Queen Aelswith and bishop Erkenwald chase Beoccoa from court after officiating Alfred's funeral and have Uhtred arrested after reverting Alfred's pardon, but when Steapa is ordered to escort the prisoner outside Wessex, he appeals to the public and Edward, whose authority in challenged by Aethelwold as it is for the witan to decide the succession, but the crown prince decides to stand by Alfred's will and Uhtred decides to stay and support Edward as Alfred hoped. Rejoicing in Alfred's demise, Cnut and Heasten assemble a great Danish army to crush the Saxons, which Aethelwold promises to be helped by Saxon turncoats like Sigebriht of Kent. Brida is obsessed with revenging Ragnar and counts on Uhtred to kill the pretender with a sword dipped in his -in fact Thyra's- blood. Mercian king Aethelred stabs his counselor Aldhelm, who flees to Aethelflaed, for failing to bring the royal guard to Winchester, and returns home to pick the wining side. Uhtred leads the war council and inspires Edward to call on all free Saxons to join the decisive battle in a forest. The Danish spies are expertly eliminated, their column surprise-attacked, but all hinges on mounted reinforcements which can go to either side. Uhtred leaves the battlefield to save Raganr from hell to Walhalla.
—KGF Vissers