Once Upon a Hero: Tales of Love Throughout History

by C. N. Bird

  “There will be too many, even with your quarters but I thank you - most graciously I thank you. It will help to use your quarters. What last medical supplies we have are in the building adjacent to my quarters. Sapkowski is guarding it. The password is “Friesian.” He will give you anything you need.”

  She nodded and sprinted to the building, dress held to her knees and mud flicking up from her heels.

  “Men! Do you just stand there whilst the women run to help? Get out there and carry these poor bastards back!”

  ***

  “Friesian?”

  He sat down heavily with a grunt, rubbing his eyes. He was exhausted but proud. It was a nightmarish day but they managed to save most and ease the passing of the few they were unable to save.

  “What?”

  She giggled languorously. It was evident that she was tired, her eyes were darker than usual but she looked vital, engaged.

  “Of all the code words to have chosen… a type of cow? You know I needed to ask what the word means. Did you choose it so that anyone who found it out would think it was obviously not the real code word but a jest? Or perhaps so they would feel so foolish saying it that they would only do so if they truly had a desperate need of supplies?”

  He looked across at her, trying to keep a stern face and failing, feeling a smile tickle the edges of his lips.

  “Madam, your gratuitous attacks know no bounds. Do you truly now mean to attack a noble breed of cattle? It really is too much.”

  She started to laugh, a deep belly laugh that broke his facade for good. Still he spoke, through his chuckles.

  “Until this day I was a most fervent admirer of Russian culture and her gifts to the world and mankind but alas, that view is now permanently tarnished.”

  She chuckled and leaned forward, arms crossing over her knees.

  “Are the French so very fond of their cattle?”

  He looked at her mischievously, arching an eyebrow.

  “This may be a laughing matter for you, madam, but that noble beast has done naught to offend you but produce sweet creamy milk and cheese. And low gently.”

  She looked to her feet and smiled softly. “Low gently. And war upon nobody.”

  He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, the tone of the conversation just a little darker.

  “That too is true. They also have more sense than to go to Russia during the winter months.”

  He gazed at her, marvelling. It had been a day that would test any soldier, so many starved, frostbitten soldiers, misery and fear. Any fears that Amaury had entertained about marauding troops looking to rape and pillage had been extinguished almost immediately on seeing them. These frail, damaged men would never see their mothers again.

  And there she sat. Calm. More serious, yes. Affected by the sights of today, he had no doubt. But she sat calmly by the fire. Many men had died a kinder death today because of her care. Many more would recover because of her ministrations. She had been an angel of mercy today. She was a fine woman. Was it really too much to hope that one day he might call her his? Could they not wed?

  “I think it is probably time for us to sleep. It has been a long two days.”

  She nodded, still looking into the fire. Amaury stood and started to pull out blankets and cloth before laying them out in front of the fire. She looked at him and looked at the cloths.

  “No. Please put them away. If there are lessons to be drawn from the last few days, it is that whilst we live and can be together, please, let’s be together,” she murmured. “Make love to me, my Amaury.”

  He smiled gently. “Your Amaury. I like that.”

  She cocked her head to one side. “Are you laughing at me?”

  “No. I like it because it is true, my Katinka. I am yours and always will be yours.” Amaury took a deep breath. “This is truly what you want?”

  She nodded. “More than anything.”

  He leaned to her and kissed her, his tongue stroking her teeth, her lips. Placing his hands upon her breasts, he pulled her close to him and slowly, languorously, they embraced, tongues flicking sensuously over each other. The words “With my I body, I thee worship” repeated in Amaury’s mind as he absorbed every last detail of her beauty and his fingers memorised the feel of her. He knew that this must be the last time they were together and he intended that his memories should last until the day he died.

