Granny here,
"Francesca and Alexander"
"Sometime During the Eighteen Hundreds"
The war was unsettling to say the least for the countries involved and all of their people. American soldiers had been deployed to the regions surrounding Calabria and were doing what they could to keep peace in the area. The Italian people were grateful but somewhat apprehensive of the American soldiers but had no other choice but to accept help wherever they could find it.
The soldiers had been given orders to what lengths they were allowed to go with the Italian women and would be disciplined if they went outside the boundaries set for them. Being American males they were brave men but they were also lonely men, they often took chances and had affairs with the young ladies of Calabria and the surrounding villages. Many of them paid the price when caught and spent many hours confined to the brig, but were willing to do so in order to enjoy a few hours of sexual satisfaction with the girl of their choice. Many of them fell in love with hopes of marrying after the war was over. The superiors knew the dangers of this behavior which would include many unwanted pregnancies and babies born out of wedlock were so great that great strides were made to avoid such occurrences.
The soldiers were assigned to different details such as keeping peace after hours in the city streets, in the mountainous areas where the enemy would often hide. They were also assigned as escorts to various dignitaries throughout the region when the occasion called for it. This included the echelon of the military, the Italian government and members of royal families whenever they visited the area.
The American Post was set up on the outskirts of Calabria at the foot of the mountains where the men would have a good view of the surrounding areas including access to the mountains. They were beautiful with their snowcaps along the peaks and dark green forestry as they descended to the valley below that led to white sandy beaches. The soldiers had access to various sports depending on the season of the year whenever they had a few days leave to enjoy themselves, but with loneliness the number one problem among the men , women was their chosen sport. Some of the men were not having flings they were falling in love therefore complicating their situation even more, getting married during wartime was not easy by any means but in a foreign country it was virtually impossible.
Many of the men found themselves in love and having no solutions to the problem they had created for themselves. Man of them chose to live off base with their "wife" and sometimes children, this practice was frowned upon by the U.S. Military but little could be done about it except locking the men up and that only added to the situation and they needed every man to be available for duty when they were needed.
Rumors were spreading among the men that some members of a royal family would be visiting the area for a month and that escorts would be needed to guard them during their stay. Many of the men were hoping for the assignment, they all had different reasons, some just for the prestige that the assignment would carry with it, others for the chance to meet royalty and make some memories to last them a lifetime and go home with some great stories to tell their families. This was something that would only happen once in their lifetime. One of these soldiers was Lt. Robert Alexander Neilson, a tall, dark and handsome young man in his early twenties.
The day for finding out who had be given the assignment was filled with excitement and apprehension for the men, most of them wanted this assignment so when the listing was posted all of them were there to read it. The selection consisted of six men all with experience in guard duty somewhere in the past. The list read Pvt. Donald Louis Watson Pvt. Maury Lee Olsen, Lt. James Smith Donovan, Pvt. Bradley Wayne Littleton and Lt. Robert Alexander Neilson. The sis men were thrilled with the news but still had days of preparation for the event, they had a lot to learn about royalty.
After the final choices were made for the royal guard duty, the men had to study for days learning all the rules of protocol that was involved with such an assignment. It was very important that the men knew what was allowed and what was not in a situation such as this. Security would be of the utmost importance and how the soldiers conducted themselves in the presence of royalty could bring unwanted publicity to the American military if not handled correctly.
The soldiers chosen as the "Royalty Guard" were given a list of all the royal family members that would be under their care. It would be King Garibaldi and Queen Alisianna, and their niece The Countess Victoria Francesca Castalina, a beautiful young lady about twenty years old. The men were given photographs of the family so they would be familiar with them and the men liked what they saw in the young countess, they also knew that the hands off policy would definitely be applied in this circumstance and that the penalty would be severe if not adhered to.
The big day finally arrived, the Royal Guard was trained and ready for duty and was well prepared for the task at hand but as far as the Countess was concerned the men did not look at this as work but pure pleasure. Special uniforms had been commissioned for the men and they were the pride of their company. There was also a degree of jealousy among the men not chosen for they understood it was just the luck of the draw and wished the men chosen well in their assignment. This assignment would last for a month and included various events that the royal family would be participating in. Two of the men would be assigned to the King, two of them to the Queen and two of them to the Countess.
