Facing the new rising sun, those gray corpses lay scattered. The Vikings had cleared the battlefield and plundered everything they considered valuable.
Poverty inspired the Balmok Vikings to have a strong desire to plunder. Now the brothers are boarding the ship one after another, aiming for Bamburgh in the south.
A longship carried Rurik to the Aphlorora, which was anchored and floating on the sea.
Many sets of rope ladders were thrown down from the big ship, and the group of people began to climb.
A rope was thrown down, and Rurik's elite mercenaries skillfully tied the captured king. Eynred was like a fat sheep, being transported by the people on the ship and transported here. On a huge ship.
Although he was humiliated, Eynred was really shocked when he was actually sitting on a huge ship.
Think about your own kingdom. This huge country is obviously located on an island, but it doesn’t even have a decent ship.
Even when I went to Frankfurt or even to the Holy See for pilgrimage when I was young, I would take a sampan and stop at the nearest European coast, and then walk the entire journey overland.
He saw that the Vikings had many ships, but the one he was building relied entirely on sails for navigation. This hill-like ship did not have a pair of oars!
Eynred is the king of a kingdom after all, and Rurik does not really want to take his life, of course, provided that this person will cooperate with his decision.
The king was tied to the main mast, so that this person could see the structure of the ship clearly and feel the charm of the Aurora.
The sailor let out a long roar, and the rope binding the sail was pulled down violently. The ship instantly raised the sail. Eynred was so shocked that he had goosebumps all over his body, and the wound on his left arm was also caused by emotion. The tension immediately oozed blood.
He endured the pain and raised his head. He was like a slave after losing his crown. He looked up at the Vikings, no, the huge sails of the Russians. The huge blue interlaced stripes on the sails actually made him look like a slave. While frightened, he quickly developed some feelings of intimacy.
"That barbarian boy named Rurik actually regards the Gospel as a treasure? Can these diagonally intertwined blue patterns be turned into a blue cross? Could they have read the Gospel? Can you stop the plundering of our country by becoming the Lamb of the Lord?”
The beautiful fantasy was shattered instantly, and Eynred did not dare to continue thinking about it.
My current situation is no different from that of a slave. I still remain absolutely silent and endure until I am released. As for the counterattack, I need to consider it in the long term.
He also did not want to think about the barbaric Vikings converting to their ridiculous gods and accepting the call of the Lord.
Those Picts in the north, with indigo tattoos all over their bodies, dared to call themselves lambs.
The kings of Mercia, Kent, and Wessex in the south are all willing to go to Rome for pilgrimage and spend money to "buy" a papal reward, but they have no means for kingdoms that share their faith. No mercy than these savages.
The Viking fleet resumed sailing, losing many brothers and gaining a large amount of loot.
The expedition is now reallyIs it worth it?
Of course it’s worth it!
Due to the extremely backward productivity of the vast number of young men in Balmok, even if the Narvik Fjord is large enough, they cannot support a tribe of 20,000 people.
People all believe in fate. When a soldier dies on the battlefield, people's regret may only last for two or three days before they pack up their weapons and rush to another battlefield.
The Balmoks and Shetlanders still maintained their fighting spirit, thinking that they would run to Bamburgh to get the king's ransom, and every brother would make a fortune!
Even as they paddled, they were already discussing heatedly how many silver coins they could get and whether they could take away a pure woman to be their wife.
They have not evolved to a situation where the leader of the family who leads the army can take all the spoils. The leader of the family naturally has great achievements. They have the right to eat the fattest meat, and the remaining meat is The brothers were wiped out. There is no situation where who eats meat and who can only drink soup.
From Lindisfarne Abbey to the coastal bay where Bamburgh is located, you can take a forest road and a strong traveler who prepares his luggage can complete this journey in as little as one day.
Due to the twists and turns in the forest road, the land distance between the two places is actually close to 40 kilometers.
The British Isles in this time and space are still sparsely populated, and the situation in Northumbria, which has been ravaged by civil strife, is even worse. During this journey, the lone traveler must carry weapons to guard against wolf attacks. However, in the current situation, the Timberwolves can only stay on guard and avoid.
