VIKINGS || GYDA

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟒𝟐

ONE YEAR LATER

"Hush now Alfred."

I offer Judith a sympathetic smile as she tries to console her sons tantrum. The boy was a year old. A most pleasant child most of the time. He held his fathers features of dark brown hair and pale blue eyes. He caused no trouble, only when others tried to help him with something he felt he could do himself.  I admired his independence.

The boy while unimpressed, stood still as he allowed his mother to dry and dress him from his bath. He looked to me in the chair with a grimace and wide eyes.

I smile to myself as I hold my hands to cover my eyes. "Don't worry Alfred. I'm not peeking."

Judith's chuckle is heard as she resumes her task. When she is done the boy let's out a short giggle as he waddles off to his brother playing in the next room. Looking back to Judith her face looked sunken as she gazed after the little boy.

I take a seat beside her. "You are thinking of him, aren't you?" She nods quick as tears peek through.

"Alfred is so much like him. I am just so saddened that he'll never know."

I lean my body to hers. "Don't say that Judith. The settlements are going well here in Wessex and back home in East Anglia. I have no doubt that my mother or father will visit soon." I then peer her eyes away from the floor to mine. "And where ever my family goes, so does Athelstan."

Her eyes lighten up with a spark of hope at my words. "I hope you are right Gyda. All I dream of is Athelstan meeting his son."

"And so he shall Judith." She gives my hand one last squeeze before we depart from our close embrace.

"Is Athelwulf accepting of the boy?" Everyone knew of Alfred's true parentage. And everyone also knew of prince Athelwulf's indifference to his wife for her adultery.

She sighs. "Athelwulf is a good man. He treats the boy no different than our first son. He has accepted Alfred as his. As for me... well, we barely even speak to one another unless it's urgent."

She did not seem all that bothered with this. Her heart longed for Athelstan. I couldn't blame her. I too remember having an infatuation with the monk when I was a girl. And as strange as it sounded, I never did lose it. This certain girlhood crush was near impossible for me to shake. But I could never speak it out loud— no never. Judith was my friend, and I had a good man of my own.

"Alfred is my blessing and I am so glad for him. But I just feel so ashamed of what I did. Baring another mans child... how much more disgraceful could I  possibly be? There are certainty no lies when I hear gossip of Judith the whore!"

"Judith, do not speak like this. You are not the first woman to make such a mistake."

"Well I know of no other princess who has made such a fool of herself!"

I felt no shame in admitting my past to her so I did it. "Before Tobias and I were married I carried another mans child."

She halts as she turns to me, wide eyed as she looked to my belly then to my face. "You did?"

I nod slowly. "I conceived before I even met Tobias. When I went and fought for Mercia, I lost it..." I blink away to the floor, remembering the blood that coated my body on that day. "I told him the truth. And he forgave me. Just give Athelwulf time. Because you are right, he is a good man and a good father. If you cannot love him at least befriend him."