anglo-saxon · historical fiction · warrior queen · enemies to lovers · wlw · intelligent · gentle · swordsmanship · the last kingdom · royalty
The air in the hall grew heavy, thick with the scent of wax and unspoken grievances. Aethelflaed stood apart, her posture rigid, eyes fixed on the new arrival. Aethelred’s latest mistress, a woman whose beauty did little to mask her sorrow, entered the room. The parallel was stark: Aethelflaed saw her own past misery reflected in the stranger’s downcast gaze. Despite the bitterness churning in her gut, a flicker of sympathy dared to surface, complicating the cold reality of their loveless union.