#ladyaldhelm

➡️Darkest Before The Dawn: Chapter 40 is now up on AO3.⬅️

Wordcount: 6.3k words

CW: None

Snippet from the first paragraph:

The morning sun cast soft beams of light through the small windows of the church, bathing the dark hallways and altar with its warm golden hue. It would normally be a peaceful, contemplative sight, if it were not for that which it had illuminated.

➡️➡️➡️Continue reading on AO3➡️➡️➡️

(...Start from the Beginning...)

I have other posts planned for Mercian Monday so this is a day early. Enjoy!

Also, I apologize for taking so long to publish this chapter. Life has been, well, you know, and I just don't have the time or energy to devote to writing that I used to. It is going to take me 5-6 weeks to write and publish a chapter from now on, so I guess I no longer have a regular publishing schedule for my fic. On that note, I want to thank you all for still tagging me in your WIP Wednesdays, even though I have not been participating. And I want to let you all know that I have not lost my passion for this work or the fandom, I just write when I can, which may only be a paragraph or two per day when I have time/energy. Thank you for your patience while I continue to make progress in my fic! I will finish it one of these days lol!

Tags (Whoever wants to read it):

@gemini-mama @thelettersfromnoone @thenameswinter99 @synintheraven @kingslionheart @bagheerita @solinarimoon @errruvande @paula-in-dreamland @aneurins-barnard @waterfallsilverberrywrites @whitedarkmoonflower @bilbotargaryen @lady-wyrd @beanclaw @grinningkatz @ladyinred2248 @hikaruchen @st-eve-barnes @alexagirlie @oddsnendsfanfics @ptheviking

➡️Darkest Before The Dawn: Chapter 38 is now up on AO3.⬅️

Wordcount: 4.7k words

CW: Non-graphic violence and implications of SA

Snippet from the first paragraph:

She could hear them long before she saw them. The snapping of branches. The crunching of leaves beneath feet. An incomprehensible faint murmuring sound which seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere all at once. Sounds that, to most, would indicate nothing more than wild animals passing through the forests. Deer, perhaps, or boar. Maybe even wolves. Being in a remote and heavily wooded area, these creatures were regular visitors to the abbey and surrounding properties. And were things that the nuns who lived there were accustomed to and largely ignored, rather than causing alarm.

➡️➡️➡️Continue reading on AO3➡️➡️➡️

(...Start from the Beginning...)

I have other posts planned for Mercian Monday so this is a day early. Enjoy!

Tags (Whoever wants to read it):

@gemini-mama @thelettersfromnoone @thenameswinter99 @synintheraven @kingslionheart @bagheerita @solinarimoon @errruvande @paula-in-dreamland @aneurins-barnard @waterfallsilverberrywrites @whitedarkmoonflower @bilbotargaryen @lady-wyrd @beanclaw @grinningkatz @ladyinred2248 @hikaruchen @st-eve-barnes @alexagirlie @oddsnendsfanfics @ptheviking

➡️Darkest Before The Dawn: Chapter 41 is now up on AO3.⬅️

Wordcount: 7.2k words

CW: None

Snippet from the first paragraph:

The sun still lazily lingered below the horizon, the predawn light barely lighting the busy bailey, casting it in a faint cobalt glow. King Alfred and his entourage were already in the courtyard, readying their horses for the journey south to Lunden, not even bothering to wait for the sun to make its appearance. The Aegelesburg household were all awoken early to make preparations to see them off; meanwhile, Aldhelm had busied himself readying his own men for departure. He had scarcely had time to rest before turning around and leaving again, joining the Mercian guards with the Saxon army in the south.

➡️➡️➡️Continue reading on AO3➡️➡️➡️

(...Start from the Beginning...)

In other news, I have hit 200k words in this fic! 🥳🎊🎉 It's sooo long! And I still have so much left!

Tags (Whoever wants to read it):

@gemini-mama @thelettersfromnoone @thenameswinter99 @synintheraven @kingslionheart @bagheerita @solinarimoon @errruvande @paula-in-dreamland @aneurins-barnard @whitedarkmoonflower @bilbotargaryen @lady-wyrd @beanclaw @grinningkatz @ladyinred2248 @hikaruchen @st-eve-barnes @alexagirlie @oddsnendsfanfics @ptheviking @hearthandhawthorn

➡️Darkest Before The Dawn: Chapter 35 is now up on AO3.⬅️

Wordcount: 4.7k words

CW: None

Snippet from the first paragraph:

Immediately after Aldhelm had left Saltwic, Aethelflaed had wasted no time in rousing the household. She woke Sable first, calmly explaining that she received word that her father, King Alfred, was gravely ill and she needed to leave immediately to go see him. It wasn’t entirely a lie; Alfred was ill and she did plan on visiting him, but she did not let on the ulterior motive for the sudden evacuation.

➡️➡️➡️Continue reading on AO3➡️➡️➡️

(...Start from the Beginning...)

The next chapter published for Mercian Monday!

Tags (Whoever wants to read it):

@gemini-mama @thelettersfromnoone @thenameswinter99 @synintheraven @kingslionheart @bagheerita @solinarimoon @errruvande @paula-in-dreamland @aneurins-barnard @waterfallsilverberrywrites @whitedarkmoonflower @bilbotargaryen @lady-wyrd @beanclaw @grinningkatz @ladyinred2248 @hikaruchen @st-eve-barnes @alexagirlie @oddsnendsfanfics @ptheviking

➡️Darkest Before The Dawn: Chapter 39 is now up on AO3.⬅️

Wordcount: 7.3k words

CW: Non-graphic violence and implications of SA

Snippet from the first paragraph:

The hard rocky ground crunched under the horse’s hooves, kicking up dangerous debris in their wake. The helmets, with their closed cheek-pieces, helped to shield the Mercian guards’ eyes from much of the flying projectiles; but the horses, who had no such protection, were forced to fan out to avoid being blinded by their brethren who ran before them. They rode to battle, at a frenetic yet steady pace, and did not care to maintain formation for long.

