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"Althea, please! Don't do this, we can work this out." Sihtric begged as she hid her shaky hands and turned to him. "Don't leave me." He spoke brokenly and she had to close her eyes to stop crying, she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her husband cry if she ever had. But seeing him freely sob and begging her not to leave would be something she would never forget.
"When you betrayed us it made me realize something, Sihtric. I never knew how many insecurities I had until I was alone. You made me believe that we weren't worth staying for, I would have gone with you but you never asked. And yeah, it was a trick but I didn't know that. But I know now that I am not a good mother, I neglected them while you were gone. They took care of me, it should not have been that way. I am not in a good place of mind and they deserve a parent that will be there for them." She said and angrily wiped away her tears, she held out a hand to stop Sihtric from approaching.
"Althea-" She shook her head and quickly cut him off.
"Don't, please. When...when the twins are born I will have my sister bring them to you. If I cannot take care of our current children I know I won't be able to be the mother these two need, I refuse to turn into my mother. You will have to tell Hvitserk that I left and he will not believe you at first but I do not want him to search for me, he might not like what he finds. You are free to tell them whatever cruel thing you can to explain why I left, if they hate me then they won't be disappointed when they realize what a failure of a mother I am." Sihtric shook his head as he sobbed, he reached out to cradle her face in his palms.
She wanted to pull away but she also wanted to remember what he looked like one last time. She wasn't sure if her cruel thoughts would allow her to live much longer after their sons were born. She gasped when he placed his forehead against her and she could feel their tears mix on her cheek.
"Stay, please. If one of us has to leave, let it be me. All I have left is our family and without you, I have no reason to stay." He mumbled and she could feel her hands shake again.
"It must be me. I am the burden, the problem. Not you." Sihtric pulled back with pain visible in his beautiful eyes.
"You have never been a burden to us, to me. And you never will be. Meeting you that day in the alley, drunkenly passed out in the mud, will always be the best choice I have ever made. You will always be my one true love, Althea. Even if we do not last, I will never love another." Sihtric whispered as he wiped away her tears with his thumb.
"There's something wrong with me, Sihtric. My mind has never been so cruel before. Skade released me from the curse and I can still hear their words. I just want them to stop." She pleaded as she grew hysterical. Sihtric pulled her into a tight embrace as he swayed them softly, one of his hands stroked her hair as he hummed a tune to soothe her.
"We will get you some help if you want it. But I refuse to allow you to isolate yourself from us, I will always be by your side." He whispered into her ear as she cried into his chest.
He didn't realize how bad she had gotten, he felt like the worst husband to exist.
"My men are free men still. They'll travel with you to Winchester, ensure your safe return." Uhtred tells the Bishop as he walks to his horse. He noticed that Althea and Sihtric were closer in distance now, their sons shared a horse as they observed their parents.
"I have a guard. And Wessex is not a land of banditry." The Bishop claimed.
"Priests and Ealdorman aside, you should never refuse the offer of a sword, Bishop Erkenwald." Finan tells the holy man.
"Is it your intention to remain at Coccham?"
"It is not. My lord's intention is to rule at Winchester." Skade adds as she stands next to Uhtred and the Dane-slayer sends her a dirty look. Sihtric nearly snarls at the blonde, she had planted something wicked in his wife's mind.
"Is that right, lord?" Finan asked sardonically.
"My business is my own." Uhtred claims.
"And your children?"
"Are Christian now." Uhtred said through gritted teeth.
"I will ensure they are cared for." Hild tells them reassuringly. She gave Althea a kind smile but soon frowned when the brunette didn't glance her way.
"If it pleases you."
"I will bring my wife and children to Mercia, lord. Meet you there." Sihtric says with a small smile from where he is perched on his horse. Hvitserk glared at his father briefly but stopped when Althea reached for his father's hand, Sihtric grasped it quickly and kissed her palm. He knew this was an olive branch for their relationship and he wouldn't do anything to burn it again.
Skade waits in a lake for Uhtred and when he arrives she smiles at him.
"You and I can be everything together. I want you to believe in me, Uhtred."
"I do." They begin to kiss as she continues to speak.
"Like I believe in you, the warrior above all men you're a king." Skade said breathlessly as Uhtred kissed down her jaw and neck.
"Then you are my queen." Skade lost in thought forgot Althea's warning,
"I am yours and you are mine to love, to guide," She helps Uhtred take his shirt off. "To own. I own you, it is a shame I released Althea, she could have been mine too." He turned her around with his hand on her chest as he kissed her to distract the seer. He relaxed knowing he wouldn't be damning Althea to her curse. He grips the back of her shirt and flips it over her face and shoves her into the water, he grunts as he holds her under until she no longer fights back.
He goes back to the village at nightfall cold and wet as he enters the hall, he pauses at the sight of Osferth.
"I thought you would need a fire, lord. Something warm to eat." Osferth said softly as he stirred the food and Uhtred sat next to the fire.
"You saw?"
"I did." Osferth answered.
"I am not proud of what I've done." Uhtred said distraught as he looked down.
"But it was necessary, lord. She was of the devil and you are free of her now. And so is my sister."
"Why are you here?" Uhtred asked quietly.
"I could not leave, lord."
"You feared I could not rid myself of the curse." Uhtred stated.
"I did. I stayed here for the lady Gisela, lord. This was her hall and there was no kinder, gentler lady." Osferth said confidently. He wished that he could help his sister through whatever tormented her.
"You clearly did not know the lady Gisela." Uhtred said as they smiled. The two soon create a plan to sneak him in.
