CELISE WAS NOT granted any sort of consistent sleep in the month that followed her rescue. She had no solace of any kind within her Mercian bedroom. She lay awake at all hours of the night, expecting someone to barge into her room and demand that she get up to gather and then imprison her in her own cell as she slaved over a table.

She was gaining dark spots underneath her eyes, and she ate a lot less than what she used to. Members of the household, the Lady of Mercia herself included, worried over the poor healer's health.

Æthelflæd would often take the girl out to the fields nearby, just to let her get a little bit of air. The two of them sat side by side, Aldric standing not far off, patrolling the place. After Celise and Æthelflæd's kidnapping not long ago, he was extra vigilant with their safety.

"I know you are not sleeping, Celise," Æthelflæd spoke quietly, helping Celise pull out the dirt and dead leaves from the herbs that she'd picked up. "I can see it. What is the matter?"

Celise sighed before answering. Her eyes were burning slightly from exhaustion. "I always feel as though somebody is going to snatch me from my bed, which is a ridiculous notion, I am aware. I just can't help it."

The brunette Princess put a hand on her friend's arm. "I know how you feel."

"Then how do you manage to do it? To rest without the fear of somebody taking you against your will again?"

"It is hard," she answered quietly. "Sometimes I trick myself into thinking that Erik is watching over me, deterring anything harmful from me."

A pang of sympathy squeezed Celise's heart. She knew how much the girl loved the Norseman, and she knew how much it hurt to have someone you love taken away from you in such a cruel way. She'd often seen the way the Princess' eyes glazed over with tears and the way she bit her lip at memories the two had made.

"I am sure that he is, Lady," Celise smiled. "There is no place he would rather be than by your side. I'm only sorry that I did not get to know him as well as I might have wished."

Æthelflæd sniffled, putting the herbs down into the basket, free of dirt and dead leaves. "Celise, if I tell you something, will you promise to keep it secret?"

Celise frowned, her hands stilling for a moment. "Of course. Your secrets are mine. I shall not share them with anyone else."

"I... believe that I am with child."

The healer's eyes widened, immediately travelling down to the Princess' belly before sliding back up to her face. "Are you quite sure?"

The brunette nodded. "The skin is tight, I have been feeling nauseous as of late, and I have not..."

"Oh," Celise mumbled, nodding slowly. "Does your husband have any suspicions?"

Æthelflæd hesitated. "I'm not sure. I do not think that he suspects my condition, but I should tell him."

"Have you..." Celise racked her brain for the polite word to use, "lain with your husband since your rescue?"

"Yes," she said bitterly, making the healer wince. "Yes, I have."

"Then you should have no need to fear. I'm sure he will be overjoyed at the new arrival."

The brunette sighed. "I hope you are right."

The was silence between the two for a beat, Celise finishing her separating before placing the rest of her herbs into the basket with a small exhale from her nose. "Shall we head back? The midday meals will be served soon, and the sun is getting rather high."

Æthelflæd was grateful for the subject change, smiling gently at the healer. The two of them stood to their feet, linking their arms together before walking towards Aldric, who was standing stock still at his post. Noticing them walk towards him, he gave them both a silent bow of the head, following after them just two paces behind at all times. His hand remained on his sword at all times, just in case.

The walk back to the Mercian capital was short, yet needed. Immediately, Æthelflæd was away, heading back to her own chambers to consult some letters that she had received from her family. Celise, on the other hand, was stopped by a messenger, a maid from the house.

The maid curtseyed. The healer recognised her as Hanna, the girl that sometimes cleaned her room. "Lord Aldhelm wishes to see you, Lady, in his quarters. He said it was quite urgent."

"Thank you, Hanna. I'll be with him as soon as I put these herbs to dry up in my room. Is the fire made up?"

"Yes, Lady."

"Thank you." With the words of gratitude from the healer, the maid curtseyed again and scurried off. Walking to her chambers, she was quick yet efficient at bunching and hanging her herbs to dry. She placed them on the hooks that Aldhelm had graciously had made for her, just over the fireplace to quicken up the process.

