Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 81 Royal Palace
After breaching the city walls, both sides descended into chaotic and brutal street fighting. In these small-scale skirmishes, the taller Vikings held the advantage, and by 2 p.m., most of the city's defenders had either been killed or surrendered, leaving only a few hundred to hide in the palace and hold out.

Half an hour later, Vig arrived on horseback outside the palace and found Hafdan in a rage, shouting, "Bring over everything that can be set on fire! I'm going to burn these ungrateful bastards!"

To distinguish himself, Hafdan wore a white cloak over his chainmail, painted with a charred black oak tree, making him look somewhat like a later Crusader knight.

He ordered his soldiers to pile up firewood outside the palace, pour oil on it, and just as they were about to set it on fire, Ragnar arrived with a large number of guards and stopped them from doing so.

“Stop. Find a prisoner and tell Ethelwoff that I have no intention of killing him or occupying Wessex.”

"What did you say?" Hafdan stood there, stunned, not understanding what his father was doing. Seeing his third brother's dazed look, Ivar impatiently pushed him aside and carried out Ragnar's order.

Soon, the prisoner disappeared behind the door. Faced with numerous puzzled looks, Ragnar sighed and patiently explained his actions:
"We lack sufficient troops to occupy the entirety of Mercia, let alone Wessex in the south. The soldiers are eager to go home and enjoy life. This war should end."

After waiting for half an hour, Esserwof sent an envoy to inquire about the Vikings' conditions.

Ragnar: "Ethelwaugh can continue to rule Wessex, provided he relinquishes the throne and submits to me."

Next, the two sides engaged in a lengthy negotiation, with Esserwolf insisting that religion and customs should not be interfered with.

Ragnar's conditions were that Wessex cede the Oxford region, relinquish control of the Southampton customs, and strictly control the size of the army.

The argument continued until dusk, when Ragnar grappled with the last question: "After Esserwolf voluntarily relinquished his crown, what title should he be given, Earl of Wessex (Jarl)?"

At this point, Goodwin suggested following Frank's example:
“Your Majesty, according to the Frankish feudal system, the existing nobles are roughly equivalent to counts. Above the counts, you may establish a new title.”

He picked up a charred stick and drew a Latin word on the ground—dux.

“Dux originated in the late Roman Empire and means military commander, responsible for frontier defense. Charlemagne was influenced by this and adopted 'duc' as the title of military commander of frontier military districts (Bavarian, Aquitaine), which was higher in status than counts, more independent, and had the power to levy taxes, mint coins, and formulate local regulations, which is exactly what is happening now.”

Ragnar fell into deep thought, and everyone remained silent. In Vig's memory, the so-called "dux" eventually became the origin of the English word "duke."

At sunset, Ragnar presented his final proposal: to bestow the title of Duke of Wessex upon Eslough, cede the northern border including Oxford, prohibit any expansion of the army without permission, and relinquish control of the Southampton customs.

Theowl had rendered great service, and his wife possessed Mercian royal blood. It was easier for the people to accept him as Duke of Mercia. His fiefdom consisted of the western territories of Mercia, plus the ceded Oxford region, bringing the total area to roughly half the original size of Mercia.

Furthermore, King Edmund of East Anglia surrendered voluntarily, but his strength was too weak to be qualified as a duke, so he was demoted to Earl of East Anglia.

Forced by circumstances, Esserwolf led his family out of the palace and knelt in submission to Ragnar.

In contrast, Theowough was in particularly good spirits, readily accepting the appointment and even praising Ragnar as "Charlemagne of Britain," much to Vig's inward dismay.

"King Eric was known as 'Charlemagne of the North,' and now you're calling Ragnar 'Charlemagne of Britain.' Where are all these Charlemagnes in the world?"

After the allegiance ceremony concluded, Ragnar looked at some of his eager subordinates and gave them a gentle smile. "Who wants to go first?"

“Me! Me first,” Ulf shouted before anyone else, “I killed Prince Bergred at the Battle of Tamworth. Liverpool is too barren; I request a change of fiefdom.”

Just as Ragnar was about to agree, he suddenly recalled something that happened four years ago.

After capturing York, seven nobles joined forces to reject Bjorn and others' request for a knighthood. Bjorn left in anger, preferring to live a life in Iceland rather than settle down in Britain.

"This is my son whom I raised with great difficulty, and now he doesn't even want to come back to his own home."

Unbeknownst to him, his gaze gradually turned cold. He gave Ulf a new territory—Kent, located in the southeastern corner of Britain. If the Franks launched a large-scale invasion, this fellow would be responsible for delaying them.

After dismissing Ulf, Ragnar appointed three of his trusted confidants.

Nils won Nottingham, Gunnar won Cambridge, and Om won Sussex (located in south London).

In addition, to show respect for the Anglo-Saxons, he specially promoted Goodwin, bestowing upon him the title of Earl of Suffolk, with his domain located in northeast London.

As for London, and Tamworth-Ripton, the most prosperous area in Mercia, they were under the direct control of the Crown.

After bestowing titles upon nobles such as dukes and earls, Ragnar did not stop there. Over the next two days, he successively knighted more than three hundred meritorious soldiers, one-third in York, one-third in Tamworth, and one-third in Rendynewme.

Driven by the instincts of a ruler, Ragnar felt that his own knights were far more reliable than the Anglo-Saxons. Encircling the three core regions with numerous knightly estates would serve as a deterrent to any dissenting voices.

After the investiture was completed, the Viking army began a multi-day celebration, with the high-ranking officials attending a banquet at Winchester Palace.

During the banquet, Hafdan and his entourage were stunned by the luxurious decorations of the palace. Faced with the slight contempt shown by Esserwolf, he couldn't help but sneer, "You are indeed rich, but so what? In the end, you still lost to us."

Esserwolf remained unperturbed, responding calmly, "Actually, this is nothing. The truly wealthy are West Francia, rich in resources and with immense wealth, exceeding the combined wealth of the seven Anglo-Saxon states. If you—no, if we—attack West Francia, the gains will only be greater."

Now, everyone was completely drunk and clamoring to attack West Frankish. They had been caught off guard by the Frankish knights at the Battle of Latworth and were eager to avenge their defeat.

As the alcohol took effect, Ragnar's head became slightly fuzzy, and he decided to ask Vig for his opinion.

"Vigg, ​​Vigg?"

It took Ragnar a while to realize that the guy was handling business at the camp outside the city and had no time to attend the banquet.

Looking around, the nobles seemed dazed and confused. Unable to find anyone suitable to consult, he pondered alone:

"The Franks have sent reinforcements, and they might attack us one day. Rather than letting them attack us, I'd rather lead my troops there first."

If the army assembled next year is less than three thousand men, we'll just engage in minor skirmishes along the coast, retaliating against Charles the Bald for sending reinforcements. But if we amass a large army, we'll lead our fleet into the Seine estuary, sailing upstream straight for Paris!

(End of this chapter)