After the West Frankish War, Charles the Bald did not pay the tribute all at once, but instead sent it out in regular instalments. The treasure was counted in Londinium and then distributed among the various noble families.
At the docks south of the city, many Frankish ships were unloading supplies. A herd of sluggish warhorses followed their grooms to the stables.
They were in poor condition after the rough seas, only fifteen of them had died of disease. " Wait
Besides the dead horses, these five do not seem to last long, so they do not count." The Viking official pointed to the last five horses in the herd and threatened to cross them off the list. "Why?" — asked the Frankish envoy, not wanting to be left behind. "Many of the prisoners you brought back were sick. Could you cross them out as well?" Ignoring the two men's argument, Vig turned his gaze to the construction site in the middle of the river. Back in 50 AD, the Romans built a bridge across the Thames, connecting Londinium on the north bank with the marshy areas on the south. Today, the bridge has long since collapsed, and only a few individual supports rise above the water. After becoming High King, Ragnar decided to rebuild the bridge to increase his popularity among the people and collect a "small" tax. The construction is in the initial stage of driving piles. Workers are weaving "sinking rafts" from willow branches, filling them with stones and lowering them into the riverbed, forming the foundation for the supports.Then, using heavy wooden hammers, they drive oak piles vertically into the riverbed. Each pile is soaked in resin to ensure maximum durability. Finally, the workers drain the water from between the piles and fill them with mortar and stones to form stone piers."How many piers will we need for a river nearly 1,000 feet wide? The construction is enormous," asked the masons in charge of the construction, but none could give an exact time frame or cost."Sir, this is the first time we have undertaken a project of such magnitude, so we will have to calculate everything in stages. His Majesty has not set an exact time frame, and the maximum price is 1,500 pounds of silver."How much?1,500 pounds of silver!Wig was speechless. He had originally planned to build a similar stone bridge across the Tyne, but this now seemed impossible. "The river is over a hundred metres wide near the Tyne. A stone bridge like that would cost over 500 pounds of silver, and would require a huge conscription to build. Forget it, such an expensive spectacle is not for me. Better just to cross the river by boat." Having discarded this unrealistic fantasy, Vig questioned the Viking official at the quayside and learned that this was the penultimate ransom for the Franks. A few days earlier, Gunnar had personally crossed the channel to hand over the captives, intending to return to Londinium with the last of the ransom. "Really? I hope all goes well for him." Meanwhile, Gunnar had arrived by ship at Dover. To ensure that Charles the Bald kept his promise, he insisted that the hundred captured knights remain in captivity until the final stage of their handover to the Franks.Braising the damp, cold sea breeze, Gunnar stepped ashore and approached Lamberto, who stood nearby. They exchanged a few words, but he did not waste time on the usual pleasantries. He handed him the list and pointed to the fleet behind him."Five of them were unfortunate enough to die of illness. The other ninety-five are on board." Lamberto handed him the list and signaled his men to bring out a large chest. "This is the last ransom," Gunnar drawled. "It is all over at last." While the men on both sides were busy counting, Lamberto took Gunnar to a nearby fisherman's hut, intending to arrange a wedding for him. "My lord, I have heard that your wife died of illness earlier this year, leaving no issue. It so happens that His Majesty has a niece who has just come of age, and she is quite attractive. Speaking of dowry, His Majesty is prepared to grant you the northern coastal regions. What do you think?" For decades, Norman raiders (called Norsemen in French) had been a frequent harassment of the Frankish coast, recently even settling in the Channel Islands as a base for raiding. (The Channel Islands, which cover a total area of 194 square kilometers, are just a dozen nautical miles off the northern coast of France.) Now that seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms had submitted to Ragnar, the Vikings, wary of the legendary figure, flocked to the West Frankish kingdom. Charles the Bald convened his cabinet to discuss the coming wave of raids. Lambertus, appointed foreign minister, opposed violent measures to combat the pirates and instead proposed ennobling a Norman ruler to govern the northern coast. After listening to his explanation, Gunnar shook his golden hair in irritation. "Why me? I have much to do in Cambridge, and I have no time for you." Since His Majesty reveres heroes above all else, he has often told us that, looking at the Normans today, Ragnar is the supreme leader, and below him only three are worthy of praise. Vig is a master of plots and intrigues, cunning and fickle, a poisonous snake. Ivar is brave and cruel, a skilled commander of heavy infantry, a bloodthirsty and ferocious ice wolf. However, if we talk about real heroes, then only you remain, Gunnar. You are extremely brave and have a formidable appearance. The Norman knights you train are unrivaled in battle, like brown bears prowling the wilderness, the true king of beasts.As for the rest, King Eric of Norway is just a decrepit old pig curled up in a pigsty. Nils and Orm have limited talents and can be considered skilled hunting dogs at best. The rest, like little Eric, Leonard, Ulf, Halfdan and "white-haired" Oleg, are even more unworthy of mention. Compared to self-praise in the same camp, praise from an enemy is especially precious. After listening to Lamberto's story, Gunnar burst out laughing, desperately clapping him on the shoulder. "Ha-ha, well said, you Frankish dwarves have common sense. If you and Karl fall into my captivity in the next war, you will be well fed and well fed."Lamberto, enduring the blond's brute force, suddenly changed the subject, touching on his greatest regret: "It is a pity that your talent was buried for so many years. Only last year you were granted the title of Earl of this small place, Cambridge. Your Majesty often treats you unfairly. Why were lesser nobles like Vig and Ivar knighted before you? Even more ridiculous is Halfdan's self-confidence. Only because he is Ragnar's son, he was appointed commander of the campaign against Wales. If the war had gone well, he would have become Duke of Wales."These words undoubtedly touched Gunnar's sore spot. He smashed the tables and chairs in the room. After a long pause, he asked with a half-smile: "Your king wants me to betray Ragnar?"