Romance Sex Stories

by Carly Smesh

  An hour later she was laid across his naked chest, kissing his neck, "You smell of horse," she whispered.

  He chuckled running his hand over her naked back, "And you smell of disinfectant."

  Later they bathed together in the large sunken bath. Afterward, he watched as she wriggled her hips getting into her tight jodhpurs, tucking in the silk shirt she wore. That almost resulted in the need for another bath.

  They had a late breakfast served on the terrace by two Indian girls whose continuous giggles as they attended the couple unnerved David beyond what the snap of Afghan bullets had been able to accomplish.

  Susan chuckled delightedly at his discomfort, "Darling they are only doing that because they approve of my choice of man."

  He shrugged his shoulder, but before she could frame a suitable response, a disturbance in the streets below distracted them: A column of red-coated British soldiers marching towards the Palace gates, lead by four mounted officers.

  David squinted his eyes, "General Fitzroy himself," he muttered, "and Barton. Don't know the other Officer, but . . . my God, Captain Clarence Fitzroy! The old boy must have placed him on his staff. At least he can't harm anyone there," he said, the bitterness apparent in his voice.

  Susan put her arm around him, "David, you have to meet them tomorrow, but the Prince asked that you keep out of the way today. So, can you bear to spend the day with me?"

  David frowned. "Does the Prince know about us," he asked.

  Susan laughed, "I think the whole Palace knows about us. That costume I wore was Princess Yasmin's, and she knows why it is worn"

  The following morning Peshawar led David down along the lower level of the Palace. Finally, coming to a halt by a rather nondescript door, he indicated that David should enter.

  The marble floored room appeared empty, except for the throne sat on a raised dais.

  Then he noticed the Prince between the columns that opened the room to the outside. He was standing by the rail looking out over the city. He turned, seeing David, and smiled at the look of surprise in his eyes before walking towards him, "I know, my friend, you have never seen me in the Royal robes before. But I have had to make an exception for today, to remind our guests who rules here in Kanda."

  The Robes were magnificent: The coat, of white silk, had gold threads running through it; a broad, blue silk sash was fastened by a star encrusted with diamonds; around his neck he wore a heavy gold chain; the turban he wore had a huge ruby in the centre; his fingers sparkled with diamonds and emeralds, and a large pearl hung from an ear.

  The Prince chuckled, "Contrary to appearances, I don't mind telling you, David, that it is most uncomfortable."

  David smiled at the comment and the tensions of the coming meeting started to dissipate.

  It was true that the men he was about to meet had orchestrated the ending of his career in the British Army, but that had led to his meeting with this man, and he had changed David's life for the better.

  "Peshawar has informed Subedar Major Para that the parade will start when we go out on to the terrace." The Prince chuckled, "he informs me that the men were up before dawn cleaning their equipment and horses."

  He looked keenly at David, "How do you feel about meeting these men David. The men who ruined your career?"

  David paused before replying, "I should feel angry I know, Sir, but instead I feel gratitude. Indirectly they have given me a better life. A life I would not have had otherwise."

  The Prince looked fondly at David, "Their actions did a great service for me and my country, David," he said as he moved back inside, seating himself on the throne.

  Peshawar announced the British officers and stood to one side as General Fitzroy came bustling in with the other three officers behind him. They came to an abrupt halt, seeing David stood at the right hand of the Prince on his throne.

  "Good morning gentlemen. I trust you all slept well and your quarters proved adequate?" the Prince purred. "I should like to present my Colonel in command of the 1st Khana Rifles. Colonel Ramage."

  David took a step forward and saluted General Fitzroy, who hesitated a second before returning the salute.

  "You may present your Officers to Colonel Ramage, General Fitzroy," the Prince said with a hint of a smile on his face.

  The General coughed, "Major Barton my aide de camp" he murmured.

  Barton looked at David hesitating before offering a salute. David returned it adding, "The Major and I have met before"

  The general moved to the next officer, "Major Keeling, representing central Command at Bombay."

