My friend’s body drops to the ground with a thud.
With him dies Mercia.
I don’t have time to grieve before King Raedwulf is shoved onto the altar by Aethelbald. The snake has finally come out of hiding. It doesn’t surprise me that he must play dirty to get my attention.
“You are the most pathetic little weasel I have ever set my eyes upon. There isn’t a decent bone in your body, and I swear it, you can kill a thousand men, but I will never surrender.”
King Raedwulf is beaten and bloody, as I know Aethelbald despises him more than the others because he sits on the throne, which Aethelbald believes is his.
“Their thrones are yours!” I scream. “There is no need to spill their blood. Their armies will obey you. Their kingdoms are yours! What more do you want?”
King Raedwulf and I have been through so much. He has known me for most of my life. And now, I have failed him. He is married and has three daughters. How can life be this cruel?
“You slaughter good Christian men because you cannot fight fairly. You resort to lying and cheating. You will never be worthy to be king. Forgive me, my friend,” I say to King Raedwulf, but he nods, accepting his fate.
An arrow shoots straight into his chest, where he topples to the ground.
Aethelbald is stunned, but I am not because the arrow belongs to Ulf. Aedan places a heavy bar over the chapel doors, locking us in. The ealdormen begin to panic, looking amongst themselves as this was clearly not part of the plan.
“You have butchered half of England, where now you and I only exist. Only one of us will survive. So let's do this once and for all, you insufferable wee brat.”
Ulf, Aedan, and the men advance, showing no mercy on the ealdormen who are not born fighters. They are slain within minutes, except for Lord Rufus at my orders.
He will receive a special form of justice.
Aethelbald and I go head-to-head, locked in a battle to the death. “You have killed innocent men for nothing!” I bellow, our swords clashing as I attempt to take his head.
“The church would never sanction my ruling.”
“So you decided to kill anyone who stood in your way? That is not a real leader. All you are is a coward. You killed my friends!”
I kick him in the stomach, his back smacking into the altar.
He springs back, punching me in the mouth.
I taste blood on my lips, which fuels the tempest beast within.
Only Aethelbald and I are alive now, as all monarchs are dead. If I too join my comrades and England is left in the hands of a psychopath, then I fear that is the end of the country I fought so hard for.
What of my children?
What of the people who sacrificed so much?
I cannot lose.
Aethelbald and I fight for our lives, both knowing only one will come out of this the victor.
Ulf and Aedan fight the soldiers, but I can sense Ulf’s urgency to help me. But this is my fight, and no one will win it but me.
I pick up a burning candle from the altar and throw it at the drapes hanging behind the large crucifix. They instantly set alight.
I will smoke Aethelbald out. Or we can burn in here alive.
Our swords clash loudly, him blocking my moves and I dodging his.
I vaguely hear a thumping against the doors. I don’t focus on anything other than taking Aethelbald’s head.
“Surrender!” he roars, charging me.
