The Last Kingdom, drabbles

Uhtred: Running princess

It wasn't your finest moment, running away from home, from a marriage you didn't wanted and a father who ruled in the wrong ways. Given his reputation you couldn't ran off to the first village, he would find you. The only place you could run to was far from here into Danish territory. You didn't thought about the consequences, you were a princess after all ... your beauty would be recognized. One of the servants provided you with some old clothes but aside that there was nothing protecting your identity. You had traveled a long way, the chance was slim that Danes would recognize you or your father would follow the trail into Danish territory. You had it all figured out, except for the one thing, Danes and there bad manors and there ruthless routines.

First day of your arrival nobody really noticed, they were all sunk in the idea of raising an army to defeat King Alfred. You never really thought about, why they wanted to rule lands they weren't born on. Why they invaded cities and spilled blood. But maybe that was just it ... You had to marry somebody out of the believes into god, while they raid out of believes in their gods. The more you lived among those men the more confused you got in their meanings, they didn't had a leader, they killed, raped, stole ... you started to doubt the choice you made. Maybe marrying was better than this. You were sitting in the farest corner of that room, looking to Danes laughing and drinking while they tried to win a fight. Your long slim fingers neatly folded around your cup, covering your face as much as possible in the shadow. But it wasn't enough as one of the Danes was lurking to you.
'Who is she?' He asked. And just that one question turned all heads over to you. You felt the cold of their gazed sneaking up your body.
'That is a pretty face sitting there all alone.' Another said. Before you even realized it they were standing before your table.
'Sorry, I'm late.' You muttered, standing up while heading to the door. But before you even could reach that somebody grabbed you by the arm.
'Not so fast little one.' He chuckled. His eyes roamed over your body. 'I get quite the hunger looking at you.' He followed with that wide grin.
'I saw her first.' They started fighting over you, pulling at you, leaving you with the tears on your cheeks. You didn't even notice another group came in, all you notice were the rough hands trying to claim you.
'Please don't.' You whispered.
'Are you some kind of princess who never had a man before?' One laughed. Your eyes went up, hooking behind a set of determined eyes looking at you. He was trying to get a hold of the situation, observing, measuring. You were pulled to the middle of the fight.
'Enough!' A voice so strong, so demanding and everything fell silent. 'You are not to touch that woman unless you want to take your last breath on the end of my sword.' He followed. You slowly looked aside to the man and his group, a mix of Danes, Christians, they even got a munk among them to.
'Who are you to tell us what we can and can't do Uhtred?' One asked. Uhtred ... Lord Uhtred? You heard of him, he was a warrior of King Albert.
'Is there to much dirt stuck in your ears Dane?' One of his companions said with a heavy Irish accent. The other companion came towards you, gesturing you to walk over to the lord Uhtred.
'Don't be scared, I'm here.' Uhred said to you. And for some weird reason you believed him.

You couldn't sleep. You felt hands all over your and it wasn't even a nightmare, it really happened. You looked around the room, to the sleeping bodies of men who had held you safe the rest of that evening. You slowly stood up, walking outside the shed to get some fresh air, it was cold but you didn't mind. It didn't took long before somebody came after you, he turned his sword in the moonlight before putting it away on his back. Your eyes rested on the stone that was melted inside the handle.
'You are a far way from home princess.' He noticed. You looked back away, to the ground.
'How did you know?'
'Because you are too pretty to be anything else, clothes won't hide that.' He pointed to your sloppy way of dressing. You looked back up to him but he wasn't looking and in a way it was reassuring.
'Thank you for what you did.' You whispered. You saw him smile, shortly.
'I make a habit in saving princesses, why would I break that.' He tilted his head and look at you, really looking. It was like he looked through you into your soul.
'I have heard from you.' You said.
'I hope only good things.' He joked and you found a way to smile, looking back to the ground.
'A Dane pledging his oath and sword to the King of Wessex.' You whispered.
'I'm a christian by birth.'
'You are?' You asked curious. He nodded, looking behind him into the shed.
'Raised a Dane and now fighting against them.' He wasn't really talking to you anymore, it was like he tried filtering his own feelings and struggles.
'God works in mysterious ways.'
'He doesn't work at all if you ask me, why else would he cast you out like this?' He turned around, not giving you the change to reply to that he nodded inside. 'You will need some rest princess.' He said, walking in and leaving you again in the cold and darkness of the night.

