King Asgard of Vittmark
| Personal details | |
|---|---|
| King Asgard | |
| Birth name | Asgard Palne Arfastson av Kulla |
| Birth date | 7640 |
| Birth place | Kronsta, Vittmark |
| Nationality | Vittmarker |
| King of Vittmark | |
| Years active | 7688-current |
| Style | His Grace |
| Height | 184 cm |
| Predecessor | King Eilert of Vittmark |
| Spouse | Nicola Voigt av Kulla |
| Children | Frida (b.7670), Edvin (b.7674), Ottea (b.7678) |
| Mother | Princess Nilla of Vittmark |
| Father | Arfast Joarson av Rosenqvist |
| Relatives | TBA |
King Asgard of Vittmark is the sixth and current monarch (third king) of the federal kingdom of Vittmark. He is the successor of his uncle King Eilert.
Early life
Asgard was born as the first and only child of Princess Nilla av Kulla av Vittmark and juncker Arfast Joarson av Rosenqvist in Kronsta, Vittmark on XX 7640. His birth was four weeks premature, which was the main reason why he was not born at the Academic Hospital in Östervallen like most of the members of the royal family of Vittmark. He grew up in the shadow of King Eilert, his uncle with a flamboyant lifestyle and proactive leadership. He wasn't prepared for the role as King of Vittmark during his early years.
As an avid stickball player, he got the opportunity to travel the world without having to use his royal privileges. He has played both the three-man and seven-man (mixed) version at an international level. Since he spent his youth mainly in Kulla his parent club is Kronsta IK, where he played both the indoors and outdoors versions. When he moved to Östervallen to attend high school, he started playing for Härstadens BK under the pseudonym Aston Dunswik. In his first year as a senior player, the team promoted to the Federal League with him playing an average of 28.9% and scoring 7 goals. Since Härstaden is the team connected to the military, he always suffered tough competition from well known players that played in the team during their military service. In an interview marking his selection as a national player, he stated:
- "I was challenged to the max by all the talented players moving into the team each year. As soon as one left military service and got a professional contract elsewhere, some other wonder-boy entered the team. For four seasons I wasn't a starting player, but a substitute with the task of doing damage control while the real stars of the team caught some breath. While other players might have become frustrated about this, I just enjoyed the opportunity to play with the best and learn."
It was at this occasion that he dropped his pseudonym and admitted he was indeed the prince of Vittmark. As part of the national selection he traveled all over the world, appearing at three world championships and four Anarian championships in the 7-men mixed formation, even though he never became a star player in that team. He also got to know his future wife Nicola Voigt through stickball. In an international match against Helreich he got a 2 minute time penalty for shoulder to shoulder checking the only female field player of the opponent's team, which is a clear rule violation.
- "He personally apologised for it at our players' hotel," she recalled the event later, "giving me a compliment about my size and formidable play. At the time I thought it was a lame excuse, my hips, breasts and ponytail made it impossible for him to mistake me for a man. Maybe he just wanted my attention. In the end, he got a bit more than that."
His relation with a representative for the Orderist world created global headlines. Prince Asgard combined his career as a professional athlete with a university education in geography, stating that he was aware of the short term perspective of a career in sports. At that time, nothing indicated he would become the next king of Vittmark.
Crown Prince of Vittmark
Over the years it became clear that Iduna jr and Palne, King Eilert's children, were not eager to take up the position as monarch. It was speculated that King Eilert's omnipresence was a clear obstacle for his children to prepare for succession. Both of them approached Prince Asgard to see if he would be interested, thus creating an easier succession process. When Asgard and Nicola's daughter Frida was born in 7670, the prince announced that he would be willing to consider the role as monarch of Vittmark if the people and federal parliament could accept him for who he was and who he was married to. It led to a thorough hearing in parliament by all political parties, where he stated that he was intending to take a different approach to the role of king if he was allowed to take over after his uncle, more like the counsel of state as intended by the Constitution than actively moving into the realm of politics.
- "Every era needs a certain type of monarch and I leave it to this house to decide if I have to offer what the representatives of the people asses is needed for the future."
So when King Eilert formally asked parliament for approval of the appointment as crown prince, Asgard passed with a very narrow margin.
During his time as crown prince, he studied part-time at university level, first history, then architecture. He was criticised for these choices, with people expecting him to focus on matters of state, international relations or economy in general. So Prince Asgard acquired three bachelor titles but did not pursue a master's degree.
Beside his studies, Prince Asgard trained himself for the upcoming task by acting as regent for Kulla taking over from his deceased grandmother Queen Iduna. He also got involved in the management of the Eastern Crown Domain, which is the royal family's private domain on Carlsö in Sokoku and designated Area of Cultural and Natural Heritage in that nation.
King of Vittmark
Even with his deteriorating health, King Eilert had no intention to abdicate up until his deathbed in 7688. He died before the crown prince could be crowned king, which led to a similar procedure as in 7566, where King Asgard took upon him the role as monarch immediately and was crowned a few months later. His first action was to appoint his daughter Princess Frida as crown princess, who had turned 18 the day before the coronation (even though a successor can be appointed already at age 16 according Vittmarker law).