Of Monsters and Flowers [Sihtric Kjartansson]

Act I: Chapter Fourteen

Winchester
Kingdom of Wessex

The sounds of festivity roamed all around Sihtric like an unwanted swarming fog of blitheness he did not want to take part in- a youthful exuberance that filled the hollowness of even the oldest of beings and intensified in the mischievous. He had done what Uhtred had asked, followed him out of Winchester and to a far away alehouse where he was to meet Bjorn- a man long gone off the earth yet would arise with a tale to tell, a fortune benefitted for Uhtred. When the day had been morphed into darkness, the midnight mystique wrapping its faceless arms around Sihtric had he bore witness to a dead man- or a supposed dead man- arising from the depths of the dried earth, he kept himself hidden away behind umbrageous trees watching as Bjorn -'the dead Dane'- arose and walked away.

He had watched as a man bled onto the dirt of the land, crimson blood seeping into the veins of the earth and then as silence reigned and winds whispered did Bjorn arise- all eyes had observed some terrified, some in awe and others skeptical.

They thought- the brothers, Sigefrid and Erik, that they could fool them, it irritated Sihtric.

"You are to be King- King of Mercia, King of Saxon and Dane, King of other Kings." Bjorn had deceitfully revealed to Uhtred. Sihtric had scoffed as he witnessed the whole scene from in-between the shade of the leaves.

The steps of the castle were illuminated gracefully by the mercy of the sun- its rays casting a gentle shine upon them as shadows reflected passed. Sihtric sat to the side Valaena to his side and Finan to hers as Aethelwold stood before them, Sihtric had blocked out his annoying incessant chatter.

"The point I make is simple, all of the power, all of the wealth, all of the land that could belong to you will now belong to him." Aethelwold stressed.

The wedding ceremony had gone forth with much splendour, the Lady Aethelflaed was now wife to Lord Aethelred of Mercia. She had walked down the hall with both beauty and grace, the people silenced in awe as smiles curved onto the lips of many a guest.

As much as the light from the sun had ignited flames of excitement in people the heat was, in hand with it, just as snaring. Finan with his elbow on his knee and fisted hand against his forehead irritated by Aethelwolds on-going chatter snapped, "Should I hit him?"

To which both Sihtric and Valaena turned to him with a pleading nod as if to say yes in the most desperate way.

"Yes! Yes, by all means strike me." Aethelwold rushed "-But in your heart, in your purse, you know I speak the truth."

"In my heart I want you to be quiet." Valaena sighed in annoyance, her hand shielding herself from the light.

"Yes hit him." Uhtred had said.

Finan smirked as he stood up, Aethelwold in turn gasped and hurried to step back almost tripping over his feet his mouth released a whimper and he had fisted his hands in front of his head. Uhtred and Finan looked to each other as they chuckled and Valaena leaned back resting her shoulder against Finan.

He regained his composure and to everyone's displeasure took back to stressing his useless point, "All I will say, again, is that the dead man speaks the truth."

From the side the faintest of calls came, "Lord..."

"Some would say it is treason." Finan uttered.

The king's nephew shook his head, "No no- this wedding is treason!"

"Lord..." The voice came once again.

"This wedding is a betrayal of Wessex and the men of Wessex." Aethelwold had become aggitated.