[Uhtred] I am Uhtred, son of Uhtred.
After rightfully killing a turbulent priest,
I made my escape by threatening the life of the king.
I am now an outlaw and banished from Winchester.
Alfred is dying,
and to secure the position of his son Edward as his heir,
he has arranged a marriage.
In his own desire for the crown,
Aethelwold has been found guilty of treason.
The punishment is blinding.
[screaming]
Does the challenge to Edward begin here or not?
Edward cannot succeed.
[Uhtred] The Danes Aethelwold did side with
await Alfred's imminent death before marching against Wessex.
We have swords in hand and a battle ahead of us!
[all cheering]
[Uhtred] I have returned to Winchester in secret,
to seek help for my sister Thyra.
Ragnar's trapped in Niflheim. Only your blood can save him now.
[Aethelwold] Surround the house. Do it now.
[Uhtred] Wessex is in greater turmoil than ever before,
and terror fills the hearts of the people.
[Beocca] My own wife has dug out a hiding hole.
In fear of her life.
She has been threatened by who?
By people who themselves are afraid of life without their king.
Uhtred is here.
You can have him executed, or you can speak with him.
[Uhtred] And so I find myself waiting for a king at the end of his days.
Destiny is all.
[Alfred] It is a chronicle.
The pages.
It is a chronicle of Wessex.
It will include my life as king...
from the moment of my brother's death until now.
Songs of a kind.
None of which will mention Uhtred of Bebbanburg.
Men will remember what I have done.
But men will die, as we all must.
These pages will remain.
The act of committing ink to parchment gives a deed permanence.
If it is not burned.
If it is preserved, yes.
And in one hundred years from now,
learned people will read or recite what is written, and Alfred will appear.
They will know nothing of the Lord Uhtred...
nor of your...
loyalty...
advice...
bravery...
courage...
and insolence.
Why are you here?
In Winchester?
In this room.
I was told you wished to speak.
Why grant me that wish? What is it you want from me?
What is it you would say to me, while I am still able to listen?
If I were to say one thing, it would be that I could never have killed you.
When I held the knife to your throat, I could never have taken your life.
I would have beaten you, gladly.
But I would never be the man who killed Alfred, King of Saxons.
Killing me would have earned you a place in these pages.
I would not want such a deed written.
Besides, I've earned my place in these pages.
But every lord is the hero of his own songs.
I understand my absence.
It will not be written that Alfred did stand on Uhtred's shoulders.
Many times.
But I know it to be true.
Thank you, Lord.
[Alfred breathing heavily]
Do you believe I could end your life? You are an outlaw.
It would be written that Alfred, frail and sick,
did find the strength to slay the warrior Uhtred Ragnarson.
-That will not happen. -Because I lack the will?
Because we are bonded.
You cannot kill me, just as I cannot kill you.
[exhales]
[panting]
My sword is heavy.
I must sit.
There is wine in the jug, if you would pour it.
For Edward and his bride. May they be well.
May God protect them.
I say "may God protect them," but God often works through men.
He has worked through you in the past. I know it.
No man alone could break the shield wall as you did at Ethandun.
I am heathen, Lord.
-You are baptized. -I believe in the old gods.
[Alfred] The devil, too, works through men.
My death will bring the devil in some men to the fore.
Even good men will be tempted by greed, power, glory, even.
-Christian men? -Ah, yes.
They sit in my hall as we speak.
They eat my food, they drink my wine and ale,
and they raise a cup to the happy pair.
[inaudible]
May God help them.
[theme music playing]
[indistinct chatter]
Very well. Good.
Lord Aethelhelm.
May I congratulate you on your new status as father-in-law to an aetheling.
Should you not cover that wound? I find it ugly, off-putting.
Oh, you refer to my eye?
I see it as a reminder of my loyalty to the Crown,
wherever the crown may eventually rest.
The crown will rest on Edward's head.
Mmm, with luck, but that is just one possibility.
Witans and ealdormen are unpredictable beasts and we are in uncertain times.
I hope that you are drunk. You are certainly offensive.
You are not Edward's first father-in-law.
He claims his bastard children to be legitimate.
Edward has been married once before, but only the once.
If the bastards were not bastards, I would know.
[Aethelwold] You should have been told as you are a most powerful ally.
The children are the result of wild oats.
They are the result of oats sown in love. Edward's choice of words, apparently.
[Steapa] Lord, I am to remind you that your place is not at this table.
Agreed, Steapa. My rightful place is not at this table.
It has been a pleasure speaking with you, Lord.
