Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 198 Curse
After the allegiance ceremony, Aslachi hosted a lavish dinner for her many guests. While enjoying the fine wine, she felt no interest whatsoever, pondering where she could make money.

Two months after the succession dispute, Asuragi dared not offend the great nobles, so she shifted her focus of exploitation to the common people, raising agricultural taxes in her directly controlled territories once again.

The initial agricultural tax was 15%, then it was raised to 20%, and now it has been increased to 25%. Coupled with the high wool export tax, the royal family's annual income is expected to exceed £10,000.

After settling the financial matters, Aslaci spread the word that she intended to bestow the title of Earl of Cambridge upon Parfais, a reward agreed upon in advance by the two. This move was met with opposition from many people, including Prime Minister Goodwin and the passive-aggressive Theowough.

"What right does a eunuch, who has no merit, have to be among the great nobles?"

Goodwin tried to be as tactful as possible, taking care of the Queen Mother's feelings, while the others generally used strong language, forcing Aslach to retract her chaotic order.

After careful consideration, Asura privately approached Parfis and suggested that he postpone the matter for a while. By this time, Parfis had resigned himself to his fate and proposed that his adopted son be granted the title of Royal Knight, and then promoted to Baron after a few years when the turmoil had subsided.

Asra wiped her eyes. "Your Excellency, the King and I deeply appreciate your loyalty, but the matter of bestowing the title of Earl faces too much resistance. The Prime Minister is leading the opposition, and we, a widow and orphan, are truly powerless to do anything about it."

Paffei also wept, “It was my overstepping my bounds. As a eunuch, I should not have had such thoughts. Gods above, I only ask to serve you and my young master in the years to come.”

The two covered their faces and wept bitterly, putting on a touching scene of master and servant's deep affection. As the only audience member, His Majesty Sigurd tried his best to widen his eyes, but his acting skills were not up to par, and he couldn't cry at all. He could only sit on the throne in a daze.

After crying for a few minutes, Aslaci felt it was enough. She wiped away her tears and turned to serious matters, consulting with the commander of the Royal Guard and the mayor of Rendyneum about potential successors.

"Om's sons are both dead and crippled, and he's depressed. He submitted his resignation yesterday. Horst is greedy by nature and unsuitable to be sheriff. With both of them about to leave office, do you have any suitable replacements?"

Paffees gave two names: "White Hair" Oleg and Little Pascal.

First, let's talk about Oleg. During the Welsh Wars, Oleg, being inexperienced, almost ruined the surrender ceremony, infuriating Vigé to the point that he nearly drew his sword to kill him. Later, he was promoted to lieutenant general of the Royal Guard, where he stopped Gunnar at the audience, disrespecting the Duke of Normandy. On the way to the Northern Wars, he and the commander-in-chief Nils disagreed, writing to the king to expose each other's mistakes, leading to a breakdown in their relationship.

Over the years, Oleg has offended Vig, Gunnar, and Niels, and his relationship with Ivar is strained, so there's no need to worry about him colluding with these powerful and threatening nobles. Moreover, his own command abilities are decent, and his qualifications are sufficient, making him the best candidate for the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard and Minister of War.

Pascal Jr. is the successor to the late Prime Minister Pascal, who enjoys high prestige among the people. If Pascal Jr. were to become the county magistrate, the public would be more likely to accept it.

Asura: "Wait, this person seems to be under nineteen years old. I've met him a few times. He's thin, timid, and doesn't seem very smart."

But then she thought again, this kind of person is easy to control, and she doesn't have to worry about him going against her will, so Asura nodded in agreement.

After Parfis left, Asurachi taught Sigurd how to govern the country. Regardless of how outsiders viewed it, the Queen Mother felt that she had been in the court for more than ten years, was experienced, and had accumulated many "valuable" insights. Her only shortcoming was her ability to command.

“After Oleg took office, I had him teach you how to fight in his spare time. You are talented and intelligent; with a few years of patient learning, you will be able to surpass Ivar, Vig, Gunnar, and Niels. Once you come of age, you can take them down one by one.”

More than half a month passed quickly, and Aslachi gradually got used to her life of absolute power. She handled official business in the mornings, received visiting noblewomen in the afternoons, listened to their flattery, and occasionally took time to urge Sigurd to study. The only worry was that Sora and Ubrail had not left the palace, citing bad sea conditions as the reason, and would set off for Denmark again in March.

"It's all an excuse. Oleg has already left Wajel in central Denmark and is on his way to take up his post by ship. What right do they have to delay? Are they still eyeing the throne?"

Asura complained quietly to her personal maid, drank some red wine, and went to bed to rest. Suddenly, she heard hurried footsteps outside her door.

The next moment, devastating news struck: the king, who had been on the throne for less than a month, suddenly developed a high fever and was barely breathing.
She rushed to the next room, reached out and touched her son's forehead. It was burning hot, and he was completely delirious, unable to respond to Asura's calls.

Soon, four shamans arrived to treat him. While chanting strange incantations, they lifted the blankets to examine Sigurd's physical condition but could not find the cause of the king's illness.

"A bunch of useless trash." Asraci sent her maid to find the priest at the monastery in the city. Upon learning that their rival was about to arrive, the shamans panicked and said that this was not an illness, but some kind of curse!

Half an hour later, the priest and two nuns arrived at the chaotic palace. The servants were in a panic, and the menacing palace guards were running around, making the three of them uneasy.

"I didn't get any of the benefits, but now they're coming to me."

Along the way, the priest grumbled to himself as he jogged to the room. He examined the king's body and then inquired about his diet and daily routine over the past few days. Under the Queen Mother's eager gaze, the priest swallowed hard. "This is not a common illness. Perhaps someone has poisoned him, or used black magic."

Curses, poisoning, black magic.

Upon hearing these conclusions, Asura swayed, grabbing her personal maid's shoulder to avoid falling. She then returned to her room, retrieved a slightly rusty suit of armor from the bottom of the wardrobe, and said, "Summon all the guards. Follow me to kill that bitch and her bastard."

Donning slightly restrictive armor, Asura, shield and axe in hand, charged toward Sora's bedroom. It was empty; she touched the warm bedding, indicating that Sora had just left.

"Still want to run?"

She ordered the guards to seal the palace gates, then went to Uber's bedroom herself. There, Sora, dressed in her pajamas, blocked the doorway and pleaded with her rival, "Sigurd's affairs are none of our concern. I swear to all the gods known."

"Gods? They couldn't even protect my son, so why should I still believe in them?"

Before marrying Ragnar, Aslaci had worked as a shield maiden for several years, following the leader to raid various places and taking several lives. Now, filled with murderous intent, she swung her axe and struck the other man in the neck.

Sora collapsed to the ground, gushing out warm, crimson blood. She still clutched Asura's dress, saying, "Ha! If I had orchestrated this, I would have fled by now. Why would I be waiting in the palace for your revenge? Please, spare Uber. He poses no threat to you."

(End of this chapter)