Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War

Many people should be familiar with the story of William the Conqueror conquering England from Normandy, but the protagonist of this story is not only William the illegitimate son of the Normans.

Let me briefly explain the situation at that time. The king of England had no heirs, and a certain king of Norway and the Duke of Normandy both claimed that they had the right of succession. The local Anglo-Saxon nobles were also restless, and several waves of people and horses launched a fierce struggle for this.

Each of the three parties had its own soul figure: King Harald the Ruthless of Norway, William the illegitimate son of the Duke of Normandy, and the leader of the native England was Harold Godwinson, probably the last native Anglo-Saxon king, and he was also a tragic figure at the time.

The Norwegians first landed in the north, and Harold gathered troops in the north and defeated the invading Norwegian army at Stamford Bridge. Then, news came that William the illegitimate son landed in southern England. He rushed to London without stopping, and was finally defeated by the Norman leader William at Hastings, and William entered England.

Judging from his background and deeds, Orville is now facing Harold Godwinson, the last king of Wessex. He is used to the intrusion of historical figures. The problem now is how to deal with him.

Harold Godwinson is very powerful in the local area, and Orville will probably have to work hard to deal with him. He can either choose to go north to fight the Vikings or go east to fight Harold. What makes him unsure is the relationship between Harold and the Vikings. In history, he fought with the Vikings, but it seems that the relationship between the two is more subtle in this world.

Orville thinks that it may be because the Romans are too strong, which makes both sides feel enough crisis. So in the face of crisis, both sides will choose to put aside the dispute and drive Orville back first.

He held a military meeting with officers at all levels in the army. After listening to the opinions, Orville decided to go east first and deal with all the problems of the Anglo-Saxons.

When Orville and Harold Godwinson were fighting, the Welsh Celts would try to hold back the Vikings, and the Celts on the island of Ireland would also attack Dublin, the Viking stronghold that invaded the island, hoping to divert the other side's attention. He took this opportunity to quickly resolve the battle and then talk about it.

…………

While Orville was mobilizing troops, the Vikings and the remaining English on the other side were not idle. At the mouth of the Thames, where the old Trajan died before, the wreckage of the ship could still be seen. Several huge dragon-headed warships broke through the thick fog and appeared in front of the Wessex people.

These warships were huge and sturdy, with rows of shields hanging on both sides of the deck. From the bow to the stern, they were engraved with various golden and dark patterns, and the Vikings' iconic raven flags were hung on the masts. These symbols with strong national characteristics were undoubtedly the symbols of the enemy in the eyes of the Wessex people. Everyone was subconsciously a little nervous, and the hands under the cloak or clothes couldn't help but clench the hilt of the sword.

However, they did not get angry in the end, and the Vikings on the ship did not use force. Instead, they docked in an orderly manner. Several big men wearing chain mail or hardened leather armor came down from the ship.

Everyone made way for Harold Godwinson, the interim king elected by the Council of Sages. Harold was a middle-aged man in his forties. The years had left traces in the corners of his eyes, but he still looked energetic and was a heroic man who never left his armor. Everyone was quite respectful to him. Obviously, he was a man with some charisma.

Standing at the head of the Vikings was a young man who looked very gloomy, about thirty years old. Harold had an impression of this man.

[Boneless] Ivar, the leader of the Vikings in Ireland, Scotland and other places today, the first Viking leader who successfully took root and settled in Britain. One of the legendary heroes of the Vikings, and also a great enemy of the English.

He wore shoes with hard soles, and his footsteps made a banging sound on the wooden boards, like a small hammer hitting everyone's heart. In a few seconds, he came to Harold.

Ivar looked Harold up and down unscrupulously, and his low voice sounded: "I think we are all clear about the current situation. The Romans have dealt with the King of Wessex. Now it is only a matter of time before he approaches our land."

"It is our land," Harold interrupted him directly, looking at him tit-for-tat, "There is no compromise on this point."

"...Okay, your land. But if we continue to fight like this, this land will belong to the Romans. What is your answer, do you want to cooperate with us?"

"You can have Northumbria and part of Mercia, and then we can reach a short peace. In a few years, we will decide the winner. Either you occupy the land of England, or we will drive you back home."

"So, a war is inevitable?" Ivar looked at him with a smile, and the atmosphere became a little depressing.

"That's right!" Harold turned a deaf ear to it.

Ivar smiled as if his face changed: "Well, we can discuss the specific issues slowly. We should cooperate to defeat the Romans first."

There was no open courtesy. Both sides made it clear that this was a short-term truce agreement. There would be another battle later, but no one would refuse such a condition. Because no one of them could defeat the Romans alone, and only if both sides worked together could there be some hope.

If he wins, Harold will need time to integrate the lands of Wessex and other kingdoms, and Ivar will also need time to digest the newly occupied land, and deal with his own burning Irish backyard. The next step is to see who integrates and suppresses it. The one who is faster will declare war first and gain a slight advantage in the subsequent war.

In this way, two powerful warriors and leaders shook hands under the witness of everyone, and reached an agreement.

After looking at each other with a smile for a while, Harold just said: "I have asked for some reinforcements from the Franks. Four cavalry wings (about two thousand people) will cross the strait in the near future. Come to support us, and I hope you will not stop them from coming. This is one of our hopes for victory."

"Of course, I won't. I also hope that you can reach a consensus with me first and stop inciting the locals in Northumbria or Mercia to resist us."

Both sides had their own plans. Harold and the Franks lacked anything that could be called surface ships. If the Vikings blocked it, the powerful Frank cavalry would have difficulty crossing the sea, and the Vikings would also be unable to cope with the rising tide of local nobles. , Peasant Rebel Army, each side gets what it needs.

This extremely fragile alliance should remain in place until Orville is driven overboard.