Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War.

Chapter 261: Important Mission and Bad Fun
At the same time, Belisarius had just returned to his office. He took off his coat casually, then sat down on the chair somewhat roughly and sighed deeply.

Now he is the Governor-General of Britain, the highest official of the province, and holds the lives of millions of people in his hands.

But in this lofty position, Belisarius did not feel that his desire for power was satisfied. Instead, he felt physically and mentally exhausted.

After Orville left, he handed over the stall to him, asking him to continue to take over the governance of the province and promote reforms. He originally thought that he had enough troops and the support of marriage with local nobles, so there shouldn't be many problems in implementing it. However, he didn't expect that this was not the case at all.

The locals still did not quite obey his rule. When Orville was there, some of them did not dare to act rashly. But after he left, they became more energized and began to express opinions and even make small moves. In order to deal with them, he used both soft and hard tactics and tried every possible means to suppress them, but the effect could only be described as so-so.

The Franks, who had been eyeing the situation covetously on the other side of the river, also saw an opportunity at this time and resumed their funding to some English nobles. The resistance movement, which had apparently died down before, now showed signs of reviving.

This put Belisarius under great psychological pressure. After all, the British province handed over to him by Orville seemed to be basically stable, and Orville also laid the framework for him. However, the governance effect was worse than before and was not to the point of being precarious. However, Belisarius felt uncomfortable and guilty.

It can be said that his ability is not bad, but that is as a general, not as a governor. The ability requirements of a ruler and a general are not the same. Orville suddenly pushed him into this position, forcing him to work overtime to adapt to the new position. Being a ruler is not easy. Now, several months have passed, and Belisarius has only a slight clue.

His newlywed wife brought him a jug of light wine and a bowl of fruits and vegetables, and gently stroked his shoulders with both hands: "Are you tired? Come and take a rest before continuing."

The language was of course some kind of Frankish. After all, you can't expect everyone to know Latin or Greek, but Belisar had been there for so long that he could understand it.

Judith was not like those very few strong women who were proficient in politics and military affairs. She was an ordinary daughter of a noble family and had received some relevant education. However, she knew nothing about the problems that Belisarius was troubled with now. She could only comfort him and provide some psychological support.

Belisarius also knew what was right and wrong, so he didn't vent his frustration on the other party. He reluctantly put on a gentle expression and replied in the unfamiliar local language: "Thank you, I will go and have a good rest, but not now, because I still have things to deal with."

He was not opposed to political marriages, and was generally satisfied with the marriage arranged by Orwell. Although there were some criticisms in his hometown, saying that it was okay for a good man like Belisarius to marry the daughter of a famous elder, but now he married a barbarian princess, which was not so glorious in his hometown. In the eyes of the local people who thought highly of themselves, barbarians were barbarians after all, and they were inferior to Romans.

There was indeed a language and cultural barrier between the two sides, but as Orwell said, the last princess of the Merovingian royal family was indeed a woman who was quite suitable for the traditional role of a wife and mother. She was gentle and elegant, considerate and virtuous, beautiful but not ostentatious. All the virtues of women in traditional concepts could be seen in her to a greater or lesser extent. Apart from her identity as a barbarian, there was no shortcoming that Belisarius could find. He was a contented man, and he was very satisfied to find such a wife, even if it was just a by-product of a political marriage.

This is Orwell's personal thought outside of political considerations. Historically, Belisarius's marriage life can be said to be quite unhappy. According to Procopius, Belisarius was no longer a green hat, but a green grassland. The wife he married for political checks and balances did not bring him much positive help, but made him suffer a lot. Orwell also wanted to slightly change the situation that should have happened in history, so he arranged this marriage for the other party. And there is another key point. Belisarius now really needs the support of the Essex royal family and the Merovingian remnants behind Judith. He knows very well that if there is no support from the Wessex royal family behind him, the situation will be much worse than it is now. Before Orwell left, he transferred a lot of people to Egypt and Rome. If there were no Merovingian remnants who switched camps, his bureaucratic system would also have a lot of holes, so the marriage with Judith is very good for him.

Judith could also tell that her husband was in a bad mood, so she didn't say anything more. She just bowed to Belisarius and left, leaving Belisarius to stay where he was and continue to concentrate on his work.

Belisarius reviewed the documents for a while with a sad face, and then his signalman came in after giving the report.

"Please read the message from Mr. Nicanor in Rome."

Hearing Nicanor's name, Belisarius finally breathed a sigh of relief and felt a little relieved.
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"By the way, Ivar, what do you think of Jeanne d'Acre?" Looking at Ivar, who was traveling on the boat with Orville with a very serious expression, Orville suddenly had an idea and asked the other party a question that he had not expected.

Ivar didn't understand what Orvel was thinking: "She? What do you mean? I don't quite understand."

"As a person, what is your impression and feeling of Jeanne Dacre?"

After thinking about it, Ivar gave a not-so-good evaluation: "A naive idealist who does not have a clear enough understanding of politics and the world, but he is a respectable person at least."

"Then let me ask you another question. Have you ever met your grandfather? The legendary dragon slayer Sigurd, a great hero."

Sigurd is actually another translation of Siegfried. Many people know Siegfried, the dragon-slaying hero who killed the dragon-shaped giant Fafnir. When later generations talk about him, they always say "that" Siegfried. It is an example of a life well-lived that he can be left behind in epic legends.

"I am the youngest son of my father Ragnar. He was dead when I was born. The news you heard in Rome may be exaggerated. The so-called dragon is just a huge whale. My grandfather hunted it single-handedly. Although it can be considered a feat, it is not as exaggerated as the dragon. Of course, his strength is unquestionable. He is more powerful than me or my father.

If he had not been so obsessed with adventure and had paid more attention to real life, with his prestige at the time, even the Franks would not have objected to his becoming king, and it would have been a popular choice. My father and I would have been in very different situations. I can only say that Urd, Shikulud and Berudandi (the goddess of fate in Norse, representing the past, future and present) are indeed very unpredictable. "

(End of this chapter)