They received their assignment by random drawing with Lts. Neilson
and Donovan being assigned to Countess Francesca which made them feel fortunate indeed, but they also knew they would have to conduct themselves as gentlemen at all times or pay the consequences if caught. This may not have been too much of a concern for Lt. Donavon, who was a shy, quiet man who was considered a wall flower by all the other men and he usually would rather spend his time alone than with the other guys. On the other hand Lt. Neilson was very popular, outgoing type of guy who was always the life of the party and thought taking chances was the spice of life. All the men teased the two about how lucky they were and wondered which one would wind up with the countess. Little did the two men know what lay in store for them, especially Lt. Robert Alexander Neilson.
The two lieutenants were introduced to the royal family at a formal gathering that included the entire company and was it a royal affair? The men were dressed in their royal best and the countess' beauty took their breath away. When the countess was introduced to Lt. Neilson it was a little different that meeting Lt. Donovan, she seemed to linger just a little longer, look in his eyes a little longer and have a smile that seemed to say more than "I'm glad to meet you."
It wasn't long before the Countess was learning the personalities of her two escorts and they were as different as daylight and dark with Lt. Neilson being the daylight. He made her laugh, made her feel good in a time when it was hard to find anything to feel good about, where Lt. Donovan was quiet and adhered strictly to military protocol and added nothing to her time out with him.
Lt. Neilson's schedule for the day was to pick up Countess Francesca and take her to the beach for a day of swimming and relaxation. Not a bad assignment by any man's standards and Lt. Alex as he was called would make the most of it, one could be sure of that. As she came out of the royal suite, Alex's breath was taken away for a moment; she was beyond gorgeous, tall and slender, with long legs, a dark tan on what flesh he could see, her eyes looked like brown jewels and her hair was the color of coffee. He knew this day was going to be more than special if he had anything to do with it.
He escorted her to the special vehicle that had been assigned to the Countess for these occasions and opened the back door for her, as she stood near him she couldn't help but breathe in the aroma of his cologne which made her feel light headed but in a good way. She smiled at him as she slid into the back seat, her long legs peeking from under her royal skirt. He grinned back at her as if he had not noticed them and leaned inside the car to make sure everything was secure, giving her an extra close look at this physique and another whiff of his cologne, it never hurt to take extra measures to get things to go the way you wanted them to and Lt. Alex knew all the tricks and he wasn't afraid to use them.
Countess Francesca opened the conversation which was the only way the men were allowed to talk to the royal family; they had to indicate that they wanted conversation by initiating it. Any conversation had to be initiated by them otherwise it would be considered an intrusion on the part of the soldier and that was unacceptable. "How long have you been in the army, soldier?" Asked the young countess. "About two years, answered Alex, I like it very much, especially my present assignment." "Do you plan to make a career in the armed forces, there's lots of opportunity you know." "I'll have to give that some thought, Countess, do you think that would be a wise decision?" Asked Alex, bringing the conversation down to a more personal level. "I can think of worse vocations, can't you? The military has a great deal to offer and more men like you need to take advantage of it, don't you think?" "Yes, I guess you're right there, but I'm not sure it's the best decision for all of us but a lot of the men do choose to stay. I'll have to give it some more thought before my time is up." "By the way, please call me Cesca, all my friends do." "Thank you Countess, I mean Cesca, for adding me to the category of friend, do you grant that liberty to all your escorts? Ask Alex. You may call me Alex if you like, I would count it a privilege to call you my friend, and it's not every day that a soldier gets to add royalty to his list of friends." As the conversation continued Alex took the opportunity to look back through the rearview mirror and observe Cesca's expression and trying to figure out what she was really thinking and where she may be going with this conversation. Please discard the royalty, for the month we are together, I am just a girl seeking a good time and I hope you will be part of that, I will put the royalty back on when I return to my life, right now I want this to be a new life, new memories, and most of all a good time." Alex was taken by surprise but it was a good one and he would do all in his power to bring the countess' desires about. The conversation helped pass the time and they were at the beach before either one of them realized it, it was a special section that had been designated exclusively for the royal family for security reasons so Alex had her all to himself.
The sun was hot on the sand as Alex opened the door for Cesca, as she slid her long legs out on the sandy beach Alex offered his hand for assistance, she was about to stand up and when the sand shifted beneath her she landed in Alex's arms, which he didn't mind, but needless to say it was an embarrassment for both of them. As Alex caught her, their eyes met and both of them felt something electric go between them, this could not be, this should not be but there was no doubt for either of them, they were definitely attracted to each other more ways than one.
