The only thing I could recommend, is what I do, is make a copy of the Save Game file and update that copy every few plays; keep it as a backup in case this game-ruining glitch happens.
Go to: [Mount&Blade Warband Savegames] and copy [Viking Conquest] and store it another folder somewhere as a back up. Every few plays a store a new one. Then when the game implodes as is common, just try replacing the save file with your back-up or reinstall the whole thing and throw that save file in there; wherever that save was, it will leave off.
That's probably the best you can do. Just store a Save backup somewhere.