Major Jamie Stewart
Major Stewart was sitting atop Topthorn about to chew out the late recruits when he saw her in the window. Sirita Singh was watching him from her window. Wearing nothing but her nightgown, she looked like a vision in the window as the morning sun outlined her body. Her dark curls were loose and wavy, and not up in a bun. She looked lovely. Stewart paused and it wasn't until she turned away from the window, that Major Stewart was able to take his concentration back on the troops and the task at hand. Topthorn shook his head restlessly. Major Stewart knew that Topthorn always reflected his own emotions, and with Sirita Singh, Jamie Stewart's emotions were all over the place. He was in love with her, and he had been from the time they met. It was complicated though, he thought as he turned Topthorn and began to canter out toward the field while the troops followed. He was going to war, possibly never to return, and her brother would never approve.
Stewart looked to his right and saw the last troops arriving late. There would be certain punishment for that. He sighed. He took no great pleasure in punishing his troops, but in the military, discipline had to be applied to all so that the great war machine would never break down. At least, that is what his father taught him.
At the thought of his father, Stewart felt his cheekbones tighten. His father was a cold, cruel man whose greatest love was battle. Stewart's father returned from the Boer war in South Africa a drunk and a miser whose greatest love was dishing out punishment to his wife and son. Jamie Stewart spent his life striving to be the exact opposite. He never drank, took care of his mum, and strived to be the best soldier and leader he could be.
Still, he thought as he sat tall on Topthorn in front of his troops, he had never fallen in love. Of course, he had sexual experiences. His father made sure that his son lost his virginity at 17 to a beautiful lady of the night. He was fortunate, he mused, that she was a kind woman. Other soldiers he spoke with had horrible experiences during their 1st time, and they were nearly bad enough to put a man off of sex. Since his 1st time, Jamie had several more sexual experiences, some good and some bad, but he had never been in love until now. Knowing he could never have her hurt more than he could imagine. Over and over, he told himself that going to war was the tonic he needed to get over Sirita Singh. As he gave marching orders to the troops, Jamie Stewart mentally pushed himself to forget her and prepare himself for war.