Taking a seat in the meeting room, glancing wryly at the parchments and maps strewn about the table as if they had been hastily throw there, Uhtred shakes his head. At least they picked up after themselves this time…
Clearing a spot, Uhtred grabs a well of ink and a piece of parchment. Dipping a quill into the ink, the Dane considers his words to the Lady Elspeth.
I hope this letter finds you well. I apologize for not writing to you sooner, time just slipped away from me. I hope your father was not harsh on you for returning to Alba, and that you still have a taste of freedom and are happy.
I’m sorry our engagement didn’t work out as planned, but I want you to know that you will always hold a special place in my heart. The gift you gave Finan and I, words cannot even express the gratitude I feel. The happiness you have bestowed on me with your selflessness, I will never forget. If there is ever anything you have need of, please don’t hesitate to ask. I hold a deep debt of gratitude for everything you have done.
I have recently received troubling news, that Alba and Ulaid are at war, and I was hoping you could shed some light as to the cause of this conflict. Is it due to old rivalries, land, or something else? Finan and I sincerely hope that this conflict can be resolved peacefully to prevent further bloodshed.
We will be traveling to Ulaid to take care of some matters of the court, so any correspondence should be sent there. I anxiously await word from you.
— Lord Uhtred of Bebbanburg
Rolling up the parchment, Uhtred heats up some wax before pouring a small circle on the seam and pressing the seal of Bebbanburg leaving his mark. Taking the parchment, Uhtred seeks out one of his messengers to deliver the letter.
“See that the Lady Elspeth of Alba receives this, it is for her eyes only. Please wait for her reply and bring it to me in Ulaid, as we will be heading there ourselves, soon.” Uhtred instructs the man, to which he nods before heading off to saddle his horse.
“A letter for you, Lady.”
Elle looks up at the manservant as he strides nearer, taking the parchment from his hand and thanking him. She quickly opens it, glancing at the bottom of the page before reading it.
“… war?” Elle questions out loud, her brows furrowing. She’d known of some recent conflicts over land owed, and she surely knew of her father’s vengeance against Uhtred for backing out of the alliance — but she had thought that the courts between Ulaid and Alba were being civil. That they had reached an agreement. She strides to the Hall of their palace, relieved when she sees her father seated at the table and picking at various foods.
“I thought the dispute had been settled with Ulaid? Ulaid and Bebbanburg are not the same…” Elle tells him with a provoking tone. She regrets it instantly, not wanting to share that she’d received a letter from Uhtred.
“But they are now. Undoubtedly, would you not say? With the two of them bonded?” Constantin answers her in his Scottish accent.
“Ulaid is the weaker force and it falls first.” He continues.
“That is our own family,” Elle says sternly. She’s not lost to the fact that her and Finan are considered distant cousins.
“Yes, and I want what’s owed to me. Ulaid has offered a pact, and once they deliver, perhaps all may be well between us again.” Constantin says calmly.
“And then I will have an equal advantage.”
Elspeth gives a huff at that, knowing that her father will play any card he can get now that he’s been slighted. She knows that her father will never again give her political autonomy after the failed attempt at the alliance with Bebbanburg, so Elle returns to her chambers, taking a seat for a letter of her own. Her hand rests over a growing swell on her belly, suddenly feeling a little nervous for Uhtred’s situation. She reads the words in his letter again, the sweet ones pulling at her heart.
It’s wonderful to read the words so sweetly written on this parchment.
To my knowledge — Ulaid has made a pact with my father, offering him a marriage. Once this is settled, I feel that war may subside almost as quickly as it has emerged. That is my hope, anyway. Was Finan not the one who granted this?
Still — my father does not forget his ambitions. It’s merely a pacifier. How strong of one, is yet to be seen. If you have need of me, you know where to find me.
Elle seals the letter and hands it to her lady’s maid, instructing her to send it to Irland.