  Major Keeling gave David a sharp salute, which he returned.

  "I've not had the pleasure of meeting you before Major Keeling," David murmured, thinking he must be on the staff of Lieutenant General Horace Makpeiece, Supreme Commander, India.

  "No, Sir, you have not. I'm here to evaluate the military situation at the Pass and report back to my superior."

  The General moved next to his son, "Captain Fitzroy, a member of my staff."

  David looked at him, his face had gone a deathly white and his eyes wouldn't meet David's.

  He offered up a sloppy salute, to which David replied crisply and precisely.

  "Are yes, Captain Fitzroy, we have met before."

  The Prince smiled, "Well, gentlemen, now that we know each other, I'm sure there are questions you wish to direct to Colonel Ramage."

  Major Keeling was the first to respond, "How many men do you have to guard the Pass, Colonel Ramage?'

  "Which Pass? The 1st Khana Rifles guard two, Major Keeling." Keeling frowned, David continued, "The 1st Khana Rifles are responsible for guarding both the Patena and the Khana Passes from invasion."

  There was silence as the full implication of what he had just said sank in.

  Barton broke the silence, "We have been given to understand that only a rabble guards the Passes."

  David's eyebrows rose, "The 1st Khana Rifles is comprised only of Ghurkha troops, over half them trained by the British Army. I'm sure I don't have to tell you gentleman about the fighting abilities of a Ghurkha soldier. During the engagements that have been fought since the Rifles were formed, on one occasion only 25 Ghurkhas blocked the assault on Khana Pass of several hundred Afghan warriors. After the attack we counted over 200 dead Afghanis."

  "But how many troops do you command," the General demanded.

  David smiled, "The current muster book stands at 332. Of those I have 250 that can be put into the field at a moment's notice."

  "Pah! I should like to see these troops," the General said belligerently.

  "And so you shall," the Prince said, rising from the throne and moving out on to the terrace. "I should like you to take the salute General Fitzroy," the Prince murmured.

  They looked down on the wide boulevard below them as, in the distance, a band struck up a military march. The Prince smiled at David and whispered an aside, "'Over the Hills and Far Away,' I heard a military band play it at Oxford and made it a staple for the Royal band upon my return. Rather appropriate, wouldn't you say?"

  David watched the faces of the British officers as Subedar Major Para came into view with the colour bearer behind, then Turin in front of his Tiger Company, arrayed in ranks of ten. Cobra and Panther Companies followed crisply.

  Major Keeling gasped, "They're cavalry!"

  "No, Mounted Infantry," David replied.

  As Para drew level he gave the salute with his kukri. David's arm snapped up instantly to return it, followed by the British officers.

  David's heart swelled with pride at the turnout of his men as they passed.

  When the last rank disappeared around the bend of the boulevard, the Prince turned to the assembled officers, "I'm hardly one to judge, gentlemen, but those troops hardly look like a rabble to me."

  They returned inside where refreshments were served.

  A short time later Para, Turin, Sultar and Rhana joined them and David introduced them to the General and his sta
ff officers. The Prince noticed that General Fitzroy, his son and Major Barton kept to themselves, while Major Keeling was in deep conversation with the Ghurkha Officers.

  "I would hazard a guess that Major Keeling is the one to convince here," the Prince murmured to David.

  At the reception later that evening, has the General was availing himself of the Prince's malt whisky, David moved out to the terrace to light a cheroot. Turning at the sound of footsteps, he found Major Keeling approaching.

  Keeling accepted David's offer of a cheroot, "At Subedar Major Para's invitation, I took the opportunity to visit your men today. Colonel. I was struck by the loyalty the men have for you. You failed to mention that you were present at all the engagements that took place at the Pass. I have to say, I'm impressed by what you have accomplished."

