𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐀𝐓𝐇, tlk

ii. He is desperate.

Æthelstan of Wessex—

Æthelstan closes his eyes, clasping his hands together in prayer. He just sinned again... Am I not trying enough... Why did you make me this way? He asks his Lord, closing his eyes even tighter.

Behind him he hears Ingilmunder also praying for him. For them. They have again given in to temptation and the fruit of sin, Æthelstan wants to vomit but he holds back and finishes his prayer before opening his eyes hearing Ingilmunder moving behind him, and sitting behind him to embrace him.

"You still have not told me what you're going to do with him." Ingilmunder whispers in his ear, slipping one of his hands into his tunic.

Æthelstan exhales slowly without saying anything. His body continually tenses and relaxes, before finally relaxing quietly. "What I am going to do with him is of my concern only." he announces, staring at their reflection in the mirror in front of him. In front of them.

He removes Ingilmunder's hand from where it is lodged and he stands up, closing his tunic correctly, before grabbing his robe which he puts on as well as his crown then without a glance at Ingilmunder he leaves his rooms, his arms crossed behind his back.

The corridors of the castle are as empty as usual so he takes the time to take a look around, before finally going to visit his guest. He walks towards the room where Ærys is locked up, and upon arriving in the corridor housing the room he sees one of the maids coming out of the room with a tray still full of untouched food.

Æthelstan furrows his eyebrows as he looks at the tray, before reaching the servant's level. "He did not eat anything?" he asks.

The servant shakes her head as she looks at him. "He did not touch anything, not even the cutlery and the bath water, Your Grace." she admits softly.

Æthelstan then nods as he dismisses her and then walks to the room, just before one of the guards guarding the room locks the door. He raises his hand to stop him, and he pushes the door open to see his guest sitting at the desk chair with his arms crossed against his chest, and his eyes closed.

He turns to the guards standing at the entrance to the door, to signal him to come out and close the door behind him. The man hesitates but complies after a few seconds, leaving Æthelstan and Ærys together.

"Are you afraid I will poison you?" Æthelstan asks, settling down on the untouched bed. "Or send someone to kill you in the middle of the night perhaps?" he raises a brow in amusement.

He looks at Ærys who opens his eyes to look at him, and he cracks a bemused smirk when he sees him rolling his eyes. Just like Sihtric. Æthelstan feels like he has a copy of Sihtric in front of him but younger, Ærys acts just like Sihtric and he almost feels sick about it.

"I am not afraid of you or anyone other than my God," Ærys rolls his eyes again and Æthelstan can see annoyance in his gaze.

"And who is your God? Uhtred perhaps?" Æthelstan chuckles softly, raising an brow.

Æthelstan watches as Ærys rolls his eyes again as if it is the only thing he can do, before pulling a chain out from under his tunic. A Cross. Æthelstan had not seen it before, he did not even know that Ærys wore a chain around his neck.

"You are a Christian?" he asks, looking at the Cross around Ærys's neck. A soft frown creasing his forehead.

The latter returns his chain to where it came from. "No. I just wear the chain for the sake of it," Ærys retorts boredly as he closes his eyes again.