They gave you a horse, a grey gentle one. But it was awkward, riding in the middle of that group. Finan, so he was called, was always looking at you with that amused smirk around his lips.
'Tell me princess, do we have to escorte you back home?' Uhtred asked after a lifetime of silence. He didn't spoke with you since that night.
'No, I rather stay in this,' you broke your sentence to look around. Finan smirking, Sithric raising his eyebrows, all others watching. 'company then going back home.' You finished. Uhtred turned around in his saddle, looking at you way to long.
'And why is that?' He asked. You signed, looking aside to Finan who brought his horse closer to whisper.
'Come on, don't be shy now, I pretty sure our Lord likes you.' He whispered. You looked away, back to that stone embedded in Uhtred his sword.
'I'm supposed to marry a man I don't like.' You blurted out. It was silent for a very long time. You didn't dare to look aside to either one of his man.
'Isn't that the way of your god?' Uhtred asked. He knew all too well that a forced marriage was indeed in some weird way an act to god.
'I don't think she cares about her God my Lord.' Finan said.
'Hild won't be happy to hear that.' Uhtred laughed.
'Where are we going?' You asked bravely.
'Home.' Sithric answered. Finan leaned closer again.
'You can still escape, I promise you princess if you stay long enough with us you will fall and it will be a deep fall, right into Uhtred his bed.' Finan promised you. You stretched your back, lifting your chin.
'Better than home.' You muttered. Finan started laughing, loud and clear.
'He is rough man.' Sithric said.
'Don't listen to them princess, they are already jealous I have you and they don't.' Uhtred said. You smiled, biting your lip to try cover it.
'Will I be safe?' You asked. Uhtred stopped his horse. The others walked all passed him until it was only you and him.
'Didn't I kept you safe past few days?'
'Yes but what if the king sees me? Or what if my father comes looking?' You asked.
'By then you probably laid already in my bed and will I fight for you.' He answered with a long smile over your body. You swallowed softly, looking towards the group.
'You wouldn't fight now?' You asked hesitating.
'I would.' He said with a reassuring smile, walking on.

You were traveling for over two weeks now, from one village to another back to what they called home. You didn't thought your father would come this far into Wessex ... and still, you recognizes his riders right away.
'They are from my father.' You said. Uhtred looked over to you, to the fear on your expressions as the riders approached fast.
'Finan.' He commanded. Finan nodded towards the others and they rode a little further. Uhtred jumped from his horse, grabbed you around you waist and pulled you from your horse ... like it was nothing. The safety of his arm reassured you but it was all to soon gone.
'You harbor a princess Danes.' The commander of your fathers armies asked.
'Look again mate, we aren't all Danes.' Finan reacted right away.
'If you want her so badly back I'm afraid you have to fight us.' Uhtred proposed.
'You know Alfred is gonna hate you for this right?' Finan asked him. Uhtred shrugged, looking over his shoulder to you, all clamped against a tree.
'We better kill them then, so nobody knows.' He followed. Sithric shrugged, drawing his sword as they all went so easily in follow with Uhtred his command. You never saw Danes fight, or any man fight in your defense. It made you full and hollow on the same time as Uhtred mastered that sword so easily. And without you knowing you started praying that he would survive this, that he would get back to you. He did, how easily the fight may seemed, it took like forever before he stood back before you.
'Princess?' He asked on your gaze towards the dead bodies. He laid his fingers under your chin, pushing your head up so you had to look at him. 'Told you I would fight for you.' He said. How easily could you fall in love? You looked up into his eyes, to long ... it was to long. He stretched his fingers around your throat and chin to support your head before crushing down his lips. This went way to fast, yet the sweetness of that first kiss made your knees feel weak as he roughly kissed your soul right from underneath God his guiding eye.