Chapter 14: Blizzard

“Misery, mutilation, destruction, terror, starvation, and death characterize the process of war and form a principal part of the product.” – Lewis Mumford.

Rome, Papal States. December 1071

The city was still a mess for Alexander’s Christmas mass. Between the Byzantine invasion and the riots earlier in the year, the city had seen much destruction over the past few years. It didn’t help that Alexander, like many nobles, didn’t care about the poor. They were not the source of his power, so why care about them? Many people ignored Christmas mass as they didn’t have much to celebrate; there were food shortages, taxes were crushing the few businesses left, and diseases plagued the slums.

Many people thought Pope Alexander paid the Byzantines to attack Rome and loot the city. When Alexander’s forces recovered the loot but failed to return it, it reinforced the rumor. In the same way, the people cheered the British, who had pulled the pope’s balls out of the vise and then tweaked his nose when they stole some of his most valuable looted possessions. Marion had since put those objects on display in York, so there was no question of who took them.

There was little celebration in southern Italy as the army prepared to invade Sicily again. This time, they would stay until the island belonged to Rome. To help with that objective, they would land at different places. Messina, Palermo, and Syracuse were the targeted cities for the invasion. The hope was if they could land a knockout blow to the Muslim rulers of Sicily, then the leaderless army that remained would be easy to mop up.

Frankfort, Holy Roman Empire. December 1071

On Christmas Day, Henry waited near the church altar in Frankfort for his new bride. Unlike his old wife, his new wife was a commoner named appropriately enough Brunhild, whose parents were farmers from Thuringia. He met her during an inspection tour of a new rail line running through the area. What attracted him to her was she wouldn’t put up with him while he was in the town’s tavern. She had been there to escort her drunk brother home again and wasn’t in the mood to tolerate men. Unlike most women, she had the strength and tenacity to back her. She looked like a Valkyrie from ancient myth as she had long platinum blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and stood just over 183cm tall with large breasts that stood straight out from her chest.

Even when she found out who Henry was, she didn’t waver as she looked him in the eye. It was Henry who blinked first, and he was hooked. When his guards attempted to remove Brunhild from Henry’s presence, he stopped them. To give himself more time with Brunhild, he helped her take her brother home, which also told him where she lived. Brunhild was reluctant to accept the aid, but her brother was a large man and was particularly belligerent.

The next morning, Henry took only his most trusted guard and visited Brunhild. He wanted to get to know her and hoped she would fall for him. The last thing he wanted to do was get her father to arrange the marriage since he wished Brunhild would love him and, therefore, be loyal to him.

At first, Brunhild shunned Henry, but he was persistent, and by the end of the day, she allowed him to help her with her chores. At one point, Brunhild’s father got Henry alone to find out what was happening. When Henry told him he was interested in Brunhild, her father agreed for Brunhild to the marriage. Henry ordered the father to stay out of it and not attempt to sway Brunhild’s decision one way or the other.

Henry even helped Brunhild prepare the family supper and sat with the family. That evening, when he was preparing to leave, Brunhild had a moment with him.

“Why are you so interested in me? I am nothing but a simple farm girl.”

“I am interested in you because you are “a simple farm girl.” I have never met anyone more beautiful and yet loyal as you. You went to a tavern loaded with drunken patrons to retrieve your brother. Loyalty is something I place a very high importance on since my former wife tried to have me killed.”

“But still. I am not nobility.”

“So. I am the emperor, and if it makes any difference to you, I can make you a member of the nobility.”

“But what about my family? They depend on my help with the farm.”

“What would you have told any man looking to court you? There comes a time in every young person’s life when they need to spread their wings. If it makes any difference to you, I can pay your family the difference in your labor so they can hire someone to help.” Brunhild took a deep breath.

“Very well, I accept you courting me, but you still need my father’s permission.”

“I have already told your father to stay out of it. I want you to love me for me, not because your father tried to push you into something you didn’t want.”

Brunhild was like a fish out of water as she was at a complete loss for words. What Henry proposed went against all customs, but that attracted Brunhild. She was never comfortable with having a spouse chosen for her as she saw what happened to some of her childhood friends. The only reason she wasn’t married already was she was so tall and intimidating.

Henry was scheduled to continue his inspection tour the next day and had to leave but promised to return within a week. He wished he could stay longer, but this tour was needed to judge how quickly he could move troops along the line once it was finished.

True to his word, Henry returned a week later but found Brunhild’s father had taken revenge when he promised her to the village blacksmith. Brunhild was torn. She had already started to fall for Henry, and the blacksmith was a brutish man known to beat his wives. Brunhild would have made his third, as the first two had died in mysterious circumstances.

Henry was furious with Brunhild’s father since he had promised to return for Brunhild. Once Henry heard about the man Brunhild was pledged to, he was enraged. A man like that had no business being free, never mind being married. Brunhild was to be married in two days, so he had to work fast and, with Brunhild’s help, tracked down friends and relatives of the blacksmith’s dead wives.

