Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 212 The Palace Steward
For the next two weeks, southern Britain was locked in a strange stalemate. Ivar was stationed in Oxford and Esselbad in Reading. Both armies had nothing to do, while the French army was busy outside the city, enduring the rain and cutting down trees to build siege facilities.

To date, Gunnar's troops have suffered a total loss of 700 men, with very few killed in action. The majority of casualties are deserters and the wounded or sick. Two hundred warhorses have fallen ill, and a large amount of grain has become moldy and spoiled due to improper storage.

The garrison inside the city was in relatively good condition. They accepted Ivar as the new king, and their only task was to hold the city walls and wait for reinforcements to arrive.

Now, Asracio's domain consists of only one city. She has laid down a heavy burden and spends her days strolling in the garden and feeding the birds, leaving the city's defense entirely to "White Hair" Oleg. For her, the War of the Succession is over.

One day, the chief eunuch came to the palace to report the information he had recently gathered:

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened. Someone in Oxford has revealed that Ivar intends to thoroughly investigate what happened last year. We must prepare as soon as possible."

Asura sat on the lawn, ignoring Paffees' words.

The steward grew increasingly agitated. "Although there is no concrete evidence, Ivar has become suspicious. You will not be allowed to reside in the palace any longer. You are very likely to be sent to a temple and placed under house arrest for life!"

To persuade the other party, the steward used the power struggles of the Eastern Roman court as an example: "Your Majesty, once such things begin, the participants have no way out. If you stop now, Ivar has countless ways to deal with you; life imprisonment would be the best outcome."

Compared to Ivar, I think you should consider Gunnar. He lacks official status and needs your prestige and governing ability. Once Princess Enya marries Robert, you can still remain in the court and exert your influence.

Asura reacted indifferently to the slowly moving clouds in the sky.

Now she has a lot of free time and occasionally goes out for a stroll in ordinary clothes. She has been out several times and has heard mostly negative comments.

"No need. The people's complaints are very reasonable. I am not suitable to govern the country. Perhaps I should not have conspired with you in the first place."

When his earnest pleas failed, the palace steward left with a hunched back, his disappointment turning into despair, which in turn breeds resentment.

"I risked my life to do things for you, and this is the result? No, I escaped from Constantinople once before, and I can't escape again this time!"

The following evening, he summoned five familiar Imperial Guard officers to dinner, during which he mentioned a piece of news.

"Have you heard? Uber was assassinated. Most of his left hand was severed, and he was hit by several arrows in the back. Fortunately, he was wearing chainmail under his coat and survived by sheer luck."

The officers' expressions were uncertain. The news had been circulating since yesterday. According to the merchant, the assassins who tried to kill Uber were from the Imperial Guard. After the plan failed, the assassins also claimed that it was at the behest of Asura.

Paffees picked up a silver jug ​​and poured wine for each guest, his voice low and somber: "Asraci killed Sora without any evidence, and now she's sent assassins to kill Uber. Sigurd is about to die, and when Ivar ascends the throne, how do you think the new king will deal with her?"

When it came to the internal strife within the royal family, the five officers' first reaction was to distance themselves, saying, "What happens inside the royal family has nothing to do with us."

Parfies raised his head. "You may think you're uninvolved, but the outside world doesn't see it that way. In the eyes of the powerful nobles, you and I are all Asura's lackeys. The people also hate the Royal Guard, believing that you assisted Asura in collecting taxes, causing many civilians to flee their homes and some to sell themselves into slavery."

"When Ivar ascends the throne, what will his choice be? To protect us? Or to publicly try us and gain the support of the nobles and the people?" These five officers had no connection with Ivar, and after being persuaded by the court steward, they instinctively worried about their future. One of them raised his wine glass, his voice barely audible, "My lord, do you intend to betray Ivar?"

Paffees revealed his true feelings, "No, I have never been loyal to Ivar and have no obligation to him. Now that the King is critically ill and the Queen Mother is demoralized, we can only think of ourselves. Gunnar has no foothold in Britain and is the best choice for everyone."

The officers neither immediately agreed nor objected. Half a minute later, someone expressed concern: "I've heard that the French army has been looting Viking villages and destroying temples. I'm worried about the future."

Paffeus interrupted him, “In that case, why not convert to Roman Catholicism? Gunnar has been a convert for many years and is still alive and kicking, never suffering any punishment from the gods. What are you afraid of?”

These five officers were carefully selected by Paffees. They had no connection with Ivar, their faith in the gods was superficial, and they were the most likely candidates to defect to the French army.

As the situation reached a stalemate, Paffes summoned a Frankish man and had him show Gunnar's handwritten letter: "Once we successfully capture Londinium and take Aslach and her son prisoner, Gunnar will bestow upon us the title of count. The opportunity is before us, so why are you still hesitating?"

The five officers were intrigued and began discussing the detailed steps of the coup. The biggest obstacle was "White Hair" Oleg, whose commander was firmly loyal to the royal family, and the success rate of recruiting him was extremely low.

Someone asked, "If we were to bestow upon him the title of duke, would Oleg agree?"

Those around him retorted, "A duke? Where would we get the fiefdoms to house him? We and the steward need six earls, Gunnar's men also need a lot of fiefdoms, and if we include the land ceded to Ethelbad, there are no more fiefdoms to house a new duke."

Another person suggested, "Why not grant Oleg the Tyneburg family's territory?"

Gazing at the flickering candlelight on the table, Paffeus couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. He finally understood: when tainted by power, Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, and Greeks were all the same.

After waiting for more than ten minutes, a Viking man dressed as a commoner walked in and bent down to whisper in Parfis's ear.

“Speak louder,” Parfais said, raising his glass. “Everyone here is my best brother; there’s no need to be wary of them.”

“Yes, sir,” the man raised his voice. “The assassination went smoothly. With the help of the servants, we infiltrated the mansion and used crossbows to kill Oleg and his eldest son. The token is here.”

After saying that, the man took out Oleg's ring and a bloodstained dagger, a symbol of the power of the Imperial Guard, from his pocket.

The officers passed their rings and daggers around, their breathing quickening and their faces turning deathly pale.

After a long while, the leading lieutenant spoke with a smirk, "The commander-in-chief is truly skilled. He learned real tricks in Constantinople and can deal with us country bumpkins with ease."

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(End of this chapter)