  They undressed and lay on the bed, hands and tongues on skin. His lips suckled on her nipples, creating mirrored sensations in her sex that made her cry out before he spread her legs wide and pressed his lips to her aching sex, licking her with long, drawn out strokes, as though there was all the time in eternity to enjoy her sweet taste. He found her bud and gently suckled as he had on her nipples before he pressed his fingers into her sex. She moaned softly, such beautiful music to his ears and as she approached her first climax, he gently slid a third finger into her most secret spot. Her reaction was immediate and powerful, her hips bucking against his hand and her sex clenching around his fingers.

  “Oh, Amaury, Amaury my darling.”

  He opened his mouth over her and she embraced him, holding onto his shoulders tightly.

  “Katinka, je t’aime, je t’aime, ma Katinka…”

  He pulled her legs around his hips and she locked her ankles behind his waist as he entered her in one long push of his hips. A deep guttural cry came from her as he pumped himself into her, stretching and filling her until she was insensible to anything else. She bucked her hips against his thrusts, hands grasping his shoulders tightly as her head swung backwards.

  “Don’t hide your face, my love, please, let me see you. Let me see you when you release.”

  With every thrust, he felt her sex convulse around him and he knew she must be close to her release.

  “Amaury, my love, now, please…”

  He thrust harder, faster, his grunts matching her cries until he groaned, a final deep thrust that triggered her orgasm. They clenched each other, moaning, whimpering as their bodies reached the final peak and slowly came down, nails dug into each other’s skin, breath settling back to normal.

  He rolled from her and laid, head resting on her breasts and reached his arms across her in an embrace. Her fingers curled into his hair, and he listened as her breathing slowed and deepened to a gentle wave. She yawned and ran her fingertips gingerly over her swollen lips before she ran her hand down his back.

  He rolled onto his front, positioning himself between her legs, his elbows propping him up either side of her chest. “Sleepy?” he chuckled.

  “It has been a very long day,” she smiled. He smiled sadly and leaned up towards her face, rubbing his nose against hers.

  “I am the most fortunate man that ever lived,” he sighed, “and yet, the most unfortunate man that ever lived. I am lucky indeed to have discovered you but you cannot stay in the supply post.”

  She looked at him forlornly and sighed, “I would stay.”

  He pressed his nose against hers again. “I know you would. And I would have you stay but I am not so selfish. There was a messenger who came today from my brother. The war is lost, bar a few battles. The French will retreat shortly from Moscow and they will be chased by the tsar’s men. The tsar’s men will come to this post and if they were to find you… I love you too much to destroy you like that.”

  “You love me?”

  He gazed deeply into her eyes and without fear, he spoke. “Yes, Katinka. Yes I do.”

  “Amaury, you cannot leave me.” There was fear in her voice, a tremor of panic in her tone but there was resignation too. He knew as well as she did that this day was inevitable.

  “I need to take you back to your manor. Prince Anatole and his band of Cossacks are not far and you will be safe then. You’ll have to stay in the loft or servants quarters, anywhere you can lock yourself in from the inside until you are discovered by friendly forces. If you stay here, you will be mistaken for a French woman again. I cannot put you in such danger.”<
br />
  “And you? You will stay with me? I can protect you, surely I can. They wouldn’t dare to attack you while I’m there...”

  Even as she spoke the words, he remembered the attack the previous evening. He did not know entirely what had happened in her quarters but it was clear that the Cossack had no intention of rescuing Katinka. He saw her eyes well and she swallowed.

  They sat silently for a moment, holding each other.

  “Imagine it, Katinka. You’re found with a French soldier. My presence would only cast aspersions upon your faithfulness to the tsar. I need to return you, make sure you’re safe and then be away, far away. God knows, I… I wish I didn’t have to.”

  “There has to be a different way. There must be a way… I could talk to the prince, make sure he knows you’re not like them.”

  He smiled sadly. “Am I not like them? I’m not sure how you suppose me to be different.”

  He leaned over and kissed her lips. Tears spilled down her cheeks. Amaury imagined she, like him, wanted more than anything to believe their days and nights could continue as they had done, full of pleasure, passion and companionship.