Within one day, Henry strongly suspected the blacksmith of murdering his wives, but to prove it. Proving the blacksmith murdered his wives was much easier than Henry would have thought. When the blacksmith heard some of his dead wives’ relatives were talking, he paid them a visit. His mistake was beating them within earshot of one of Henry’s guards. The blacksmith might have been a massive man, but he was no match for trained soldiers.

The guard dragged a bloody blacksmith before Henry and explained what had happened. That was enough for Henry, and he condemned the man to hang. The execution took place later that day, and many in the village cheered when the rope choked the life out of the blacksmith.

Brunhild stood next to Henry during the execution, and they could feel the attraction to each other. They could have married that day if Henry had been a commoner, but the wedding had to wait because he was emperor. Some procedures had to happen for Henry’s marriage to be accepted, and because of Brunhild’s humble roots, these procedures were one of the few things that would legitimize their matrimony.

To help Brunhild prepare, Henry moved her family into his palace in Frankfort and provided her with some ladies-in-waiting who would teach Brunhild everything she needed to know. It was a steep learning curve for Brunhild, but she was a very intelligent woman and learned quickly. Her biggest problem was keeping her brother out of trouble, but Henry had a solution. He locked Brunhild’s brother in a prison cell until the wedding with strict instructions for the guards to ensure he got no alcohol.

As his wedding day drew closer, Henry became more nervous, something he hadn’t dealt with when he married Bertha. Henry’s confessor suggested his love for Brunhild was the source of his nervousness. At first, Henry scoffed at the suggestion, but after talking with some older male servants, Henry realized his confessor was correct.

Christmas day dawned cold and clear as the storm system that pounded Paris hadn’t made it to Frankfort yet, but by the hour of the wedding, the snow had started. Luckily, the cathedral was within a few blocks of Henry’s palace.

The wedding was long but went smoothly. However, it was snowing sideways when it was time to leave, and drifts were piling up in front of buildings. It was suicide for anyone to try to go outside, never mind going from one building to another. Brunhild took it in stride, worked to make the best of it, and had her ladies help organize a party in the cathedral. The bishop who performed the wedding protested but was cowed by Brunhild’s imposing size.

Watching Brunhild, Henry didn’t think he could love her anymore. The bishop had been a pain in Henry’s rear for years, and to see him put in his place by his new wife made Henry feel a spike of pride for his bride. Brunhild’s party was successful, and nobody came away drunk. The worst thing for Henry was he couldn’t sample his new wife until they could return to the palace, as she insisted everyone sleep together in the smallest room possible so nobody would freeze to death.

Brunhild’s takeover of the festivities gave the numerous nobles in attendance plenty to talk about. However, none were brave enough to say anything to her face, especially after she picked up and threw a count after he made some disparaging remarks about her humble origins.

Two days after Christmas, Henry and his bride finally returned to the palace. Again, she had taken over and helped organize rescue efforts for the citizens whose houses collapsed under the weight of snow. Henry allowed her to take the lead and laughed when she forced the nobles who had attended their wedding to help dig people out of damaged buildings. She not only directed rescue efforts but also directly participated in them and helped rescue several people. After the storm, Brunhild was wildly popular with the people of Frankfort, and by extension, Henry’s popularity rose. Everyone knew of his wedding on Christmas Day, so seeing him postpone the after-wedding activities to help the people was well-received.

By the time the couple was ready for their first night together, Henry was so exhausted he could barely move. Brunhild took pity on him and had him roll on his stomach so she could rub his back. As Brunhild massaged Henry’s back, she could feel the knots slowly loosen and hear moans of pleasure come out of Henry’s mouth. With the knots gone, Henry rolled onto his back and pulled Brunhild to him. It was time to sleep as he wanted to ensure he had enough energy to give her an exciting first time.

When Henry woke up the following day, his first sight took his breath away. Brunhild was above him, wearing nothing but a smile. He was looking into his eyes, and with the sun behind her, she appeared to be an angel. Henry thought he was prepared for his new wife but was sorely mistaken. Before, he thought Gretchen had been a wildcat in bed, but she had nothing on Brunhild. She quickly figured out how to use her vaginal muscles to squeeze and massage Henry’s member. Being physically more powerful, she pinned Henry to the bed and rode him hard until he could no longer rise.

Luckily for Henry, Brunhild’s stomach started growling, signaling time to eat. While Brunhild had a well fucked glow, Henry had difficulty moving. If things had gone much longer, he swore he would have died, although if given the choice, that would be how he wanted to go out. Forget about dying in battle when he could die riding high in the saddle. When they passed the guards, many tried to hide their smirks while the officers slapped Henry on the shoulder to congratulate him for finding a real woman. As much as it pained him, Henry had to agree Brunhild was one hell of a woman.

Paris, France. December 1071

Philip sat at his desk, looking over the latest grain figures, and the migraine that had plagued him for the last few weeks returned. If the statistics were accurate, there most likely wouldn’t be enough grain to feed the population and have enough to plant the following spring. Even if almost all the farm animals were slaughtered, there still wouldn’t be enough grain, although the additional meat would add some string to the rope. What Philip needed was a large supply of grain quickly.

