THE INVISIBLE CROWN - VIKINGS

Chapter 3

''WHAT DID YOU JUST SAID?!'' Aethelred shouted.

Alfred was expecting all the rage, but he had not predicted that would come out with such intensity.

"That's what you heard, brother ... I intend to marry with Evelline as soon as possible," he said cautiously.

Aethelred laughed, his arms rose into the air.

'' You are a king! You could choose almost any woman you want, even a princess! But no! You choose her! Especially her.''

''You know how I feel about her too. You know..."

Aethelred interrupted his brother.

''Ever since I met her... in the very first day, two months ago... I could not take my eyes off her for one second. I even lied to mother about the efficiency of her parents! 'Cause let's be honest... her father isn't even a good fighter as he said he was. And her mother... she wanders around with our mother like a counselor but barely can give one piece of good advice. Both of them? Useless! But I, I begged the Queen, I begged to let them stay. All because of Evellíne. It's all about her.''

''I understand that you must be mad at me, I'm not blind, brother. I noticed that you have grown feelings towards her. But I'm sorry. I already made up my mind.''

Aethelred was shocked. The audacity! he thought.

''May I ask you why? What do you feel for her? You're always so quiet when she is around, always so shy, can't even look at her eyes without almost faint.'' he mocked.

Alfred smirked. He knew that he was always the quietest of the whole family, but that does not mean he could not speak. He was an observer, a listener. He would rather choose his words carefully and utter them only when necessary.

''You don't even try to see it from my perspective... Just because I do not show how much I care about her, as explicitly as you, it doesn't mean that I don't feel anything at all. Because trust me. I do feel. It's... it's like a story I want to start and never want to end. For so long, I had waited for something like this, and now I can't even stand with the thought of letting this go. This feeling. The.. the connection between us. I know it meant something. The way she talked about my father...''

''Your father?'' Aethelred laughed. ''Do you mean that traitor priest who fucked our mother? Or the men that raised you with love even knowing that you were a bastard? 'Cause these men is your real father!''

Alfred huffed, trying to control himself.

''First the crown... And now Evellíne.'' Aethelred closed his eyes and immersed into thoughts. He stood quietly for a long brief of time, then stared at his brother.

''You really gonna go through with this?''

''Yes. I will.''

Aethelred nodded. He was almost forming words when he was interrupted.

''She is going to marry with Alfred.'' A voice erupted in the shadows.

Judith.

The queen heard the eldest son scream and rushed to intervein, concerned about the King. She wasn't blind, she saw how they behaved around the girl and even with one ear missing, she heard Aethelred flirting with her a bunch of times. So she saw it coming. It was obvious that sooner or later they would engage in a conflict.

Raising his eyebrow, the prince turned his head to his mother.

''What do you mean, mother?'' Aethelred said, clenching his teeth.

''Alfred needs her more than you. He is the King. And a King is not a King without a Queen. Besides...this is not about you. This is not about Alfred. This is about our people. Our kingdom. They need a Queen.''

If there's something that Aethelred never understood, was why the hell his sibling always got everything. Why did he always deserved more and more? 

Aethelred had the feeling that he would never be worthy of anything if his brother still stands in his way.

First, the love of their mother. 

Judith always let very clear that Alfred was her favorite. Aethelred felt the despise of his mom since he was conceived, and that's exactly why he was more attached to Aethelwulf.

He wanted to learn how to fight because he knew his brother wasn't good at battles. Alfred is a talker, and besides, he was always nauseated, ill of the stomach.

Being a warrior was the only thing that Alfred couldn't steal from him, and his battle skills were the only way to Judith and the others notice that at least, he was better than his brother in one thing.

Then, the stolen crown.

But now, the worst of all: the woman that he loves. The thought of losing her to his brother made him sick.

Aethelred sighed, and it was an audible sigh, full of frustration and anger.

''I hope she says no. And if she agrees... I hope it won't last''. Then he left the room, trembling.

Evellíne was walking around the garden, her favorite place in the whole Wessex. She was distracted smelling the flowers when she noticed Aethelred coming in her direction, visibly upset.

''Aethelred? Are you ok?'' She delicately grabbed his elbow.

For a long minute, he was speechless, lost in her beautiful blue eyes. 

''I never asked for this... I...'' he almost cried but pulled himself together. ''There are just some battles we can't win... I'm sorry.''

 She wasn't sure what to think about it and when she was about to say something, he glanced with intensity at her.

''And now if you excuse me... I have to go.'' he bowed down ''princess...''

And suddenly she understood everything.