The defeated Northumbrian army, whether they were regular kingdom warriors or armed farmers, most of the escapees lost their weapons and had to find suitable sticks in the woods, the most crutches ever. , used as a short spear for self-defense.
They still have some fighting ability, but they were frightened by the death of the king, the murder of the priests, and the destruction of the holy place.
They went straight to Bamburgh like crazy and lost too much physical strength. When the first group of people arrived under the wooden city wall of Bamburgh, there was still a group of people struggling to move in the forest.
It was not until after this death that the dormant forest wolf launched an attack on lone soldiers and farmers at night.
What does the escape suffering of this group of people have to do with the Vikings?
Their escape did have an advantage. When the rout appeared, the people of Bamberg who were waiting for the news just felt that the sky was falling and the earth was falling.
The cavalry warrior named John escorted the king's golden crown helmet. The cavalry gathered together and swore not to let anyone else tarnish the king's golden crown again.
They are His Majesty’s noble cavalry! They are right below the city!
The few defenders of Bamburgh immediately lowered the drawbridge and the cavalry rode in.
John and others had just entered the city, and people waiting for news immediately gathered around them.
"You all get out of the way! I'm looking for the queen! Where is the queen? Where is Prince Ella?" John held up the king's golden crown helmet. People looked at this noble thing, and there was an unknown feeling in an instant. premonition.
This is something unspeakable. No one shouts loudly that he is defeated.
After a moment, the crowd moved out of the way, and Queen Anna, who felt something was wrong, took her ignorant young son, escorted by several maids, and tremblingly approached the proud cavalry under her husband's command.
Seeing Her Majesty the Queen, a group of cavalrymen knelt down on one knee one after another.
Only John walked forward with a sullen face and the golden crown helmet in his arms.
"What happened to the king? You have battle marks on your body!"
"Is it true that the king..."
John knew he was risking disrespect. However, he did not die in battle with his brothers and did not rescue the king. He even hoped that he would be sentenced to death afterwards.
He refused to answer the queen's words, rather rudely took off Ella's velvet hat, and placed the heavy golden crown helmet representing the king's military power on the head of the little prince Ella.
At this point, he suddenly knelt down on one knee. Although he still did not answer the queen's question, in this tragic scene, even if Queen Anna was a simple woman, she could tell that the king had died in the battle.
The king's death was confirmed at the Earl of Bamburgh's mansion. Although the king's body was not obtained and the queen was very suspicious of it, her son had already worn his father's golden crown!
As a king's woman, she is destined not to have the sadness that an ordinary peasant woman should have. As the top noble of the kingdom, Queen Anna instantly understood her responsibilities.
His son Ella is the official heir to the throne of Northumbria!
Even if Eynred has multiple sons, another Elbert family has the right to compete for the throne of the Kingdom of Northumbria (after all, it is the merger of two small kingdoms). Now this is all a thing of the past, and the new king is Ella!
She was not happy that her son was the king, and the serious situation was driving her mind crazy. However, the ignorant Ella was still asking her mother where her father had gone?
There was no need for anyone to spread the news. Behind the cavalry who escaped, a group of frustrated infantrymen began to enter the city. These infantrymen with good physical fitness managed to escape overnight and reach Bamburgh in extreme panic. It can be regarded as a miracle that they were forced out by intimidation.
Anything the residents had suspected was now true, and the situation was decidedly more terrifying.
The monastery was burned down! The holy place has been desecrated! The news from Edinburgh is also confirmed, the town was burned down!
The kingdom’s army was defeated miserably by the powerful barbarians!
Those are barbarians more terrifying than the Picts. They have iron heads and extremely hard shields. Their arrows can easily knock off people’s heads, even the invincible kingdom. The cavalry were defeated miserably.
Those wolves that are hungry must be heading towards Bamburgh!
But the king, the Earl of Bamburgh, the cavalry captain and all the elite warriors, the Bishop of Bamburgh who mastered the sacred weapon, and a large number of young priests. They all died on that battlefield!
