XI. Heathens
Cursed be that day. That nobody jumped up as soon as Osweald took his last breath. Nobles, this ever-ambitious breed of men, simply biding their time. So unfitting. Perhaps it was these dark powers that were in play. The young Prince, ascending the throne full of self-confidence, banishing the bishop from his coronation ceremony, placing the crowns of the Wuffing kingdoms on his own head – perhaps this fascinated the nobles so much that they held back. Inactive, weak, submissive. It would have taken only one man to take Hereweald's life, and the false heathenry would not reign supreme over the land today. One small mistake.
He let them live, too. Demanded nothing else than their loyalty. And so they did. The devil had taken hold of the Wuffing crown, and one by one, he gained more support. I may only be a simple monk, but I should have acted when nobody else stepped up. Instead, coincidences helped the little demon. And his late father. Osweald had left his son a bible. Curious for a man who in the madness of his disease strayed from the truth. The boy cared little for the word of the Lord, and there was no cleric left with an interest in it, so it disappeared in the deep innards of the castle. Until Wulfgar Flambard, the bookworm from Holland, secluded himself, ever fearful of assassination and therefore wanting to be the last noble to leave after the coronation.
He decided to profit from this occasion and searched the parts of the castle where nobody usually set foot for some useful piece of information or some bauble left by the previous kings. He found Osweald's bible. Full of commentaries by the king struck by disease, pages ripped out, strange drawings... hardly a page was left untouched. Blasphemy of the highest degree in itself, but the contents of the crazy scribbling were even worse. Wulfgar studied them, read between the lines as Osweald intended. No more did he see the one and only benevolent God – but one amongst many, ruthlessly ambitious in pursuing his goal of absolute dominance. What pagans everywhere have often said against our Christian faith, the motive of a jealous god. But far more substantial, based on close inspection of the text, as well as the late king's drawings and words stained by delirium. A tale of a god of creation, who aims to breach the rules, the balance imposed upon him by others, lusting for absolute rule. A balance, apparently crucial for the well-being of the world for whatever reason.
Wulfgar was the first convert of the nobility. Even if this satanic book doesn't answer why a god would need absolute rule – not to say that He already has – the arguments of a
madman convinced the learned Duke, and some others followed. The faithful Christians were now seeing, realizing what horror they may have allowed unleashed upon the world. For a child-king heathen may be no danger, but with the support of powerful men and words, he might be. Burchard I of Alemannia, strongest of the dukes, led the movement of the believers – and died. An infected wound sustained, depending on the story, either on the battlefield against Norse raiders, on a hunt or during the pursuit of carnal desires. Perfect propaganda for Hereweald's regent, the very same Count Offa who had imprisoned his father before. For a man without scruples like him, this was Zun's punishment. Zun is somewhat the converts' main god from what I can see. He upholds the balance others want to break, the Giver of Justice. Offa, despite still pretending to be a good Christian, saw an opportunity to consolidate his regency. The faction lost its leader, was discouraged and gave up.
So we came under heathen rule, despite most nobles professing the Christian faith. During the next years, the crown was stable. The only news that reached us came from the East, where King Rogvolod of Rus also declared Zun his main god. We prayed intensely that we might pass this test of our faith. But under the vile Offa's leadership (who had his services as regent very well paid, as we heard), Hereweald grew up to be a smart and brave man, showing much promise as a military commander, while not lacking the sense of justice his heathen god desires. Under other circumstances, a good sign. For us, hard times were coming.
For the Zunists, their gods were visible in the stars. So Hereweald built an observatory, looking for something strange to show him the way. Would our king read in the entrails of animals next? Far worse was the behaviour of Basileus Symeon of Byzantium, called 'the Frog'. For a good reason, I was certain of it. He honoured the betrothal Osweald had arranged between his son and Symeon's daughter Eupraxia – an unholy alliance was born.
And then, the demon's gaze fell upon Lombardy. It is said that in his dark study, Hereweald observed a star who seemingly disappeared. Then, the next day this same star moved – in the direction of Lombardy. He called his uncle Theudemeres, a man who had long taken the cloth, and asked him about the Iron Crown. The bishop told him what he knew from his long-deceased mother, a Lombard princess. Then the king told him nothing new about his father's attempt to reign Lomabrdy – and his own omen. Could a child wear the Iron Crown – or should it be a wise old man? It was an offer any true bishop would have refused, even if Osweald's invasion had been papally sanctioned, for no act of Hereweald's was. But Theudemeres, a cynic who just wanted to please his lord, agreed. The fallen bishop would become a sun guardian and propagate their lies – in exchange, Hereweald's armies would put him onto Pavia's throne.
Finally the heathen faced a mighty Christian coalition, one that would not give in. Small armies invaded Aquitaine from all sides as both Hereweald and King Hildeprand's regent assembled formidable forces around the Alps. These faced each other after nearly two years in Avignon; the Aquitain army ended victorious, but not by much. Hereweald changed his strategy to replenish his army on his territory and defeat minor straggler armies with the help of the Navarran Band, which in these sad times no longer consisted neither of Basques nor of Christians, but of Ashkenazi Jews.
The Lombard War felt like a Crusade. For all participants. Christians valiantly defended the faith, while the Aquitain armies were indoctrinated by Hereweald, who was still their king and, sadly, a brilliant leader who rushed from victory to victory. Especially in plains, his opponents feared the moment when the monarch's flank would advance on them, already imagining how they were surrounded. But there was resistance outside of the levy, and even within the army. Brave Catholics rose up in the lands of the man most responsible for this disaster – a man rewarded for his discovery and zeal with the office of Steward, Wulfgar of Holland. To pile on our misery, a Norse adventurer was raiding these lands and utterly destroyed the rebels.
It was then up to others to try and save Lombardy from the heathen threat. Adrien II of Dauphiné, Hereweald's Marshal and important commander. The day before the attack on the Christian forces in Lodi, he left without being noticed, causing great disorder in the Aquitain forces. But even without him, the king won the important battle against the combined crusading armies.
Another attempt to stop him was made, covertly this time. But Hereweald learned that there was a plot for his death. Even his court physician, the same Æthelburg that had treated Osweald before, seemed to be a part of it. Perhaps she regretted a probable mistake she made with the late king and tried to repair it? Hereweald survived the flu despite the poisonous fish – Æthelburg didn't.
Then came the turning point of the war, after over four years of mostly stalemate. Symeon the Frog had dealt with the threats for his throne, and his full might joined the cause of the pagan. One year later, Hildeprand was forced to surrender his crown. Could we still be saved? That remained to be seen. The Jews attacked.