Pardon my eye, or, rather, its absence.
There's a sense of unrest about Winchester.
There is a sense of unrest at this table.
Aldhelm, have a messenger return to Mercia.
I would like the comfort of further hearth-guards.
That is not necessary, not at all.
Your father could be lying dead as we speak and then what would happen?
Aldhelm, the messenger.
Yes, Lord.
The king is where, Beocca? His chamber?
He is resting, Lady. That is all I know.
I shall find him.
He did appear exhausted, Lady.
He never tires of his wife. Never.
You should mention to Lord Aethelhelm that you fear Uhtred Ragnarson is nearby.
-We do not know if that is true. -Of course it is true.
If his men are here, Uhtred is here.
He is here for revenge.
That is the truth we shall continue to tell.
Lord, I would like to understand why you brought my children to Winchester...
and why you saw fit to have them baptized.
It was done to damn you.
To inflict pain, possibly.
I try to make decisions rationally.
However, taking your children was not a rational decision.
It was thoughtless. It was selfish.
They have been treated well.
And you are not the best of fathers.
I was not allowed to be their father. I'm banished.
You killed a man inside this palace.
Though I admit, there was provocation.
And I was wrong in both my judgment and my punishment.
I did not give you the respect nor trust that you deserved.
I was afraid.
I am afraid.
Not of you, not of death...
but of losing everything that Wessex has become,
everything that is written here in these pages.
My work must continue.
This land must grow.
An England must emerge and God must be praised.
We are and we remain the last true Saxon kingdom.
We cannot go on building walls between the tribes.
Similarly, we cannot be overrun.
That would render my time as worthless.
My father's time, my brothers' time, it would have all have been wasted.
Lord.
I was told you were resting.
Why is he here?
Uhtred is here at my invitation.
You did say that if he were to set foot in Wessex once more,
he would be executed.
And now I have other words to say.
If you would leave us,
and if you would say nothing of Uhtred to our guests, to any man?
I don't understand why you invite our enemies to eat at our table.
First Aethelwold, and now him.
Lady.
Lord King, there must be no more forgiveness.
It makes you appear weak.
My dear, you have been invited to leave us.
And you will do what? Ask him to stand at Edward's side?
I will decline.
I will not have it!
Aelswith, you will leave us.
-[door slams] -[breathes deeply]
She is angry because I am dying.
And that does not make her heartless. It is her heart that is hurting.
[coughing]
Like me...
like many in Wessex perhaps...
my wife is afraid...
of this.
Of what will be written from this day on.
The uncertainty of what comes next.
What comes next, Lord, is life. It continues. It always will.
But in which direction? Who will reign? Which God will be praised?
Which language spoken? What laws will prevail?
You have had your time. Soon it will be the turn of others.
God, or the gods...
they will decide.
Agreed.
[breathing heavily]
But...
my last act, for my God,
must be to ensure that good men hold power.
That is what I must do.
And that is why you are here, in this room.
[Aelswith] You will not rush off immediately,
but I would like guards placed in every corridor of the palace.
The outlaw Uhtred is here.
He is to leave the palace immediately after leaving the king.
-He'll be dealt with in the days to come. -Yes, Lady.
[Edward] Mother...
you seem concerned.
Is it the king?
No.
It is the worry of a celebration, nothing more.
Soon they will all be drunk and vomiting.
I shall be able to breathe then.
And the truth is what?
The truth is we are living in different and dangerous times.
You will need all of your resolve.
Smile.
[Alfred] It seems just yesterday...
that I gave Edward over to you as a dying infant.
I feared my prayers had not been answered,
and I gave him to you...
and to Iseult.
You remember her.
Always.
Uhtred...
I wish to give over to you my son, for a second time,
and for the same reason as the first. To ensure he lives.
Say nothing. Say nothing. Not yet.
All I ask is that you remain in Winchester until he is crowned king.
Then you can do as you please.
You can go north. You can reclaim your lands.
I am an outlaw, Lord.
No longer.
You are hereby...
pardoned.
On condition I agree to remain in Winchester?
You are pardoned regardless of your decision.
And if beyond that door my wife has summoned guards, which is likely,
I will dismiss them.
I have made my peace.
I have made my request. I do not require an answer.
Thank you, Lord...
for correcting your mistake.
I should have closed my eyes and rattled at Heaven's gates some time ago.
It was the hope of this meeting that has kept me alive.
To Uhtred, the true Lord of Bebbanburg...
a man I have never understood, but without whom I would not die a king.
[knock on door]
-[Aethelred] Go away! -[Aldhelm] Lord, it is Aldhelm.
