𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐑 <𝐬𝐢𝐡𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐤𝐣𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧>

3. 𝖙𝖜𝖔 𝖜𝖊𝖉𝖉𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖆 𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖕𝖔𝖘𝖆𝖑

Winchester was expansive, and busy, and altogether far too dirty a place for Ghylena to like it; no, she much preferred the open air, Shaeda beneath her and Sihtric beside her.
For now however, she would tolerate the city to which they had come for the wedding of Alfred's daughter, Aethelflaed.

It was strange; how easily it was to imagine a similar gathering of the people closest to her, Sihtric stood beside her, in a wedding for a different pair. It was even easier to imagine that pair to be her and Sihtric, if only the fool would finally propose...
As it was, for now she was to be content with simply watching another's ceremony.

"Is that Aethelred?" Clapa pointed to the arriving parade of horses.

"From what I know, Alfred could not have chosen a bigger turd." Uhtred said.

Finan, not to be outdone, replied, "I've never met the man, but by the look of him, he was indeed shat out the arse of a giant."

Ghylena giggled, her laugh mingling with Sihtric's chuckle, as the scabby rat-man known as Aethelwold made his presence known, only for Uhtred to drag him off to speak in private.

Laughing at yet another of Finan's comments, Ghylena paused with a sharp intake of air, her fingers closing into a fist as a jolt of pain shot through her stomach. Determined for her pain to go unnoticed, she kept a blank face, and was glad whenever Sihtric excused himself to chase after Uhtred, mentioning something about a promise.

Ghlyena's courses always caused her immense pain, and Sihtric had occasionally noticed whenever she flinched at odd moments once a month, yet thankfully had the good sense not to mention it.
He had brought her a tea of mint leaves once, when she was unable to leave her bed in the burh and Gisela had mentioned her pain to him; when he left it at her bedside his face was blushed furiously red, and he didn't speak, simply clasping her hand before letting her fall back asleep. Lena found it oddly touching.

Saying a quick goodbye to Finan and Clapa with the excuse of finding Gisela, Ghylena made her way back to the inn they were all staying at for the celebrations.
Her head now thumped with pain, and the room was far too bright. She was too warm and completely uncomfortable as she stripped down into her nightclothes and crawled under the covers to rest.
The only way she could handle her bloods whenever the pain was this bad was to sleep through them, so that's what she did.

<>

Whenever Uhtred mentioned his expedition to see the dead man Bjorn to Gisela, she had told him not to bring Ghylena, having checked in with her little sister earlier and found her unable to leave her bed.
Uhtred, after checking that Ghylena was indeed alright, didn't enquire further into his wife's words, leaving quickly to meet with the dead man. He took Finan, Clapa and Sihtric with him.

Gisela stayed with Lena after that, her company a soothing presence for her sister.
"I can never understand how I am to be cursed with such painful courses, and yet you seem to be unbothered by yours, Gisa." Ghylena whimpered from under her covers.

Gisela raised her eyebrows, "You saw my pregnancies, yes? Perhaps those pains are my curse, and you will be blessed with a painless labour when your time comes."

Ghylena snorted, "I doubt it."
Turning over to face her sister, she took a drink of the water she had brought to her, "Uhtred will make Sihtric wait the dead man out, won't he?"

"Yes, I imagine he will want to know if he is being tricked or not."

"Sihtric will hate that. I have yet to meet a man more superstitious than him."

"Lena, I have yet to meet a man more smitten than him." Gisela teased.

Choking slightly on her water, Ghylena regained her composure before replying, "Has he asked yet, then?"