All day, Philip wrestled with the food shortage. He went so far as to allow anyone to kill game in the royal forest and anyone who could catch fish to take as many as they could, providing they shared their catch with others. Like slaughtering most of the farm animals, this would only add some string to the rope. After all, it was December, fishing would be difficult, and game animals wouldn’t carry much extra meat.

Things went from bad to worse the day before Christmas when a severe winter storm rolled over most of France. Across the northern and central parts of the country, a thick blanket of snow covered the countryside while the southern areas were pounded with rain and ice. In some places in northern France, people couldn’t open the doors to their homes. The roofs of some houses collapsed under the weight of snow, while in southern France, they were dealing with ice and flooding.

On Christmas morning, Philip looked over Paris and wondered if anyone was still alive. Paris had been hit particularly hard, and he had heard from several servants that numerous houses across the city had collapsed roofs. In contrast, others caught fire when the residents tried to keep warm by building larger fires. At least with the snow, fires couldn’t spread.

When Christmas mass was called, Philip refused to go, instead going into the city to help pull people out of damaged buildings. He couldn’t stand listening to the bishop recite words he had no idea of the meaning of while many ordinary people in the city struggled to say their last words.

Philip and his guards worked frantically for hours rescuing people before help arrived. To his surprise and dismay, his wife played a vital role in the relief effort. She directed people toward their castle where they could get into shelter and hopefully warm up. Inside the castle, people were grouped by family as much as possible. When suspected orphans were found, they were placed with families with few children. While Philip and his wife were rescuing the people of Paris, the bishop was furious the king would dare to stand him up on the second most important date of the Christian calendar.

The rescue efforts were halted once darkness fell. With the thick cloud cover and new moon, it was pitch black out, and torches were only an additional fire hazard. When Philip and Bertha returned to their quarters, Bertha flopped on the bed, exhausted.

“Oh, what I wouldn’t give to take a nice hot shower.” Philip looked at her blankly for some time before he paled. “Philip, what is the matter?”

“What did you say, Bertha?”

“What is the matter?”

“No, not that. Before that.”

“Oh, what I wouldn’t give to take a nice hot shower?”

“That’s the answer!” Philip exclaimed.

“The answer to what?”

“To how the people are going to survive the winter.”

“I’m not following you.”

“Bertha, think. Where is the only place you can get a hot shower.”

“Britain?” she replied after a moment of thought.

“Yes. Britain. Where they have large stores of grain.”

“And what makes you think Marion would help us? Her army almost destroyed us a couple of years ago.”

“But she also taught us how to love each other. I need to send a message to her to see if she would be willing to help.”

“And if she doesn’t?”

“Then large amounts of the population will perish this winter.”

Bertha took a deep breath, “Give me the message, and I’ll take it to her.”

“But Bertha, you’re pregnant!”

“Yes, I am pregnant, and if I stay here, the two of us might starve or be killed by disease this spring. How far are you willing to go to get enough grain?”

To Philip’s credit, he didn’t hesitate, “As far as I have to go to get enough. But Bertha, you cannot go.”

“Philip, I am going, so just accept it. You cannot go because someone has to lead the people, and I have never been much of a leader. I can take your mother with me so I don’t become lonely, and I think she would like to return to Britain.”

Philip looked at Bertha and saw he was defeated. She would be going on this mission no matter what he said. Accepting reality, Philip sat at his desk and wrote a letter to Marion begging for help. Once done, he looked at it, sighed, and sealed it. Marion was his country’s last hope, and it would be a long shot since she had proven herself expensive. Philip knew about the Norwegian deal that stripped Norway of all its Atlantic colonies.

“All right, Bertha. You win. Take my mother and a few guards with you. It would be best to leave tomorrow or the day after since the sooner you get to Britain, the better, as the people are starving. If Marion does not give us grain, do whatever you must; offer her whatever you have to in order to get the needed grain. It doesn’t matter what terms she offers Bertha; sign it and get the grain.”

“Yes, Philip. Philip?”

“Yes?”

“Since we won’t see each other for some time, will you make love to me all night tonight?”

Philip chuckled, “I don’t know about all night. I spent many hours outside today rescuing people, but I will make love to you as long as my body allows.”

With that, Bertha crossed to Philip and pulled him to bed. There, they engaged in a few hours of ancient pleasure before Philip collapsed from exhaustion. His last conscious act was to wrap Bertha in his arms and kiss her deeply.

It took a whole day for Bertha to get ready for her trip. The hardest part was finding enough food for her and her six-person entourage to travel to Britain. There wasn’t much food left, and all Bertha could get was a few kilograms of wheat, one small block of cheese, and some rats for meat. Bertha didn’t care since this was still more than most people got, and once she got to Britain, she could obtain more food.

The trip down the Seine was long, cold, and dangerous. Several times, pieces of ice threatened to capsize her boat, and exposure to the cold was a constant hazard. Due to the ice and cold, it took them almost a week to reach the Channel coast. However, when they arrived, they had to wait for a storm to pass, which set them back four more days.

Finally, they booked passage on a merchant ship traveling to London. That would get Bertha safely to Britain, as quickly as possible, while having her arrive at a place where she could get a train ticket to York.