Bamburgh actually entered a state of leaderlessness, and Bamburgh also fell into inevitable chaos.
At night, the hungry soldiers forced open the warehouse, took away the wheat and began to feast on it.
Taking advantage of the chaos, a group of farmers who fished in troubled waters also began to plunder wheat.
How could the chaotic scene be ended by a few guard soldiers and the few remaining priests of Bamburgh Abbey.
Finally, the kingdom’s cavalry takes action again!
The man's name was John Stockwood, and his crime of saving the king was immediately pardoned by Queen Anna.
The kingdom is facing a major crisis, and it is at a time when the country is in doubt. The so-called power without military defense is completely empty talk on this chaotic island.
The ignorant Ella was finally frightened by the chaos and burst into tears. The weight of the golden crown made him uncomfortable, but his mother ordered him to wear it.
The queen urgently appointed John Stockwood as the temporary cavalry captain, leading the warriors who still firmly defended the king's power to suppress those who caused chaos! Especially for those who took advantage of the chaos to destroy and plunder, and who were no different from barbarians, they would be killed as soon as they were discovered, just like the practice of sneaking into the city.
Perhaps, being loyal to the new king and serving the queen who is already the queen mother is the greatest loyalty to the dead king.
Thirty cavalry led more than a hundred infantry warriors wearing chainmails to appear. They went straight to the granary and rushed directly towards the people who were still looting food.
The horses knocked away the food robbers, and the swords began to kill.
The infantry behind the cavalry still refused to give up. Even though the panicked "grain-grabbing army" was already fleeing, the pursuit continued for a while.
A bloody suppression was quickly completed, and young John felt that he was better than his predecessor Aston. He even thanked Aston for dying in the war and giving him a chance to make a fortune.
The success came too suddenly. He arrived at Bamburgh clearly feeling depressed and self-blaming. It had only been half a day. The flames in the night illuminated his face. John stood in front of a large number of people. Among the corpses, the blood-stained face was filled with desire for power.
In this bloody scene, a loyal and patriotic man deliberately took over the supreme power himself.
"Perhaps, I can still become the palace minister. Queen Anna is young and widowed, and Ella is a little kid. Can I possess her with military power and merit? I took it from Eynred personally. If you pass that golden helmet, it can be worn on your head! I can be the king. After I take control of the cavalry, any nobleman who dares to disobey me will be trampled to death by my iron hoof."
A cavalry soldier shouldn't have such unreasonable thoughts, but as a cavalry captain, why can't I?
In the past time, Northumbria has had countless great kings, and the royal power has changed hands in the hands of countless families.
Isn’t the prerequisite for being a king the military power? Now, there are family members of the late king in Bamburgh City, and he is the captain of the cavalry. This position is in Northam.Bria is equivalent to the second holder of military power after the king.
John's idea is by no means delusional. He does have a chance to become a king.
He immediately gathered his brothers whose swords dripped blood and told everyone about his interests: "Brothers! King Eynred led us to failure. He brought shame to the kingdom! He is a tyrant! We are even less able to defeat the barbarians. Now you follow me and elect me to be the palace minister. Now the barbarian army is about to attack. We stabilize the people and arm ourselves. With this city, we defeat the enemy. Prime Minister, after defeating the enemy, the lowest level soldier can become an infantry squad leader! You can all become nobles and be served by servants. Please support me."
Some people were skeptical at first, but as some shouted and shouted their support, all the soldiers cheered.
After all, it is impossible for King Eynred to give a person destined to be a soldier a chance to prosper. As the saying goes, everyone has his own destiny, and a lowly person will still be a lowly person if he becomes a warrior of the kingdom.
Everyone has just experienced a narrow escape, is there anything to be afraid of?
John Stockwood, the son of a small local lord, was actually the lowest noble in the kingdom. For such a warrior who thought he was willing to stand up for the poor and humble, the brothers took risks one after another.
He decided to organize the city defense work immediately, but that would be a matter of tomorrow and the day.
