Cade V of Northgard

**Cade V of Northgard** was the king of Northgard from 1187 to 1197, succeeding his mother Aylesa V "The White Rose". He was born in 1156, after his mother when into early labor upon hearing of the deaths of her brother Cade "The White Prince" and her aunt, Lydia I, with Cade being named after his late uncle.

In 1189, Cade was invited to arbitrate a succession dispute between Angria and Kera after the death of Kerian king Devrand II who left an unclear succession, and Angrian king Edmund II wishing to place his grandson Edwulf on the Kerian throne, as he was descended from Kerian king Cedselt I. Both kingdoms assumed Cade would mediate their discussions.

## Biography

### Reign and the Midlands Cause

In 1189,

On March 24 1195, Queen Retha died of a fever. Cade, who was devoted to his wife, grieved heavily and he was not seen for almost a week after her death. The couple's surviving children were called back to Northgard. To help with grieving, Cade erected the Rethasvik stones in his late wife's memory.

In Cade's absence, Thorstein Reed exerted control as High Chancellor, though when returning to kingly duties Cade remarked that he would have thought Thorstein planned to "usurp his kingdom".

### Death and Legacy

At the time of his death, Cade was survived by his acknowledged illegitimate daughter Kenora.

Cade's unexpected death in 1197, outliving all his legitimate children, leaving the inheritance of Northgard unclear. When his eldest surviving son Henrald died in 1193, his daughter Aylesa was named Princess of Wolfstone in turn, and Cade recognized her as his successor. However, Aylesa died a few days before her grandfather and Cade did not name a new heir by the time he died. Callan, the eldest child of Mathilde, was put forth as Cade's successor, though the Northgardian government was hesitant due to Callan being a boy of three, and his father, jarl Sigrid, would be his regent. The claims of Ingeborg's children were also discarded due to the Westlander influence, as were the descendants of Estrid.

Cade V's younger sister, Serena "Blackrose", was offered the throne, but she declined. As did Jana, the youngest of the siblings, who told the council that "With my own eyes, I saw how the power of the crown influenced my brother". The Moot elected Prince Rhorak, the son of Cade's youngest sister Jana, to succeed him.

## Marriage and children

Cade married Margarethe Valdemarsdottir, the second daughter of King Valdemar II of Thellan in 1171 AL, who was close with Cade's grandfather and great-aunt. Unlike most arranged marriages, Cade and Margarethe genuinely loved each other. When Margarethe died in 1195, Cade was deeply affected by her death and constructed the Rethasvik stones in her honor. Cade outlived none of his legitimate children.

1. Harald, born in 1172. Prince of Wolfstone from 1172 until his death from a fever in 1179.

2. Henrald, born in 1173. Prince of Wolfstone from his birth until 1196. Married Joanna Harvestar and had one daughter, Aylesa.

3. Mathilde, born in 1174. Married Sigfrid, Jarl of Griffin in Thellan and had issue, who pressed their claim to the Northgardian throne when Cade died. Died the day before her father in 1197.

4. Gwyda, born in 1175. Died in 1192.

5. Ingeborg, born in 1175. Married Cynan Weyrdon of the Westlands, and had issue. Died in 1197, shortly before her father.

6. A boy, possibly named Thelyn, who died in the cradle in 1180

7. Estrid, born in 1181. Married to Alphonse II of Cedon and bore one child, Beatrice, before dying in 1197.

8. Ayleson (1184 - 1185)

9. Rikessa (9 May 1187 - 11 October 1187)

10. Braden (1189 - 1191)

### Illegitimate

Cade acknowledged one illegitimate daughter, Kenora, born in 1171. In *The Life of Queen Retha*, a semi-historical telling of Queen Margarethe, Cade wished to legitimize Kenora by the year 1196 as a failsafe due to the rapid deaths of his own descendants, but by the time he died, he changed his mind as to not disrespect his marriage.
Eryka of Rosnthorpe claimed to be Cade V's daughter through a fling he had in 1196. Soren, a blacksmith in Jarrow, bore a strong resemblance to members of House Wolf, implying a degree of Wolf ancestry.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 *History of Northgard*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 *The White Rose of the North*
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 *The Life of Queen Retha*