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Father Beocca stood in front of her with disapproval but even he couldn't deny God's will. She looked to Steapa and Aethelwold with the hope that they too would back up her claim.
"Beocca, please! I will take any consequences that may come. I do not wish to marry that coward of East Anglia. I wish to marry Sihtric." Beocca scowled and started to mumble a prayer.
"She is with child, Father. The king would prefer his daughter married, even to a dane, over a bastard child and the tainted reputation of the royal family." Steapa spoke and placed a hand on her shoulder. Aethelwold covered his building laugh with a cough and cleared his throat.
"Your parents will never forgive you, forgive me."
"I know. I would not put you in this position if I had any other choice. You are the only priest I trust." She begged. He glanced at her stomach briefly before sighing. She looked at Aethelwold who gave her a small supportive nod, he may be a nuisance but he was loyal to her. She knew it in her heart.
"Where is this dane of yours?" The moment he asked the doors to the church opened revealing the beautiful warrior, Sihtric. The same walked in nervously and cringed when Steapa patted his back a little too roughly.
"He's Uhtred's man," Beocca said with a defeated tone. "Of course, Uhtred is always a part of everything. Even in this, it would seem." Althea smiled at the mention of Uhtred, the man she idolized since childhood.
"Uhtred doesn't know." Sihtric informed and turned to his soon-to-be wife and noticed she was dressed in a lavender and gold dress, she looked like an angel.
"He will. I'm sure he would find this amusing at best. Come on, hurry now, this isn't the only wedding that this church will see today." Althea beamed at Sihtric as they followed the priest, they stood in front of the altar and waited for the ceremony to begin. Beocca crossed one of each of their hands to lie on top of one another.
"I am a witness that you are together, never to part, bound as man and his wife." The priest crosses the ribbon over their hands and begins a prayer. "Let us pray that God and all those above do not forsake this secret unity and grace you both with fortune and love. Let's hope this union of a Saxon princess and a dane shows that love can be found anywhere. Under one God, may you be blessed. Amen."
Sihtric turned to her and gently placed his hand on her face before leaning down to kiss her. She's never been kissed before but it was something she would crave to experience from this point on. The newlyweds pulled apart, their foreheads touching with soft smiles gracing their faces.
"Congratulations, little Althea. I always knew you were the best of Alfred's children." She turned to Aethelwold and pulled him into a hug that he immediately melted into. Steapa congratulated them and then pulled Aethelwold out of the church when he started talking of ale and feasts, Beocca too had left to prepare for his ceremony in an hour.
She pulled Sihtric into another kiss but this one wasn't tame like the one before, this was pure lust and desire. She moaned as he slid his tongue into her mouth and deepened the kiss, in that moment she knew what she wanted. She pushed him into the nearest pew and straddled him, he gasped as he placed his hands on her thighs. She reached down to unbuckle his trousers, pulled out his cock a moment later, and started stroking it.
"Althea, my wife, this is blasphemy. Is it not?" He grunted as she started to kiss up his neck and placed his fingers between her thighs to feel how soaked she was.
"I don't care, husband. I can not wait any longer, I need your cock inside me as soon as possible." She whined when he thrust his fingers into her, his free hand pulled her into a filthy kiss unfit for her royal title. She gripped his shoulders as Sihtric swallowed her moans with his tongue when he twisted his fingers just right causing her to feel the most intense feeling she's ever encountered. Patience not being her strongest trait led to her grabbing his cock and slowly sinking on it, he rubbed her arm soothingly when she winced at the pain.
"Take your time, princess. I want you to enjoy this too." He whispered into her hair when she leaned forward to bury her face in his neck and shoulder, he guided his free hand into her hair and caressed it. Having gotten used to the feeling she slowly started to ride him, his hands helping her with a gentle and firm grasp on her thighs, soon they both were moaning from the pleasure.
She was unsure how long it had gone on for but she knew that when he grasped her thighs with more force showing he was close the thought of him leaving a mark led to her undoing, and a second later his too. She leaned her forehead against his own, both panting for air into each other's mouths.
"We have not even been married for a day and we have already offended my God in his home of worship and possibly made an enemy of East Anglia." She giggled high off the pleasure she had felt, Sihtric grinned and kissed her softly.
"In my people's belief, that would mean we're meant to be." She climbed off his lap shakily, he quickly grabbed her hips when she stood with little grace. She knew it was a sacrilegious act to watch a dane and priest marry with her husband's seed leaking down her legs, but she liked the unruliness of it. The two managed to make themselves look respectable enough when the next couple walked in with a group of friends. She lit up seeing Uhtred and Gisela, the Lady of Coccham smile at her and wave her over.
"Lady Althea, you look beautiful in that dress." Gisela praised and watched the young girl blush. Uhtred looked between her and Sihtric for a moment in confusion but turned to focus on his sister and Beocca.
"She is right, Lady Althea. You look lovely, I'm sure your husband will say the same." Finan says with a kind smile and Beocca clears his throat to gain everyone's attention, she gives the priest a look of gratitude and stands with Gisela who has looped their arms together. She watched as Uhtred gave the ceremonial speech with the ribbon, Beocca then asked for a prayer.
"I don't know any prayers." Uhtred answered sheepishly while his men chuckled.
"I will say a prayer." Hild interrupted and Uhtred nodded.
"Let us pray that God and all His saints and all his angels in heaven, smile and bless you. Let us pray that this union of Dane and Saxon can show that this is a land for all people." Althea looked over at Sihtric and blushed when she realized he was already looking at her, Gisela poked her side teasingly.
"Under one God." Beocca declared.
"Under one God, of course. Amen." Beocca and Thyra hug and kiss to celebrate their marriage.
"I will never not be amazed by how ambitious you are to avoid royal traditions." Gisela said with a knowing look.
"Uhtred once told me that I am the daughter of the king and that I should use that to my advantage. And I have every single day of my life since then," She then leaned in closer and whispered, "Including a secret marriage." Gisela's eyes widened as Althea smirked and walked over to congratulate the couple.
