Aethelflaed’s Secret

Brida’s men are determined to find Stiorra and bring her back to safety. However, Sigtryggr is all alone in his battle, fighting off the warriors feebly and forced to yield.

Brida cuts a lock of hair off of Rognvaldr and has him go off looking for Stiorra, who manages to evade his threat fleeing through the tunnels. Unfortunately, another maid is not so lucky and Brida slits her throat. ..

Brida wants to prove her loyalty to Sigtryggr by having Rognvaldr kill his own brother, Sigtryggr. However, Rognvaldr is not exactly pleased about this and does so reluctantly. ..

Sigtryggr is prevented from drowning by Brida, who tasks him with bringing Uhtred to her. If he can do that, she’ll spare Stiorra’s life.

So off he goes, under the pale moonlight to find Uhtred. In his absence, Brida has her people on their knees and forces them to suffer until she presents herself. Stiorra’s maids urge her not to move but it’s clear she’s conflicted. ..

Uhtred’s son’s life hangs in the balance as he awaits word from his father about Brida’s return. When he learns of what has happened up north, Uhtred realizes she is coming for his bloodline.

Uhtred wants to attack York with Aethelflaed’s military, but she refuses. Uhtred is shocked, but not as shocked as he will be when he learns that Aethelflaed is facing death. For now, she keeps that a secret.

Aethelhelm, the Archbishop of Winchester, hears about the unrest in Wessex and senses an opportunity to help Edward regain the land. He believes that Edward should regain the land by force if necessary, extending his kingdom in the process. He wants Sigtryggr dead and wants to use Brida to make that happen. ..

Aethelhelm decides to work behind his back, sending word to the Saxon boroughs not to give any troops or support for Sigtryggr under the banner of the King.

Edward begins to develop a closer relationship with a woman from Cent called Eadgifu, as fate would have it. He has connections to her from his past, which may have something to do with his current situation.

Edward encourages her to eat with him, but while they get along well, Aethelhelm is not happy. He tries to pay her off in the morning but she confronts Edward about this. Edward apologizes on Aethelhelm’s behalf and points out that he’s kin and has friends in high places – it’s not easy just to abandon him. Edward does, however, encourage her to stick around for a while. ..

Finan learns about Aethelflaed’s impending death and urges him to keep quiet about it. That’s a difficult secret to keep though, given he’s never kept anything like this from Uhtred before. For now, he agrees to play along. ..

Aethelflaed returns to Aegelesburg and tells her daughter Aelfwynn that she has found love. Aelfwynn is not happy and decides to run away with Cynlaef. Aethelflaed urges her daughter to take up chaste as she’s destined to rule like a Queen, only, Aelfwynn has no desire to rule and runs away.

Eventually, Sigtryggr makes it out of the woods and finds Uhtred and his men. He’s not happy when he learns there’s no army, but they hurry up nonetheless. As they do, Stiorra continues to stew in anger beneath them in the tunnels. She calls out, promising revenge, as Brida taunts the girl, telling her to show herself. ..

The Episode Review

The Last Kingdom returns with another strong episode, this time slowing the pace slightly as political scheming takes center stage. It’s clear that Brida is not going to stop until all of Uhtred’s children are dead – but will that also mean Aethelstan too?

For now, Aethelflaed’s impending death is big news and unfortunately Aethelhelm is about to find this out too, promising bad news all round. What will the fate of Mercia be when this comes to pass?

Uhtred may not make it out of this fight alive, but there is no guarantee that he will. With Aethelhelm being sure to spread false rumors and make sure no one rides to Sigtryggr’s aid, it spells bad news for all involved.

In this one, there are plenty of surprises and drama to come. With all episodes available to stream, we don’t have to wait too long to find out what happens.