully, he only has a few scratches. “I will ensure all damages are paid for, and the brothers who perished receive the honorable burial they deserve.”
He nods in gratitude. “Today has marked a war.”
And he’s right.
We can no longer enter the palace because Aethelbald has no doubt taken it over, strategizing with my council in a battle plan to take us down. We are displaced. But home is where my family is. A place is merely a structure, but a home is where love grows.
“You will need sanctuary. I offer it in the way of the monastery.”
“Thank you, Abbot Maxwell. We will restore it whilst we wait as a sign of our gratitude.”
It’s the least we can do.
“However, you grant sanctuary to us all? Even those not of Christian faith?”
Abbot Maxwell looks around at the carnage before replying. “We are all God’s children, for look at the blood we bleed. One and the same. I do not honor their gods, but I respect their faith, for they only wish for peace as do we.
“Aethelbald may be of the Christian faith, but he does not respect our religion. If he did, he would not have come here tonight, intent on war.”
Skarth steps forward, towering over the abbot. “Thank you. We come in peace and respect, for it seems we have a common enemy.”
Abbot Maxwell nods. “You may take lodgings in the cells. It may be a little cramped.”
“We have slept in far worse,” I assure him, placing a hand over his arm in gratitude. “We must send word to the church, for they are in danger. Aethelbald will bribe, blackmail, and butcher anyone. No one is safe.”
Benedict comes to stand by my side. “Hello, Abbot Maxwell.”
The abbot’s eyes instantly water. “My child. It is good to see you.”
“It is good to be seen,” he replies, before hugging him tightly. “How is Barlow?”
“He is safe in the tower. I’m sure he is desperate to hear all about your adventures.”
Benedict smiles. “I will see you come morrow, dear aunt. Now, I must tend to my brother.”
I nod, unbelieving this fine young gentleman is my brother’s spawn.
Benedict limps away, elated to be reunited with his kin.
A small win for us all.
I am suddenly hit with fatigue so fierce that I waver on my feet. Skarth places his arm around me to stop me from tumbling over.
“Come, hugrekki. Tomorrow is a brand-new day. Good night, Abbot Maxwell.”
I don’t fight as he leads us toward our lodgings with our sons holding our hands. I peer over my shoulder and see that Sigrith and Ulf follow. But what of Aedan and his men?
“Stop worrying,” Skarth whispers into my ear.
His voice is a hypnotic caress.
We reach our lodgings, which are cave cells, and although humble, they are home. Sune and Loki rub their eyes, exhaustion overtaking them. Skarth picks up Loki, who nestles into his chest. With Sune’s hand still in mind, I lead him over to a small cot.
Pulling back the covers, I gesture for him to lie down. Once he’s in, I settle down beside him and pull the covers over us. Skarth settles into the cot beside us with Loki. Ulf and Sigrith take the remaining cot.
A dim fire burns in the corner of the room, providing warmth and light.
Skarth lies with our son, and I realize this is the first time they’ve slept side by side. Sune is soon asleep, nestled into me.
My life is complete.
However, there is one final thing I need to do, and everything will be perfect.
I slide my arm out from under the blanket and extend it to my side. A peace offering, perhaps? But when Ulf slips his hand into mine, I know that he and I will forever be unfinished business because only now is everything perfect.
I fall asleep with my hand enclosed in Ulf’s, dreaming of what tomorrow holds.