Once all herbs were hung, she quickly fixed her hair, hoping that it looked alright. The light breeze outside had revealed a few little hairs that hadn't been caught the first time, but Celise didn't mind.

Once she was sure she looked presentable, she exited her own chambers, walking as quickly as she could to her husband's. Taking a breath once outside this door, she raised her fist to knock before letting herself in. Slowly walking inside, she shut the doors behind her, spying her husband hunched over his desk, his quill scribbling over a piece of paper at a ferocious speed.

"You wished to see me, Lord?"

Her voice must've startled him out of whatever reverie he found himself in, and he whipped around to face her. "Celise. Yes, I did." He stood from his chair, a letter clutched harshly in his hands. He took a deep breath, walking towards her.

She regarded him with such care. "What is it? Nothing bad, I hope."

"No, no, it is nothing bad," he reassured quickly. "As you know, I've been reaching out to Irish Lords and Princes and officials and all the like to see whether we could find a loophole to this situation of ours."

Her interest piqued, and she leaned a little closer. "And?"

"And I have had a reply."

Celise's blood froze. She almost dreaded asking the question of the highest importance, but she willed herself to do so. "What does it say?"

"It is from a King Oisín of Iveagh, your mother's father. He knows as well as I do that considering that you are still of his blood, he has the main say in who you marry. Therefore, once I explained the details to him, he has resolved to face King Alfred to settle this in person. I believe he is on his way now with your mother's brother and his son."

She could squeal with excitement. "So this means that, if all goes well, this married will be dissolved?"

Aldhelm smiled at her obvious enthusiasm. "Better. It will mean that this marriage was never legal at all, and there will be no stain on your character."

Unable to hold herself back, grinning from ear to ear, Celise threw herself into Aldhelm's arms, embracing him tightly. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Don't thank me, there is no need." Aldhelm hid his own grin in her hair. "As soon as Lord Oisín reaches Wessex, we shall make haste to join him there. I was also just writing a letter to Uhtred, informing him of what is happening, and to tell the others of the plan."

The two of them separated, Celise still smiling brightly. "Oh, I have to tell Æthelflæd. This is so exciting! Thank you, Aldhelm, really."

With that, she pressed a little kiss on his cheek, surprising him before she ran off to tell the Princess. Aldhelm chuckled to himself, reading the letter again as he sat back down to continue writing his reply to Uhtred. He made sure to detail how enthusiastic Celise was, and how they both were looking forward to the future meeting between Oisín and Alfred.

Speaking of Celise, she was running as fast as she could down the hallways in order to get to the Princess' room, grin stretched across her face like a cat that finally got a hold of the milk. There was nothing that was going to stop her stride and her happiness about this.

Barging into Æthelflæd's room, the door banging off to the side, the healer me the wide eyes of the Princess with a humungous grin. The brunette immediately stood up, having being seated whilst doing some small sewing work on one of her dresses. "Whatever is the matter, Celise?"

"You are never going to guess!" The girl bounced on her toes as she closed the doors. "This is the most happiest day of my life. Well, one of them, anyway."

"I'm very happy for you, but I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Oh, right." Celise cleared her throat, taking Æthelflæd's hands in her own. "Aldhelm has been writing to Lords across Irland, because that's where my mother is from, in order to find some family that can help contest the marriage."

The Princess gasped, gripping Celise's hands tighter as the realisation dawned on her, and a smile began to stretch over her face. "He has succeeded?"

The healer nodded rapidly. "Turns out that I have a grandfather who is the Lord of Iveagh, and he's coming to meet with your father in order to contest the marriage!"

The girls started squealing and laughing, embracing with a ferocity unmatched even by their husbands as they go into war.

Æthelflæd pulled away, keeping her companion at arms' length. "When do we leave for Wessex? We'll have to meet your grandfather there, won't we?"

