Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War.

Chapter 179 Hastings
There is no doubt that Ivar is sincere in the negotiations. These conditions are actually not bad if you look into them carefully, and they are not unacceptable from a political perspective.

But Orville knew the Vikings better than they thought, and was well aware of their strengths and weaknesses.

The advantage is that they are quite barbaric, brave and fearless enough to endure the most difficult environment. People coming out of such places are often excellent warriors and can gain the favor of the Romans on the battlefield.

This is also their shortcoming. They are too barbaric. To put it bluntly, these people only remember to eat and not to be beaten. They only learn to be cautious when they are hurt.

Ivar could not completely restrain the Vikings, and although he recognized the strength of the Romans, he did not show enough respect for them. Orville did not want to plant bombs for his successor, so in his opinion, it was necessary to fight a few battles with the Vikings.

What he wanted were obedient mercenaries and reliable warriors, not time bombs who thought highly of themselves and would raise their prices. If he didn't subdue the Vikings now and let them know the difference between the two, the Vikings would make trouble sooner or later. Orville didn't want to wait until that day to make plans, so he prepared to solve everything here.

Ivar did not show any dissatisfaction when his sincere proposal was rejected. He just nodded slightly and said, "Well, maybe we can talk about it later. And there is one more thing. This is a gift for you to express my gratitude."

Several armored men carried out several boxes from the longboat. When they opened them, they found all kinds of "local specialties" inside.

Fur coats, fur capes, folk-style precious metal crafts, amber, sealed jars of honey. Orville even saw a blindfolded falcon.

Considering that Northern Europe is not wealthy, this can be considered a big gift. At least most nobles cannot come up with such a decent gift at once.

"My father gained a lot of knowledge from you when he lived in the Roman province of Gaul. This is very useful to my people. This is definitely not something that can be repaid with such a small gift. However, considering our hostile identities, I can't give you anything else. Perhaps I will repay you for this favor when I have the chance in the future."

Out of courtesy, Orville also gave the other party his own sword in return. Although it was not a high-end product and was not worth much if you looked into it, it had a high added value to his status, and the prince's sword could barely be considered an equal gift.

No agreement was reached, but the negotiations between the two sides seemed relatively harmonious.

Since it was certain that the two sides could not reach an agreement on the key issues, Ivar did not waste any more time in Gillingham and immediately left the port and headed south.

Orville estimated that he was betting on both sides, and the other side had most likely reached an agreement with Harold Godwinson. There was nothing to blame. It was normal for weaker forces or individuals to bet on both sides these days. Since Orville could not give him what he wanted, it was reasonable for him to go to other parties. No one owed anyone anything.
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This little incident did not delay the Romans' march. They continued to move southward, following the traces of the Anglo-Saxon army. Orville originally thought that the enemy would turn around and ambush them, and he was mentally prepared for the ambush. However, he did not expect that the enemy had no such idea at all and kept retreating southward.

Orville chased the enemy to the southeast corner of England. At this time, Orville received a message that made him feel very subtle - the Frankish cavalry army landed in Hastings.

Originally, the enemy should have landed directly in the Dover area, but due to wind, waves and hydrology, they had to sail west for a short distance before landing. This can be regarded as the so-called "destined place". Historically, Harold Godwinson fought against William the Conqueror here and was defeated, but this time the identities seemed to have changed subtly.

Harold, the Vikings and the Franks from continental Europe joined forces to fight against the Romans. In terms of troop strength, the coalition had a slight advantage, about 30,000 men, while Orwell had a maximum of 20,000 men. However, in terms of quality, Orwell still had an absolute advantage.

The reconnaissance cavalry in front reported that the enemy did not seem to intend to retreat anymore, but instead set up camp on the spot and waited for the Romans to enter the battlefield.

There is a relatively wide plain near Hastings. This terrain is very suitable for cavalry operations and also for the enemy to take advantage of numbers. This is probably the logic behind the enemy's choice of the venue for the decisive battle.

Orville understood the opponent's advantages, but he didn't mind choosing the battlefield near Hastings, which had a wide field of vision and was suitable for the smooth deployment of the spear phalanx. This was also a good choice.

Both sides feel that choosing Hastings as the final battle will be of some benefit to them, so at present it seems that the final battle will take place near Hastings.

Orville's decision-making and execution abilities were not bad at the very least, and he immediately ordered the army to march out.

"The Ninth Legion and its attached legions continue to march towards Hastings. Each cavalry unit should do sentry duty, gather their forces, and prepare their weapons and equipment. I'm afraid we have to prepare for a decisive battle."

Boudica, who attended the military meeting as a general and staff officer, also raised an objection at this time: "Don't we need to wait a little longer? If my people arrive from Wales, we will have a greater advantage. The Wessex people will also need some time to reorganize their troops. When both sides are ready, you can at least have more than 10,000 soldiers, so that there will be no difference in numbers with those people."

There were some unpleasantness with Orville, but overall Boudica still regarded him as her ally. It was more reliable to cooperate with the Romans than with the Anglo-Saxons. She certainly did not want the Romans to suffer a serious defeat, which would not do her any good.

"It will be of no benefit to us to delay any further. I have every reason to suspect that the Franks will send more reinforcements. By then, we will not be facing such scattered soldiers. This matter will change if we delay any longer, so we cannot delay at all."

Seeing Orwell's firm attitude, Boudica did not insist on her objection. Firstly, she could not overturn Orwell's decision. Secondly, she herself was not so opposed to a decisive battle in Hastings. She was a person who advocated a quick victory. Otherwise, in real history, she would not have gathered the main force to fight a decisive battle with the Romans. Raising objections now was just fulfilling her duty.

The original old Trajan died in battle, but the army still needed such a person. Others either did not understand the art of war or were inferior to Orville in various aspects and therefore difficult to talk to. She was a person who could fulfill this responsibility, so she naturally took over the position of old Trajan and occasionally found fault with Orville in meetings.

(End of this chapter)