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Chapter 79 The Queen of Denmark and the Pirate Princess (6k)

Denmark, Copenhagen.

The mighty fleet stopped at the pier, with bright red sails fluttering.

A tall figure wearing close-fitting leather armor stood at the bow of the ship, with a tall gray-gold horse tail swaying in the wind, and shouted loudly: "Copenhagen, I'm back!"

"what sound?"

On the pier, some sailors took a look and exclaimed: "It's a storm in the North Sea!"

"A storm in the North Sea?"

Many people cast curious eyes: "The famous legendary female pirate Alvirda?"

"Are we going to escape?"

"The dock guards didn't respond, and she has a good reputation, so don't use it."

Someone said with interest: "It is rumored that Alvirda is the princess of a small kingdom in Scandinavia."

"Because she was dissatisfied with the king's father's arrangement for her marriage, she changed into a man's costume and disappeared into the sea with her maids."

"After encountering a group of pirates, she defeated and replaced the captain of the pirates. The princess transformed into a female pirate. She only wants money to rob her."

"I heard that many businessmen regard this as an adventure at sea, second only to mermaids and sirens. Unfortunately, I have never heard of a man getting the love of a pirate princess. However, many women said..."

In this vast sea of ​​ice, countless pirates ebb and flow, and there are also female pirates, but too few of them can achieve legendary names. The sailors listen to it as a story and are amazed.

Such stories of legendary female pirates are always more interesting than the stories of smelly men like Hydra pirates, sea wolves, and the Victur Brotherhood.

"Actually, there are quite a few legendary female pirates."

A well-informed sailor said: "I've heard that there are five legendary female pirates."

"Tyvota, the pirate queen of the Balkans."

"Saida Al Hera, the Banshee of the Mediterranean Sea."

"Anne and Mary, the twin pirates of Ireland."

"England's Sea Witch, Francis Drake."

"And our North Sea pirate princess Alvirda."

"Boy."

A sailor who disembarked reminded: "Now we are called the Danish pirate princess. She is already the queen's adopted daughter."

"The queen's adopted daughter? No wonder she went to Copenhagen to replenish her supplies."

"Wait, doesn't that mean the queen is back too?"

The sailors on the pier realized something and stared at the bow of the giant dragon boat with wide eyes.

Seems like they don't want to disappoint.

At this time, a woman with black hair and black eyes walked to the side of the pirate princess.

Her hair was tied up, and her face couldn't be seen, but just looking at her body, you could feel an indescribable sense of beauty.

That's something the young pirate princess next to her doesn't have.

A sailor murmured softly: "It doesn't look like you're 40 years old at all."

"What a buttless queen...Albert of Mecklenburg, even if he wants to use a derogatory nickname, be realistic!"

The Swedish throne is not the first time the Queen of Denmark and the Germanic Duke Albert have clashed.

Ingeborg, sister of the Queen of Denmark, married Henry III, Duke of Mecklenburg, Albert's biological father.

More than ten years ago, when the old Danish king died, the Duke of Mecklenburg peeped at the Danish throne and wanted to let the power of the Grand Duchess of Germany extend into the North Sea.

But this plan was spoiled by the Queen of Denmark.

At the first moment of the death of the old Danish king, Margaret I, who had just turned 22 years old, disregarded the demands of her sister's husband, Henry III, Duke of Mecklenburg, and their son Albert, and let her infant son Olbert Raff is elected King of Denmark.

She later became the queen regent of Denmark on the grounds that her son was too young to rule independently, and in the following ten years proved herself to be an able and shrewd ruler.

The Queen of Denmark and the Duke of Mecklenburg are relatives in name, but they are also old rivals for more than ten years.

As a nephew, Albert gave his aunt many derogatory nicknames.

The buttless queen is one of the more popular ones.

But as long as anyone who has seen the Queen of Denmark knows that although she is far inferior to her daughter-in-law Ingrid, she is by no means hipless.

“Totally Ripe”

boom!
The companion elbowed him hard: "Shut up if you don't want to die!"

"I'm just talking."

The sailor rubbed his belly: "The queen won't care either."

"Because of this, we must respect the Queen even more!"

"You're right."

"Speaking of which, why does the queen like traveling so much?"

"This is not important, cheer me now!"

"Her Majesty the Queen!"

"Long live the Queen!"

The sailors cheered the Queen of Denmark.

It is now the 18th year of Margaret I's reign in Denmark.

Under her rule, law and order were well maintained, aristocratic indulgence was severely suppressed, and a sound economic foundation was established.

During this process, every measure she took harmed the interests of powerful classes, but she was always able to use her political skills to accurately balance the contradictions between the church and the nobles, and finally made these people willing.

For example land was taken back from the nobility.

