But if I am no longer an intrant, then there will be no war to be won.
All’s fair in love and war, and nothing is grander than true love…
I succumb to the silence, knowing my sons are safe. As well as Ulf and Skarth.
Falling to the floor, I embrace death because today is a good day to die…
In my final moment on this earth, I hear the gut-wrenching screams of Skarth the Godless as my kingdom cries, “God save the queen!”
It’s finally over.
They’re safe.
My death is their freedom.
Godspeed, my friends…until we meet again.
Twenty
Skarth the Godless
THREE DAYS LATER
Loki and Sune are collecting flowers to lay on Emeline’s grave. There is no body, just a wooden crucifix to mark her final resting place.
If not for my sons, England would be burning. It takes all my willpower not to torture and kill every person who played a part in Emeline’s de?—
I can’t even think it without wanting to rip this world apart.
In the end, she knew the only way to stop this war with Aethelbald would be her death. Her final sacrifice has set us all free.
But her sacrifice was selfish, and I am furious at her.
Honestly, I would kill her myself if I could. How dare she do this? We were in this together, a partnership. But she had a game plan all along.
She knew how this would end.
I shouldn’t be angry, because wasn’t I planning to do the same thing?
It seems both of us value each other's lives more than our own. But to be here without her, I feel cheated.
And I also feel like I have failed her.
I don’t know what comes of England now that Aethelbald has no rivals. Everyone is terrified of him because he is the king who “defeated” the infamous Queen Emeline.
If only these cowardly imbeciles knew the truth.
The only reason I didn’t die with Emeline in battle is because of my sons. However, I did die with Emeline, and the only reason I didn’t end my own life when I saw her take her last breath was that I couldn’t leave my sons to be orphans.
Emeline would never forgive me.
This was the least I could do for her, considering I failed her when it mattered the most.
I slew anyone who stood in my way, but that bastard Aethelbald took Emeline’s body before I could get to her. Ulf and I frantically fought our way through the hundreds of men, but in the end, we were outnumbered. She was taken, and with no other choice, Ulf and I fled.
Surrender has never tasted so repugnant. But if we stayed, Ulf and I would be dead, and how would we get our revenge on Aethelbald if we were dead, because his day is coming.
There is no way he gets to live in the castle as king and live happily ever after.