"He'll send Aldhelm a message when he gets to the border of Wessex. We'll meet him in Winchester when it arrives."

"And Uhtred? Does Uhtred know?"

"Aldhelm is writing him a letter as we speak."

"Then it's all settled," the Princess grinned. "Oh, this is a momentous occasion. I'm rather sad to be losing such a companion, but I hope to be invited to your wedding."

Celise faltered and blinked for a moment. "What wedding?"

"Your wedding to Sihtric, of course." Æthelflæd nudged her in the side, making the girl crack a smile. "After this entire situation is resolved, you'll be free to marry Sihtric."

Celise blushed, mumbling, "I hadn't really thought that far. I suppose it slipped my mind."

The Princess chuckled. "Then you'd better start thinking about it. I don't think Sihtric has much of a mind for waiting," she teased.

Celise just shoved her away with a laugh.

Aldhelm had been walking past the room when he heard the laughter coming from inside. He had just sent the letter to Uhtred via an express messenger, who had left as soon as he was able.

There was a very, very, very small part of him that was rather sad. He wasn't particularly sure why considering that he didn't want this marriage in the first place, but he had grown quite fond of Celise despite the unfortunate situation. It wasn't a fondness that he would categorise as romantic, oh no. It was a type of fondness that was properly defined by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle when he chose the word philia, a love that was purely affectionate between friends, as common words would be. But 'friends' wasn't enough. 'Family', too much. He was just simply... fond of her.

Maybe that was why his heart clenched at the thought of letting her go.

⊰❃⊱

WHEN ALDHELM RECEIVED word from Lord Oisín that he was entering Wessex, the advisor could not have called quick enough for the servants to pack both his things and Celise's. They set off the morning after the note had arrived, making good use of the daylight.

It seemed as though Arne sensed Celise's excitement, his jittery behaviour as they neared Winchester enough to make her think so. She couldn't stop smiling for practically the whole journey, evening grinning in her sleep, making Æthelflæd laugh and Aldric snicker. It was amusing to see a girl smile and sigh in her sleep.

Her heart seemed to beat out of her chest as they entered the city gates. She was surprised nobody commented on it. It seemed to threaten to burst out of her chest and run down the street, still pumping. That was how excited she felt.

They didn't stop on their journey, setting their horses into a stable and immediately making their way to the royal court.

Celise found she couldn't climb the steps. She felt Aldhelm beside her. "What if it doesn't work?" she whispered.

"It will," was all he said, offering his arm to her. She took it with gratitude, thankful that she would have help willing her legs to begin moving so that she could walk towards the large doors that seemed to loom above her. She gulped as they slowly revealed the King sat at his large throne, looking less than amused with his crown atop his head. He seemed to be showing that he was not to be crossed.

In other words, he was threatened. Threatened by the man with white hair standing before him.

The man radiated some sort of authority as he slowly turned around. His face was harsh, icy blue eyes and downturned mouth making Celise's knees knock together. He was an aged man, his shoulder stock straight yet low from his ears. He knew how to run his own kingdom, and the healer suspected that he did it splendidly.

Standing off to the side, face devoid of much interest, was a middle aged man, most likely the white-haired man's son. He stood rather still, noting no movement aside from steady breaths that raised his chest with ferocity. His eyes were gentle and his mouth curved only slightly upwards as he inclined his head to the two that walked in.

Next to him, another man. Younger, sporting red hair and a boyish grin. It seemed to be plastered to his face, unable to be wiped off. He bowed his head as they came closer, and Celise noticed Alfred's hands clench where they rested on his armrests. She imagined the younger man did not show so much respect to the King of Wessex as he did to his own cousin.

Celise, however, was not the same. She curtseyed low, keeping her eyes on the ground instead of on any faces. Aldhelm's cloak ruffled as he, too, bowed low.

"My Lords, my Lady," she murmured as she rose. "I am glad to see you well."

