Being King Alfred's bastard daughter would put Serene's life in danger if someone found out. Including herself.
On her sixteenth birthday her mother had told her of her father. A week later Danes had attacked their village, making her watch as they...
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(Word Count:1666)
Serene sat at the foot of Uthred's bed, bent over the side as her eyes slowly drift close. The danes chest rose and fell with the soft rhythm of sleep. She had been watching over him for hours now, ever since, Brida had brought them back to Dunholm. The air was thick with the scent of snow and the cool morning breeze drifting in through the slightly open window.
As she fought against the weight of exhaustion, a soft smile crept onto her lips. The night her and Finan had spent together the night before was etched into her memory, every touch, every whispered word. She couldn't help but wonder what the future held for them. Despite the odds stacked against them, she knew that she had found something special with Finan. Though she knew if Skade knew she was happy about it, it would never last.
"Serene?" She heard Osferths sweet voice whisper.
She opened her eyes and turned her head slightly to see Osferth standing in the doorway, looking uncertain. "Is everything alright?" she asked, her voice hoarse from sleep.
"A word, please?" He asked and nodded towards the hallway. Serene blinked, confusion momentarily clouding her eyes before she glanced back at Uthred. "I won't be gone long," even though he couldn't hear her she assured him, feeling a pang of guilt at the thought of leaving the man alone, even if only for a few moments.
They both exit the room, Osferths was nervous, his hands were shaky and he could not look her in the eye. " Are you Alfred's bastard as well?" He finally asked. She sighed, and quickly covered his mouth and shushed him. The people walking by gave them odd looks and she awkwardly pulled away. "I-I shouldn't have said that," he stammered, clearly regretting his words.
"No Osferth it's alright, I should have told you long ago." Serene took a deep breath and continued, "I am Alfred's bastard. When I turned one and six, my mother told me. That same night our village got raided by danes..." She swallowed the knot in her throat and held back her tears, Osferth grabbed her hand in comfort, she slightly jerked away but allowed him to. "They killed my mother and almost killed me, and a week later Sigurd found me." She paused, feeling a lump forming in her throat as she relived the horrible memories.
"I'm sorry," Osferth whispered, squeezing her hand. "I have never told anyone that." She spoke staring down at the floor. They stood there in silence for a moment, both lost in their thoughts. Finally, she cleared her throat and said, "I should get back to Uthred." Osferth nodded, still looking uncomfortable. She did not know why she told Osferth that, but it felt good to get rid of. The only person she had told was Sigurd and even he didn't get that much detail.
Serene led the way back to Uthred's chamber, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders. As she approached the bed, she noticed that Uthred was tossing and turning, his brow furrowed. "Are you alright?" she asked, gently placing a hand on his forehead. He grunted, his eyes fluttering open.
