His face spattered with the blood of the beast, the guard captain
glared at Aethelred as Alfred came down from his throne and marched
across the room to confront the priest, who had not stopped smiling
during the whole bloody episode, and who smiled still.
“Did you enjoy the demonstration, Sire?” asked the Archbishop.
“I did not,” hissed the King through gritted teeth, struggling to hold
back his anger.
Aethelred’s smile arched wider. “The Danes will enjoy it even less,
I suspect.”
His face spattered with the blood of the beast, the guard captain
glared at Aethelred as Alfred came down from his throne and marched
across the room to confront the priest, who had not stopped smiling
during the whole bloody episode, and who smiled still.
“Did you enjoy the demonstration, Sire?” asked the Archbishop.
“I did not,” hissed the King through gritted teeth, struggling to hold
back his anger.
Aethelred’s smile arched wider. “The Danes will enjoy it even less,
I suspect.”
The beast lifted its head, opened its jaw wide, and let out an appalling sound that defied nature and raised gooseflesh on the arms of every person still present.
The beast lifted its head, opened its jaw wide, and let out an appalling sound that defied nature and raised gooseflesh on the arms of every person still present.