"Thank you, Celise." The healer winced slightly at the harsh, biting tone that the King exhibited. "Do you know why you are here today?"

"Oh, don't beat about the bush, Lord." The man with white hair's accent rivalled Finan's in its intensity. His voice echoed through the room, booming and solidifying his place in society. "She isn't stupid, you know."

"I was merely asking if she understood what was happening," the King all but snapped, keeping his face nonchalant and his body language unchanged.

"I do, Lord," she said quietly, fiddling with her hands underneath her cloak.

"Since she understands, let us begin this by having Your Majesty acknowledge the fact that you refused to tell me, the King of Iveagh, that my only granddaughter was to be married to a rather high-ranking Mercian official. Shall this start the conversation off?"

"I had no idea she was your granddaughter," the King denied. "From what I could tell, she was an orphan travelling with Lord Uhtred for the sole reason of providing healing and care to his band of savage, Dane soldiers."

"Let's not use the word 'savage', Lord," the middle-aged man interjected. His voice was also rather authoritative, even if it was a little quieter. "My sister married a Dane, and I promise you, he was only savage when the potatoes refused to rise from the dirt."

Sister. This must be her uncle, then. That would probably make the red-headed boy her cousin, who seemed to be a little older than her. He was pacing back and forth rather leisurely, as though only taking a stroll.

"My apologies," Alfred deadpanned, making Celise's uncle roll his eyes, but say nothing. "I'm still unclear of what you are doing here. She is married. Marriage is an unbreakable thing in the eyes of God."

"It most certainly is." The girl's heart dropped at her grandfather's words. "However, there can be legitimate reasons for marriage to, in fact, be broken. one of them being the lack of consent from her living relatives, also known as her guardians."

"She had none to my knowledge."

"Then maybe you should've looked," Oisín's voice echoed through the room, making Celise's eyes widen slightly. "If her husband has the idea to do so, why didn't you? Another thing that makes this marriage breakable is the reasoning. Explain this to me, because it seems to boggle my mind. You force my granddaughter into marriage, because..." He trailed off, looking at Alfred expectantly as though looking at a ten-year-old child that had just been disciplined.

Alfred's nostrils flared. "Celise was an excellent chance at uniting Wessex with Uhtred. He is indebted to her, would do anything for her, counts her as family considering her Dane background."

The man hummed. "Not good enough."

Celise's jaw dropped. The red-headed boy nudged her, and she shut it again, nodding at him in thanks.

King Alfred stood from his throne. "You dare speak to me like this, in my own castle, in my own country!"

"Your country is floundering," Oisín continued. "It is falling to pieces despite your little dream of a united front. Is Irland expected to be part of this England of yours?" The words were sneered, or maybe spat at the King's feet.

Alfred said nothing, so the King of Iveagh kept speaking. "You will break this marriage between them. If you desire to make an excuse of how no priest will do so, I've been told on good authority that the man that married them would be more than happy to annul them. If this fails, I've brought my own priest that has the same jurisdiction. My granddaughter will be under my care, and if she chooses to marry another, I hope to be invited."

The last words were directed at the girl herself, making her stammer with rapid shock. "Oh, uh, of-of course, Lord. No doubt you will be invited."

"Excellent," the younger boy announced with a sly grin. "I hope I get to be your flower girl."

Celise grinned right back, remembering Finan. "I think you will have competition. There's another Irishman that wants to be my flower girl," she joked.

The red-head clutched his chest in a dramatic fashion, unaware of Alfred seething behind him. "Then I suppose that we'll just have to resolve this issue like men."

The healer giggled at her cousin's antics. Her uncle walked a little closer to her. "You look as though you have another man in your heart. This is true?" An intuitive and observant man, he seemed to be. Celise was impressed.

"Yes, Lord."

"He loves you?"

"Yes, Lord."

"Then it is settled." Her uncle turned to face the King of Wessex. "Please call your priest. We must not deprive my niece of her great love." He shot a smile over his shoulder at her, making