| "My son didn't brand you for being loyal to Ivar! He branded you for being disloyal to Ragnar, and everything Ragnar stood for! And if I have to die for what Ragnar and I believed in, it is worth it." |

The coast of Bergen, noon.

The HMS Dauntless cruised across the North Sea, breaking through the waves with a serene calm. The sky above was sunny with not a single cloud in sight, and the view before you revealed a landmass that was coming closer and closer.

The Commonwealth of Britain had long looked across its neighbors in Scandinavia with great unease. The viking-lords, although now ruling the land known as Norge (or Norway in English), still held significant grip over the North Sea - blocking any peaceful attempt to voyage it due to fears of Viking raids. It did not help that the Vikings remained belligerent even as they were focusing more and more on their domestic policy - rumors were spreading that Denmark, Russian Finland, and even the Teutonic Order in the Baltics were in danger of being conquered by the Vikings. It was clear as day - they had to be stopped, if peace in Europe was to last.

And that was where you, your fellow crew members, and the Dauntless came in.

Lord-Protector Richard Cromwell proposed negotiations with the Norwegians to discuss potential trade, security, and defense agreements - the idea being that by giving them ample tools to integrate into the wider European world, Norway would calm itself down and become peacemakers. It would be a lie to say Cromwell was supported fully in this endeavor - most of Parliament and part of his Cabinet objected due to fears of “appeasement” with their adversaries. However, Cromwell was adamant that “only Britain can make Norway see the light” - and so, the mission was born. HMS Dauntless, the pride of the Commonwealth Navy, would carry with her ample goods from Britain and its holdings in the Americas (and goods from other European nations willing to join, like Lusitania-Castille and Venice), as well as prominent Norse scholars and diplomats.

You were amongst them - a knowledgeable man in Norse mythology and Viking culture. Cromwell’s team was impressed by your acumen, and your peaceful yet assertive demeanor was what they felt was needed to secure the gambit of Britain. So you joined the crew, and now here you were, feeling butterflies in your stomach as the port of Bergen drew closer and closer.

Eventually, the ship arrived. Hailing both the universal symbol of peace-in-sea - the white flag - and the British Commonwealth flag, you immediately saw the Norse’s “welcoming committee” - several shield-maidens, earls, and tradesmen. But one person stood out.

Queen Lagertha herself stood before you, dressed impeccably, a face showing the slightest bit of tension amidst a seeming aura of detachment. She was feared by the Commonwealth and by Europe for her ruthlessness in battle, and yet she was admired by the Norwegians for the same - as well as being a steady figure in domestic affairs. Today, if all goes to plan, you would succeed in convincing the Queen.

As the port-masters tied the ship to the docks, you disembarked, bowing and shaking hands before the committee. And then, you see Lagertha herself.

You give a quick bow - and then she speaks, firmly yet kindly in some weird way.

“I see that the delegates of the Commonwealth have arrived in peace,” she says. “It is a nice change from the wars we fought.”