Rise of Rurik

Sorkina sat unexpectedly in this hall, and everything so far was refreshing to her. She is a little shy at a young age, but she is by no means a fool in terms of brains.

The girl kept quiet and carefully thought about her current position. Although she still knew very little about the situation in the Kingdom of Ross, the tall blond man who carried her off the horse was the King of Ross, and this king actually asked an old man in golden armor. The man knelt down and saluted.

"An old man wearing pure gold armor? Are those bear heads behind him hunted by himself when he was young? It's so scary. But... it's not very scary." The girl caught in a little conflict could only listen. Knowing a few Norse words, it seems that the old man in golden armor is the father of King Rus?

Even his adoptive mother, the female noble who led troops to conquer the entire Polotsk, called the old man father.

Her eyes also noticed that when the adults were discussing some things in the northern language, her fiancé Karryurikovich, this boy kept poking his head to express something.

Sorkina wants to keep a low profile, so it's best not to let others observe her anymore. But she was decorated with jewels by Carlotta and sat here as a beautiful little girl in Nordic clothes. The moment she appeared in front of him, Otto had already noticed this child.

What she didn't know was that her very existence was one of the issues at this gathering of Ross's top nobles.

Otto's sword has been handed over to Rurik. The moment he handed the sword over, a sense of loss arose spontaneously.

Otto had always noticed little Karl who was eager to try, and simply waved his hand: "Maybe there is no need to talk about the war anymore. Karl, do you want to say something to grandpa? Come! Come to grandpa quickly." The little boy was waiting for this moment. He stood up suddenly, followed his grandfather's order, and rushed forward to sit next to him happily.

What else could Otto do? He stroked his grandson's head, neck, arms and waist, clearly checking whether the boy was strong and strong.

"You, you are still too thin. Karl, you are destined to lead the army in battle, eat more meat and fish, and become strong as soon as possible. Just like..." Otto couldn't help but glance at the smiling Rurik, and then said: "Just like me when I was younger."

"But grandpa." Little Kalnu said, "Were you very strong when you were young? It feels like...my arms are already as thick as yours."

"Boy, what are you talking about?" Otto was angry and funny. Sun Tong Yan Wuji looked at his arms. The shrinkage caused by aging was really shocking, and he couldn't say anything else.

Feeling that he had said the wrong thing, Karl's little eyes noticed the harsh look his mother gave him.

"Hey." Karl continued to rub against his grandfather,

"I'm already trying to eat more, and we've conquered Polotsk. Mom said that when I come of age, I will officially become the Duke of Ostara. Mom also chose a noble wife for me in Polotsk, so In a few years, I can... also be a father. Just like my father, I became a father very early." Little Carl was a little incoherent, but instead of feeling ashamed to say these words, he thought it was an extremely glorious thing.

"Are you the wife? Is your mother engaged to you?" Otto asked softly.

"That's her. My fiancée is right in front of you. Where is the author?" Karl pointed with his little hand. Now Sorkina, who had been keeping quiet, could no longer remain calm.

"It turns out to be her. I thought this girl was your servant..." Carlotta still needed to explain this matter. Otto immediately asked the mother of his grandson: "Carlotta, what is going on?"

"Father." Carlotta immediately moved forward on the wooden floor and faced Otto further: "Let me explain slowly." So, Sorkina Vyacheslavina is really Bo The direct female descendant of the old leader of Lotsk?

Otto and Rurik were in the north, and the specific situation in Polotsk could only be explained by those who had experienced it.

The Principality of Ostara was authorized to conquer there, and Duchess Carlotta enjoyed absolute power there.

If Carlotta says this girl is

The "Princess of Old Polotsk" she must be. But whether such a girl is noble is another matter. Whether she is worthy of Karl is another matter.

Here Sorkina is like a rag doll that can be dressed up by others, controlled by the strong. If you say she is noble, she is noble, and if you say she is the daughter of the defeated and she is a slave, then she is a slave.

Legally speaking, the early expansion of Rus was all attributed to Otto, while Rurik relied on his father's power to be the specific commander of the battle.

As long as Otto is still alive, he still has a lot of prestige in the current Kingdom of Ross. What's more, his son is still respectful to him, not only respecting himself as his father, but also respecting power - because Rurik's initial power came from his own gift, and he was given the opportunity to gain greater power through a series of measures.

"She is just an ordinary child. Since you think that the daughter of a defeated person is noble, you want to accept her as my grandson's wife. Carlotta, you have full power in this matter and there is no need to bring this girl to me. You ...You don’t have to ask anything from me.”

"Father." Carlotta said cautiously: "Your grandson Karl is born noble. He is a descendant of the Duke of Ostara family canonized by the King of Sweden. Now Rurik is the King of Sweden, so you are the King of Sweden. Of course, according to tradition, Rurik and I can make the final decision on Karl's marriage. You are a nobler being, and we really need your approval." Only true barbarians do not care about reputation and bloodline.

Although it was once called by the Franks

"Barbarians", a series of great northern families living in Northern Europe do not think of themselves as barbarians. Carlotta's hint was very straightforward, she hoped that Otto, the oldest and still alive person in the traditional Swedish world, would give Sorkina a status.

