‘The Last Kingdom’: How Did Uhtred Meet Iseult?
In The Last Kingdom, the main character, Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon) has a number of lovers during his lifetime. One of those is Iseult (Charlie Murphy), and she meets Uhtred while he’s still married to Mildrith (Amy Wren), his wife from an arranged marriage. How did the two meet? We have all the details about the moment in season 1, episode 6.
Uhtred’s marriage to Mildrith is politically arranged in ‘The Last Kingdom’
King Alfred of Wessex (David Dawson) arranges the marriage between Uhtred and Mildrith because it will tie Uhtred to Wessex as Mildrith has a farmstead. She owes the church a significant sum through her father’s promise to give a portion of the land’s profits. It’s a way for Alfred to control Uhtred and also test his loyalty. Uhtred isn’t happy about the arrangement when he learns about it despite him being taken with his wife.
Uhtred and Mildrith eventually come to love each other, and they have a son together. But their differences drive them apart, especially when it comes to religion.
How did Uhtred meet Iseult?
Uhtred decides to dress up as a Dane along with other men including his friend Leofric (Adrian Bower) in order to get silver, which Uhtred knows he’ll need if he wants to have an army and get Bebbanburg, his ancestral home, back. They make their way to Cornwalum, a territory ruled by the Britons.
Uhtred eventually comes upon King Peredur’s (Paul Ritter) warriors and Brother Asser (Nicholas Rowe), who informs Uhtred that Peredur, a king of the Britons in Cornwalum, wants to pay them to fight for him, as another Briton has usurped a nearby fort of his. Uhtred is given arm cuffs as a gift, and they seek out the king.
Uhtred and the others meet Peredur, who has two queens. One is a shadow queen with powers named Iseult, a woman Uhtred is instantly taken by. Peredur wants her to read Uhtred, which she does.
“Who are you? And what will you do for the king?” Iseult asks Uhtred after walking toward him and standing in front of him.
“I’m Uhtred Ragnarson,” Uhtred replies. “I’m here to fight for your king, if he pays me what I’m worth.”
She studies him by staring deeply into his face, even touching it. She tells the king, “He is the one,” to which Peredur takes as a good sign.
After Iseult gives her blessing, the Britons, along with Uhtred and his warriors, plan to fight the usurpers, which happen to be Danes led by a Viking named Skorpa (Jonas Malmsjö). But Uhtred and Skorpa come to an arrangement, and they work together to attack the Britons, and Peredur is killed.
Uhtred returns for the silver and Iseult
Uhtred returns to get the silver and Iseult, who is also a sorceress. Uhtred asks her if she’s been waiting for them, and she says, “For you.”
“Then you saw what would happen?” He asks her.
“I knew that you would come,” she replies. “That is all,” as she smiles.
Although Skorpa threatens her, she’s unharmed when he takes the treasure and leaves. Isuelt shows them where to find more silver and treasure, which has been hidden.
From then on, Iseult is constantly by Uhtred’s side as his lover. He chooses her over his wife when he brings Iseult home, opting to stay in the barn with her.
Later, Iseult saves King Alfred’s son from death with her sorcery. But the happiness doesn’t last, and Skorpa kills Iseult during a battle with the Saxons, beheading her and bringing her head to show Uhtred during the battle at Edington (Ethandun). However, Uhtred kills him with a spear (provided by Father Beocca (Ian Hart)) for what he does after charging through the Viking shield wall and attacking others. It’s a sad and shocking turn of events for the two lovers in The Last Kingdom.
