If Louis XIV had not whimsically escorted his eldest princess to Malmö with 15,000 armed soldiers, according to tradition, Karl XI would have waited in Stockholm for the wedding mission to take her to the Old Palace, and then the wedding would have taken place in the Cathedral of St. Nicholas.

But when Louis XIV's royal car appeared in Amsterdam, Karl XI and his mother, as well as ministers and parliamentarians, argued whether he should go to the king of France, whether intentionally or not, the latter had caused a lot of omissions and mistakes in the education of Karl XI, but also made the young Karl XI develop a somewhat withdrawn but stubborn character, and he had a big fight with everyone- If he had been the boy he had just come of age, he might have really succumbed to their chatter, but Karl XI led an army of tens of thousands to fight the Danes and was victorious.

He always remembered what the eldest princess said to him, in this world, the tongue is never sharper than the sword, and when he was in Paris and Versailles, he also heard a lot about the French king Louis XIV, Louis XIV has many similarities with him, both lost his father at a young age, regency by his mother and important ministers, the road that Louis XIV has walked, he can fully imitate and refer to - The Queen Mother Anne and Bishop Mazarin of France were more patriotic and able to control their greed than his mother, Hedwig Ilionora of Holstein-Gottorp, and even then, Louis XIV came to light because his army defeated the Viscount of Tyrrenne.

With this in mind, after returning to Stockholm, Karl XI tried his best to build an army of his own, needless to say, the enemies he had to face were his most relied on relatives and friends, but he preferred to borrow money from the French bankers than to take the first step - he succeeded, a young king with no ability and a mediocre temperament was completely different from a young king who had defeated an old enemy, and he finally had his own supporters at the court.

Now, he also needs a powerful helper to take charge of his court and replace the Queen Mother Ilionora, so that he will not be hindered by many sides.

That person was, of course, only the eldest princess of France, Elisabeth, whom he loved not only because of her beauty, nor because of her dowry, but also because she was systematically and well-educated, whose talents and vision were not in any way below those of princes and dukes, and who would not only be the mother of his sons, but also his right-hand man, and even a safe haven. With such expectations, he would not have treated his wife coldly or simply ignored his wife, as other kings and princes had done.

He was so eager and compelled not so much to persuade his mother and ministers that he had ridden to Malmö day and night, not in a carriage, and though he did not need to welcome the bride, he had to visit and comfort the eldest princess on the first night of her arrival in Stockholm with gifts (usually expensive jewels), and if he did not do so, it would show that he had little sympathy and respect for the new queen, and some would inevitably make trouble.

When he arrived at Malmö in a hurry, it was already a bright lamp, and Karl XI did not know whether he should ask for an audience or not, but before his envoy had set out, a messenger from Louis XIV came, and Karl XI saw him, the Count of d'Artagnan, a playboy who was always smiling, but who was feared by many, and after bowing to Karl XI's fancy hat and bowing, he asked him on behalf of the king: "Do you need to rest? or can you still support me?" ”

This casual tone and attitude brought Karl XI back to years earlier, when he nodded to the Count and said that he could support it, and immediately went to meet the King, who, after the Count's departure, hurriedly wiped his face and hair, changed his clothes, and took his most trusted attendant to Malmö Castle, where the King was temporarily staying.

The fourteenth-century castle was not very comfortable, and not long ago there had been a battle between the two sides, and Karl XI was familiar with it - he even remembered how a soldier fell from the city walls and fell to the ground, but at this time, the castle was always the most suitable palace for a king, with enough people, a water source, fortifications, and the necessary outbuildings such as warehouses.

As soon as he entered, he smelled the aroma of coffee, the Swedes didn't drink coffee for long, but after trying this refreshing drink, they couldn't put it down anymore - because Sweden was in such a bad position, they were in the far north of Europa, and for eight months of the year there were no more than four hours of sunshine, and the sun rose between ten and eleven o'clock in the morning, and it sank again at three or four o'clock in the afternoon...... Modern people know that natural light is closely related to people's natural rhythms, mainly sleep and digestive functions, and can also affect people's mood, and people in the seventeenth century may not have understood this, but they also knew that being drowsy all day is not a good thing.

Coffee's ability to help them stay awake when it's time to work has made it a favorite drink in Sweden.

A pot of black coffee presented by Bontang was, according to the custom of the Swedes, very strong, thick and bitter, and after Karl XI saluted Louis XIV, he immediately picked it up and drank a few sips, and the hot and heavy liquid flowed into his stomach, causing him to shiver.

"It's still so cold in here. Louis XIV said that the temperature in Sweden was indeed not flattering compared to the warmer Paris and Versailles.

"Yes, Your Majesty. ”

"This is Malmö, the southernmost part of Sweden, and Stockholm will be colder. Louis looked at him, "Can I call you Carl?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. Karl XI said that this was not a public occasion, and although he was the king of Sweden, the man in front of him was also half of his teacher and father-in-law.

"Then Karl," said Louis mildly, "you know, I plucked the most beautiful rose in my garden a few days ago, and brought it here, and I looked at this land of ice and snow, and wondered whether it would be able to get used to this strange country, and whether it would be able to grow roots and buds again, and spread its leaves, and blossom and bear fruit. ”

"The rose is beautiful, but not soft," said Karl XI, "and she has spikes and strong stalks—and I, Your Majesty, I swear to you that your roses will bloom even more beautifully in Stockholm." ”

"Elizabeth ought to have told you that words are the most hollow and pale things," said Louis, "but it soothes the heart, and I have written down your promise, Karl." ”

He glanced at Karl XI.

"It's been a long night, so let's have a chat and tell you something about it. ”