Chapter 27 The Same Day: A Murder Story

I opened the window and looked down.

"Youre aiming at Mamas roses, count," Oscar was shouting.

"Your Highness must catch the ball. Then it wont harm the roses. Here is comes!" young Brahe shouted back.

Brahe threw it hard, but Oscar caught it, then he threw it back, straight and hard. Brahe threw it again, and this time Oscar missed the ball. It landed among my roses, the big yellow roses that I love so much.

"Mama wont be pleased," said Oscar, and he looked up at my window. When he saw me, he smiled sweetly. "Mama, did you sleep well?" he called.

Count Brahe bowed.

"I should like to talk to you, count," I said. "Im coming down into the garden."

I went down, and they sat beside me on my favourite seat. The September sun warmed my body. I could smell the ripe fruit on the wall behind us. I began to feel better.

"Couldnt you talk to the count later, Mama?" said Oscar. "weve been playing so beautifully."

I shook my head. "Count Brahe and I have some serious things to talk about. I want you to listen, Oscar." I turned to Brahe. "Who is with my husband in the library?"

"Count von Essen is there, with colonel Wrede. They are going back to Sweden today. Morners there too. He isnt going. Your husband has made Morner his equerry (Loyal attendant)."

I nodded. I was looking for an excuse for my most serious question. I couldnt find an excuse, so I spoke directly: "Please tell me honestly, my dear count, why Sweden wants my husband to be its Crown Prince."

"Our King has no children, " he began. "we have always admired your husbands qualities. As a soldier, and as Governor of Hanover---"

I interrupted. "You got rid of your King Gustav. Hes supposed to be mad. Is he really mad?"

Brahe looked away from me. "We think he is," he replied.

"Why?"

"He has wild and strange ideas. His fathers ideas were even wilder. His father wanted Sweden to be a great country, as it was in ancient times. So he decided to attack Russia. The noblemen and the generals advised him not to. That made him angry. Instead of listening to them, he persuaded our parliament to help him."

"Were there no noblemen in parliament?" I asked.

"No. Parliament was full of farmers and business men. They thought that his plans would bring them profit; so encourage him to fight. He lost his battle, and he brought no profit. But he still demanded money for more wars. Sweden couldnt afford it. So the noblemen had him murdered. He died in von Essens arms." He paused. Then he added: "His son, the Gustav Fourth was equally mad. He thought he could conquer both Russia and France."

He was still looking across the garden, and not at me. He was feeling uncomfortable; I could see that. But at least he was telling me the truth.

"Please go on with your murder story, count," I said.

"Murder story?" He looked at me. Was that a joke? No. I wasnt smiling. I was serious. But I had to repeat my request before he continued.

"You know what happened. The Tsar took Finland from us. And your husband---the Prince of Ponte Corco--- took Swedish Pomerania. He could have conquered Sweden itself if he had wanted to."

"But he didnt want to. What happened to mad King Gustav the Fourth?" I asked.

"Your Highness, we are an ancient people. These wars have destroyed our country. We have lost a lot of blood --- but we dont want to die." He bit his lips. He was ashamed to tell me all this. "Our generals decided to get rid of this King too. They made him a prisoner in his own castle. Then his uncle became King instead of him."

"Where is he now, this mad King Gustav?"

"In Switzerland. His son is with him, another Gustav. Hes about as old as Oscar--- I mean Prince Oscar."

"Why cant this little Gustav be your Crown Prince now?"

"Sweden is afraid that the Vasa family are all mad. They are a very old family, Your Highness, Too many Vasas have married other Vasas. Thats always dangerous. Every family needs new blood."

He got up and began to look at the roses. His mind was so full of trouble that he forgot to say "Excuse me".

"Sit down again, count," I said. "You still havent told me why Sweden chose my husband."

"When your husband took Liibeck, Morner and some other officers were his prisoners. He invited them to dinner. He told them, with maps and figures, what the future of Scandinavia ought to be. They liked his ideas. They reported them in Stockholm. Since then, nearly everyone has agreed that only your husband can save Sweden. Only he can give us peace and make our country rich and strong."

"You said nearly everyone, count. Have some people got different ideas?"

"They had," he replied. "But their leader was murdered a few weeks ago. He was killed by the crowd outside the royal castle."

Murdered? Why? So that Jean could become Crown Prince? How many others have been murdered for our sake? Tears suddenly poured down my face. I couldnt stop them.

"Mama! Dear Mama!" Oscar put his arms round my neck and held me tight.

I dried my tears. Then I looked at Count Brahe. Did he understand why I had been crying?

"Perhaps I shouldnt have told you that," he said. "But I wanted you to know the truth."

"There is one more question, count. Did your King really want to adopt my husband?"

"The King is a vasa, Your Highness. He is old and ill, and his mind is not very clear. He objected strongly to this idea. He suggested the names of all his German cousins, and of all the Danish princes. But in the end he had to accept the wishes of parliament."

"And the Queen?" I asked. "Shes younger than him, isnt she?"

"Her Majesty is about fifty years old. Shes a strong and clever woman."

"And shell hate me!" I told him.

This didnt seem to worry Count Brahe. "Her Majesty will be very glad to meet Prince Oscar," he replied.