The weather is extremely cold, and now in the far east, Princess Mary has her fantasy life and her belly that is already too big to be bigger.
She was forced to hobble, and even walking became a luxury in recent days. The severe contractions were as painful as a tsunami hitting the rocks, and her spirit almost collapsed.
Those maids who arrived in Novgorod on Rurik's orders took on the important task of taking care of the Mercian princess.
When things got to this point, it was obvious that the child in her belly was just one step away from being born.
Rurik was busy with his own major career and objectively alienated this wife and concubine. Considering his status, he really shouldn't pay too much attention to her. She was a prisoner of war, and the treatment she received today was purely a reward from the Prince of Rus. She is also a flag, including the child in her belly.
It was indeed his own flesh and blood, and Old Otto also knew that he was looking forward to this grandchild, hoping to be a baby boy.
The pain in her stomach since last night made Mary feel like something was very different. Those maids panicked and claimed that the Princess of Mercia was about to give birth to a prince!
When Rurik got the news in the early morning, he hurriedly ran into Mary's bedroom with complicated emotions.
In front of her, she was lying on a wooden bed, covered with a thick blanket.
Her face was covered with sweat, and her whole face always gave people a serious feeling of weakness.
"Sir..." The servant who was taking care of her immediately stood up and retreated when he saw the prince's arrival.
"It doesn't matter."
Rurik raised his hand to signal them to continue, and walked up.
The frail girl always gives people strong sympathy. Although she is a female prisoner and her bloodline is questionable, she is indeed the princess of Mercia who once enjoyed the hegemony of Britain. A generation of strong countries fell into weak ones, and the princess moved to Novgorod, two thousand kilometers east. The child she would give birth to would be the heir to the throne of Mercia.
Mary kept gritting her teeth. According to Europeans of this era, it was normal for a woman of this age to have children.
But in Rurik's opinion, she was still too young, and the possibility of dystocia for such a woman to be a mother was too great.
He pulled Mary's hand out of the blanket and put it against her face: "Are you okay? You are very weak..."
Mary slowly opened her eyes, forced a smile, and her eyes twitched as if she wanted to say something.
Rurik quickly put his ear to it.
Her eyes were filled with tears and her tone was soft: "I... have been in pain for a day. I have tried hard, but I... I am weak. I am an unclean woman, and this must be God's punishment for me."
"You..." Rurik suddenly stood up straight, his expression that was still pitiful just now suddenly became serious, "That's ridiculous, I am the son of Odin, you will give birth to the child safely."
"But I... am not one of Odin's dependents. The Lord is punishing me and letting me suffer this kind of suffering. Everything is fate. I should have died two years ago! I... my life is a joke."
It became difficult for her to speak, and after speaking a long sentence in front of her, she became very angry.
Rurik hurriedly patted her face, trying to wake up the confused woman.
Mary opened her eyes again, and the situation was still the same.
Rurik began to glare at the maids, causing them to kneel on the ground one after another in fear.
"You all stand up! Get me some honey water. If she loses her strength, she won't be able to give birth to the baby at all!"
They got the order and hurried to prepare honey. Rurik became increasingly aware of the seriousness of the situation. Unexpectedly, Mary suddenly stretched out her hand and grabbed Rurik's arm. She clearly had something important to talk about.
"Rurik, I...this is my fate. If I really die, burn me...according to your etiquette. I am your woman after all, maybe Odin will accept my soul. But I The children, both male and female, are the heirs of the royal family of Mercia. Just like you said, you will support this child to become the new king of Mercia."
"Yes, that's my decision. Whether you are really Wiglaf's daughter or not, it doesn't matter. Ironred of Northumbria, that fellow knows you are here with me. And some of Frank's The nobles also know that the princess of Mercia is in my hands."
"Ah, that's good." A smile appeared on her chapped lips, and she breathed a sigh of relief: "It's time to give the child a name."
"What do you call him?"
"I've already decided. The boy's name will be Reglaf, and the girl's name will be Reglafnis."
What does a name like this mean? Rurik figured it out easily.
He looked at Mary's trembling eyes: "You are indeed taking revenge on those two men."
She smiled with great relief: "I am an unclean woman, and my child is not. My child is also your child, let my child go and create another kingdom. It's just..."
"Just what?"
"Children must be baptized and canonized."
"Is this... really necessary? You can actually think of this level?" Rurik asked.
"It is very necessary!" Her eyes seemed to have suddenly grown two knives. "Any king who wants to gain a foothold in Britain must at least believe in the Supreme Lord. Even if those nobles are hypocritical and unclean, they must do this. If I really die , please tell... tell the child. His mother loves him, he is the only heir to the throne of Mercia, and the new Mercia must... form an alliance with Ross. Isn't this what you want, it is the reason why you have kept me until now. "
The words were so deafening that Rurik couldn't believe they came from her mouth.
