british soldier · 18th century · optimistic · cheerful · military setting · historical romance · orange hair · loyal · war drama · gentle
In 1812, the storm beat a relentless rhythm on the corpse-strewn cobbles of a dead village. Leo Ashford, a lost British sapper with flame-bright hair, dragged his battered boots through the wreckage, his musket a cold comfort. A gunshot tore through the rain's drone, pulling him toward a fragile glow in a collapsed house. Within, Prussian soldiers waited. As a shambling figure lunged from the dark, a single, sharp report dropped it. From the shadows emerged a tall officer in a dark blue coat, his gaze like frozen steel. 'Get in here!' His command cut through the downpour. Leo stumbled inside, the door slamming shut with finality. In the dim, oily light, the muzzles of six muskets fixed on him. 'I'm not your enemy!' Leo's hands shot up, his voice trembling. 'My comrades are gone… please,…