Alex, remembering his orders and the rules of protocol, quickly let her go and preceded to set up the area where she would be comfortable, spreading the blanket, setting up the beach umbrella and the royal picnic lunch. He carried her satchel and placed it under the umbrella, out of the corner of his eye he could see her untying the wrap she was wearing as a cover up. Her bathing suit, a navy blue sailor style, the latest fashion of the day, fit her like she had been melted and poured in it. Alex almost lost his composure, he was a young man after all, who had been away from female companionship for a while and she certainly fit the bill that would fill in all the lonely moments he had had up until now.
Cesca brought Alex back to reality, "You did bring swim trunks, didn't you , Alex? Why would a hunk like you go to the beach without getting in the water?" She asked. "If that is your wish, Cesca, I am prepared, but only at your invitation," Answered Alex, delighted that she had invited him to join her in her swim. His heart was beating faster as his thoughts went farther than he had anticipated, how lucky could a fellow be, this is what you write home about he thought as he dove into the water. Coming up, Alex, found himself face to face with Cesca, he didn't dare do what he felt like at that moment, he was very attracted to her and he knew that pose some serious problems for both of them.
Cesca initiated the play that ensued as Alex came up out of the water, what choice did he have but to go along with her, he had no authority to say no to royalty, not that he wanted to . She began splashing him and chasing him, trying to dunk him beneath the water, she was laughing like it was something she didn't get to do that often and Alex enjoyed the sound of her laughter as it rippled over the waves. He knew this kind of behavior would not be acceptable if found out, either by the royal family or by his superiors, so it would be their secret and he felt there would be many more to come.
Alex found it so surprising that he and the countess had such an attraction to each other so soon. Was it because he was a lonely soldier and she, a manipulated young woman with no control over her own destiny? Could one fall in love this quickly or was he leading himself into a situation that would only bring heartache for both of them. Was it fair to Cesca to let this go on with the reality of knowing it could go nowhere, that it could never become their life or would it be unfair to rob her of the only happiness she may ever know, Alex would leave that decision up to Cesca, wherever she would lead him, he would go, he knew already that he could love her that much.
The morning swim had given both of them a ravenous appetite and they made a run for the picnic basket that had been prepared by the hotel kitchen. It contained delicious fruits, cheeses, breads, and a bottle of wine. Alex spread the food out on the blanket, Cesca made her way through the hot sand to offer he assistance, Alex was about to stop her when she took him by the hand, "Remember I'm just a girl having a good time with a good looking gentleman," she said in a low sultry voice that made Alex believe there was more to Cesca than he realized. "Whatever is your pleasure, your royal highness." "Please, Alex, don't ruin this moment for me, I love being just a plain girl, on a lonely beach with a handsome soldier having the time of my life." Alex, at that moment saw a side of Cesca that was lonely, foreboding, he saw a young woman hungry for life, who knew that she only had these moments in time to make the memories that she would carry with her the rest of her life and how could he deny her that.
Cesca poured the wine and handed Alex a glass, as their hands touched he could feel the warmth of her flesh against his, "May I pose a toast, Cesca? May this moment last forever, if not in real time, in our memories, to you Cesca, a plain girl, with a handsome soldier, on a lonely beach." Alex took her in his arms, their lips met wit such tenderness and passion, a tear made it's way down her cheek, they crumbled down to the blanket weaken by the intensity of the moment, the picnic was forgotten as they lay wrapped in each others arms the remainder of the afternoon. Alex kissed her over and over again as they watched the afternoon sun go down, "We must be going, Cesca, it's getting late, we don't want to bring to much attention to our behavior, we don't need a lot of questions." "Oh, Alex, do we have to, I haven't had this much fun in my life, but I know you're right , can we do it again?" "You know I will be alternating outings with Lt. Donovan, so I won't always have the pleasure of being your escort." He hated to take her back but had his orders and didn't dare do anything that would bring suspicion upon their behavior.
Alex returned to the villa that night with a song and a secret in his heart. Sleep did not come easy, his thoughts were only of Cesca and when he would see her again. He knew that she would only be in his care for so many days during her visit and he was already resenting the fact that she had to be shared with Lt. Donovan. Why had he let himself become involved so quickly, what would he do when she left him, how could he face losing her when he had just found her? He knew all he could do was enjoy what time ha had with her and as he drifted off to sleep she was still on his mind.
Granny here, just saying!
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