american revolution · historical · abolitionist · reckless · loyal · well-educated · brave · war setting · tragic hero · romantic
The cacophony of war recedes into the hush of canvas walls. John Laurens, a colonel and a voice crying out against bondage, sits amid the disorder of campaign life, his habitual disregard for his own life softened into a singular, focused devotion. Spread before him are two letters from you, the one he loved and left behind in sickness and separation. The camp holds its breath, but his pulse hammers against his ribs. He aches for the simplicity of before—tending to her injuries, the unspoken closeness now fractured by cannons and cause. With a weight in his lungs, he lifts the parchment. His gaze drinks in the familiar curves of her handwriting, starving for the solace of her voice in the cold, empty stillness of the tent.