Looking back, she realized that she had become a man's toy, and all she could think about was revenge. She is indeed forbearing enough, so she is not a cowardly idiot. It's just that she is naturally weak. If she were a man, she would definitely become a tough guy who is good at power. Rurik felt a little guilty because he clearly hurt her. If she hadn't been pregnant now, she wouldn't be facing a life-or-death dilemma.
No! It's not that serious yet
"Don't say such depressing words. You are too weak. Drink some honey water in a while and everything will be fine. I want you to be the Queen of Mercia."
"I hope so. If I... Rurik." Mary squeezed out another word: "Do you know about Caesar?"
"Caesar? You?! No, it's not that extreme."
"No matter what, you must protect the child, it is your flesh and blood. You must know that, since you know, I hope you will do it then. You are... my only man."
After saying this, she became weak and fainted, leaving Rurik scratching his head.
Where is this "toiling all day long"? Rurik guessed that she didn't want to expose the fact that she was having a difficult childbirth, so she had been keeping it to herself for two days or more.
Having endured extreme pain, no matter how strong a person is, he can die from exhaustion!
The honey water finally came, and Mary was forced to drink some, but the effect was really limited. At this moment, Rurik desperately hoped for a bottle and a hose to deliver glucose directly to her blood vessels.
After this incident, Mary's difficult childbirth could no longer be hidden.
Rurik had no clue about this kind of thing. Fortunately, there was a stable woman here in Novgorod, and my wife Niya also took action herself.
Mary has been working hard with the help of a group of so-called experienced old women, but it seems that everything is in vain.
Niya couldn't understand it at all. This woman opened two fingers and there was no change. It was as if there was an invisible force blocking the window for new life to come into the world.
Only then did Niya realize that the noblewoman whose only son Rurik spared from the battlefield was originally unclean, but the child in her belly was sacred. Or the evil force is resisting and wants to strangle the child and the mother together.
This was a decisive battle. Niya quickly called the concubines and maids under Rurik's command, hoping that through them they could chant the prayer mantras passed down by the Russians since ancient times, praying to Freya, the god of fertility, to drive away evil and pray for the safety of mother and child.
The girls all sang with tears as they watched the elder sister they were all familiar with suffer here. She is a very good sister, with a naturally noble status, understands Latin, and teaches everyone how to please a man (Rurik). Now...
Mary still didn't give up. Her face turned red and pale at times. The more than twenty women gathered indoors had no clue, and the men waiting outside the door were even more helpless.
Rurik and Otto waited with livid faces. It was quite cold outside. A clay pot was placed in front of them and lit with wooden blocks to keep warm.
John Ingvar was ordered to pray for Mary. To be honest, he despised this unclean woman. Whether voluntarily or not, this woman had a very bad and improper relationship with her father and brother. According to the law, he was punished by death, and even the gentlest punishment was to be sent to a monastery to perform asceticism for the rest of his life.
Mary kept wailing and the women encouraged.
Caesarean section was a caesarean section. In Mary's current condition, only such an operation could allow her to give birth to the baby safely. But wait! Is this kind of medical technology available across Europe? Even if the child can be cut out successfully, the mother will undoubtedly die.
Rurik thought back to what Mary said to him, and they were clearly his last words.
Another whole day of tossing, immersed in all kinds of pain, but the child still hasn't come out.
Things are already very dangerous, and the child might be suffocated to death in the mother's belly.
At night, Rurik had no intention of sleeping peacefully. With bloodshot eyes, he stayed in the cubicle and huddled up to take a nap.
The night was already deep, and a burst of crazy noise woke him up.
A maid went crazy and broke into Rurik's bed and shouted: "Blood! A lot of blood! Mary..."
Disaster struck. When Rurik finally broke into Princess Mary's room, she was already covered in blood. A room full of oil lamps made the room very bright and highlighted the horror of blood.
Dystocia causes heavy bleeding? No!
Rurik rushed forward, half-knelt down beside her, and put his finger against her nose, and she lost her breath.
He was startled suddenly, his right hand hurriedly reached into the bedclothes, and his big hand covered her heart directly, but there was no movement...
Niya was trembling with fear, and the maids who insisted on chanting the mantras were also cowered in fear.
"What happened?" Otto suddenly broke in.
Rurik turned his head quickly and tried to suppress his emotions: "She is dead."
"Ah?! No! Where is the child? Both mother and child are dead."
"The child is still alive for the time being, that must be the case. It's just..." Rurik gritted his teeth, "This is her fate. She is unclean, but the child is innocent. She anticipated all this and entrusted me to do it no matter what. To save this kid. Dad, you should know what that is."
Otto was surprised by this sudden situation, and he was heartbroken while still maintaining the magnanimity of an old leader. Otto ordered all the female relatives to evacuate in an old voice, and the wooden door was immediately closed.
Mary was as calm as if she had fallen asleep. She had tried her best, but she did not die of exhaustion, but died of the most terrifying hemorrhage during childbirth.
Amniotic fluid embolism? Dirty amniotic fluid enters the circulatory system and causes cardiac arrest in a very short time.
