FROM KING TO FUGITIVE

I watched an intriguing documentary that talked about the Anglo-Saxon king of England, Alfred the Great, and his battles against Viking invaders. At some point during his war with the Vikings, the Alfred and his army were celebrating Christmas in his royal palace. Meanwhile, the Vikings surrounded the palace and ambushed Alfred and his men. Most of Alfred’s army was slaughtered and his palace was taken over, but Alfred himself barely managed to escape with a hundred members of his personal guard. Stripped of his seat of power, control over his kingdom, and most of his army, Alfred turned from a king to a fugitive. For four months, Alfred and his followers were hunted across Wessex by the occupying Vikings. Throughout that time, Alfred waged a guerrilla warfare campaign against the Vikings, sending a message to his subjects that he was still a viable king. Thanks to his efforts in his guerrilla campaign, Alfred was able to raise a new army of 3,000 men. With his fresh troops, Alfred was able to turn the tide in his favor and eventually regain control over his kingdom. During the war against invaders in my third fantasy book, my main character will be in a similar situation as Alfred the Great where he is an emperor who becomes a fugitive.