Now with only the Swedes left to fight the outlook for the realm is much brighter. However the year of 1222 starts with bad news. The Most Loyal servant, Steward Gao of Skåne who had served the Vogelius family for three generations when he was given as a gift by a traveling Hindu merchant to Jarl Gnupa, The First Fylkir. Sixty five long years of service he became the man in the background the entire realm relied on without ever knowing. In these many years, he made sure that the coffers of Trelleborg would not run dry, he made sure the soldiers stomachs did not go empty. It is indeed a sad day, but even worse is that as time goes on he will be mostly forgotten. After all he was but a Thrall.
The ranks are quickly refilled and the Swedes and their allies does their best to catch the army unaware but fails and a battle takes place on the fields of Skara. However they still have the numerical advantage being reinforced by the soldiers from Trøndelag.
With their victory the Swedish king manages to convince some local peasants in the realm to take up arms in name of their Christian God. All of these constant trials thrown against him, Hemming start to loose his zealous nature. However he press on and recollects what is left in manpower and strikes against the Swedish and Trøndelag armies.
The center flank falls quite quickly making the other flanks eventually fall apart from not being protected. Its a devastating defeat for the invaders and the Scanian army regains some prestige!
In order to ensure the loyalty and support of the lords in Skåne so that he can keep fielding a large army against any threats, Hemming decides to invest in establishing a formal Etiquette and procedure at the court of the Jarl. Setting what is befitting behavior of a Lord at the court of the Fylkir.
The army is sent north to deal with the catholic peasants that had taken arms. They offer no resistance and are dispersed easily off with minimum losses. With the local support gone and no more soldiers or money at the Swedish-Norwegian King's disposal, the war ends.
Its been a few pressing years on the Kingdom, however with the surrender of the Swedish king a large influx of wealth comes to the treasury of Trelleborg in the shape of war reparations. To forget the past defeats and the ever pressing threat against the realm Fylkir Hemming decides to do something grand and he will do it at the Winter Blót of the year 1225 where all the lords of the realm will take part. Several prisoners taken during the war are sacrificed in the honor of the gods. However at the feast....
At the feast inside Trelleborg's ceremonial longhouse its lively as the feast is about to start however as the chancellor cries out the lords voices dies down. The Chancellor continues...
"Berfore you are the 6th descendant of Henrik, Grandchild of His Most Holy, Fylkir of the Norse Faith."
Hemming lifts a metal ring from the table over his head as the chancellor finish with "King of the Scanian people! Long Live the Fylkir! May Vogelius rule eternal!"
The news spread quickly throughout Europe, most Kings and Emperors denounce the claims of even the notion that there would be a crown of the Skåne or even that the Scanian people were anything but Danes- However Hemming's ward Gauronas of Desmond takes his guardian as example of how a proper Norse man should be and becomes an ambitious boy.
Some catholic peasants don't take the declaration as well and rebel. However being at peace they are taken care of within half a year. All these conflicts have made blacksmiths and the soldiers learn huge lessons by constantly being able to throw their theories into practice.
Education of the young child of the traitor goes well and eventually Gauronas even manages to learn to speak Danish proper. Gauronas show real potential quite quickly and he even takes after King Hemming and becomes quite gregarious and well versed in the dealings of court and lords.
The training of the little chieftain is only stopped by the news that Hemmings wife Rikissa is pregnant.
The same year, 1228, it becomes clear that the bitter rivalry between the Estrid's and Vogelius will never end. The armies are immediately assembled and the war reparations from the Swedish king are used to ensure the safety of the realm. On the field Hemming hears that his second son has been born. Luckily shortly afterward a Jihad is declared for Aragon by the Muslim powers, making the holy orders busy in the south of Europe.
The soldiers rush to the Islands, one detachment sieges the old capital of Halland while the others take on the Islands. A Sicilian army makes landfall in Själland to try and take it but the Scanian army is prepared and defends the island with reinforcements incoming. They manage to get 10 000 men on the Island and it becomes too much for the hired Scottish Band to handle and reinforcements are taken from Fyn to make it hold out.
Even with this victory it looks bleak, the enemy numbers are overwhelming and the coffers are almost empty of wealth. However Hemming gets an idea, his army makes sure in the midst of battle to capture important noble men leading the armies. These are then extorted on their wealth for their safe return in order to keep the treasury stable of Skåne.
The Hungarians try to invade over the sound but the Scanian army is there to receive them. Another great victory is won outside Trelleborg against the remnaints of the Sicilian army.
The battles gives more prisoners to fuel the Scanian war machine but the war is still far from over...
And more great armies seem to be marching west....