Not

"Duchess of Ostara", but a higher-ranking existence.

"I can give her a new identity. Rurik." Otto looked at his son: "Speaking of legal principles, you are the King of Rus and the King of Sweden. You can decide on this matter."

"Father. It's up to you to make the decision. It will be enough for me to approve it later."

"Okay. Now bring this girl to me. I want to see her myself." Sorkina always wanted to be transparent, but now the old man held her chin and looked at her carefully.

As the conqueror of the Novgorod region, Otto naturally understood Slavic languages. He carefully examined the girl and couldn't help but think of his eldest granddaughter Velika and Queen Svetlana when she was a child.

What was very strange was that when the old man looked at her carefully, Sorkina was not afraid. She answered some questions calmly, to the old man's unsmiling satisfaction.

"A Slavic girl from Polotsk, but she dresses like a Swedish girl. Since Karl is one year older than you and me, you can be his sister for the time being. But you are not a Swedish girl, and your thin arms are unable to hold a sword. , you can’t be a human Valkyrie at all. However, you can be a noble..." As if the old man was talking to himself, Sorkina was a little confused. At least now she understood that this old man was once The supreme ruler of Rus.

"Sorkina! Child! Now, kneel half in front of me, like a warrior." Otto's abrupt order surprised everyone present.

After being stunned for a moment, Sorkina mechanically followed the instructions and knelt down on one knee to salute like a real warrior.

"You are not a warrior, you do not have the qualifications to be a warrior. This... is not a big problem." After saying that, Otto's old right hand directly clasped Sorkina's Tianling Cap, announcing to all the people who were looking forward to it: " I! Otto! King of Rus and King of Sweden. I canonize you, Sorkina!, as Duchess of Polotsk. From now on, Polotsk and Ostara merge! I recognize you, Solkina Vyacheslavina is the legitimate wife of my grandson Karl Rurikson." Even if his father did not perform a canonization ceremony, Rurik wanted to find time to do a ceremony to make Solkin Jin Na has a clear noble identity.

After all, Rose is no longer what she used to be. In the final analysis, Sorkina is just the daughter of the defeated, and her status automatically becomes a slave. It is difficult to say that this kind of woman is worthy of her noble son.

She had to be at least a countess. Rurik didn't expect that his father might just give it to her on a whim.

The title of "Duke", is this too high? But then I thought about it. King Olegin of Sweden at that time sealed off all the Swedish tribal chiefs and families.

"Duke", regardless of the strength of each tribe, has the same legal status. This is very important!

At that time, the Ostara tribe, which was almost wiped out due to the war, had the status of a principality. The noble status placed here made it possible for Ostara to quickly revive under the control of Ross and even authorize its external expansion.

Even Otto's canonization of Sorkina as a duchess is a stroke of genius - in this way, Polotsk has become a closed city of the Rus' Kingdom, and the king has the responsibility and obligation to defend Polotsk from the Smolensk army. ravaged.

Perhaps Otto just gave his grandson a noble status because he loved his precious grandson to avoid his grandson being humiliated.

Rurik, who had deeper thoughts, decisively agreed with his father's proposition. There was great joy in the hall, and a noble female vassal came into being.

However, the person involved, Sorkina, did not yet understand the great change in her identity. The men and women all smiled cheerfully, and her nervous heart was completely relieved.

There is no doubt that Sorkina is a complete illiterate. Fortunately, she is only eight years old and is still young, so it is not too late to start learning cultural knowledge.

Rurik also just learned that the girl's parents died in the war in 841. In that war, Ross's position was completely

"Intruder". Now it can really be said that Polotsk has been completely integrated into the territory of Russia. After the war, only a group of docile people seem to be left in the area.

Are they really obedient people? Friendly relationships require collusion through some major events, and the best opportunity is to form a coalition to jointly attack others.

Well now, Vadim has brought troops to invade, and Rurik instantly has another reason to send troops. The so-called

"Defend the Rus' feudal state of Polotsk principality". Therefore, with Sorkina having a clear status as a vassal, the defenders of the Novopolotsk fortress wanted the occupying army to transform into an allied army.

But the Novopolotsk Fortress is located on the West Dvina River in the far south. Even if the Russian cavalry wants to save it, it will not be able to kill it in three or two days.

Fortunately, this is a special period, and there is no assembly cost for the Russian standing army at all, because the army is basically in a state of assembly and training before the autumn harvest.

Carlotta temporarily lived in Novgorod with her two children. She had a heart-to-heart chat with Queen Svetlana and recalled the days when they lived together in the past.

Little Karl wanted to call the queen his aunt, so Sorkina also had an aunt in a foreign land.

Everything was new. Being in a huge city protected by thick walls and defended by a large army, Sorkina felt an unprecedented sense of security.

Just in the past, even if she was indeed the granddaughter of the old leader, the backward production and lifestyle could not ensure that the native nobles of Polotsk were well clothed and well fed.

