Work Text:
Galloway, Kingdom of the Picts, 835 AD
His boots stomped on the branches as he ran, blood pumping in his ears. His brothers, behind him moments earlier, were nowhere to be seen, but the rebels hunted him still. He heard their breathing.
The image of his father's head rolling on the ground, blood spraying onto the green grass, the shrill cries of his mother as they killed her. These images played over and over again in the Prince's head.
The trees looked menacing, trunks twisting and bending into unnatural shapes or so he thought, fear gripping hold of him.
"Kenneth! You can't run boy!"
The voice belonged to Beoric, a Chieftain of the Inglish, Scots of English descent from the lowlands who swore loyalty to Alpin, Kenneth's father when he made his attempt to reunite Scotland
Now he chased Alpin's blood down. Traitor.
Beoric's footsteps grew closer, Kenneth picked up speed though it seemed to do little good. In seconds Beoric was on him, gloved hand trying to wrap themselves around his neck to snuff the life out of him.
The Dal Riatan Prince fought hard to throw the older man off but was unable to find the strength needed to get away completely.
Slipping on wet mud Kenneth fell, Beoric going down with him right next to a stump. A loud whack echoed. The gloved hands loosened.
Kenneth lie in the dirt, his mind racing. For over a hundred years the Picts had dominated the Scots and other ethnic groups in the former Scottish Kingdom. Their forces, made nearly unstoppable due to their expert horsemanship, able to defeat any Scottish or British army sent against them.
Alpin had been the first King of Scots in generations to stand up to their oppressors, to attempt to reunite the land their ancestors once ruled, and he may very well might have succeeded had the Picts not bribed traitorous Chiefs and made alliances with the Holy Roman Empire. It was the Knights of the Romans, Franks, and the Pictish cavalry who decimated the combined Scottish-British army on the battlefield.
He heard a groan, the thoughts of the past evaporating into the cool day air. Kenneth turned to see Beoric was still alive, a large red gash in the center of his head. The Prince drew his knife and held the Chief down. The man limply tried to fight at first but, perhaps knowing it was futile, put his hands down, bearing his neck to Kenneth.
He sliced it quickly, blood running down his hands.
Rising from the body Kenneth searched about him. In the distance hunting hounds could be heard, voices of men yelping and howling in the Pictish language. Searching for him and his kin, no doubt.
Kenneth continued through the forest, his body aching in so many places he struggled to count them all. He didn't know how long he walked, losing all sense of direction and time. The sun went down, casting him into darkness.
Suddenly he stopped, the sound of breathing close.
Then he saw the glint of silver.
Sword.
Kenneth drew his dagger. Waited.
A Pictish warrior, body streaked blue, emerged from the shadows chanting in their tongue. The Prince stiffened. He recognized him.
It was Urad, nephew of King Drest, and a known hater of the Scots.
"You!"
Kenneth, too tired to feel fear, raged.
"You took my family from me!"
Urad smirked. He stepped forward.
"Stay silent, you mock Prince."
The Pict swung at him, Kenneth weaving out of the way and thrusting with his weapon, Urad batting it back.
Growing angry MacAlpin roared, launching himself at the startled Pict, tackling him to the forest floor, blade coming down in savage blows.
Tossing the dagger aside Kenneth gripped Urad's head and smashed it into the ground repeatedly, screaming into the man's distorted face, not caring if others heard. All of his hatred, his heartbreak, his fear, went into this attack, leaving Urad a mess.
For the first time it dawned on him that now he, as his father's eldest son, was King of Dalriada and, many would argue, the rightful King of Scotland as the senior descendant of Fergus the Great.
The thought made him feel sick. Him? The rightful heir to the throne of Scotland?
He wanted to laugh. His father had been a warrior, a master of swordplay. A man who could bind others together by sheer personality alone.
He had none of that. What could he offer the Scots other than a young man with little battle experience under his belt?
