Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 211: Taking sides
Joining forces with Leonard, Theowough, and others, Ivar now had a total of eight thousand soldiers and marched along the muddy road to Tamworth.

By this time, Gunnar's army had crossed the Thames. He ordered his infantry to build siege equipment outside the city, and two thousand cavalry to clear out the surrounding area, forcing the minor nobles such as barons and knights to surrender and to collect grain and livestock.

As Yvoire's army drew closer, the French high command began to hesitate. Hastings and Roselle had taken up a thousand soldiers, leaving less than six thousand available for combat.

As for the other side, the city has two thousand garrison troops, while Ivar's troops are said to number eight thousand, far exceeding the attackers' numbers. This has led to low morale among the French army recently, with the number of deserters increasing daily.

In an effort to reverse the predicament, Gunnar continued to try to persuade the garrison to surrender while also requesting aid from home.

Because he had led the army without authorization, "Bald" Charles was furious and offered no support, and the other nobles were unwilling to help without compensation. Fortunately, the monasteries of Reims, Lyon, and other places supported the war against evil and called on believers to donate money. Gunnar used this money to build an army and gained 1,500 devout militiamen.

Everything comes at a price. The newly recruited soldiers hated the pagan Vikings and looted Viking villages, causing Gunnar's relationship with the Viking inhabitants to plummet.

Gunnar offended his own people, and the remaining Anglo-Saxons looked down on him. Although he had converted to Roman Catholicism, he was ultimately a pirate and unworthy to rule Lentinium.

Left with no other option, Gunnar dispatched his army priests to persuade Wessex and East Anglia to join his side in the fight against Ivar's pagan army, citing their shared faith.

Winchester, the palace.

Upon hearing the priest's purpose, Ethelbad looked astonished. "How dare this Viking barbarian call on us to go to war?"

Back then, Gunnar followed Ragnar to conquer Winchester, and Wessex became part of the Kingdom of Britain. Whenever Ethelbad recalled this event, he wished he could kill every person involved to vent his resentment of more than a decade.

Esserbad took several deep breaths, and restrained by reason, he did not make things difficult for the priest, claiming that he loved peace and did not want to be involved in the war.

"On the way here, I saw militias from all over coming to Winchester. Your Grace, you should not lie to a clergyman."

Esselbad drank a small glass of wine, "just for self-preservation, not against any party."

Wessex has always been recognized as the wealthiest region in Britain, and its grain production has increased significantly after absorbing agricultural technology from the North. Seeing this as a rare opportunity, he assembled four thousand soldiers, including four hundred cavalry and one thousand heavy infantry, intending to gain advantages from this war.

Just after Gunnar's messenger left, Ivar's messenger arrived.

"Your Grace, His Majesty has ordered you to lead your troops to join the rendezvous."

Esselbad refused as usual, saying, "The harvest in my territory is poor, and the farmers are unwilling to fight."

Seeing this, the envoy proposed a condition: if Wessex participated in the war, it could obtain Cornwall to the west after the war.

“That’s it?” Esselbad leaned forward slightly. “I also want Oxfordshire and Sussex to the east.”

The envoy shook his head. Handing over Cornwall was already Ivar's bottom line; he had no reason to deprive Theowough and Orm of their territory to satisfy Wessex.

However, Esselbad believed that Oxfordshire belonged to him, and his refusal to return the territory at this time showed a lack of sincerity.

"Is that so? Please leave."

Two days later, Gunnar sent another envoy, offering extremely generous terms:
If Wessex participates in the war, it can gain Theowough's territory (half of Mercia), Wales, and Cornwall in the far west, while restoring its status as a kingdom, and the two countries will coexist as equals after the war.

"Not bad, that's more like it."

Ethelbad, his mind racing, instructed his maids to pour wine for his guests. Five factions were at stake in this War of the British Succession.

The Ivars were numerous and held the highest legitimacy among the Viking groups.

Gunnar lacked legitimacy, but he possessed two thousand cavalry and two thousand heavy infantry, making him the most formidable fighter.

Wessex was slightly weaker, but its advantage lay in the fact that its rulers and Anglo-Saxon commoners shared the same culture and religion, giving them a higher degree of legitimacy in the eyes of the Anglo-Saxon people.

As the Queen Mother and Regent, Asra is nominally the ruler of the kingdom, but her power is weak. Her army is hoping for Ivar's arrival soon, having completely lost any hope of turning the tide.

As for Vig, Esselbad couldn't understand why the guy would stay in the North; rumors said he had rejected Ivar's request, which was simply foolish.

"We'll deal with you after we defeat Ivar."

Horses are scarce in the North, and they can only muster a maximum of five hundred cavalrymen, which is insufficient to deal with the large number of Frankish cavalry. Even if Vig deploys a bayonet phalanx, they can simply send heavy infantry to engage in melee combat. Ethelbad and Gunnar together have three thousand heavy infantrymen, and it is impossible for them to lose to the enemy in infantry warfare.

After careful consideration, Esserbad accepted Gunnar's proposal and agreed to form an alliance with him.

That evening, he went alone to the treasury and took out an antique-style gold crown from a locked copper box. The crown that his father had worn had been stolen and became one of Ragnar's collections.

Touching the cold crown, he felt a sense of relief. "After bowing and scraping to the Vikings for more than ten years, the day of liberation has finally come."

The following day, Winchester Cathedral.

Sunlight streamed through the towering stained-glass windows, casting dappled patterns of light upon the crowd. The ethereal and sacred voices of the choir rose and fell. Ethelbad knelt, and the bishop in white robes raised the crown, solemnly proclaiming:

Are you willing to renounce evil?

Esserbad suppressed his excitement and said, "I do."

Then, he felt a slight weight on his head, and as he straightened up, the crowd in the church shouted in unison:

May God bless Wessex!

May God bless Ethelbad!

After the ceremony, the king led four thousand soldiers away from Winchester and headed north, stopping in Reading, a town on the south bank of the Thames.

Despite Gunnar's urging, Esserbad did not move. Given his relatively weak strength, a landing on the northern shore would likely result in a direct attack from Ivar. It was better to remain within his own territory, observe Ivar's movements, and then act.

Oxfordshire.

Ivar convened a meeting of the high-ranking officials, most of whom opposed continuing the advance, fearing a pincer attack from Gunnar and Wessex.

Leonard advised, "The recent continuous rains have caused many Frankish casualties. If we wait any longer, they will only grow weaker. The defenses of Lundinium are strong, and according to scouts, Gunnar's siege equipment is far from complete. We can hold out for at least another month."

(End of this chapter)