Kingdom Come

XXVIII. Eat Your Young

Throw enough rope until the legs have swung

Seven new ways that you can eat your young

Come and get some

Skinning the children for a war drum

Putting food on the table selling bombs and guns

It's quicker and easier to eat your young

Thirty days. Thirty days Jaehaera has watched as Edward and his men have died for the sake of this siege Edward seems so intent on doing. He has suffered more loss than gain as Jaehaera lays her head on Sihtric's lap in the grass. The air thick with the stench of death, she could taste it. A taste she hated. As she looked up at the dreary sky she closed her eyes for a moment, letting the breeze cool her face. "What are you thinking?" Sihtric whispered to her.

"That I should have beat him more," Jaehaera whispered back. Sihtric chuckled. Thinking of all the days she spent training Edward with her father. "If I had not let him taste victory as often as I did, maybe he wouldn't be so content on killing all his men in such a way as this."

"You can't think you have some cause for this," Sihtric said. "Or your father."

Jaehaera shook her head on his lap. "Of course not, it's entirely his fault," she whispered once more. "But I look around and know this is all for not."

Sihtric placed a hand on her head, brushing a few hairs that had blown into her face. "I know, love. I'm sorry." Sihtric knew how deeply she hated battlefields after the battle had been finished. She never stayed long. It choked her as she explained. He looked down at her while she had her eyes closed once more. "Can I confess something?" Aethelstan sat near and so did Osferth and Rickon. Her father and Finan were looking at all the dead before the gates. Osferth and Rickon gave a look to one another at his words. Nothing good ever came from his mouth when he started it off like that.

Jaehaera's eyes opened slowly, and she stared at him flatly. Preparing herself for the worst. "Depends, am I going to be furious?" she asked him playfully.

"Gods, I hope not," he answered.

"Okay then, go ahead," she told him. They weren't aware the others were listening. The three had grown quite nosy these past few months.

"I have already talked to your father about marrying you," he informed her. "Twice."

Her heart fluttered inside her chest. "What do you mean?" she asked him, trying not to leather heart explode from utter joy, and slight worry at what her father could have possibly said to him when he asked.

"Once when we were first in Wintanceaster for Aethelflaed's wedding and while we were wrapped up in the Bjorn, dead man speaking, nonsense," He informed. "And once again later on while your brother was still with us."

Jaehaera couldn't hide her smile any longer. "And what did my loving father say?" twice? She thought. Twice he asked? Of course that's why her father asked her what she wanted for her life before they saw Aethelred waltz in to marry Aethelflaed.

"He said yes," He informed her with a smirk. Osferth and Rickon smiled at each other, Aethelstan as well though the couple couldn't see them. They were too focused on one another.

"He did, did he?" Jaehaera couldn't stop smiling as she sat up. Then she rested her forehead on his. Sihtric just nodded. "So... what shall you do with this information?"

"Jaehaera?" Sihtric asked. Jaehaera hummed in response, and closed her eyes. "Would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife? I swear to you, and only you, for all my days." Osferth, Rickon, and Aethelstan all watched like they had just saw the face of their respective Gods.