The major POD for this TL is that Rhodri Mawr aka Roderick The Great survives fighting Alfred The Great. His Son Anarawd becomes King later and through a series of deaths becomes Monarch of all Wales save a few regions in the south.
Alfred also suffers the blight of impotence and as such has no heir. We will see a different alfred but also a more determined King.
Smaller POD's such as King Dungarth/Doniert of Cornwall survives etc shall also occur, keep your eyes peeled and I hope you enjoy
Chapter One: For God & For Rhodri
Autumn 876, Unknown Location on the border between Mercia & Gwynedd.
"Quickly. Fetch a healer. The King is wounded badly, fetch one now!"
The day had started badly and finished badly. Alfred of Mercia had won the battle againt the armies of Rhodri Mawr & his son Gwriad. Tactically outclassed in this battle, both father and son nearly ended through by the Saxons. Late into the night the news broke, a death, a singular death. Gwriad ap Rhodri, son of Rhodri Mawr had passed away, his wounds unhealable and infection took hold ending his life at a young age.
"My boy. What news of my boy?! Does he live?" begged Rhodri, his strength sapping away with each moment but his life was not over, Rhodri Mawr, King of Gwynedd had survived but his son had not, the loss to the Mercians had strengthened his resolve but the loss of his eldest son had weakened it greatly. The next few weeks were spent contemplating, the king's thoughts muddled and confused. He knew that his death had deprived the cunning and young Alfred of Mercia of a great victory and as such knew that a repeat performance between the two kings was inevitable.
More weeks passed, the bitter cold winds and the snow fell and lashed the hills and valleys of Gwynedd. The court of the king had received many reports of Alfred and his armies becoming strong once more, hios forces ready for another incursion into Cymry[1] lands.
"Anarawd will lead the assault. He will conduct the strategy and lead from the front, if any of you have a problem with this then speak up now?" asked Rhodri of his court. the dissenters fearful of the King remained silent and kept their tongues firmly in their mouths.
"The Mercian forces number in their hundreds, possibly much more, Alfred leads them personally and to make matters worse the Norse are striking once more at Ynys Mon[2] attempting to take the isle once more. We will engage the heathens at Ynys Mon where my father will take the fight to them at Aber Conwy whilst myself and my brothers will exact the punishment of the lord onto Alfred and show him he faces more than a rabble of backwards hill folk. Gods vengeance for Rhodri will be done soon, our father shall have his name restored to its glory"
The River conwy, that day divided between the Saesaneg[3] & the Cymry. Alfred, King of Mercia stood on one side whilst Anarawd the young upstart and prince of Gwynedd on the other.
The two regents although bitter enemies shared a common interest, both sought to be learned men, scholar kings and thus a mutual bond was forged but that bond could easily be torn, the two and their forces engaged. The outocme was a victorious Cymry victory with the young prince Anarawd screeching at the top of his lungs as the Mercians routed.
"Dduw's ddial achos Rhodri! Dduw's ddial achos Rhodri cyflawnedig!"[4]
Not soon after this victory did Anarawd receive a messenger from the court of Alfred arrived, simply put, he congratulate dthe young Prince but warned him that the Mercians were not to forget this battle and it would spur them onto greater deeds in the future. The hand of friendship extended over a candle flame it seemed. But for now a period of quiet and mourning would ring throughout the valleys and lands of Cymry Gwynedd, Rhodri Mawr, King of the Britons and of Gwynedd passed away in his sleep in the year of our lord 877 succeed by Anarawd, the age of the Dragon of Cymry was starting. That same year Cadell ap Rhodri & Merfyn ap Rhodri, brothers of Anarawd and rulers of Powys & Deheubarth passed away fighting the Norse of Dublin. Cymry was united under Anarawd for now. His banners flew high and beside him the banners of his family now gone. He was King, and at the young age of 18[5] he had become ruler over Cymry.
Alfred of Mercia. His problems were many. On the outside Mercia was strong, incursions by the Cornish Kingdom and the Norse of York were repelled with relative ease and his power was growing, skirmishes with the welsh and defeat and victory came and went but he was worried. His kingdom required an heir and he had failed to produce one. His reforms of the land and military were heralded as a major success but internal politics were slowly eating away at the man, he could not produce an heir[6].
The bickering between nobles and the Royal court would later prove to be their downfall, the vile rumours started by many who sought the King's throne spread quick and fast even reaching the Kingdom of York and Anarawd in Gwynedd. Anarawd dispelled these rumours as mere fantasy but, they were true. Alfred was indeed impotent and unable to produce a child, his only success ended with the infant dying soon after birth and with that Alfred threw himself into battles and making sure Mercia expanded at any cost.
Alfred began his own plan for the future of Mercia, not in line and without the 'supervision' of the Saxon nobles. He knew what must be done to fulfil Mercia's potential and he had to do it alone. Forward thinking and bold ideas had made Alfred into the man he was and this course of action would be of a similar design but far grander and far riskier than any he would undertake in his lifetime.
