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

A clear mind

Aethelred slept the whole night that Avery had spent in his tents, but the fact he was still alive and here truly did make her happy. But she worried about how he would react if he discovered how Sihtric had developed feelings for her. Or the truth of what happened when she was taken prisoner. She hated thinking about it, but she knew how unreasonable Aethelred was. He would not understand why it happened. Why she would let herself be ruined so publicly.

"Thank you. I hope you heal fast." She gently kissed his bruised face, ignoring the reluctant nod that Aldhelm had offered in her direction. He hated her. Maybe he believed that Avery was the person who whispered bad decisions into his masters' ear.

After she left his tent, his bed was carried to one of the carriages and he left to return to Winchester with his men. Alfred would soon follow. Which meant that she would be leaving soon too, so she would have to wake Sihtric before anyone approached her tents. The last thing she needed right now was for someone to find him in her tents and for another rumour to spread about her. She knew she caused her brother too much stress already.

The camp was quiet, plenty of soldiers were still sleeping so she had a bit of time thankfully. Sneaking back into her tent hidden beneath her hooded cloak, Sihtric was still sleeping, and she found herself just watching the way his chest would rise and fall to accompany his silent snores. He was beautiful. That was clear to anyone. But Avery could not be the reason he died. He deserved to live a long and happy life, not having to watch over his shoulder for a would-be assassin.

She quietly moved to the bedside, gently touching his arm and giving him a small shake to wake him up. As soon as his eyes opened and his hand went to his head she chuckled softly, she helped him to sit up and passed him the chalice of water along with a small cup full of herbs and he glanced over at it for a moment before he swallowed the contents too. His headache instantly easing, and he looked confused at her.

"Witchcraft." He joked as he swallowed the rest of the water. "So, what did I say last night?"

"You do not remember?" Selfishly she wished this were true. She could tell a white lie and he would be none the wiser.

There was a moment of silence before he looked back up at her. He moved from the bed now, his frame towering over hers as he gently captured her chin in between his thumb and index finger. He tilted her head to face him, allowing their eyes to meet momentarily before he closed the distance between them, and his lips met hers in a soft kiss. He was gentler than she imagined. There was no denying the way this kiss made her feel something. She was caught off guard by it all. But her body soon started responding to the kiss, her lips gently massaging against his own. His fingers soon getting lost in her long raven locks, but he soon broke the kiss.

"Here I am. Sober and still wanting the same thing. You." He was about to lean in for another kiss, but she quickly took a small step back.

"You do not want me. Believe me. I have been spoiled for any man. Fathered a bastard. I have sex for fun. I am not the woman who men marry or introduce to their mothers. All I have is a royal name." She truly did care for Sihtric, it was a hard situation to put into words.

"A bastard? I thought your son belonged to your late husband?" He allowed her to take that step back, not wanting to make her feel pressured by anything as he just stood before her as vulnerable as ever.

"If I tell you this, your opinion on me will change forever. I do not think I am quite ready for that." She knew her words would confuse him. It confused herself on how much she cared about what he truly thought of her. His hands gently reached for hers again, giving her the confidence to speak her darkest secret. "He is Uhtred's. But I do not wish for him to know. You might think that makes me a horrible person, but I assure you, this is for the best."