Snippet #2573878

Sweden, Stockholm. The seventh of July 1688

Karl looked out from the window of his office in the grand castle of Three Crowns, watching a Spanish Galleon from The New World dock, the harbour as bustling with activity. This time of the year Stockholm was as most active, besides the fifteen warships that patrolled around the city, dozens of trade ships came in every week. Most of them Dutch. Yet Karl had more important matters at hand than watching ships. He was currently togheter with his two friends, Bengt Oxenstierna and Fabian Wrede, discussing the large population growth and the demand of several cities, Stockholm especially, need of expansion. Currently it had 40,000 Citizens, a number increasing every year.

Fabian pointed on an area to the south of the city and looked up "Your Majesty, there is already a major road going here up to the capital, if we only expanded the City Walls... And built a few stone houses, maybe with two floors?

Karl replied "Three on the ones closer to the wall, we will be able to house more people that way."

Fabian nodded and rolled the map togheter. "Then I shall talk to the Mayor." he walked out after making a respectful bow with his head.

Karl turned to Bengt Oxenstierna, the Lord High Chancellor. Interesting news came from the south. Tensions between France, the Netherlands and the Holy Roman Empire, none where especially loved by Karl, was increasing. And a war was on the horizon. Aswell as in England, whom's king was a warm catholic, tensions was Rising. But here it was between the royalists and the Protestant Majority of the nation. This however concerned Karl deeply. He had no wish for a Protestant England, the Catholic influence could not by any means expand further if it was up to Karl, Sweden had sacrificed too much to allow that to happen.

"Bengt, I believe that I may hav to move quicker than I had wanted to."

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Spain, Madrid.

Ambassador Marcus Von Fersen wiped sweat of his brow when he entered the Royal Palace of Madrid, Spain was painfully warm this time of the year. And it was not made better by the extremely crowded streets.

Marcus was seeking either the Queen mother of Carlos II Mariana, who was the mentally ill kings regent. Or the Councillor John. Both those who truly was in Power in Spain, and ofcourse in conflict with eachother. For Karl it would be interesting to know what path Spain would plan on taking in the rising tensions. For Spain had lost the previous war with France, and it may not be willing for Another war, or it could be the other way around. That was what Marcus wanted to find out.