He found what he was looking for in the county of Gizeh (just looked normally, no bridefinder or anything.) A beautiful arab catholic, Amina Grenier.
And he got a good marriage duty, more than enough to pay up for his own wifes unfortunate demise.
After holding a lovely wedding and a good nights 'sleep' with his wife. He again focused on the development of his kingdom. The nobles in his provinces were disgruntled as they had been robbed of land, so he reduced the crown duty to 0 to get thier loyalty back up. Meanwhile a massive library and road construction were begun across the kingdom.
Later the Duke of Norrland even was so pleased with Avnfast ruling that his loyalty increase 0.25 and he spread the word that Avnfast was a Just ruler which he then got as a trait.
To continue the eventful month, the rebels in the capital refused to bend and broke out in open skirmishes with royal forces.
In october the peasants broke out in open rebellion again, and tried to overthrown Avnfast but they were harshly put down.
To round the year off though he managed to get rid of the Typhoid in his provinces.
As Avnfast looked on his improving realm he could however not shake the feeling of evil papal eyes looking over his shoulder. So he decided to make his piety seem a little better. In Sep 43 he gathered an royal army on 5000 men and decleared war on the pagan tribe of Ösel (island outside baltic).
The war drained the last money in the coffers, but then Avnfast saw an opertunity as local money lenders were attracted in his capital, he could borrow from them, but he had to cross his fingers and hope the pope wouldnt notice. This greatly helped the economy further and as homage he started building 3 new churches.
as Ösel was conquered the clergy was given 100% power and it was turned into a bishopric which finally gave Avnfast enough piety to get on the positive scale.
After Ösel was taken and with the coffers full again it was time to take Vastmanland back into the fold as Avnfast was its rightful owner.
Unfortunately it had allied with the Kingdom of Scotland which decleared war on Avnfast, then then the King of Bohemia came to his rescue and decleared war on scotland.
After the capture of Vastmanland Avnfast again felt like he had to many demense to control so he made his poorest province convert to a bishopric which was Naumadal.
Meanwhile the scottish king had realised his foolishness and offered 128 gold pieces in return for peace which Avnfast accepted.
January stroke the year 1146 in as Avnfast was looking over his schematics and letters, he saw that all his vassals was now unquestionable loyal and he felt it was time to change the succession laws. From now on competence should be the governing trait, not age, and thus the succession laws were changed to Semisalic Consanguinity.
Finally in Sep 45 the rebels agreed to negotiate peace, and the realm was for the first time in many years at complete peace.
To Avnfast misfortune though it appears the rebel communication isnt very good as soon after another open revolt occurs.
In Sep 46 another royal army on 6000 men was gathered for an eastern campaign, this time it was the Tribe of Sames that was up for grabs.
In May 47 peace was concluded as the last of the province of the tribe fell,
the new provinces however were very poor and pagan, so the clergy power was put in the high seat and they were all to be turned into bishoprics to boost Avnfast small piety.
However only 1 bishop was available so 2 of the provinces for now had to be under Avnfasts rule, while it was, religious tensions were rising and broke out in holy war which Avnfast prudently crushed, instantly converting North Dvina to catholism.
In July 48 Avnfast decleared himself Duke of Bjarmia and Duke of Pest since there was no other duke, of fear of a decentralized kingdom he kept the titles for himself though, wanting to only have count vassals. And later same year the pope called to arms to liberate Roma which he turned the blind eye to.
In Nov 49 the loyalty of the nobles were finally at 100% after the drastic power distribution reforms in 41 and thus crown duty were reinstated at normal rate.
In April 50 Avnfast finally got 2 men with clerical education able to perform their duties at their new bishoprics in northern Russia, leaving avnfast with a decent amount of piety.
In Nov 50 a political game began as all vassals were now 100% loyal, Avnfast began a political war with his strongest duke, the Duke of Östergotland that held 9 counts as vassals, in the end Avnfast succeeded in revoking his dukedom.
However the duke unfortunately owned 2 other duke titles so the counts remained under his control but the first step was taken.
Later same month scutage was introduced at normal levels again.
This brought the economy up to a all time high income of 73.82 gold a month.
From the start income at his reign at 19.03
In March 51 it was again time to crave large general estates, which Avnfast did but unluckily he got both the reckless and the arbitrary trait from it.
In Dec 51 second phase of Avnfasts political game began as the loyalty of his vassals was high enough, the duke was now forced to give up his second dukedom, leaving him only with one and put out in a political corner.
In Sep 52 the game was finally at an end as the last dukedom was revoked, and 9 counts that before belonged to the duke came under the direct vassalage of Avnfast, greatly increasing his scutage and centralising the kingdom.
In June 53 Avnfast had set his eyes on the second most powerful duke, the Duke of Karelia which held 5 counts ass vassals that would be much better served paying scutage to himself and mobilizing for himself.
The duke folded without protest against the immensely more powerful Avnfast.
December 14, 1153. A day which will live in infamy forever.
The very worst possible worst case scenario happened...
Sjællands culture turned swedish!!
(Im danish
)
In July 54 the last duke which Avnfast considering to powerful for his own good, the Duke of slesvig with 3 counts as vassals, was revoked.
and thus Avnfast deemed the kingdom as centralized as it was gonna get for now.
After a decade of provincial improvements. Libraries, docks, spinnings and great castles being contructed etc etc. The economy was centralized and at its prime briefly setting an income record of 97.45 a month.
With loyal vassals strightly on his control and a good economy and army, Avnfast felt it was time to go to war.
While the armies were mobilizing the count of Birlad after countless of offers from Avnfast finally saw the light and accepted to become his vassal.