[Aethelred] What?
What?
Lord, I did not dispatch the messenger.
To summon further guards?
We have a good number of men here,
and sending for more could suggest aggression, I feel.
You're saying you disobeyed me?
I am giving you counsel, Lord. Why bring men south now,
when the Danes must be readying themselves for battle--
You were disobeying me. Do not dare dress it as counsel.
It is becoming a habit, I have noticed.
As I've noticed your soft eyes for my wife.
It is counsel, Lord.
Do not fall under her spell.
Bed her, yes, and give me the satisfaction of divorce,
but do not dare love her!
On the day that Alfred dies, I shall become King of Mercia,
that very day.
And I shall announce it here in Winchester.
That is not aggression, that is fact.
You will send for further guards, 50 or more, immediately.
You should be under furs, woman, with me.
[Brida sighs]
War is near and I want to enjoy all of you while there's time.
[kisses]
You sent Aethelwold to kill Uhtred.
You must have some belief in him.
I sent him to Winchester to sow unrest and to raise an army of Saxons,
and if the chance arises, kill Uhtred.
Men are saying freely it was him who killed Ragnar.
Aethelwold? You believe that?
-Is it true? -Come to bed. Lie with me.
Answer me truthfully. Was it him?
-Truthfully, I do not know. -[Brida sighs]
But for now, I need Aethelwold alive.
Once he has served his purpose, I will kill him.
Was it him?
He was in fear of Ragnar. That is all I know.
Then he's mine to kill.
Only mine.
When battle comes, he must be protected.
-He's mine. -Very well.
-I'm cold. -Then go to bed.
I'll follow.
[indistinct chatter]
Dane.
-Say it. -[Thyra scoffs]
Say you're a Dane.
[chuckles] Dane whore. Say it.
Say it!
I am proud to be a Dane and to be the wife of a Saxon priest.
I am of two peoples.
"I am of two peoples." That doesn't make sense.
I wish to live in peace.
You are a Dane... and nothing more.
You will let her pass or I will have your balls.
Thyra, my apologies. Tidman's head is hollow.
-My head is fine. -Yes, it would make a fine bucket.
It was a game.
If you wish to torment her, then do it where you cannot be seen.
It was a game.
[indistinct chatter]
-[Aethelwold] Uhtred has been pardoned. -He is in Winchester?
-Did I not say I could smell him? -What now?
He cannot be allowed to ally himself to Edward.
One, or preferably both of them, must die.
Edward would be easier to kill.
Outside. Outside, all of you!
Could you not keep control of your tongue? What you speak of is treachery!
No, it is not treachery, it is the way. Edward dies, I claim the crown,
we survive the Danes and Lord Sigebriht counts his silver.
Above all, we survive.
What is required now is for Alfred to roll over and die.
[Finan] It may be months before Edward's king.
By then the Danes will be marching.
Alfred will be gone much sooner even than one month. It will be days.
Then there's the argument, for want of a better word.
Edward is not every Saxon's choice for king.
[Finan] Judging by the cackle in the alehouse,
-Edward is not any man's choice. -[Uhtred] Men are saying what?
[Sihtric] Edward looks like a woman's arse and you are here to kill him.
[Beocca] News of your pardon will change what people say. Thyra?
Thyra... what is it?
Why the tears?
[Uhtred] Maybe you should let me speak to this man.
I'm quite capable. She's my wife.
-Yes, but you have a temper. -I do, and it's up.
Tidman! I'm looking for a rat named Tidman!
Are you Tidman?
-I asked, "Are you Tidman?" -Father Beocca, good morning.
And Uhtred, free man of Wessex.
I'm looking for a man named Tidman. Does the coward belong to you?
-He does not. -I am not a coward.
What is it you want, priest?
What I want, oaf, is for you to heed my warning.
Speak to or go near my wife again and I shall beat the shit from you!
-[Aethelwold] Oh, well said. -It is a promise.
I called your woman a Dane. Is that... is that not what she is?
Have you not understood me?
You don't appear to be the cleverest of men.
-Do you speak to me as a man or a priest? -[groans]
Does that answer your question? Does that answer your question?
-I do not hide beneath these robes! -[Uhtred] Beocca, enough! No more!
Bastard! She's a woman! A gentle woman, and she's suffered enough!
I'm warning you once!
I'm calm. I am calm now.
[all] Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey! Hey!
[Beocca] I'm calm.
This rotten air that fills Winchester is due to you and the likes of you.
England is a land for all tribes who wish to settle and live in peace.