Kenneth put the doubt aside for now. There were still men after him, he needed to get to safety. Leaving Urad's corpse the Prince headed farther into the forest, the voices and hounds growing distant.
Besides Beoric other Inglish Lords hunted him such as Cerdic and Ethelbald, cousins to the Chief and just as eager for Pictish coin. How they could betray their oaths was beyond him, but then perhaps they felt more loyalty to their tribe than Scotland, after all it hadn't been a country in over a hundred years.
Taking a turn left, Kenneth stumbled right on the outskirts of a camp of 'freemen', people who neither acknowledged Dalriada or Pictish rule.
Immediately two men, one lanky, the other large and brutish, came at him. The Prince threw his hands up, caught off guard as he was.
The lanky one held up a hand to the big man, speaking in a rough form of British.
"Who are you?"
He asked the Prince,
"What happened?"
"Picts."
Kenneth replied, not wishing to give too much away.
"Your name?"
"Dugald."
Kenneth lied. And from the look of the lanky man's face he knew he was lying too.
The man turned to his face, speaking the British language, and the big brute walked back to camp.
"You may come with me,"
The man said evenly,
"We are no friends of Drest. I am Loghain MacTir."
The two shook hands, Kenneth feeling the cold, detached personality through the gloves.
He wondered if he should run back into the forest, but he was hungry and knew he'd stand a better chance of eating a proper meal with the freemen than he would on his own.
So, taking his chances, Kenneth followed Loghain.
The leader of this band of free men was Tir MacOghan, a former farmer who's livelihood had been destroyed by the Picts and their Frankish allies. His farm, located along the coast of Argyll, had been raided four years before by Frankish cavalrymen. His wife and daughter, both named Eva, were brutally raped before his and his son's eyes before being killed, the two men barely escaping by taking a chance and running into the forest.
Over time the two men gathered other victims of Pictish misrule from various ethnic groups, including several Elves who had lived in Edinburgh prior to being driven from the city due to racial bias.
Now, abandoned by both Scots and Picts the Band of Tir, as they became known, served no one but themselves.
Kenneth understood this decision, believing he would make the same if he were in their position. Tir allowed 'Dugald' to stay with them despite Loghain's objections, believing in the custom of hospitality, a long tradition among the Celts.
To see to his needs Tir appointed Sister Alis, a Scottish nun of Frankish descent, to look after him. The nun, formerly belonging to a nunnery in the lowlands, left the convent due to the indifference the Head Abbes showed to the outside world.
Alis did not believe Christ would want things this way and so left, eventually coming to find herself in Tir's company, the Chieftain wishing to have a religious leader among them for the devout.
For a week Sister Alis cared for Kenneth's wounds, the Prince lying low inside her tent avoiding much contact with Loghain or his father.
Kenneth hoped he lost the Picts and their Inglish allies but he didn't. Three weeks into his stay with Tir's band they tracked him down.
They emerged out of the forest, howling like Demons. The Picts, their bodies painted with blue animal symbols, were easy to tell apart from their Germanic counterparts who wore rune symbols on their faces, these still Pagan even at this late date.
Sleeping when he heard the howls Kenneth leaped from his bed and grabbed his sword, rushing from Sister Alis' tent to join in the defense.
What he saw, though, confirmed there was no hope in doing so. Hundreds of enemy soldiers poured into the camp, soon outnumbering the defenders.
Tir, sensing this, retreated into Alis's tent along with Loghain and Sister Alis herself. Loghain, immediately coming to suspect 'Dugald', drew his knife and attempted to stab him but Tir stopped him.
The Chieftain demanded to know who he truly was.
Kenneth told him, expecting to be killed. Instead Tir fell to his knees, taking them all by surprise.
Tir commanded Loghain to get the Prince, now the rightful King of Dalriada, to safely. At first Loghain refused but after Tir said it again, this time more forcefully, his son relented.