Favor the church and its institutions, use the church to exert influence, and return the property previously granted to the secular nobles to the royal family again.

Hundreds of lands that had been ceded during the reign of Valdemar IV were all returned to the hands of the Danish royal family, weakening the power of institutions and platforms that served the nobility, and severely suppressing the nobles' unbridled use of privileges.

The power of the royal family has greatly increased, they have mastered huge wealth, have a large amount of money at their disposal, and are willing to donate to charity.

The Queen of Denmark began to actively influence the appointment of senior church members, selecting and training church officials from an early age, and influencing the dioceses in the territory.

Although this violated the canon law and caused many bishops to complain, for the sake of gold and silver, the Pope affectionately called: "Margaret, by the grace of God, daughter of King Valdemar of Denmark, we are in Christ beloved daughter Margaret, the best queen of Denmark."

Danish civilians don't care what they think of the two major classes above them.

All they knew was that the Queen of Denmark made them live a good life, cheering spontaneously, welcoming the return of the Queen of the city.

"Long live the Queen!"

"Long live the Queen!"

Margaret I waved to them kindly, and got off the boat with the help of her goddaughter Alvirda.

There are colorful old houses on the shore, row upon row of beer houses, various wooden boats with masts erected in the canal, and sailors can be seen everywhere.

Fishermen and peddlers hawked their wares, and young priests spoke in the clearings about how one can wash away one's sins.

A colorful and lively harbor.

"I haven't been back to Copenhagen for a long time."

Alvilda said carelessly: "I heard that the most famous beer here is Carlsberg beer. Would you like to have a drink together and enjoy the sunset and customs of Newport?"

Actually talking to the queen like this?
The guards all stared wide-eyed and put their hands on the hilt of their swords, wanting to teach this female pirate a lesson for blaspheming their goddess.

The Queen of Denmark raised her hand to stop them, and said with a smile: "It's a good choice, I will accompany you tonight."

Alvirda was also somewhat softened by this motherly and loving smile.

She scratched the scar on her cheek: "Forget it if you are so busy, and I just finished the voyage and I want to go to bed early and rest."

After chatting for a while, the fleet matters were arranged.

Viking longships require few hands to maintain.

In addition to those who were still on duty, the other sailors were all thinking about how to release them after they got their holidays, and they rushed off the ship happily to find a place to have fun.

Margaret I got into the carriage, left the colorful harbor, and came to the inner block, and saw many sailors getting into the alleys.

The first impression given by these small alleys is that of chaos.

There are no theaters, no towering churches and bell towers. Instead, there are low-rise and stone houses, as well as the essential prostitutes selling laughter.

"Wow."

Alvirda whistled like a rascal: "The whores in Copenhagen are prettier than those in Gotland."

Margaret I closed her eyes.

The pirate princess glanced at the godmother's reaction from the corner of her eye: "You are the queen, if you don't want to see it, you can stop it?"

Margaret I said softly: "There are some things that even a queen can't do."

Alvilda was curious: "The Queen can't do it either? Aren't you trying to make the church and nobles lose their temper?"

In the past, it was possible to make use of the conflicts between the church and the secular nobles, but if they have no conflicts and cooperate with each other, the queen can't stop it arbitrarily.

Moreover, there are too many people without wives, and the ratio of men to women is out of balance. This is the driving force for men to go to sea, and it also leads to strong demand. It is difficult to eradicate what is driven by human factors.
Margaret I tried, but failed.

Even the most beloved daughter of the heavenly father, the most excellent queen, can only use part of the royal family's income to do charity and improve the situation of some women. There is no way to change the general environment.

When standing on the other side of everyone, the beloved daughter will also be beaten as a witch
Margaret I sighed softly in her heart, there was no disturbance on the surface, and she did not tell these things to her goddaughter.

Even Alvirda didn't understand.

Apart from being full of marine military, the pirate princess Alvirda has no political talent at all.

That's why I'm trying to keep it under control.
Margaret I changed the subject: "What is the situation in Gotland now?"

Alvirda said casually: "The development is not bad, but the Germanic influence is getting stronger and stronger. There are 20 district courts, and most of the judges elected by the island courts are Germanic."

"I think it may have something to do with your father's invasion back then."

"When I went to Gotland, I saw a rune stone standing on the pier, saying that 1500 Gotland people were killed in the invasion."

"A lot of people died, and the population was replaced by Germans, and it has completely looked like a European town."

The pirate princess said lazily.

Margaret I was lost in thought.

Gotland is one of the largest islands in the Nordic world and one of the legendary origins of the Goths.

From a defensive point of view, Gotland occupies a very critical strategic position in the Baltic Sea.

