The Forgotten Princess | Avery x Leofric x Uhtred | The Last Kingdom

The Dane Brothers

(TW: Rape.)

Avery spent the morning showering her son with love and affection, it would be a while until she saw him again and it honestly broke her heart. There was a chance she might not see him again at all. It depended on how well her plan went. As her crying son was taken away by his wet nurse, she was quick to blink away her own tears. She had to be strong. For Aethelflaed.

She changed into a black and cream corset dress, with lace long sleeves and various jewels. She looked every inch of the royal that she was, but it was all for show, she wanted the brothers to underestimate her. She would be their downfall.

When she left to join Uhtred and Aethelred she rolled her eyes at the carriage, they both should know her better. But she supposed if she was keeping up the charade of the primp and proper Princess who would not get her hands dirty, she would ride in the carriage.

"I hate this." Finan held his hand out, helping her step into the carriage and she raised her eyebrow at him when he joined her. The door closed behind him and then they were all on their way. "You are my babysitter now?"

"No. It is my job to protect the precious cargo." He grinned, of course he could mean the vast amount of coin that was also in the carriage, but she knew his flirty comment was aimed at her. And for some reason she could feel herself feeling quite flustered. "Are you blushing, Princess?"

"What are you hoping to achieve?" She asked curiously as she reached to pick up one of books across from her that just so happened to be beside him, she felt him tense at how close she was, and she felt herself smirk as she sat back across from him.

"I am just doing my job. Watching the cargo. Watching it very intently." He was grinning at her, and she rolled her eyes before starting to read her book. She would not fall for his charms. No matter how charming he was.

Occasionally she would find herself glancing out of the window, trying to avoid eye contact with both Uhtred and Aethelred. When Finan started to hum she threw the book at his lap to shut him up.

"Can you not swap with the quiet one? Or Osferth?" She laughed softly when he acted as if the book had done some serious damage to him.

"Sihtric may be quiet, but no one is as entertaining as me." He watched her curiously, noticing how she would act every time she looked out of the window. "Which one are you in love with?"

She laughed loudly, his question catching her completely off guard. Love was a strong word. But she had been close with the both of them. "They are both married men. I am a widow and a new mother; I do not have time for anyone."

"The child.." Before he could ask anything or question the child's paternity, the carriage soon stopped. The sudden stop causing her to fall from her seat and fall into Finan, he caught her and there was a look in that moment that he gave her. A look she was all too familiar in seeing in Aethelred's eyes. She was quick to scramble from the carriage, straightening out her dresses as she wondered why they had stopped.

"Where are we?" She questioned as all of the men were dismounting their horses. Finan leaving the carriage finally and he seemed a little disheartened at her fast exit. She just did not want to play with someone else's feelings.

"Not far from Beamfleot now. But we will set up camp here and the brothers will send out an envoy and we will give them the gold as a goodwill gesture and then we will discuss a price for the Lady Aethelflaed's safe return." Uhtred would still not make eye contact with her. "You will stay here as we talk."

"I will not." She scoffed at his words. He was used to being in charge of these kind of things, but Avery would never take orders. Especially from him with how he was acting.