He wiped off the bloody sword, led more than a dozen like-minded men and went straight to the Earl of Bamburg's mansion to meet the Queen Mother Anna and the new king Ella.
However, Ella has not yet gone through the coronation ceremony, and Anna is still the queen.
In the count's mansion, Anna is anxiously waiting for the good news to calm down the chaos in the city.
Seeing the triumphant return of the cavalry captain she had ennobled, she stood up excitedly and rushed forward without caring about her own dignity.
She originally thought that John would kneel down on one knee and salute naturally, but the man still stood upright with the hilt of his sword in his hand.
Anna couldn't care less: "Is the matter resolved? I can't hear the noise. It seems that you succeeded."
"It was indeed a success."
"Oh! That's great." Anna forced a smile on her pretty face, and she noticed that the situation was a little strange. Under the soft firelight of the chandelier, he saw the greed in the eyes of John and the entourage.
"There is nothing to do now, you can go out for now. Too many things have happened, I need to calm down. I also want to accompany the Countess of Bamberg." Anna issued an eviction order.
John still had no intention of retreating. He asked his entourage to avoid it, and invited Anna to the hall to discuss the matter in secret.
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Anna was startled, and suddenly felt that the situation was very complicated, so she changed her face and asked sternly: "Is there anything else?"
From the corner of his eye, John saw that everyone was avoiding his work, and even Even the maids also felt that something was wrong.Hiding.
He dared to reach out to his chest, but was immediately pushed away by an angry Anna.
"Presumptuous!"
But John didn't stop, he grabbed her neck directly and pulled her to the secret maid in front of young Ella. locker room.
The oil lamp was lit, and Queen Anna was pressed on a low table. She was yelling and kicking, but her skirt was still pulled up by John. Immediately afterwards, there was another burst of pain, and Anna burst into tears...
John completely knew the identity of this Anna. She was just the daughter of a lower-level noble, who was valued by Eynred for her beauty, and who gave birth to a boy. And be favored.
She was still young, just in her early twenties, and because of this, John prided himself on seizing the opportunity.
While doing things, John got close to Anna's face and said sternly to the painful woman: "All your power was given by the late king. Who would admit that a child became king? Now I am Captain of the cavalry, I will protect you as your man."
Anna murmured in tears: "Why do you want to do this to me? There is no need for this kind of thing. You are humiliating me. You might as well kill me." "No! I am older than you, the young and powerful one. How can an old man give you the joy of being a woman? Be my woman and I will be the king of Northumbria! I will lead the people of Bamburgh to defeat the barbarians! Wait, if I don't stand up, this city will be destroyed in a few days, your son will be beheaded by them, you will be captured by them, you will be stripped of your robes and tattooed, and you will be tied up and used as fat. Sheep for sale. They are more cruel than the Picts.”
After this threat, Anna lowered her head. She didn't say much and could only accept her fate.
Suddenly, she felt a burning sensation in her belly and realized that there was no going back.
The new king is Ella, which is a joke. It seems that this John Stockwood is the biggest threat to the royal power. She regretted her dead husband and guarded against threats from neighboring countries all her life. However, she was defeated at the hands of the sea barbarians in this battle. What is even more terrifying is that the real threat to the royal power is Come to the surface!
The threat is not outside, it is within! In the cavalry team with great martial arts skills!
Anna is a woman who knows how to compromise after all. Regardless of her appearance, she immediately knelt down on her knees and looked up at John with pleading eyes: "I support you in becoming king, and I will marry you. As long as Please, as promised, treat Ella as your son.”
Seeing this woman’s tearful begging, John felt refreshed and exhausted.
He caressed Anna's neck and said arrogantly: "Of course, I will confer Earl Ella. And your child and I will be the real prince."
At this moment , Anna's tears moistened John's hands, causing John to regain his fighting spirit.
He picked up Anna and went straight to the bedroom.
After the appointed Anna ordered her son Ella to avoid him, she finally took the initiative to throw away her robe and serve her new man just like she served the previous king. She is so proactive and knowledgeable, all she wants is that she and her son can still live as nobles in the kingdom.