  “Do you even have the transport to take me?”

  “I have two horses left. They are not strong but they will carry you and your ladies back to the manor. You can use them to trade for food once all this is over. Katinka… know that once this war is over, if you would have me, I will return. I would be your faithful servant. I owe you a blood debt. And I love you. In another place, another time, I would have asked you to marry me.”

  She inhaled sharply and her eyes widened. A glimmer of a smile touched the edges of her lips.

  “Surely you are of a noble family? We could be together. I could find you in France?”

  “I would not ask you to surrender your life here but should the tsar ever mistreat you, should you ever wish it, I will always be ready to see you. I will always be your servant. I will love you always.”

  He climbed from the bed and turned towards the window, rubbing his face.

  “It breaks my heart to do this,” he spoke, the ghost of a tremor in his voice. “Never think I’ve abandoned you. I need to protect you and the only way I can think of to protect you is to return you to where you belong, amongst your own.” He sighed and turned around, resigned. “Come along now. We must get dressed or I’ll never be able to go through with it.”

  They dressed and laid on as many extra layers as they could find. Amaury called Lavigne to him and instructed him to assemble every soldier remaining in camp. Pauline and Josefa trudged sadly towards the horses and clambered up onto their backs. As Katinka mounted her horse, Amaury leaned over to her.

  “Katinka, if you can talk sense into the Cossacks and their commanders… if you can find a way… find me. Find me. Promise me.” He brushed his hand across her cheek and she clasped it to her face, nodding. “I will be but a moment and then we depart.”

  He turned to his soldiers. He delivered the news, the hope felling from each man, their shoulders slumping. Sapkowski stood at the entrance to the stores, passing out a parcel to each man.

  Amaury walked back to her, his shoulders low, his posture that of a defeated man. He was defeated. There was nothing more he could do but relinquish her.

  “It is time.”

  They trudged out of the village, Amaury on foot guiding the two horses and took the rocky grasslands to the North. Looking behind them, they watched as a small, thin stream of men walked on, some with lanterns, most without.

  “Amaury, what will you do once we arrive?”

  “I will try to catch the other soldiers. I have no other option.”

  “Will you not take a horse at least?”

  He shook his head. “You know I will not, my love.”

  They had walked for some miles and a glow upon the horizon was evident when they heard the unmistakable thud of horse hooves. Katinka and Pauline looked to each other.

  “Cossacks!” shrieked Josefa.

  Fear struck them all deeply and they stopped, peering into the darkness to try discern from whence the riders came. Amaury snarled and pulled out his sword, fighting past the ache in his wounded arm. Please, God, don’t let there be many of them.

  One rider sped past them, then another. Another veered from the west and they began to return to circle the party.

  “Get back! Get back! Get the horses together, stay together! Katinka, if there are too many, you must ride as fast as you can!”

  The riders now circled the party and Amaury, with his back to the horses, swung his sword.

  “Keep away!” he roared as they enclosed them, holding his sword out defensively. Even as he swung his sword, he knew it was hopeless. He could barely see how many riders there were, never mind whether they had swords or crossbows. Even still, if he died now, he would die with honour, knowing he had defended his lady to the best of his abilities.

  From the west he heard a thunder of hooves and turned to face it. There was a bang and then silence. Suddenly all was black, his thoughts silenced.

  ***

  Light drifted into his consciousness and he groaned. The illumination flooded behind his eyelids and the dull ache in his forehead bloomed into a stabbing pain.

  “Whuhh… close the damn curtains…”

  He heard a giggle and the impact of a body jumping onto the bed. A bed. An honest to goodness soft feathered bed. Why would he be on a soft bed?

  Something was wrong.

  In a panic, he sat bolt upright and looked around, thoroughly disoriented, eyes slowly coming into focus.

  The room was bright and luxurious, soft drapes by the windows and ornate carved furniture. Small portraits littered the walls.