  His voice lowered as he looked around to make sure he wasn't being over heard, "The British Army is being stretched like at no other period in its history. The Sudan and South Africa are close to war, and we are not prepared for it. The War Office is stripping troops in India to serve in those coming conflicts, leaving barely enough men to guard the Khyber Pass.

  "The Army has begun to be equipped with weapons like yours, the Lee Metford rifle, but they will go to the Armies of Sudan and South Africa first. It may be a year or more before we have them in India. If we had to station troops in Kana, we would have been badly exposed to a serious Russian threat to the Khyber.

  So I'm delighted to say that I've full confidence in the ability of the 1st Khana Rifles to carry out the task of guarding the Khana Pass."

  David was surprised at Keeling's willingness to share with him such a frank assessment of the British situation.

  Keeling continued, "On a personal note, there are going to be changes in the command structure here in India. General Fitzroy is to be retired along with his son."

  David looked up, startled.

  Keeling chuckled mirthlessly, "Command at Bombay are well aware of what transpired when you resigned your commission. It's not the first time an incident like that had happened. The fact that so many Ghurkhas had declined to reenlist and so few in Nepal were willing to enlist, had a significant bearing on his dismissal."

  Stubbing out the remains of their cheroots, they turned to return to the reception.

  "Thank you for being so honest with me, Major Keeling. I assure you, I'm deeply grateful," David said.

  The following day, after the British officers' departure, David was once more in the company of the Prince, now dressed in shirt and trousers.

  "I had a long discussion with Major Keeling last night," he told David, "He said he was confident that you could hold the Pass."

  "He confided much the same to me Sir."

  "This coming spring there will be a major battle at the Pass won't there, David?"

  David shrugged his shoulders, "I would assume the Russians have reached their own understanding of the strained condition of the British Army, as Major Keeling described it for us. They may well realize they won't have a better opportunity of forcing their way into India than they will this spring. They know the Khyber has been the traditional route into India for centuries, and they know the British army is concentrated there. Khana Pass may look the easier target. If we manage to stop them here, they will have to concentrate on the Khyber. But I very much doubt that they would be willing to commit any significant numbers of Russian troops until a Pass has been breached."

  The Prince chuckled, "Everyone knows that the Afghans raid into India. It's almost regarded as a national sport. So no one much cares or notices. But if the Russians invade, then that's a direct threat against a sovereign nation. For all intents and purposes, an attack on England itself."

  David nodded his head in agreement.

  "I think, when the Pass reopens, that Susan would be better positioned at the Fort, where her skills would be better appreciated and more readily available," The Prince added.

  David nodded in acknowledgment, "She's returning with me to the Fort today, Sir, with supplies for the hospital."

  Chapter 24

  Susan rode Tana beside him, with a rifleman driving the cart behind them.

  "So the Rifles passed the inspection?" she asked.

  "Yes, it seems the Army does have some honourable officers who can see sense after all."

  Susan laughed, "Have you decided how you are going to use the magnesium yet?"

  David shook his head, "Turin and Sultar are working on it. Essentially, we need a fuse for igniting it and something to house it so it can be thrown in sufficient concentration and quantity to generate the required illumination when and where we need it."

  "Well, make sure that they are careful. It's not the sort of material to take chances with. I've been giving this some though, and I think you'd be better using it in a rocket rather than throwing it," Susan replied.

  David looked at her in surprise, "Darling, would that be possible?" he asked.

  "I don't see why not. Rockets are propelled by gunpowder with a container at the end of the rocket for an explosive charge. Your rockets would contain Magnesium instead. The heat and flame of the gunpowder could be made to ignite it. Well, that's my theory anyway."

  "Susan that's brilliant!" he said, excitedly, "If we only had a means of making them"

  "Well I've seen them going up in the city, when someone gets married. Perhaps someone there makes them."

  The Fort had returned to normal after the furor of preparing for the inspection. Men went about their duties supervised by their NCOs.