Girls like her, like other village girls, have to participate in collective labor at a young age.

On the other hand, the Rus' nobles living in Novgorod already live a comfortable life. While the canonization was taking place during the day, Svetlana and her son Osborne were doing other things.

Although he was not present, the moment he learned about Sorkina's new identity, he realized what it meant - today's Sorkina is probably like Carlotta in the past.

Where is Polotsk? It is said that it is the far south, an existence even more remote than the Vitebsk Fortress, the southernmost stronghold in the Rus' interior.

Traveling from Vitebsk to Novgorod at a death-horse speed, it would take at least a week of non-stop running.

The sufficient spatial distance hinted at something that was enough to reassure Svetlana. It was said that when the tough little Karl succeeded to the position of Duke, this kid would have to travel to the south of the kingdom, causing his power to completely leave the Kingdom of Ross. core area.

Realizing that there was no need to be wary, the beautiful queen showed full love to her visiting sister Carlotta and her two children, a boy and a girl.

The bronze oil lamps on the wooden walls of the house were lit, and the flames of thirty-two chandeliers hanging from the beams gave the house a brighter light.

This is a wing of the Novgorod Palace. It is not a formal house, but it is enough for the nobles to spend a warm and comfortable family life.

Svetlana prepares a dinner to entertain her sister from afar. She has learned that the war broke out suddenly. It was not Ross who took the initiative to attack, but the old enemy Vadim who had escaped suddenly appeared.

She was an eyewitness to the war ten years ago. As the youngest daughter of the nobles of the White Tree Manor, she dressed up like a Valkyrie. After being incorporated into the Ross army, she personally controlled the crossbow and participated in the war.

This royal period allowed her and Carlotta to share the same hatred. After all, it was learned from the prisoners of war that Vadim was too ambitious and tried to conquer the entire north with the Krivich community in Smolensk.

A delicious meal is placed on the table, which is noodles with venison sauce made from sifted fine noodles, and sauerkraut juice is added to enhance the flavor.

There are also thick cheesy mushroom soups, pastries drizzled with honey, and even sweet, sour and frothy rye kvass.

This is not a rich and delicious meal. In Svetlana's opinion, it is just a daily family dinner. This was a strong mental stimulation for Sorkina. The excessive sweetness from the honey deeply stimulated her heart. As well as the strange food like noodles, she couldn't stop eating delicious food without asking anyone to teach her.

The little girl grabbed a wooden fork and dug into the large bowl of noodles to devour. For the first time in her life, she stuffed her stomach with carbohydrates. Under the strong stimulation of carbohydrates, she soon felt extremely sleepy... Indeed, it continued. After many days of horse riding and marching, it is good that the little girl can persist without falling asleep until now.

Sorkina was drowsy, as was Karl, who was full. The two children gathered together, ignoring the food on the table, and lay cuddled together on the deerskin blanket. Seeing this, Svetlana called the servant, so a calico blanket temporarily covered the two of them. .

The older brother and sister fell asleep due to exhaustion. Little Osborne, who wanted to play with the two of them, had no choice but to continue sitting next to his mother with his arms crossed. After a while, the kid also fell asleep.

"Hey, the kids are all asleep. Do we still have to wait for Rurik?" Carlotta asked with a smile.

"Him?" Svetlana curled her lips in pretense of embarrassment: "The war is indeed urgent, so it's not like Rurik was so anxious, right? He just raided and reorganized his troops at night, as if they were going to send out troops tomorrow morning. .”

"I'm really anxious. I can't wait for the Ross Cavalry to dispatch immediately. As for these two children." Carlotta glanced at the two sleeping people and said,

"Karl and Sorkina can stay here. Do I need you to take good care of them for me?"

"That's no problem. I know how to fight, but Karl is not good enough to go to the battlefield. Even if Sorkina has a noble status, she is not a female warrior. It's just that Karl, as Rurik's son, what if this kid clamors for help? Go to war. What do you... do?"

"I'll let him stay in Novgorod." Carlotta shrugged.

"Without my son by my side, I can fight without any worries."

"When do you plan to set off? How long do you want to stay in Novgorod? I will ask my brother to help you gather military supplies quickly."

"Thank you." Carlotta looked satisfied: "It depends on when Rurik is ready. Obviously you know him best."

"Maybe in three days at most, the Ross cavalry will go south. Rurik is blessed by the great god of the north, and he will look down wherever the army goes. No wind or snow can stop this winter war. I wish you, sister, and my stay the best. Rick... has achieved a decisive victory. It would be better to capture Vadim, or if that doesn't work, cut off his head. Just like all the Varyags say, use the skull of your enemy as a wine cup." It's hard to imagine. Such arrogant words came from the mouth of Queen Svetlana, who was of pure Slavic descent. Carlotta was very pleased to hear this and was extremely satisfied.

"I'm afraid you'd rather go into battle yourself and kill that Vadim."

"Let him escape ten years ago, which resulted in this winter's war. Alas..." Svetlana couldn't help but lower her head and support her growing belly: "Osborne needs a younger brother. I have no choice but to rest now. "