To honour his sacrifice Kenneth used his sword to Knight him, naming him Lord of Galloway, a purely symbolic gesture given the circumstances but one Tir was proud to receive all the same.
Then, with his new title Tir MacOghan returned to battle. He died not long after. Loghain followed his father's dying wish to the letter, he and Kenneth fighting their way out of the camp into the forest. Once safe they ran, not stopping for two hours.
The two men traveled through the wilds of Scotland, evading Pictish trackers. It was a lucky break more than anything as it was well known the Picts were the best trackers in all of the Kingdoms.
Loghain, distant and cold, did not abandon the Prince like Kenneth feared he might. MacTir stayed true to his father's dying request.
The two stuck to the countryside as they made their way back to Dunadd, the capital city of Dalriada, where Kenneth hoped to reunite with his brothers and those nobles still loyal to the House of Fergus.
The leading man among them was Dumnagual ap Rhydderch, Lord of Strathclyde, a British Kingdom who joined forces with the Scots to end Pictish hegemony, sealing the alliance with the marriage of Kenneth and Dumnagual's eldest daughter Rowan.
Or planned marriage at any rate. It hadn't taken place yet, and wouldn't until the Scots were free of the Picts.
Close to the Dalriadan border the two noticed they were being followed, seeing flashing eyes in the darkness at night. Loghain thought it was wolves, but Kenneth dispelled the notion.
They were Elves, members of the Ranger Guard, a border patrol unit his father created a year prior, knowing Elves had better sight than humans out in nature, particularly at night.
The Ranger's leader, Finian MacThoren, met them just over the border and nearly crushed the Prince in an embrace. Bringing them to Dunadd Kenneth and Loghain were escorted in by members of the Royal Guard, meeting Dumnagual and the other nobles in the throne room, along with Rowan.
The Lady of Strathclyde, while more comfortable in armour, wore a red dress this time, her long trussled brown hair styled expertly. Her green-brown eyes studying first Kenneth and then going over Loghain. The Prince smiled in acknowledgement before embracing Dumnagual, the elderly man overjoyed to see him.
The British Lord informed the Prince many soldiers of his father's army made it back to Scottish territory safely and were waiting for him to return to take up command. When Kenneth asked after his brothers Dumnagual assured him they were safe but they were in Ireland, taken there for their own safety, a choice Kenneth agreed with.
Another man in flowing grey robes appeared next to Lord Dumnagual suddenly, Kenneth's eyes going wide in shock.
It was Cathhad, one of the last remaining followers of Celtic Paganism within Dalriada and a master Druid who the Prince thought died with his father in Galloway. Cathhad had been Kenneth's tutor as a boy, the two growing so close he called him uncle.
He choked up when he saw him, the Druid gently chiding him for being so emotional.
Then, with a wave of his hand Cathhad cast a spell, reading Kenneth's mind, feeling like someone was digging inside his skull to the Prince, to ensure he truly was Kenneth MacAlpin and not some imposter.
Once it was finished Cathhad declared the Prince returned and a resounding cheer erupted throughout the throne room, among the loudest being Dumnagual and Rowan.
As it settled down again Dumnagual told Kenneth Drest's army was marching against Dalriada. The Lord suggested they retreat into the Isles and regroup later, but such a plan turned Kenneth's stomach. His father and hundreds of his men died defending Scottish territory. He would not retreat and leave the Kingdom to Drest to rule.
Dumnagual attempted to make the Prince see reason but Kenneth refused to listen. He would meet Drest in battle if need be, but he did not plan to run away again.
Rowan agreed with him, as did Cathhad, much to Dumnagual's chagrin. Seeing he could not change Kenneth's mind Dumnagual relented and sent a messenger to rally the army.
Immediately everyone sprang into action, preparing for the upcoming battle. Loghain, left stunned at the suddenness of it all, decided to stay with Kenneth, the Prince having grown on him during their travels together. Knighting him as he did his father Kenneth gave Loghain command of a squad of Knights.