  And Katinka.

  Katinka kneeled on his bed, smiling like her face would break.

  “Katinka...” He smiled slowly. He had never thought to see her beautiful face again, her fair skin and blue eyes and dark ringlets. And those lips. The lips he had enjoyed kissing so much.

  “Amaury de Poitiers, Ecuyer, Baron de Saint Simon, wasn’t it?” she grinned. “You had a very hard bang to your head. Are you well? Can you still count to ten?”

  He looked at her, confused. “I was taking you to your home… and the Cossacks…” Could it be true? Or had he perished? He tried to scan back to his last memories. He remembered the supply post, remembered saddling the horse...

  “Yes. The Cossacks are very good riders and while you were circling, one rode through the encirclement. Knocked you out. Things calmed down quite quickly after that. I spoke with their captain who brought me to their commandant. Who happens to be my cousin, Anton.”

  Amaury laughed gently and lay down slowly.

  “There is a God after all, it seems. I succeeded in the only thing it ever mattered for me to do.” He relaxed, before a realisation came to him, and he frowned. “My men? What of the war?”

  Her smile faltered.

  “I don’t know what happened to the men at the supply post. I know that Anton has promised that for their courteous treatment of me and for the protection offered to me and Josefa and Pauline, he will not harm them. In fact, if any are found, they will be fed and clothed until winter passes. That does depend on them being found and… and trusting that they will not assume they will be attacked. I know I saw my father and brother’s reactions to a force one assumes hostile. But if they hear the news that the war is now over...”

  “The war is over?”

  “It is over. Le Grande Army has retreated with enormous losses. Russia is victorious.” She watched him carefully, not certain what his reaction would be.

  He sat quietly, contemplative and raised his hand to his face before the realisation crossed his face.

  “So we can be together?”

  She beamed. “You would still want to? I was fearful that you would seek to return to France.”

  He slowly sat upright, fixing his gaze upon hers before clasping her hands.

  “Your Excellency, my Kati
nka, I said to you before I sought to return you to safety that I would ask you to marry me. I don’t pretend to have the answers yet as to how I would support you as a husband should or even why you would wish to entertain a common soldier but I would serve you body and soul. I love you, Katinka. I have never known a woman so strong, so bold.”

  He carefully climbed to his knees, never breaking his gaze.

  “Say yes,” he whispered fervently, staring intently into her eyes.

  “To what?”

  “Yes that you’ll marry me, Katinka. To being mine. Please, Katinka.”

  He heard her breath stuck in her throat. She gasped, happy sobs escaping.

  “Yes… Yes! A thousand times yes!”

  A short sob came from his chest before he grinned, a stunned, reeling, disbelieving, joyful smile and then burst out laughing before he kissed her, sweetly, passionately.

  “I don’t ever want to be apart from you. I loved you from the moment you flung the inkpot at me—”

  She giggled beneath her tears and held his face “Oh you remember all the nice things!”

  “—and I loved you since we sat by the fire in the stone house and we laughed. I loved you when we fought. I have loved you since the instant I saw you. I cannot bring you wealth or a noble title but I promise to devote myself to you and—”

  She shushed him. “I just need you, Amaury. Anton has now taken governance of the Viasma region as there is now no heir in my family and he has gifted us this house and the surrounding two hundred and fifty acres. We have a lot of people working the land and I need you to help me. Help me feed and clothe the people so that they can earn an honest keep.”

  He leaned in and kissed her again. “As long as I live, I am your servant. Whatever you ask, I will do. I will tend to your grounds and your people as my life’s mission”

  She smiled and lay next to him. “Our grounds, my Amaury. Our grounds.”

  He chuckled and leaned across, kissing her lips, her ears, her neck. “Well there’s a lot for me to do when my head is better. Now, since you very kindly asked me about my injuries. I think it’s time for me to undertake my own examination to be sure that you haven’t been injured.”