If the Baltic Sea is a circle, then Gotland occupies the center of the circle, the eye of the game in the Baltic Sea.

There has been a saying in the past that 'whoever gets Gotland gets the Baltic Sea'.

Even if this statement is a bit exaggerated, if Gotland can be obtained, it will definitely be able to guard the Swedish waterway and affect the strategic balance of the Swedish throne battle.

Margaret I often traveled to various Nordic countries, not only for real hobbies but also for ruling.

She has had a dream since she was a child: to establish a unified North Sea Empire.

Each alone is a poor and weak nation, facing danger from all sides, but the three together form a mighty empire.

Strong enough to withstand attacks and intrigues from all enemies, and to keep the Baltic Sea safe from foreign dangers.

This trip was specifically for Alvirda, to subdue an admiral, and then prepare for the subsequent battle for the Swedish throne.

If the war for the Swedish throne did break out, Gotland would become a springboard for the Germans.

This is a good test target.

Location is important, but because it is not the land of Sweden, it will not touch the nerves of many Swedish nobles too much.

Margaret I said: "Are you sure?"

Alvirda patted his flat chest: "With the troops you lent me, except for the fact that the Victur Brotherhood is a problem, capturing Gotland is not a problem!"

Margaret I nodded.

The Victur Brotherhood is also her old rival.

With the support of the Germans, its power has grown rapidly. In recent years, due to the harassment of this group of people, the maritime trade in the Baltic Sea has almost collapsed.

She even thought about forming an alliance with the King of England and letting her son marry the Princess of England again, so as to establish a purely defensive alliance against pirates. Later, due to some reasons, she failed, so she could only increase the escort and barely maintained the waterway.

Gotland is the stronghold of this gang.

As long as this strategic position is occupied, it will not only cut off the hand of the Germans extending to Northern Europe, but also severely hit the Victur Brotherhood supported by the Germans.

"The Brotherhood of Victur recently went to work for King Blonde, maybe."

"Queen!"

The guard knocked on the carriage door and interrupted the conversation in the carriage: "There is important news."

Margaret I took the blank paper from the guard.

This is paper brought by Finnish merchants, and it is much better than papyrus, so it was very popular once it was released.

I don't know if it is moisture or ink problem, the content is a bit unclear.

The long and narrow black eyes narrowed, and when he wanted to take a closer look, Alvirda handed something over.

Creamy white mother-of-pearl handle, shiny silver hoops a round transparent gemstone.

Margaret I was stunned: "What is this?"

"magnifier."

Alvirda pointed to the letter A on the mother-of-pearl handle: "During the looting, a Finnish businessman handed over the treasure to save his life. With this, we can see things much more clearly."

"By the way, I kept my promise and let them go. I am a principled pirate princess!"

Her tone was proud.

Margaret I held the magnifying glass and found it to be very useful. Some blurred writing on the white paper became clearer, and the efficiency was much faster.

Then the Queen of Denmark's usually calm face had a rare mood swing.

She never imagined that the battle of Norway would end like this!

"What's wrong? Doesn't look happy?"

Alvirda was puzzled.

Margaret I handed her the blank paper.

Although she seems to be a tomboy, she also received a serious princess education. Alvilda read it quickly.

"Defeated King Blonde and suppressed Olaf III"

She suppressed her misfortune and said vaguely, "Your Majesty is very good at finding sons-in-law and allies."

"Is that what Feng Daofu said next? He wants to form a marriage alliance with your nieces?"

The pirate princess who thought she had a lot of knowledge also became weird.

what is this?
The front foot is still the son-in-law of the queen's son, and the back foot is married to the queen's niece. Isn't this a direct jump in the generation?
will play!
The pirate princess looked back in wonderment: "You also gave me a marriage gift? It's very sincere. What gift is it?"

The guard said: "The head of the Victur Brotherhood."

The heads of notorious pirates lie before your eyes.

The pirate princess was stunned.

Margaret I was also a little taken aback.

The Viktor Brotherhood, which was still feared just now, is now a gift?

Margaret I didn't know what to say.

Feng Daofu.
Not to mention the Brotherhood of Victur.

Just the blond king, she is also afraid of this mad king.

The death of her husband was the reason why King Blonde was defeated in Norway's War of Kings.

However, Vondolf first conquered the Sea Wolf, then captured Oslo, and then completed the unprecedented Ice Strait Blitz. In less than half a month, he defeated the Golden King and directly suppressed King Olaf III and a group of nobles.

Even though she was the last one to appear on stage, she shone like a comet and became the final winner of the Battle of Norway. She was so cheeky to propose a marriage alliance with her, and even made the Victur Brotherhood a gift.
The Queen of Denmark remembered the name Vondorf deeply.

She looked at the blank paper again, sighing in her heart about her son's choice.