Within the day they were on the march again, this time at the head of a one thousand man army comprised of Scots, Britons, and Irish mercenaries.
By the second day they clashed with Frankish cavalry, scouts sent ahead by Drest to study the terrain. In a short, violent skirmish, ten Frankish soldiers were killed by Scots warriors, giving their force a boost of morale. One of the fighters in this skirmish was Rowan, the Lady of Strathclyde riding directly towards the Franks sword glinting in the sun, striking down the first causality of the fight.
By its end her steel armour was drenched in blood, having taken three lives.
Meeting the main Pictish force two hours later Kenneth and his men brought up their shields as a barrage of arrows came soon thereafter. When it finished the Prince ordered them to stand firm, to hold their ground. There could be no retreat.
To his left were Dumnagual and Loghain, to his right Rowan, his co-commanders. Kenneth made the sign of the Cross, asking God to see him through.
He ordered Cathhad to cast a spell over their weapons, sharpening them. With that he drew his sword and led a charge. This move, coming from nowhere and not what the Picts expected, took them off guard. The Scottish cavalry rammed into their Pictish and Frankish counterparts, both sides battling viciously to remain atop their horses.
Kenneth, sword whirling and slashing, did not back down or hide behind his warriors. Holding on to his horse' reins the Prince of Scots showed he was his father's son, and not only was he Alpin's son, but also the scion of Fergus the Great, the Irish Prince who founded his House so long before.
He never felt the spears and swords hit him, bouncing right off his armour. Kenneth forced his way towards Drest, the Pictish King fighting like a madman, consumed in battle lust---
But he was stopped. The Picts, noticing this, surrounded their Lord and blocked off any attempts to reach him, forcing MacAlpin to kill ordinary foot soldiers once more, his sword dripping red.
Turning to his right he saw Rowan and her men working their way through the enemy's lines. To his left the Lord of Strathclyde and Loghain did the same, the Picts struggling to hold back their advance.
A sudden sounding of a horn broke his concentration. Kenneth looked to the center of the battlefield, Drest running.
He was running!
Kenneth rallied his men, urging them on. If he could capture, or preferably kill, the Pictish King the war would be over and he would reunite Scotland.
But it was not to be. Mere moments after Kenneth began this new charge Dumnagual fell, stabbed through his armour by a spear.
The Prince called for his men to defend the Lord of Strathclyde, reverting their focus from advancing the line. Drest used this to get away, but he lost the battle, his army retreating with him.
Kenneth won his first victory.
Dumnagual survived his wound, the spear not touching any major arteries. Within four weeks he was back on his feet, forging an alliance on Kenneth's behalf with Godred MacFergusa, the half Irish, half Norse Chieftain of the Airgíalla tribe in the North of Ireland who agreed to come to Scotland with a host of his warriors in return for Kenneth creating him King of the Scottish Isles once he reunited Scotland.
The Prince accepted, finalizing the alliance by marrying his only sister to Godred.
837 AD
Two years past after Kenneth's first victory, seeing him earn several more against Drest, securing Dalriada for his own.
Terrified the Prince might succeed in killing him, the Pictish monarch asked the Emperor of the Romans to give him a trained assassin.
He obliged, sending his very best.
An Elven woman named Katriel.
Trained since her childhood to kill, Katriel took on the persona of a wandering storyteller from Brittany, a Celtic stronghold in Francia. In point of fact she truly was learned in the Celtic tradition of storytelling, her ancestors having lived among the Celts for centuries, so she pulled off the disguise seamlessly.
A beautiful woman with long blonde hair she usually wore up in a bun or in a ponytail, Katriel's deep green eyes gave away no secrets. Cold and detached she was the perfect candidate for the job, having killed several Frankish nobles in the past.
She had been to the former Kingdom of Scotland once before in 830 when hired by a British Chieftain named Mareudd ap Einion to kill his half brother Madog who was attempting to usurp his power.
