The Last Kingdom

I am Uhtred, son of Uhtred.

I am a Dane for life.

I have stolen the mystic woman, Skade, from the Danish warrior Earl Sigurd.

She's mine, if I have to kill you, then that is what I will do.

King Alfred seeks to protect his legacy,

but his son, Edward, refuses an arranged marriage.

I am married to Ecgwynn!

Your wife will be dealt with.

And his daughter, the Lady of Mercia,

has fled to a nunnery for safety.

I have not forgotten what the bitch did.

I will never forget!

I rescued her in the past. And now she needs me again.

The Danes have formed one army under my brother Ragnar.

They plan to march south on Wessex, leaving me with an impossible choice.

Do you stand with us?

I am needed.

You are a whore to the Crown of Alfred.

He does not leave with Skade. Ragnar, she belongs to me.

Yes, Bloodhair, you can fight for the witch... to the death.

Agreed, we fight.

Destiny is all!

- Kill him! Kill him! - Come on, Lord, that's it!

Kill him!

Kill him!

Kill him!

- Come on! - Kill him!

Finish him!

Get up, Dane-slayer!

You dirty bastards, you!

Come on! Get his shield!

Come on! Get his shield!

Right, if you want to play that game!

You are happy with this, Ragnar? You believe this to be a fair fight?

It's a fight!

It's all he deserves. Kill him! Take his balls!

Kill him!

Kill him, go on!

Take the legs off him, Lord!

Kill him!

Uhtred! Lord! Here!

His shoulder!

Yes, Lord!

It's over!

No! It's not over until he's dead!

I say it is over.

I demand my woman!

I will not lose one single man before the true battle has even begun!

It was to the death!

If you disagree with me, Saxon, then fight me!

Kill him, Ragnar, and be done with it!

It is over! It is done. Take what belongs to you. Take your witch.

She belongs to me!

I shall see you across the battlefield. Have no doubt, I will kill you.

Leave while you are still alive. Alfred needs his arse to be wiped!

Enjoy your prize.

You ride with me now.

Skade! He must remain cursed! It's your duty!

He has defeated you twice over! I belong to Uhtred now!

Never! I've tasted your blood! What you see is mine!

Ragnar, he cannot be allowed to leave.

Didn't mean to miss! Next time, I won't!

The gates. Now. Let us be rid of them.

Earl Ragnar, Lord Cnut.

Can one of you, both of you, tell me why we have allowed Uhtred to leave?

We are gifting Alfred his best warrior.

What is it that you suggest that we do?

I suggest we kill him.

We can still kill him, kill all of them, apart from your sister, of course.

But we cannot allow Uhtred the Dane-slayer to return to Wessex and slay more Danes.

What is your worth?

It was you who helped create these events. Give me one reason not to kill you.

I am the reason we are gathered here.

His worth is that he can drip poison into the ears of Saxons.

Exactly.

Ragnar! Enough!

Ragnar! That's enough!

You drip poison into every ear! You smear everything around you with shit!

It's Uhtred you're angry with. He has caused this division!

Ignore this piece-of-weasel shit...

and remember we have a task ahead.

Cousin, you are our leader now.

I am hungry for blood and battle!

Nothing has changed! We've lost a handful of men and nothing more than that!

Nothing has changed.

We march as soon as we're ready!

Get up.

He took me by surprise. Otherwise, I would have made a contest.

You were right to speak out.

He should never have been allowed to leave.

That was...

weak of my cousin.

Oh...

Uhtred! Uhtred!

This is where we must leave you.

There's a ship waiting at Eoferwic. Alfred will be wondering where we are.

Alfred will know exactly where you are.

Yes. That is most likely.

Do not get yourself killed... until Aethelflaed is safe.

That would be unfortunate.

It would. And I would have had a wasted journey.

Aethelflaed is important to the King and to all Saxons.

After she is safe, what then?

Fate will decide.

Uhtred, you are my brother, and you shall always be my brother.

Haesten...

only you may enter the palace.

You must give up your weapons.

- Earl Haesten. - Lord King.

It is a considerable journey you have made.

A necessary journey.

Is your wife with you? I would like to hear of her faith.

Sadly not, Lady.

Pity.

Ale, Lord?

I know you.

You're the warrior priest.

I am just a priest. Father Pyrlig.

You have been to the north, Haesten.

I have, Lord, to Dunholm.

I journeyed there with Bloodhair, who remains with Ragnar,

alongside Uhtred and Aethelwold.

Aethelwold is there?

He is.

No doubt spreading rumour.

They are building an army, I assume.

They are.

The plan is to march before deepest winter makes it impossible.

They will march from north to south as a single army.

The further south they come, the greater they will grow.

They will attract warriors.

Hmm, that is true.

If it were my place to advise you, Lord,

I would suggest you march out to meet them.

Thank you, Haesten.

Your loyalty to our agreement will not go unrewarded.

Thank you, Lord. Lady.

Despite Aethelwold's obsessive insolence,

I did never believe he could turn wholly against his father and his homeland.

And his King.

It can only mean death.

Yes.

Alfred will be thinking of battle for the weeks to come.

I want the Lady of Mercia found quickly.

Father Pyrlig?

Lord?

You will draught and deliver a letter to my son-in-law, Aethelred.

You will recount the warning of an army marching from the north

and you will inform him that together we shall face this army...

at Mercia's most favourable point.

- This is to happen when, Lord? - Immediately.

We cannot wait.

We shall confront them and we shall defeat them.

In the name of God and the England yet to be.

Yes, Lord.

The King speaks and acts with authority, as always.

The King fears his strength shall fail him all too soon.

Never.

God is great.

As is Alfred. That is how you will be remembered.

It is time!

I will make no proclamations, except everything is possible!

I will say nothing more than it is time we change these lands forever!

It is time to begin a story that will be told

amongst the living and by those in Valhalla forever more.

It will be our song... and our story!

Let it begin.

Let's move out.

My lady is asking if you've had enough to eat?

I have told her yes, because the poor nuns have been in the kitchen the whole day.

How about a drop more ale, for the night?

Godric, you have a job to do and you will need to be awake to do it.

Abbess, may I ask,

how strong must a woman be to live like this for all of her life?

Strong?

Yes. To deny yourself a life outside of these walls.

Lady, we wish to live like this, in the service of God.

I do not regret one day of my time here.

Abbess! Abbess, there are men in the kitchen. Danes.

Close the doors, move the table against them. Quickly!

- Why have your guards not dealt with it? - They will.

Just as soon as they become aware of the danger.

We should call to them.

No. No, if it is thieves, they may come and go.

This is God's house! You will leave us this very moment!

If you do not and you are Christian,

then He will send you to the depths of Hell!

Abbess, they are Danes.

Well, then, if you are heathen, He will strike you down!

And what if I am a Christian by birth and a Dane by my heart? What then?

Uhtred.

You know this man?

Yes. Yes, I do.

Your guards are not, lady.

Not what?

They are not guards. Their swords are trinkets.

- It's true. - They are good men.

I'm sure they're loyal, but they are not guards.

They are barely men.

I do not like you, young man.