[POTN] 1.3 - The Undying King

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 the capital city - but those in the government were far more cautious - to ensure total victory against Denmark and to force King Christian to concede as much as possible, an army had been assembled under the command of Field Marshal Gustav Horn, aiming to take Scania from Danish rule.

"Gustav!" a scream echoed through the halls of Tre Kronor Castle, "You're not going to war! You're a kid, and you're King! You're staying here!" Gustav, caught preparing for war in the castle's stables, with his armour on, looked to Kristina with an obvious, almost challenging smirk.

"The Field Marshal and the Chancellor have already agreed to let me lead troops. So you may as well pray for my safety, Kristina." Kristina rolled her eyes, ignoring him, and continued in her authoritative tone, "You're not going. I don't allow you to. A king does not die on the field just to prove a point to his sister!"

Gustav ignored her, and marched south on a particularly majestic horse after joining the Marshal's host - fully confident he would come back alive and well, respected and proven.

Kristina continued glaring at him till she couldn't see him anymore, unable to suppress her worry for him - who could truly be confident that this reckless lad wouldn't die on the field like their father did, after all?

The first weeks of the campaign were as if the Danish army didn't even exist. With the chaos in the Danish command, the Swedes were able to rampage through Scania under the lead of Gustav Horn, capturing town after town, city after city.

Swedish morale was greatly boosted by the young King's presence, and many, knowing that the King was fighting among the ranks at just 15, fought unusually courageously against the little Danish resistance, and rebellions started by local Danish peasants. Gustav himself, with the immense success, became increasingly proud and confident on the battlefield.

At the beginning of the campaign, Gustav mostly stayed with the Field Marshal, observing battles from a distance, seeing enough to learn but not close enough to be harmed. As the campaign progressed, however, Gustav began engaging in active combats, disguised as a junior officer and fought the Danes hands-on.

While the Field Marshal was worried for the King's safety, he couldn't convince him to stay back during the combats. Indeed, Gustav showed a fair amount of bravery on the field, his years of military education paying off. By March 1644, the Swedes were closing in on the Øresund, beginning to threaten the Danish capital of Copenhagen.

Before attempting any crossing, the Swedes had one last fortress to capture - the fortress of Malmø, as the last frontier before Copenhagen, was heavily fortified by Danish forces, prepared against assaults from all directions.

Gustav, convinced by the endless successes of the campaign, volunteered to lead the army's pioneers in the first assault on the fortress. The Field Marshal believed that such a mission would be far too risky for a monarch, but Gustav would not yield and proceeded to lead the assault despite the Marshal's protests.

The Danes in the fortress, however, were far more well-equipped than the scarce Danish resistance throughout most of Scania. With abundant ammunition and supplies in Malmø, the fortress was designed to withstand an all-out siege by the Swedes. Still, Gustav's youthful courage was not deterred. In the early morning, Sunday, 13th March 1644, Gustav, disguised as a young noble officer, led the first assault on the fortress of Malmø.

The Swedes immediately met an endless wave of bullets and bombshells. Some officers, with more experience, proposed a retreat, but Gustav insisted to press on with the passionate young men rallying behind him.

Then a startling scream came, following a shot. The war cries Gustav was roaring paused. Royal blood was rushing out from Gustav's left arm.

All the pioneers halted, looking towards their injured King, panicked and stunned.

"It's but a little wound! Press on! I'm totally fine! Press on and take the damned fortress!"

The Swedes thus moved on, continuing to press on Malmø, but what they didn't know was that their sudden halt after the shot on Gustav practically gave away Gustav's important status to the Danish defenders.

When the Danish bullets came again, they consequently became far more concentrated around Gustav's path. It seemed that the Danes, not recognising the Swedish King, were determined to take out this young commander to halt the Swedish advance.

Gustav also noticed this, but his pride wouldn't allow him to call for a retreat. He kept pressing on, despite the obvious fact that he was being targeted and the agonising pain from his left arm.

Then another shot came from the fortress. And the King fell silent.

Blood raced out of Gustav's right shoulder, falling onto the ground. The troops came to a shocked halt.

The young King fell from his horse, blood still rushing out of him. His limbs motionless, his breath ragged.

In Gustav's mind, random images began appearing... Kristina's nagging, the Chancellor's mentoring, his mother's grief... even his father's distant face. Then a battle-hardened Colonel pushed through the stunned Swedes, grabbed the King by his collar and lifted him onto his horse, and shouted,

"Retreat! Retreat! Back to the camp! He is not dying here, not today!"

With that, he pushed his horse to accelerate back to the Field Marshal's camp, putting Gustav in front of him to shield him from further Danish attacks.

Placed under the best medical care available, Gustav didn't wake for days. When he finally woke up, still groggy from his long slumber, it was already late afternoon of the 17th, five days after that bloody morning.

"Where... where am I?" Gustav muttered in grogginess, looking at the nurse by his bedside. The nurse immediately signalled people outside of the tent, and the Colonel entered the tent after a few minutes.

"You saved me, didn't you. Thank you. May I ask who you are?"

The Colonel stared at the young King for a moment and said, "I simply did my duty. In the Army, I'm a Colonel... in Stockholm, I'm Gustav Gustafsson Vasaborg. I suppose that makes me your elder brother, Sir. With a different mother, of course."

Gustav stared in shock - he knew he had an illegitimate half-brother fighting in the Empire, but he could never have guessed he would be the one saving his life.

"Well, Your Majesty, rest well! Your courage is commendable for such a young man. With some refinements, you would do great things one day."

"Consider yourself blessed by our father - I always believe he's blessing us from above."

"And remember, what doesn't kill you... may not make you stronger, but it teaches you something, in some ways."

With that, Colonel Vasaborg left the tent, leaving Gustav alone to reflect on all that happened in the two months before.

Visits from the Field Marshal, different Generals and nobles soon followed. While hostilities continued on the frontline, it was deemed dangerous for Gustav to be transported back to Stockholm with his fragility post-injuries. For weeks, Gustav still suffered the heavy ache in his shoulders and arms, with nightmares haunting him at night, keeping him from a good night's sleep.

While the young King was injured, Gustav Horn resumed the assault on Malmø, this time with a far more organised approach, with Swedish troops prepared for a long siege. Gustav's severe aches eventually ceased by late May. While his nightmares lingered occasionally, he could ride again and insisted on staying on the frontline as long as the war continued. The Field Marshal, of course, kept Gustav away from actual combat, lest the misfortune repeat itself.

After a lengthy siege, Malmø eventually surrendered in early July. While the Field Marshal tried to stop looting and other atrocities, the Swedes' pent-up frustration about the long siege, and anger at the King's injury, caused quite some brutality directed at the surrendered Danes. And with that, the Swedes occupied all Scania by mid-July 1644, and began posing an existential threat to Copenhagen across the strait.

King Christian ordered total mobilisation to prevent a Swedish landing on Zealand, while also beginning to seek peace with the Swedes.