That job took a week and the assassination happened close to the border with the English Kingdom of Northumbria. Now Katriel would find herself in the heart of Old Scotland among the very people who gave the old Kingdom its name.
It took some work but she managed to slip into the ranks of the Dalriadan army, becoming a servant to Kenneth himself. Katriel, knowing just how to play men, took her time. In this time the Scots fought several more battles with the Picts and their Frankish allies, most were defeats but the Elven bard saw how confident Kenneth remained, and his kindness towards not only his human subjects but also the Elves made Katriel question her task.
It wasn't often she found human rulers so open to the Elven race. Some, such as the Roman Emperors, tolerated them in their realms, while others banned them completely from entering on pain of death. Kenneth's attitude was rare.
And then she soon found herself falling in love with him, complicating matters even more. The King too took notice of Katriel and, despite his engagement to Rowan, couldn't stop his own feelings from forming until the two formed a relationship.
This of course caused heated arguments between Dumnagual, Rowan, and Kenneth, who forcibly told them he could be with whomever he chose.
Things grew even more tense when, in 838, Katriel gave birth to their son, Aidan. Kenneth immediately acknowledged his paternity of the boy and declared him a Prince, though without the possibility of succeeding him unless he had no fully human offspring (a condition made to appease Dumnagual no doubt).
This period of Kenneth's life did not last long, however. The Picts, furious Katriel did not carry out her contract, let it slip that she was in fact an assassin.
Loghain brought Kenneth the news one day in the fall of 839, demanding he do something about it. Believing it was a mistake the King confronted Katriel about it but the Elf, wishing to come clean, admitted to her past life but assured him she was truly in love and wanted to marry.
Kenneth, heart shattered by the revelation, drew his sword and plunged it into Katriel's chest.
This act, committed at the height of anger, haunted the King for the rest of his life. Not long after Katriel's death Kenneth sent Aidan to Iona where he was to be raised by the monks there, his presence too painful for him to bear.
The guilt and anguish over murdering Katriel propelled Kenneth forward in his desire to defeat the Picts. With Godred MacFergusa and his army of native Irish and Norse-Gael warriors, the King of Dalriada brought defeat after defeat to his enemies, his anger fueling his war machine.
In June of 840 Kenneth and his army marched on Edinburgh, the old capital of Scotland where the last of the Pictish nobility held out against him.
Busting down the city's gates the Scots and their allies rushed in, Kenneth leading the way. Battling his way to the royal palace the King of Scots killed all in his way, Rowan and Loghain following behind.
On the top floor of the palace Drest and Kenneth faced each other one final time. It was a short sword fight, Kenneth bringing the Pictish King to his knees within six minutes, and decapitating him swiftly.
Opening the window Kenneth held Drest's bloodied head out, roaring in victory. Once the remaining Picts surrendered MacAlpin declared himself King of Scotland, honouring Godred MacFergusa and Lord Dumnagual with grants in the Scottish Isles and Scottish border country respectively. He made peace with the Franks and they left his Kingdom.
Kenneth made Loghain Lord of Scone and protector of the Stone of Destiny, the traditional coronation Stone of the Scottish Kings in times past, in reward for his friendship and service to the Kingdom.
He married Rowan, and in 841 she gave birth to two sons, Constantine and Aed.
Tragically Rowan died from childbirth complications, leaving the King to raise his sons alone. In 843 he brought Aidan to Edinburgh and raised him alongside his brothers.
Kenneth's reign was marked by a Gaelic revival, the language and literature flourishing. He made a point to include Pictish, Norse-Gael, and British nobles in his government, wishing to create a unified Scottish idenity, largely succeeding.
The reunifier of Scotland died on February 13th, 858, from a tumor, leaving Constantine the Kingdom and Aidan and Aed large sums of money to see him through life.
All three sons had children of their own, their descendants continuing to shape Scotland's destiny up to our time.