Shadow of the Raven: Sons of Kings: Book One Read Online Free

dared not think of the future beyond May, knowing that the babe in her womb may never have chance to be born. An involuntary shudder took her, and Eadwulf glanced up at her troubled face.
    ‘Try not to worry, Mother. Father should be home soon. And I am here to look after you.’
    ‘That is true, Eadwulf,’ she said, smiling down at him, struck, as always, by his likeness to Beorhtwulf. ‘You’ve been a great comfort to me these past two weeks.’
    ‘He has a large bodyguard, Mother: thirty warriors. And he was certain the Wessex king would help us. King Aethelwulf has lots of sons too; five, I think. Although one of them is still a baby! He was born at our old vill at Wantage. Did you know that?’ She nodded but said nothing, reluctant to interrupt his flow. ‘And the eldest son, Aethelstan, the one who rules Kent, put up a good fight against the Danes in Canterbury last week, so Uncle Burgred told me. But there were just too many of them against Aethelstan’s army, so he retreated. There’s little left of Canterbury now. The Danes looted it and burnt it down.’
    Morwenna felt a sickening dread in the pit of her stomach. Just too many Danes. The Danes had sacked Canterbury in April, as Burgred had said they would, and would sail up the Thames in May. But when in May? It could be barely two weeks away or as many as five . . .
    ‘Well, isn’t this a jolly little party.’
    Engrossed in her black thoughts Morwenna had not heard Burgred approaching and, startled, she spun round. ‘Can anyone join in, or is it a private affair? I must say, you’re looking lovelier than ever, Morwenna. That green gown suits your fair colouring well and reminds me of the freshness of spring. Yet your mood seems more in keeping with the bleakness of winter.’
    ‘It’s hard to feel jolly, my lord, knowing what we must soon face.’
    ‘Father won’t let the Danes destroy London, Mother!’
    Burgred guffawed at his nephew’s exasperated assertion. ‘May our king deliver us from all evil!’
    ‘You make too light of the situation, my lord.’
    ‘I appreciate the gravity of the situation only too well, Morwenna,’ Burgred snapped, his expression blackening. ‘We’re not training those farmers to fight for the fun of it!’
    ‘I know how hard you work for our kingdom, my lord,’ Morwenna said quickly, wishing she could eat her words. ‘If not for you we could not prepare for this dreadful threat.’
    ‘We must all do our best for Mercia,’ Burgred acknowledged with an indifferent shrug. ‘I’m sorry I offended you, Morwenna. The strain of these weeks is affecting us all.’
    ‘You are right, brother.’
    Burgred flinched, a reaction Morwenna had noticed before when she addressed him thus. She often wondered whether he resented her marriage to Beorhtwulf; believed, perhaps, that she’d married above her station, despite her father being a powerful Anglian ealdorman. ‘We were just speaking with Sigehelm,’ she said, eager to change the subject.
    ‘Oh, not another decorated parchment! You really shouldn’t adorn your work, Eadwulf. Sigehelm simply isn’t the artistic type.’
    ‘It’s nothing of the kind,’ Morwenna declared, before Burgred could ridicule further. ‘Sigehelm is pleased with my son’s progress.’
    ‘Eadwulf,’ a boyish voice called, ‘I’ve something really interesting to show you. Can you come now?’
    Glad of the distraction, Morwenna watched Aethelnoth bounding toward them from the stables, waving his arms wildly. The sturdy eleven-year-old was almost a head taller than Eadwulf, and his bear-shaped build, wild blond hair and laughing brown eyes were so like Thrydwulf’s, his father. It was impossible not to like the lad.
    ‘I beg your pardon, my lady. I should have asked your permission first,’ Aethelnoth said in his most courteous tone. ‘But could Eadwulf join me for a while before training starts with our sword master? Ocea says we’ll begin later today.’
    ‘Of course,’