Your father would be ashamed of you.
[Uhtred] Go with him.
I fear the priest does not like me.
No man likes you, Aethelwold. Your soul is as scarred as your face.
Courtesy of my Uncle Alfred in his mercy.
Why are you here? Do you still dream you can be king?
It is my home and I will not move.
This is a land I love. Can you say the same?
Ah, Uhtred, I am tired of listening to this squirrel's arse.
Let me offer you a cup of ale.
Come inside and sit with me. Let me convince you I am for Wessex.
Hear me.
Please.
Lord Uhtred.
[Uhtred] Lord Sigebriht.
You stand with Aethelwold?
-[Aethelwold] Sigebriht has his own mind. -I stand for a strong Wessex.
Where exactly do you stand, Lord, may I ask?
Is it with Edward?
You say it as though there are men against Edward.
There are men who doubt him, yes.
But if Uhtred were to stand alongside him--
I was at Ethandun. I stood beside you in a shield wall.
He is barely a man.
And Alfred could barely lift a sword above his head, yet he was a man to follow.
I say again, Edward is not Alfred. He is not a man to follow.
-The Danes know this. -You're still with them. Admit it.
[Aethelwold] I am for Wessex.
Lord, you did not answer my question. Where does Uhtred stand?
If he is to stand with Edward, what then?
I have said. They must die.
[choir singing]
I know this is an inopportune moment, but I must ask.
Why was I not told that Edward had been married previously?
That his children were born in this marriage?
Do these children have standing at all?
You were not told, Lord, because it is unimportant.
The marriage is the past.
The children are bastards, I can assure you.
Would it not be simpler...
if these children also did not exist?
For Edward and the children that may come.
Perhaps if...
if they were truly nothing more than rumor?
Something to ponder.
If you would excuse me.
I struggle to understand the king's thinking.
Why he panders to you is beyond me.
You neither appreciate his trust, nor deserve it.
The king is a clever man.
You are not.
Lord...
I am not an enemy of the king.
Even if that were true, what you are is a most dangerous ally.
With Alfred that might be acceptable.
He is more than your equal.
But Edward is not.
And I, for one, shall do my utmost
to keep you as far away from the boy as possible.
Thank you, Lord. That would be most appreciated.
Childish...
and reckless.
I have been told, by Aelswith no less,
that you are not to wander the palace corridors without a guard.
Say it.
-Whatever's on your mind. -I have no place.
I'm not a husband. I am not Uhtred of Coccham,
not Uhtred of Bebbanburg.
I'm not Uhtred Ragnarson.
I am not even an outlaw anymore.
I would say you're each and all of those men.
Especially the outlaw, as you'll never conform. [chuckles]
You'll only follow what you truly believe, and that is no bad thing.
The only thing you're not is cursed.
You're a free man. Your path is your own.
You have a choice to make, Uhtred. That is all.
Then I choose you as my greatest friend.
-You are an abbess and a warrior. -True.
And have I ever mentioned that you are too good a woman for God alone?
-[chuckles] Once or twice. -That is true.
The abbess has me shackled, Lady. I'm her prisoner.
Abbess Hild, be sure to wash your hands.
Winchester is a better place when you are here.
Know that much.
[all clamoring]
[exclaims]
[Haesten] Cnut! Cnut! Put an end to this before someone picks up a sword.
Just a little while longer. They need the taste of blood.
They need use of their limbs.
We need them to fight the Saxons!
Which will be soon, Haesten, my friend.
I can feel it. I can feel it in my balls!
[yelling]
[Cnut] Come here! Come here!
[Uhtred] Lord King.
[Alfred breathing raggedly]
[weakly] Uhtred.
Are you here or is it my sickness?
I wish to tell you that I will remain in Winchester
until Edward is crowned king.
I swear.
[breathing weakly]
[Aelswith] I intend to show Lord Aethelhelm the chronicle this evening.
Do you agree?
I do.
Invest him in the history of Wessex.
Bind him and his wealth.
Yes.
I have asked Edward to attend, and his bride.
Lord, forgive me, but there is one matter that concerns me greatly.
I cannot remain silent.
Uhtred.
What you have done is wrong.
By pardoning the outlaw, you have opened the door to him becoming Edward's advisor.
I know this is your intention, but it is wrong.
Necessary.
It is not.
For England, it is necessary.
[Aelswith] Edward cannot be God's king and England cannot be God's country,
if it is a pagan who guides him and us.
Why are the Danes forever at our door?
Because we are being punished, Lord, for the presence of this heathen.
