Homelands
Chapter Thirteen: Peace of Mind
Part 3
Prelude:
While Christianity spread relatively easily in Prussia, elsewhere it faced extermination. One of the afflicted regions was Georgia, which quickly fell to the Turks and Hungarians and later unified by new Islamic Georgians and Armenians. King David V of Georgia fled his homeland and settled the Azov region with refugees. He did this with the permission of the Cuman King, and was a subject of the pagan King. But in time, King David was only a King in title, and was forced to leave the Cuman state so that the Georgians wouldn’t revolt. He left for Prussia an old and tired man, crushed by the world around him. But upon arrival, he and Eadbert began clashing. The Georgian King was a haughty, loud and regularly vile man. His drunkenness eventually had him expelled from Prussia and back into Cuman territory where he was caught and exiled again to Hungary. Eventually his only living child, a daughter, married the King of Hungary and gave the Arapad’s a legitimate claim on the Kingdom.
The Old Kingdom of Georgia (Dark Blue), and the lands settled by expelled Georgian Christians (Light Blue).
December 20th, 1150
Snow covered the plains of the Ukrainian provinces of Prussia. A Prussian army, headed by Gunvald and his older brother Aethelwulf were stationed to keep out Georgian refugees. Since the expulsion of their King from Cuman lands, they had tried to follow him north. King Eadbert did not want them following and trying to set up a new Kingdom in Prussian territory. So beyond Zepro (Dnipro) River still within the bounds of the Cuman Kingdom was a large city of tents. King David’s son, also David, approached the Princes of Prussia in a small boat. He had the look of a peasant about him, dirty and ragged. He spoke to them in Greek, the only common language they would have.
“Please, let my people cross this river! We shall surely freeze to death or starve without a proper home!”
“No, you and you people must remain on that side of the river. Instead of fighting with me about this for the sixth time this week, might I suggest you instead start building a town?” Gunvald said.
“There is food or grain in the dead of winter.”
“You should have thought of that before you left your homes in Azov in the dead of winter,” Aethelwulf said, “I am sorry. But you must leave.”
David sobbed, “Please, my own children have already succumb to the cold and my wife will soon follow. Please let us cross, give us freedom from these pagans!”
“No, your people are not welcomed here. This land has already been granted for settlement from the larger northern cities,” Gunvald explained.
“And if we cross anyways?” David demanded.
“We will sink your ships and arrest those that make it to this side alive.” Gunvald’s face was deadly serious in its look. His voice did not waiver. Even the battle hardened Aethelwulf was surprised by his tone.
“You would kill your fellow Christians?”
“No, you are fleeing nothing. You have freedom of religion and language in Cuman for the exchange of vassalage. Your father comes here seeking a new Kingdom, he is selfish, and you people follow him and ask of us our land and food. I see only enemies of my father, not Christians. Your father demanded we sacrifice the blood of Prussia to gain him a new Kingdom, so he can once again sit in opulence. He wants us to spill our own blood for him. In Prussia, the debt of blood is paid in blood. Your father has insulted us, and we sent him back to the Cuman King.”
David turned back into his boat crying. Gunvald watched as the boat slipped into the water with David onboard. The young Prince never made it across the river. His boat capsized and he drowned underneath it. Gunvald watched as it happened, as did Georgians on the other side. As the splashes for help subsided, the Prussians returned to their camp to warm up and eat. Soon they would be marching north as Eadbert finished his plans for conquest.