novelraw Chapter 211: Taking Sides
Chapter 211: Taking Sides
Having merged with the forces of Leonard, Theowulf, and the others, Ivar amassed a total of eight thousand soldiers, marching along the muddy roads toward Tamworth.
Meanwhile, Gunnar's army had already crossed the River Thames. He ordered his infantry to construct siege engines outside the city, while two thousand cavalrymen scoured the surrounding areas, forcing minor nobles like Barons and Knights to surrender and hoarding their grain and livestock.
As Ivar's army drew closer, the Frankish army's high command grew hesitant. With Hastings and Rotherburg tying down a thousand soldiers, their available combat personnel numbered less than six thousand.
On the opposing side, the city held two thousand defenders, and Ivar's forces reportedly boasted eight thousand men. The enemy's numbers vastly exceeded those of the attackers, leading to a recent plummet in Frankish morale and a daily increase in deserters.
To reverse this dire situation, Gunnar continued his efforts to persuade the defenders to surrender while simultaneously pleading for domestic reinforcements.
Because he had deployed troops without authorization, "Charles the Bald" was furious and refused to provide any support. The other great nobles were equally unwilling to help without compensation. Fortunately, the monasteries in Reims, Lyon, and other regions supported this war against evil. They called upon their congregations to donate wealth, which Gunnar used to assemble an army, acquiring fifteen hundred devout militiamen.
Everything came at a price. The newly recruited soldiers despised the Vikings for their Paganism and ruthlessly pillaged their villages, causing Gunnar's relationship with the Viking populace to plummet to a freezing point.
Gunnar had alienated his own kin, and the remaining Anglo-Saxons found no favor with him either. Even though he had converted to Roman Catholicism, he was ultimately of pirate origins and deemed unworthy to rule Londinium.
Left with no other choice, Gunnar dispatched his army chaplains to persuade Wessex and East Anglia, in the name of their shared faith, to join his faction and fight against Ivar's pagan army.
Winchester, the palace.After listening to the chaplain's proposal, Ethelbald wore an expression of sheer astonishment. "He is just a Viking Barbarian. How does he have the audacity to call us to war?"
Back then, Gunnar had followed Ragnar to breach Winchester, and Wessex had subsequently been reduced to a mere territory of the Kingdom of Britain. Whenever Ethelbald recalled this, he wished he could slaughter every single participant to vent over a decade of pent-up resentment.
Ethelbald took several deep breaths. Kept in check by reason, he did not make things difficult for the chaplain, simply claiming that he was a man of peace and had no desire to be dragged into this conflict.
"On my way here, I saw militiamen from all over rushing to Winchester. Your Grace, you should not lie to a man of the cloth."
Ethelbald took a small sip of his wine. "It is merely for self-preservation, not aimed at any particular faction."
For a long time, Wessex had been universally acknowledged as the wealthiest region in Britain. After absorbing the agricultural techniques of the Northern Marches, their grain production had soared. Recognizing a rare opportunity, he had amassed four thousand soldiers, including four hundred cavalrymen and a thousand heavy infantrymen, waiting for the perfect moment to extract benefits from this war.
Just as Gunnar's envoy departed, Ivar's envoy arrived.
"Your Grace, His Majesty commands you to lead your forces and join him."
Ethelbald refused as usual. "The harvests in our territory are poor, and the commoners are unwilling to fight."
Seeing this, the envoy offered a condition: if Wessex joined the battle, they would be granted Cornwall in the west once the conflict concluded.
"Is that all?" Ethelbald leaned forward slightly in his seat. "I also want Oxfordshire and Sussex in the east."
The envoy shook his head. Handing over Cornwall was already Ivar's bottom line; he had no reason to strip Theowulf and Om of their territories just to satisfy Wessex.
However, in Ethelbald's eyes, Oxfordshire rightfully belonged to him anyway. Their refusal to return his territory at a time like this proved their utter lack of sincerity.
"Is that so? Then please leave."
Two days passed, and Gunnar sent another envoy, this time offering exceptionally generous terms:
If they joined the battle, Wessex would receive Theowulf's territory, which comprised nearly half of Mercia, along with Wales and the westernmost region of Cornwall. Furthermore, their status as a Kingdom would be restored, allowing the two nations to coexist as equals after the war.
"Not bad. Now this is more like it."
Ethelbald signaled a maid to pour wine for the guest while his mind raced. In this British War of Succession, there were five factions worth watching.
Ivar commanded a massive host and held the highest legitimacy among the Vikings.
Gunnar lacked legitimacy, but he possessed two thousand cavalrymen and two thousand heavy infantrymen, making his forces the most formidable in combat.
Wessex's military strength was slightly weaker, but their advantage lay in the fact that their rulers shared the same culture and religion as the Anglo-Saxon commoners, granting them high legitimacy in the eyes of the people.
Aslaug, acting as the Queen Mother and Regent, was the nominal ruler of the kingdom. However, her true power was meager, and her army eagerly awaited Ivar's arrival, utterly devoid of any hope of turning the tide.
As for Wigg, Ethelbald could not fathom why the man chose to cower in the Northern Marches. Rumors claimed he had rejected Ivar's demands, which was nothing short of sheer idiocy.
'We will deal with you after we crush Ivar.'
Horses were scarce in the Northern Marches; they could muster five hundred cavalrymen at best, completely incapable of handling the massive numbers of Frankish cavalry. Even if Wigg deployed his pike phalanx, they could simply send in their heavy infantry to hack them down. Between Ethelbald and Gunnar, they had a combined force of three thousand heavy infantrymen. There was no way they would lose in a ground battle.
After weighing his options carefully, Ethelbald accepted Gunnar's proposal and agreed to form an alliance.
That night, he visited the treasury alone. From a locked bronze chest, he retrieved an ancient-looking golden crown. The crown his father once wore had been plundered, ending up as one of Ragnar's many collector's items.
Caressing the cold gold, a profound sense of relief washed over him. "After bowing and scraping before the Vikings for over a decade, the day of liberation has finally come."
The next day, inside the Winchester cathedral.
Sunlight pierced through the towering stained glass windows, cascading vibrant hues over the gathered crowd. As the ethereal and holy voices of the choir echoed through the halls, Ethelbald knelt on both knees. The bishop, draped in white robes, raised the crown and solemnly intoned:
"Do you renounce evil?"
Suppressing his overwhelming excitement, Ethelbald replied, "I do."
A moment later, he felt a slight weight settle upon his head. The instant he stood tall once more, everyone in the cathedral cried out in unison:
"God bless Wessex!"
"God bless Ethelbald!"
Once the ceremony concluded, the newly crowned King led his four thousand soldiers north from Winchester. They garrisoned Reading on the south bank of the River Thames, bringing their march to a definitive halt.
Despite Gunnar's repeated urging, Ethelbald refused to budge. Knowing his forces were relatively weak, he understood that crossing to the north bank would likely make him the primary target of Ivar's fury. It was far safer to hunker down within his own borders and watch how the situation unfolded, waiting to confirm Ivar's movements before taking any further action.
Oxfordshire.
Ivar convened a meeting with his high command. The majority of the nobles strongly opposed advancing any further, fearing a brutal pincer attack from Gunnar and Wessex.
Leonard offered his counsel. "The recent endless rain has left the Franks riddled with casualties and sickness. If we just wait a little longer, they will only grow weaker. The defenses of Londinium are formidable, and according to our scouts' reports, Gunnar's siege engines are nowhere near completion. They can be stalled for at least another month."