➡️➡️➡️Continue reading on AO3➡️➡️➡️

(...Start from the Beginning...)

I have other posts planned for Mercian Monday so this is a day early. Enjoy!

Tags (Whoever wants to read it):

@gemini-mama @thelettersfromnoone @thenameswinter99 @synintheraven @kingslionheart @bagheerita @solinarimoon @errruvande @paula-in-dreamland @aneurins-barnard @waterfallsilverberrywrites @whitedarkmoonflower @bilbotargaryen @lady-wyrd @beanclaw @grinningkatz @ladyinred2248 @hikaruchen @st-eve-barnes @alexagirlie @oddsnendsfanfics @ptheviking

➡️Darkest Before The Dawn: Chapter 37 is now up on AO3.⬅️

Wordcount: 4.7k words

CW: None

Snippet from the first paragraph:

King Alfred paced the halls of Aegelesburg, his stride unhurried, his destination apparently purposeless. His retainers, the priests and advisors who accompanied him, all begged him to rest, but he would not sit still. He was lost in introspection, and the aimless wandering helped him to focus his thoughts. Not to mention that walking slowly helped to ease his stomach pain a bit, though it tired him. Even the small effort of walking in a hallway left him slightly winded and weak in the legs, although he kept his grievances to himself, and did not outwardly complain nor show sign of vulnerability.

➡️➡️➡️Continue reading on AO3➡️➡️➡️

(...Start from the Beginning...)

The next chapter published for Mercian Monday!

Tags (Whoever wants to read it):

@gemini-mama @thelettersfromnoone @thenameswinter99 @synintheraven @kingslionheart @bagheerita @solinarimoon @errruvande @paula-in-dreamland @aneurins-barnard @waterfallsilverberrywrites @whitedarkmoonflower @bilbotargaryen @lady-wyrd @beanclaw @grinningkatz @ladyinred2248 @hikaruchen @st-eve-barnes @alexagirlie @oddsnendsfanfics @ptheviking

➡️Darkest Before The Dawn: Chapter 30 is now up on AO3.⬅️

Wordcount: 5.9k words

CW: None

Snippet from the first paragraph:

Once they returned to the house, Aethelflaed disappeared for a while, washing herself and changing her clothes before the meal. Aldhelm was also given the opportunity to wash and change his clothes from the dirty and travel worn gambeson to his court outfit. Dinner was far from an elaborate feast, but it was a nice welcome home, and the first proper hot meal they had enjoyed in over a week. It was just the two of them; Aelfwynn was yet too young to eat at the table in the main hall, and there were no other guests to join them. Sable and the other servants eyed Aldhelm warily as he made polite conversation with Aethelflaed. If they had any suspicions about their relationship, they hid it well. None of them seemed to trust or like Aldhelm, and his presence made them uncomfortable, so they did not seem to suspect that there was anything more to their relationship than just a superficial courtesy.

➡️➡️➡️Continue reading on AO3➡️➡️➡️

(...Start from the Beginning...)

The next chapter published for Mercian Monday!

A big THANK YOU as always to my Beta @holy3cake

Tags (Whoever wants to read it):

@gemini-mama @thelettersfromnoone @thenameswinter99 @synintheraven @kingslionheart @bagheerita @solinarimoon @errruvande @paula-in-dreamland @aneurins-barnard @waterfallsilverberrywrites @whitedarkmoonflower @bilbotargaryen @lady-wyrd @beanclaw @grinningkatz @ladyinred2248 @hikaruchen @st-eve-barnes @alexagirlie @oddsnendsfanfics @ptheviking

➡️Darkest Before The Dawn: Chapter 36 is now up on AO3.⬅️

Wordcount: 5.3k words

CW: None

Snippet from the first paragraph:

Cooler temperatures, and the southward migration of waxwings and small Icelandic swans into the British Isles, heralded the arrival of autumn. Farmers had begun the arduous task of harvesting their crops, threshing the wheat and barley, and storing the grains for winter. Soon, they would be tallying their herds, and contemplating which unfortunate creatures would not see the spring. Meanwhile, their wives and daughters busied themselves with repairing thick woolen breeches and coats, gathering and drying the last of the herbs, and carding and spinning wool from their freshly shorn sheep. Though the lords and ladies would not be directly involved in the everyday manual labor that went into making sure their estates were prosperous, they still were kept busy overseeing everything, resolving disputes, and making sure their own families were well provisioned for the coming cold.

➡️➡️➡️Continue reading on AO3➡️➡️➡️

(...Start from the Beginning...)

The next chapter published for Mercian Monday!

Tags (Whoever wants to read it):

@gemini-mama @thelettersfromnoone @thenameswinter99 @synintheraven @kingslionheart @bagheerita @solinarimoon @errruvande @paula-in-dreamland @aneurins-barnard @waterfallsilverberrywrites @whitedarkmoonflower @bilbotargaryen @lady-wyrd @beanclaw @grinningkatz @ladyinred2248 @hikaruchen @st-eve-barnes @alexagirlie @oddsnendsfanfics @ptheviking