Death is so sudden that the unborn child who has lost the maternal supply can survive for a short period of time. If hesitates for a while, the child will really be hopeless.
A piece of linen covered Mary's face, and at the same time Rurik drew a sharp steel sword...
"Reglaf, the true king of Mercia. Your mother has done her best. Now, my father is here to save you!"
Rurik completed the Caesar cut without words, and a baby boy was held out by his father with trembling hands. For a moment, the airtight room was filled with continuous baby howls, which were heartbreaking.
…
It was all over, Mary's young life was over.
Maybe this is fate!
As Hanukkah and the Slavic winter solstice festival approached, one of his wives and concubines died unexpectedly.
Mary's body was taken care of decently, and she was completely wrapped in a colorful linen cloth. Rurik decided to follow her last wishes and cremate her according to Viking customs, so that Paradis would not accept her as unclean. Soul, perhaps Odin's Asgard would be willing to accept it.
Rurik washed his hands, feeling very dazed.
The newborn Reglaf was temporarily held by his grandmother Niya, and Medved immediately rushed to the sleeping house to find a wet nurse for the child.
Rurik wiped his face with snow, and the cold managed to calm his spirit. He found John Invall, who was waiting for orders, and slapped the frightened young man in the face.
"Sir, she is the Princess of Mercia. You actually..."
"This is Caesar, as you should know very well. You see, your god punished the unclean souls, but spared Reglaf. This child is Reglaf, the heir to the throne of Mercia. You are the one appointed by Mary. Baptizer, tell me, is it allowed according to your rules and conditions?"
John Ingvar hesitated for a while.
"Give me something sweet to say."
"Yes. I am a northern priest appointed by my teacher, and I am qualified to baptize."
"Then do it quickly! Do it tomorrow!"
"As commanded."
The Russians and Slavs do not pay attention to three-day funerals, and neither ethnic group cares about the form of funerals.
The incident happened very suddenly, but the Russians and local Slavs, who are habitable in Novgorod, were not concerned about the death of a woman. In fact, many Vikings, including the Russians, felt that the dead one was just a captured slave. He was a toy of the Duke, and he died as soon as he died.
This is indeed the case, so Mary was very low-key when she was alive.
The next day, Rurik struggled to stay awake after not sleeping all night.
A baptism ceremony was being held in the room with a simple cross. John Ingvar, a Dane whose religious membership belonged to the Frankish Hamburg diocese, personally baptized the newborn Reglaf. The earthenware urn served as the basin and the earthenware cup served as the Holy Grail. When the well water was blessed, it became holy water, the water was heated to a warm temperature, and John Invall completed the ceremony with the child's screams.
Maid servants from Britain became temporary nuns, and some were kidnapped from the Kingdom of Mercia. They witnessed the birth of a little prince just like the legendary Caesar. Perhaps this child would indeed become a man of the hour in Mercia because of his Viking ancestry. The maids lamented his poor birth and hoped that everything would be fine.
For John Invall, this matter must be reported truthfully by him personally writing a letter to his teacher Eskil. Now this matter is not difficult. For the great cause, the teacher relies on building a monastery in the free Hedeby. The Principality of Rus happens to have shops there, so the letter will be delivered smoothly.
Finally, when Reglaf's identity was recognized by the Diocese of Hamburg, his religious membership was granted. If this child had the opportunity to go to Rome when he grew up and get official witnesses, he would be the irrefutable king of Mercia. Even if he did not control a clear territory, he would be the legitimate king of Mercia. As for matters after baptism, it was not within the jurisdiction of John Ingvar, a young priest.
Also on this afternoon, a small fire tower was erected on the shore of the frozen lake.
The cross pendant made of Mary's silver and the cut off brown hair are the holy relics Mary left to her son. Rurik deliberately left these objects to his son Reglaf, so that he could use these objects to remind his future heirs: Your eldest brother is Zhengshuo of the Mercian royal family and will not compete with you for the power of Rus. .
More than 3,000 people gathered for the princess's funeral. Whether it was a funeral or a happy event, it was indeed a major event. The locals lacked entertainment and even regarded participating in the funeral as a kind of entertainment.
Neither the king nor the prince of Mercia had such a funeral after their death in battle.
Many people said that the Duke went too far in caring for a slave girl in this way. Some people said that the woman was a noble and had given birth to a child for the Duke, so she should be honored. The largest number of Slavs are simply watching the excitement. They see it freshly, thinking that the funerals of Varangian nobles are no different from Slavic funerals. A fire burns away the ashes and returns to dust, and the soul goes to a beautiful place. The place.
Rurik held a torch in front of everyone and looked at the man wrapped in cloth on the top of the tower.
"Mary, everything is over. I hope you are reborn and live happily in a new world."
The torch was thrown into the firewood, and slowly the entire wooden tower began to burn.
People watched all this solemnly, and a baby's cry attracted everyone's attention.
The person crying was none other than the infant Reglaf. He was held by his grandmother Niya, who also had tears on her face.
