Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 86 Snake Eyes
In October, Vig took some time to visit Yorktown.

Because the nobles are accompanying the royal family on campaigns abroad this year, they are not required to pay tribute; they only need to make a show of visiting the palace.

At the banquet, Queen Sora sat to Ragnar's right, remaining silent throughout as she sipped her red wine. To Ragnar's left sat Asraci, full of energy, who, despite being pregnant, chatted amiably with the nobles.

Ivar ignored the occasional cold glances Queen Sora cast at him and chatted quietly with Vig, "Someone has suggested that the royal family move the capital to Londinium. What do you think?"

"Let me think. Was this suggestion put forward by civil officials like Pascal and Goodwin?" Vig glanced at the Anglo-Saxon civil officials on the other side of the long table, and after half a minute of deliberation, gave three reasons for moving the capital:

I. During the Roman period, Lentinium was an administrative, military, and trade center. The Romans built extensive infrastructure and a road network connecting York, Chester, Winchester, and other cities, which are still in use centuries later.

Second, the Thames River has a wide surface area, connecting the interior of England (Oxford) via inland waterway shipping, and can also trade with continental Europe via the North Sea, exporting wool to Flanders to make a profit.

Third, the royal relocation to southern Britain helped maintain control over the newly conquered territories and deterred the three feudal lords of Wessex, Mercia, and East Anglia.

Finally, Wieger concluded, "Of York, Tamworth, and Londenium, Londenium is the most suitable as the capital."

“That’s pretty much what Goodwin and the others said.” Ivar’s eyebrows furrowed. “If Father moves the capital to Rendinium, it will be closer to West Frankish. To ensure safety, given his nature, he will definitely choose to strike first and give ‘Bald’ Charlie a good beating, so that the other side will not dare to have the idea of ​​launching an attack.”

At this point, Ivar became agitated. "This year we're attacking Wessex, next year we'll attack West Francia. I have absolutely no time to deal with the affairs of Dufilyn. Odin, when will this ever end?"

"Me too, I'm plagued by bandits in the northwest and raiders in the coastal areas. I hope the raids will end soon next year and not drag into a protracted war."

Besides Vig and Ivar, Niels, Om, and Gunnar were recently knighted and are busy with their own affairs, and they also dislike sending troops to West Francia.

In contrast, nobles like Leonard had little to do and spent their days idly in their territories, so they supported sending troops to make some extra money.

Thus, a bizarre situation arose on the scene.

Ivar, Vig and other confidants resisted the king's request to send troops, while nobles like Leonard, who were usually viewed with suspicion, supported sending troops. Anglo civil officials such as Pascal and Goodwin did not need to personally go to war and adopted a relatively neutral attitude.

Regardless, faced with Ragnar's unparalleled prestige and authority, the nobles were powerless to refute him and could only accept it.

Upon returning to Tyneburg, Vig instructed his treasurer, Michamp, to find several reliable merchants and, while they were trading in Edinburgh, to gather intelligence on the local situation, paying particular attention to news of an alliance between the Picts and the Gaels.

"My lord, you need not worry too much. The Northern Territory has never been unified. The relationships between the various noble families are complex and there are blood feuds that are difficult to resolve. Only when the new generation grows up and gradually forgets the hatred of the past can the alliance be truly realized."

“That makes some sense, but I never pin my hopes on the enemy’s stupidity. Go and bribe the merchants now; money is no problem.”

With Mitcham gone, Vig focused his energy on next year's war.

Given the West Frankish cavalry advantage, he recruited eight hundred Viking immigrants at once: two hundred shield-axemen, two hundred crossbowmen, and the remaining four hundred spearmen.

The spearmen were equipped with round shields and spears, and carried an iron axe, a standard Viking weapon, at their waists.

The spear was designed to be 2.5 meters long, intended for close-quarters thrusting or defense against cavalry charges. Vig considered increasing the length, but this proved impractical for one-handed grip, so the idea was abandoned.

In the following months, in addition to focusing on the soldiers' combat skills, he also focused on training phalanxes to defend against cavalry charges. In February 848, before the snow had completely melted, a weary court guard arrived in Tyne, saying, "My lord, Pascal is ill, and His Majesty requests that you go to Lundinium to prepare for the expedition."

Beside the warm, cozy fireplace, Vig handed the child to Helijif. "Building ships or producing armaments?"

"Both."

"Okay, you go and rest first. I'll set off tomorrow."

The next day, Vig bid farewell to his wife and children and led more than 800 men on their journey. Upon reaching the south bank by boat, he took one last look at the scenery across the river. The dock was crowded with all sorts of people, and the construction of Tyneburg, located on a low hill, was progressing smoothly. He estimated that he would be able to move into his new home after returning from this battle.

Four days later, the caravan passed through York, and Vig entered the city to pay homage to the king.

Suddenly, his vision went dark.

"what happened?"

Vig instinctively jumped off the saddle, rubbing his eyes. The view before him was still a hazy gray. He looked up, and the entire sky looked like parchment splattered with ink; the sun seemed to be obscured by something.

eclipse?

In an instant, the market was thrown into chaos. Crowds jostled, gray horses neighed uneasily, and the hounds tied to the tavern doors circled wildly. A shaman climbed onto a rooftop and shouted Odin's name to the sky, begging Him to intervene and drive away the monster that was devouring the sun.

This extraordinary phenomenon lasted for three minutes, after which light returned to the world. Vig turned and glanced at the pale-faced shield guards, signaling them to follow him.

Upon entering the palace gates, Vig sensed the tense atmosphere and inquired with the guards, learning that Queen Aslaci was about to give birth.

"My lord, His Majesty is not in the mood to handle state affairs. Please wait here."

"clear."

Vig stood quietly in the hall, waiting for an unknown amount of time, when he heard two faint cries.

Amidst the whispers of the maids, the Queen gave birth to a boy and a girl, whom Ragnar named Sigurd and Enya respectively. The baby boy had rare dark green eyes, resembling the pupils of a snake.

Soon, the name "Snake Eyes" spread throughout the palace. Coupled with the strange celestial phenomena that occurred before his birth, many Vikings subconsciously associated him with the legendary serpent Jormungandr.

Even now, Vig remained expressionless, as if nothing had happened. It wasn't until evening that Ragnar finally remembered to summon him.

"We've had another son. How do you think I should celebrate?"

Vig offered a conventional suggestion: "Hold a celebration and let the whole city rejoice together."

“You’re right, we should celebrate.” Ragnar was excited, his speech a little disorganized. He patiently talked with Vig for two minutes before quickly walking back to the babies’ room.

(End of this chapter)