Several forces in Northern Europe are capable of interfering in the Norwegian War. Sweden has many internal conflicts and has no extra energy.

He and the blond king of Denmark are both Danish sons-in-law. She, the queen, was the first to disagree with the Danish forces. She finally quelled the civil strife, and the Germans peeking at Northern Europe would laugh out loud because of the civil strife on the Norwegian throne.

If not, she would not only give material assistance and not directly intervene in the battle of Norway.

Knowing this, Olaf III was eager to prove himself, so he found the third party Vondorf who he thought was the most suitable.

The results are too different.

Even if she wanted to be partial, she had to admit that her son was far inferior to Feng Daofu.

If you do better yourself.
In a trance, memories of the past emerged.

She was the sixth and youngest child of King Valdemar IV.

She was born in the prison of Saubourg Castle, where her father imprisoned her mother.

Affected by this, she hardly enjoyed any family affection. After her baptism in Roskilde, she was engaged to the 6-year-old King Haakon VI of Norway when she was only 18 years old.

As part of the marriage contract, a treaty was signed guaranteeing her father, King Valdemar's help in certain matters.

What King Valdemar got was to take back Scania, which had been mortgaged to Sweden 20 years ago.

The marriage of 6-year-old Margaret I became part of the power struggle in Northern Europe.

Later, although the marriage was almost twists and turns, but eventually married to Norway.

Because her husband was defeated by the blond king, the situation was at its most difficult, and he almost starved to death after going without food for several days.

She was born in prison, almost starved to death, orphaned and widowed. Along the way, she relied on herself step by step to become the Queen of Denmark, but she also sacrificed family ties.

"Alvirda."

Margaret I said softly: "If you become a mother in the future, don't be too controlling over your children."

"It is also the most tiring to do the most for children, and the easiest to hurt children."

"By the time I understood this, he had gone to Norway and was getting farther and farther away from me."

Have a baby?
Are you kidding me, she is still called a female pirate when she has a baby?
It is impossible to have a baby!
What fun to play with pretty girls!
No young girl, godmother is not bad
The pirate princess blinked, vaguely perfunctory.

Margaret I didn't notice it, and her mind was on the blank paper.

Seeing that Feng Daofu said that Olaf III was in good health, Margaret I thought for a moment and decided to agree.

Agree, but not let him develop with peace of mind.

When she returned to the royal court, Margaret I found the minister: "Fondorf is a new neighbor who is more terrifying than King Blonde."

"He was young, ambitious, cunning and wise."

"Controlling His Majesty, he didn't make any threats. Instead, he took the initiative to ally with us and show us goodwill. This is just a temporary method he adopted after swallowing Norway."

"Being willing to use us as the leader and invite us to attack Sweden together further proves his ambition."

"Like the battle of Norway, I entered the field as an ally of His Majesty, but became the final winner."

"He probably wants to do it again this time."

In Vikings, ambition is not derogatory.

What Margaret I said gave Feng Daofu a very high evaluation.

The minister was a little surprised.

Nordic new power?
He suppressed his thoughts, and said winkingly: "Your Majesty, with such a neighbor, I don't think we should form an alliance and start a war with him directly, and quickly remove the threat before he can stabilize the interior."

Margaret I said calmly: "Swedes and Germans are more important."

And Olaf III is still in the hands of Feng Daofu, if the stimulation is too hard
Besides, if you can defeat the blond king, you can also make the Victur Brotherhood into a gift.

Feng Daofu's fist was too powerful.

It was so powerful that the Queen of Denmark did not have enough confidence to conquer this new ice sea legend that turned out to be born.

She would never act impulsively, and took out her best method: "When you pass by, contact the nobles in Norway."

The minister looked suddenly enlightened: "I understand, Your Majesty the Queen."

"Government and war are two different things."

"Norway is very big. If this ambitious Vondorf wants to completely control it, he must have the cooperation of the Norwegian nobles, otherwise he will not be able to mobilize the people at the bottom."

"As long as the nobles don't cooperate, Norway will drag him down in turn!"

"I heard someone called him the North Sea Demon Wolf?"

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will definitely convince the Norwegian nobles to let the land of the north become the cursed chain Gleipnir that binds the demon wolf Fenrir!"

The minister spoke loudly.

Margaret I nodded slowly: "Alvilda, please escort me when the time comes."

The pirate princess agreed.

She was curious about how Vondorf killed the Victur brothers.

No matter how confident she was, she still wasn't sure about annihilating these cunning pirates.

Vondorf...

Wang Ting, the godmother and daughter are thinking of the same name.

　Thanks to 'A Chatty Cat' and 'Roger Otalifus' for the 100 point tip

　　
　
(End of this chapter)