Hi, I'm new to the Vikings and love the show. I watched the first two seasons and have just caught up to season 3.
Now then I have a theory, which may contain spoilers or is just a bunch of twaddle, you chose.
I see a lot hope Athelston won't be killed and continue on, so do I. Here is the reason I don't think it will end in tears any time soon for Athelston.
Im not an historian but looking at the way the show is panning out set these questions for me.
The real Athelston apparently was the king of Wessex, the keeper of relics etc and some talk of his mother being the conqubine of his father, (funny enough the word conqubine has just ben mentioned in an episode of vikings) it also noted that around Athelstons reign the scriptures were better wrote out than before or after his reign, looks he was well schooled.
So how does it fit with Athelston the monk in Vikings? Pretty good actually. just looking above he has most of these attributes. Yes he is a monk, not a king but could he have not been brought up in Lindesfarne due to his fathers extra marital affairs and conqubine mother? Why did the king prefer Athelston to his sons as the keeper of relics? BTW a kings crown taken from the mercian king in an episode is similar to the one the real Athelston wore while at Chester-le-st, some five miles from my home :)
So my spoiler is getting there.. So don't read further if you have a lucid mind..
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What I propose is that the reason the makers have not made Athelston as a Wessex prince is that he would not have the bond with Ragnar or the viewers, now we have a close bond with the character, so any deviation will throw things up in the air.
The reason I think this bond is being made is simply at some point in the series Athelston will become King of England and he and Ragnar will eventually go head to head at the Battle of Brunanburh.
Of course, it could be a load of rubbish I'm thinking.