[1] Welsh, as in Welshman/woman
[2] OTL Anglesey
[3] Saxons
[4] God's vengeance for Rhodri. God's vengeance for Rhodri fulfilled
[5] D.O.B. u nknown so for TL sake I will have him be 18
[6] Alfred The Great is childless. A major POD
Alfred also suffers the blight of impotence and as such has no heir. We will see a different alfred but also a more determined King.
Smaller POD's such as King Dungarth/Doniert of Cornwall survives etc shall also occur, keep your eyes peeled and I hope you enjoy
Chapter One: For God & For Rhodri
Autumn 876, Unknown Location on the border between Mercia & Gwynedd.
"Quickly. Fetch a healer. The King is wounded badly, fetch one now!"
The day had started badly and finished badly. Alfred of Mercia had won the battle againt the armies of Rhodri Mawr & his son Gwriad. Tactically outclassed in this battle, both father and son nearly ended through by the Saxons. Late into the night the news broke, a death, a singular death. Gwriad ap Rhodri, son of Rhodri Mawr had passed away, his wounds unhealable and infection took hold ending his life at a young age.
"My boy. What news of my boy?! Does he live?" begged Rhodri, his strength sapping away with each moment but his life was not over, Rhodri Mawr, King of Gwynedd had survived but his son had not, the loss to the Mercians had strengthened his resolve but the loss of his eldest son had weakened it greatly. The next few weeks were spent contemplating, the king's thoughts muddled and confused. He knew that his death had deprived the cunning and young Alfred of Mercia of a great victory and as such knew that a repeat performance between the two kings was inevitable.
More weeks passed, the bitter cold winds and the snow fell and lashed the hills and valleys of Gwynedd. The court of the king had received many reports of Alfred and his armies becoming strong once more, hios forces ready for another incursion into Cymry[1] lands.
"Anarawd will lead the assault. He will conduct the strategy and lead from the front, if any of you have a problem with this then speak up now?" asked Rhodri of his court. the dissenters fearful of the King remained silent and kept their tongues firmly in their mouths.
"The Mercian forces number in their hundreds, possibly much more, Alfred leads them personally and to make matters worse the Norse are striking once more at Ynys Mon[2] attempting to take the isle once more. We will engage the heathens at Ynys Mon where my father will take the fight to them at Aber Conwy whilst myself and my brothers will exact the punishment of the lord onto Alfred and show him he faces more than a rabble of backwards hill folk. Gods vengeance for Rhodri will be done soon, our father shall have his name restored to its glory"
The River conwy, that day divided between the Saesaneg[3] & the Cymry. Alfred, King of Mercia stood on one side whilst Anarawd the young upstart and prince of Gwynedd on the other.
The two regents although bitter enemies shared a common interest, both sought to be learned men, scholar kings and thus a mutual bond was forged but that bond could easily be torn, the two and their forces engaged. The outocme was a victorious Cymry victory with the young prince Anarawd screeching at the top of his lungs as the Mercians routed.
"Dduw's ddial achos Rhodri! Dduw's ddial achos Rhodri cyflawnedig!"[4]
Not soon after this victory did Anarawd receive a messenger from the court of Alfred arrived, simply put, he congratulate dthe young Prince but warned him that the Mercians were not to forget this battle and it would spur them onto greater deeds in the future. The hand of friendship extended over a candle flame it seemed. But for now a period of quiet and mourning would ring throughout the valleys and lands of Cymry Gwynedd, Rhodri Mawr, King of the Britons and of Gwynedd passed away in his sleep in the year of our lord 877 succeed by Anarawd, the age of the Dragon of Cymry was starting. That same year Cadell ap Rhodri & Merfyn ap Rhodri, brothers of Anarawd and rulers of Powys & Deheubarth passed away fighting the Norse of Dublin. Cymry was united under Anarawd for now. His banners flew high and beside him the banners of his family now gone. He was King, and at the young age of 18[5] he had become ruler over Cymry.
Alfred of Mercia. His problems were many. On the outside Mercia was strong, incursions by the Cornish Kingdom and the Norse of York were repelled with relative ease and his power was growing, skirmishes with the welsh and defeat and victory came and went but he was worried. His kingdom required an heir and he had failed to produce one. His reforms of the land and military were heralded as a major success but internal politics were slowly eating away at the man, he could not produce an heir[6].
The bickering between nobles and the Royal court would later prove to be their downfall, the vile rumours started by many who sought the King's throne spread quick and fast even reaching the Kingdom of York and Anarawd in Gwynedd. Anarawd dispelled these rumours as mere fantasy but, they were true. Alfred was indeed impotent and unable to produce a child, his only success ended with the infant dying soon after birth and with that Alfred threw himself into battles and making sure Mercia expanded at any cost.
Alfred began his own plan for the future of Mercia, not in line and without the 'supervision' of the Saxon nobles. He knew what must be done to fulfil Mercia's potential and he had to do it alone. Forward thinking and bold ideas had made Alfred into the man he was and this course of action would be of a similar design but far grander and far riskier than any he would undertake in his lifetime.
[1] Welsh, as in Welshman/woman
[2] OTL Anglesey
[3] Saxons
[4] God's vengeance for Rhodri. God's vengeance for Rhodri fulfilled
[5] D.O.B. u nknown so for TL sake I will have him be 18
[6] Alfred The Great is childless. A major POD
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