The fanfic trope requested was: 'unresolved sexual tension'.

Warnings: sexual tension, mentions if sex

As Aethelred's wife you were supposed to be in love with him.

Or at least you were expected to do your job as a married woman, which didn't make you happy at all.

Aethelred was kind, but disinterested, and he could probably say the same thing about you.

You had come to the palace as a daughter of a not so influential ealdorman, but curtesy to Queen mother Judith you stayed, married to the King's older brother.

It was ridiculous, you were able to coexist perfectly, but you were not the least bit interested in each other.

Nevertheless Judith had done the very best to marry you two quickly, without much ado about it, at your wedding night there weren't even clerks to witness your union.

It had been for the better, because even though Aethelred tried his best he couldn't go through with it.

You didn't hate your husband, but some people thought indifference was worse than hate.

You weren't at all indifferent about his brother though.

You had only once seen him and his wife at a banquet before the wedding, but you hadn't been able to take your eyes off of him.

You were enthralled with him, Alfred looked so gentle yet regal, a combination that was uniquely reserved for him, it seemed.

The only men you knew were brainless brutes, or educated egoists, but you had never seen someone like the King before.

You had never once interacted with him but you knew he was special by the way he behaved, the way he interacted with people or looked around the room, or looked at you.

Your husband was one of the first group, though it pained you to say, he was kind and caring but he certainly wasn't the brightest, skilled with a sword, but you were sure he meant well.

In contrast to him his brother radiated a level of knowledge and intelligence you had never witnessed before, and it drew you to him.

Not to mention that he looked beautiful as well, with his dark hair and pale skin, his face framed by his dark locks almost giving him an angelic air.

He seemed to be just as interested in you as you were in him, because even though he interacted with other people that evening he didn't often take his eyes off of you.

It was so obvious that his wife Elsewith, and especially his mother Judith made the right assumptions, sparking anger and jealousy in one mind, and the need to act on his interest in the other.

Judith knew how rare it was for Alfred to be interested in anything but God and his country, and so she hatched a plan to keep you in close reach for her younger son.

It was almost ridiculous that it involved having the girl marry her other son, but it was the means to achieve her goal.

For one she wanted her son to be happy, physically pleased even though he had the pains in his stomach, but she also hoped for a grandchild that would not be regarded as a bastard because of your marriage to the father's brother.

It was a foolproof plan, if, or rather when, Alfred gave into his need.

Once your father had excitedly told you that Queen Judith had asked you to marry her firstborn you had immediately known that it certainly wasn't a good idea.

You were forced to agree though because your father was keen on the influence he'd gain, but you knew that it brought drama you didn't want.

The next time you saw the King you were sitting at the royal table next to his brother, because Alfred hadn't been present at your wedding ceremony.

It had been relieving to see that he hadn't been there, or you would have looked far too often in his direction to be able to justify it.

You felt his eyes on you until he finally made the connection that you had to be the woman his brother had married, and the realization sent heat into his cheeks at knowing that he was interested in his brother's wife.

Quite like Aethelred he wasn't much interested in his own wife, but Elsewith certainly was in him.

She had already tried much to appeal to him more, but once she saw the way her husband was looking at you she knew that her efforts had been entirely in vain.

You had had the attention of a couple of men already, quite like you had captured the attention of the King, but in contrast to those men's attention that had scared and disgusted you Alfred's only made you flustered and aroused.

It was something Aethelred noticed too quickly, and it didn't take too long for him to realize that it had been the sole reason why Judith had initiated the marriage.

When he confronted you about it you couldn't deny it.

"You're attracted to my brother", he said disheartened, and you averted your eyes from your husband.

"You can't even look at him without shivering of need", he had growled angrily, and you had only closed your eyes in shame.

It was true, whenever you were in public in the King's presence your eyes were drawn to him as if it was a matter of life or death, and it was quite similar for him.

You had never talked to Alfred in private except for occasional awkward small talk in the presence of your spouses.

When you were one day on your way to dine in private with your husband and his family, including the King, you stopped in front of the door when you heard a conversation between the Queen mother and her sons take place.

"I did it for you", you heard the woman's voice, her voice so soft she had to be talking to her youngest.

"I know how much burden you have to carry and in how much pain you are, you need to be able to relieve some of it sometimes!", she explained, and you could hear your husband snort angrily.

"Your brother is the King, he needs to be satisfied to be able to do his work properly", she said as you heard the clicking of heels as the woman undoubtedly turned around to look at Aethelred.

"Yes, but this is my wife we are talking about", he spat angrily, almost a shout that silenced Judith immediately.

It took a while until she found her voice again, but when she did it was firm and strong.

"What's done is done. Your brother is attracted to your wife, and it is perfectly acceptable", she said delicately, and you gulped standing behind the doors.

"He will have her if he wants, you are in no position to stop him", she added and you could feel your heart speed up at that revelation.

"I don't want to impose myself on her", you heard the King's delicate voice and Judith's chuckle.

"I have seen the way she looks at you. There is no way she doesn't reciprocate your feelings", she explained calmly, and you could imagine her caressing his cheek while saying so, or at least taking one of hands in between her own to squeeze it comfortingly.

You chose this moment to enter, and you saw the way Alfred's eyes shot towards you, making you once again feel weak in the knees.

You didn't even once glance at your husband who closed his eyes in anger and despair.

Your eyes were set on Alfred's, and for the first time since he first laid eyes on you he sent you a winning smile.

He knew he had you, and you finally knew it would be alright to have him.