  David wasted no time informing his officers of Keeling's decision regarding the Rifles' future, knowing they would pass on the information to the troops.

  He turned to Subedar Hangar, "Can you return to the city and locate anyone who makes fireworks, rockets in particular. And bring them out to the Fort with their materials for making them."

  Hangar frowned, "Of course, Colonel Sahib, I'll leave immediately".

  David explained Susan's suggestion to them, seeing the light of understanding appearing in their eyes.

  Turin said a patrol had been dispatched to the Pass and that they should have their report on conditions there the next day. Para said six mules and three carts had arrived from the Horse Master. Also, the building materials for improving defenses in the Pass had been arriving and were being stockpiled, but they were still waiting for sufficient rope to arrive for the blocks and tackles.

  David was in his office when Susan came in. She smiled and sat down opposite his desk.

  "Have you finished your restocking all ready" he asked.

  She nodded, "All done. I've been checking some of the work your aid men have done. They brought their patients for me to check. They had done it right."

  He smiled back, "So where did you store the Magnesium," he asked.

  "I've put it in my bedroom, since I won't be using it as a bedroom anymore," she said demurely.

  He looked at her, surprised by her frank admission, "Susan we should get married. The problem is there's no minister in Kanda."

  She laughed, "Well, that's not the most romantic way of asking someone to marry you. But darling, I can wait until we find someone. Anyhow, in God's eyes we are already married," she said softly, coming around the desk and kissing him.

  "I'll buy you a ring the next time I'm in the city, darling," he promised.

  The following morning, Susan left with an escort of four riflemen. The parting had been sad, neither wanting it. But both knew they had duties to attend to that couldn't be put off.

  Later that morning, three large wagons arrived with oats and fodder for the horses.

  David was informed the wagons and twelve mules were to stay at the Fort after unloading.

  With nearly 300 horses and mules to feed, it could have posed a problem except for the ready grazing available just outside of the Fort. The winter rains had assured an abundance of grass to feed them.

  Turin suggested that some of the building materials could
be transported and stored at the entrance to the Pass, to reduce the time of transportation from the Fort.

  David agreed, and the wagons were reloaded ready for the following morning.

  The patrol returned from the Pass, to say they had managed to get to within half a mile of the Cleft before being halted.

  "The sun is melting the snow on the crests, Colonel Sahib, and causing avalanches. But in the narrowest passages it only gets sunlight for perhaps two or three hours a day," the Naik patrol leader reported.

  At the Officers Call that day, David explained he wanted no hold ups, "Once we can safely get men up to the crests, I want those lookout posts expanding to take ten men. The key to holding the Pass will depend on the lookouts on either crest.

  "If, as I suspect, the Russians intend to use artillery against us, then they will need a spotter to report the fall of shot. They must be prevented from this, therefore the lookouts must be our best marksmen."

  "They will surely attack at night Colonel Sahib," Sultar murmured.

  David nodded, "If it were me, I would," he replied.

  Para coughed, "Do we have anything to illuminate the crests and cleft yet Colonel Sahib"

  "I'm hoping when Subedar Hangar returns we may have a solution to the problem," David replied.

  Hangar returned later that afternoon, David was in his office when he appeared at his door with a man and a boy, "This is Mr. Tamar and his son, Colonel Sahib" Hangar said.

  Mr. Tamar looked to be in his late fifties, whilst the boy looked, to David, to be a teenager.

  Mr. Tamar looked worriedly at David, wondering why he was here.

  He tried to put him at ease and asked about his business, finding out that it was a family-run enterprise that stretched back four generations.

  David explained he wanted a rocket that could explode with a dazzling white light, going on to say he had the material for the light, but could it be harnessed to Mr. Tamar's rockets?

  Mr. Tamar explained he would need to see the material first.

  David had Hanga bring the tin tub from Susan's bedroom. Expecting a powder, when David removed the lid he was surprised to find what looked like metallic shavings.