He is for England.
[Aelswith] He is an outlaw.
[softly] My England...
my love.
[Aelswith] He is an outlaw. He must be treated as such.
I will not go against you, Lord. I could not.
And so I ask you, rescind what you have done.
Lord King...
[gasps]
[crying]
[Aelswith] Who is it?
It is me, Father Beocca.
[Beocca] He is with God now.
Of that there can be no doubt. My king is with his God.
He cannot be gone. His work is not finished.
Where is England? Where is the one united land?
That was his purpose. He has work unfinished.
He cannot be gone. God would not allow it.
He will have been comforted that you were with him, Lady, at the last.
You know of his death,
and I will tell his children,
but that is all.
I do not feel able...
He was loved by the people.
They will want to grieve.
His people must be told.
I'm afraid.
He's gone.
[Beocca] But his spirit is within us.
We must pray to God for his help and guidance.
And as Alfred is with God, he will ensure that we are heard.
He was sickly...
but he was here.
[crying] And now he is not.
I shall... I shall fetch his children myself.
[Beocca sniffles]
[door opens and closes]
I loved you, Lord King.
Heaven shall be your reward.
And I pray that one day...
we shall meet again.
[praying]
I did not love him for quite some time.
As a young man, he behaved as a young man.
I could not forgive him.
And then, without being aware of why,
I realized that I did love him, with all my heart and mind.
I saw that he needed me.
I knew that without me he could not be the king that God demanded.
He has visited the Holy Father, in Rome.
Did you know?
I did.
He was a child then... a baby.
A life passes so quickly.
Edward, you shall fetch Father Beocca.
We shall prepare for the first day in a new land.
[Aelswith] Father Beocca,
my husband appreciated your loyalty, advice and your faith in him.
[Beocca] A privilege.
[Aelswith] You have my most sincere thanks.
[Beocca] An honor, Lady.
Alfred is gone.
You were the king's priest, and as such, you no longer have a role.
Bishop Erkenwald has agreed that you may speak at the king's service,
but that must be your final duty within the palace.
You are bonded with heathens, Father Beocca.
Edward must be God's king. Bishop Erkenwald agrees.
Which heathens would they be, Lady?
My wife's Christian. She's been baptized.
You are, and you shall always be, a protector of Uhtred.
Uhtred does not need my protection.
You are bonded with heathens.
Edward must look to God and only to God.
You will tell your friend Uhtred that his pardon is to be rescinded.
But the letter is written in the king's hand.
He must leave Winchester or I shall have him taken.
A man cannot threaten to kill a king and go unpunished.
[Beocca] Lady!
For my part, I do not care if I serve God in the palace of Winchester
or the middle of a barren field.
But in rescinding a royal pardon, I fear you're making a mistake.
The Danes will hear about it and it will embolden them.
And your son Edward is not yet a commander.
If God is with us, then we shall win.
I will not leave Winchester, I cannot.
-You can and you must. -Not until Edward is king.
You promised Alfred this?
I did.
[Finan] If the pardon does not hold,
then you cannot stay and wait to be imprisoned and killed.
[Thyra] Where should he go?
Anywhere a horse can take him. Anywhere a ship can go.
Uhtred came here for a reason. He came for Ragnar's blood.
He has a task to fulfill.
The blood must be kept safe.
A battle is coming. You must choose a side.
The problem being is neither side wants him.
[chuckles]
Which is a further reason why you must stay. Wait for Edward.
Which is why Alfred asked you for what seemed a simple promise.
Bastard thinks.
He knows your honor, Uhtred. That is all.
[choir singing]
You should not be here, Dane.
[Beocca] The king is dead.
So together we pray for his soul, and for his successor, Edward.
May God guide and protect him always.
May God surround him with strength and wisdom.
-Amen. -[all] Amen.
[singing continues]
[Steapa] Lord, I have orders to kill you, should you not leave the hall quietly.
[singing continues]
[Finan] Steapa, what is this? Hmm? What is this?
Finan, do nothing.
He's a free man.
[rock thuds]
Do not think I am afraid of you.
-[rock thuds] -[gasps]
[panting]
[thudding on door]
[Tidman] Are you rejoicing at the king's death, bitch?
-[thud] -[gasps]
-[thudding continues] -[whimpers]
[footsteps approaching]
[floorboard creaks]
[footsteps approaching]
[whimpering]
That is where you belong, in a hole, in the ground.
[laughing]
[choking]
[thudding]
[grunting]
[Thyra] Beocca!
Help! Help me!
Beocca!
Please!