Following the peace at Brömsebro, the Swedish Army, led by the young King, Torstenson, and Horn, marched into Stockholm victoriously on 18th May, 1645. Thousands of Swedes flocked to the streets to see their army returning from victory, many welcoming their King with flowers, well-informed of his courageous near-sacrifice in the previous year. Kristina, however, was absent. Gustav asked about her, but the guards told him that she refused to leave the Tre Kronor Castle and joi

Following the campaigns in Jutland and Scania, King Christian IV felt that Copenhagen was increasingly threatened, and ordered for Norwegian units to invade Sweden, opening new fronts. The Norwegians, in general, were vehemently against the idea. For them, it was a war about Scania, Sound Dues, and the Baltic dominance, and they were very reluctant to leave themselves open to further invasions by the militarily superior Sweden by initiating attacks. However, Torstenson's armi

Chapter 1 - The Undying Viking 1.3 The Undying King News about Field Marshal Torstenson's campaign in Jutland spread like wildfire across Stockholm. From castles to taverns, Swedes were celebrating the unprecedented triumph, seeing an opportunity to finally subdue their historic rivals. Facing little resistance, Torstenson's men moved north swiftly, occupying all Jutland by the end of January 1644. Another snowy morning in Stockholm unfolded amidst the jubilant atmosphere of

Chapter 1 - The Undying Viking 1.2 A Soldier in the Making Young Christian was visiting his father, the King, from his duty in Norway. These years, he had finally found his true home in the ranks of the Norwegian battalions, learning various Norwegian dialects while drinking with his fellow cadets - the life he had often dreamed of - with true friends, and true happiness. The atmosphere in Copenhagen, however, was far more serious than he had remembered. The Palace seemed to

Chapter 1 - The Undying Viking 1.1 The Siblings Another late summer morning in Stockholm - another anxious day for Kristina. Since before midsummer, all Sweden had been whispering about upcoming hostilities against Copenhagen - but Chancellor Oxenstierna had mostly kept his mouth shut about recent affairs when questioned by the stubborn, headstrong princess. For Kristina, this war was absolutely unnecessary - she believed that the first and foremost priority of the Regency sh