The Jezebel of India Ch. 08

Chapter Eight.

The campaign had made its way through the bordering lands without a mishap. The officers of the townships sat astride their mounts enjoying the late heat before the rains came at the end of the year. They marched for twenty miles and then made camp. The East India Officers settled around their fires and those with money to spend on a night's entertainment their servants, or 'batmen' to the rear of the column and would the prettiest whores of the camp followers, and bring them to their masters. Camp followers, a rag-tag collection of the wives of the common soldiers, and non-commissioned officers including Mara. The newly promoted sergeant had installed his beautiful wife in a tent on the edge of the camp and ordered a loyal corporal to stand guard whilst he ministered to his officer. The English Officer, now fully immersed in the pleasures of the Indian woman seemed to possess an unendingly deep purse, which Ghadnar dipped into as he always took a commission for the whores that graced his bed, but also seemingly insatiable. Night after night, a whore was procured and escorted through the camp, her head covered with her saree and deposited within the officer's tent. As the column, moving at a leisurely pace, progressed Ghadnar began to notice that the whores would demand more money to service his officer but also would complain about his treatment of them. She escorted another fresh whore from the officer's tent, the whore winced as she walked,

"I will not visit that English devil again. Do not call upon me!" She complained. Ghadnar usually ignores the whinging of whores but as he reached the edge of the enclosure and across the brush palisade, he could stop his curiosity,

"What are you complaining about? You have been paid and I doubt his prick is bigger than other men's!" Ghadnar's barb caused a shocking reaction.

"Your English devil has gone too far this time! My dirty hole will be sore for days and I will not be beaten like a poor field hand!" The whore hurried away and Ghadnar tutted to himself. The Englishman had become quite perverted of late, he had begun to be more violent and now indulged himself by beating the women, whom he paid, and using their holes without a care or a warning. Now, he was completely barred from the camp whores and now Ghadnar feared that other female camp followers would be his next pool for seemingly never-ending hunger for woman flesh. As he walked, he considered which wives could be either coerced or bribed to share the Englishman's bed and which his officer would consider pretty enough to be a potential for his desires.

"My loyal corporal has a prettyish wife, and he is hungry for gold. I'll be seeing him soon!" He smiled ruefully, "At least we shall be under fire soon maybe the enemy will solve all my problems by killing him or killing me!" he was horrified at the thought of either outcome but he made his way home to his beloved Mara.

In the two weeks that followed, the army of the East India Company allies made slow progress and more worryingly made no contact with the forces of the Rani. Not even a scouting party had been detected. The columns moved at a snail's pace and ennui set in. The private soldiers became fractious, the non-commissioned officers punished, carelessly the infractions of the private soldiers and the white English officers were less concerned with their men's welfare and only their own amusement. The officers, often second or third sons of minor nobility wore the shoulder boards of bought commissions and regarded the Indian people as mere playthings and lacking in greatness.

Their attitudes would soon bring dismay to the column.

The hidden scouts had kept an exact count of the regiments, cavalry, field artillery and supplies that rumbled idly towards the palace. Deewan and the Rani's guard had been a whirl of activity. The fort now bristled with new brass cannons, the infantry lined its walls and all the approaches were mined with black powder charges buried in the sand on all the approach roads. Gobinder and the Rani reviewed their mounted forces and set two militia companies to act as light infantry and skirmishes. They had been schooled relentlessly in their marksmanship and now believed themselves a match for East India men if not the feared redcoat army of England.

The Rani was under no such illusion. The preparations were done, and the armed might of two districts bore down upon them, ostensibly in the name of the East India Company, but they were hungry tigers wanting to divide Jhansi between them, depose her and her son and simply have the company stay on the sidelines and await the usual bribe of gold. Her intelligence gathering had been sharp and even though letters were sent and received to and by the East India Company; no support came. No redcoat reinforcements and now she beset with enemies again. In the deepest darkness of her bed chamber, the voices rang in her head like a great bell; independence from British rule! She had sent envoys to forces outside Jhansi, to Tapi Tope, the warlord in the est, paving a way for her escape and security should this battle go against her. Her escort of her best guards stood ready with her great white horse, Balal, ready to flee the palace and away with her son. She clung to Gobinder now, in her private tower after he had made love to her and spoke of her fears but Gobinder, always loyal, always noble reassured her that should they be overwhelmed, his life meant nothing and he would fight an entire army to keep her safe.

Gobinder, Deewan and the six escort guards trained furiously throughout the day. They practised with sword, musket and dagger; their prowess was unmatched and they would give their lives for Rani's safety. Gobinder had lost weight and now was leaner and rippled with muscle and when he was naked before her, Lakshmi admired his maleness and beauty. His love-making wad at times ferocious and tender and in response, she rode him like her beloved horse as he grasped and caressed her slender breasts. It had been one warm, bright morning when Lakshmi and Tara appeared at the training of her guard and demanded that they too, would be drilled and trained as men. Lakshmi was already a formidable horse-woman and was as good as any man with musket and sword. Gobinder bowed and the two women were paired with himself and Deewan and in the days of the enemy's slow march they sweated, trained and strengthened their arms. In the evenings, worn through with the martial skills of battle, Lakshmi would call for Gobinder for his love in their secret tower.

This night, the night of the watcher's report that the enemy had been sighted in the astern approaches, Lakshmi had called not only Gobinder to the tower but also Tara and Deewan. The foursome sat and took tea and talked about the coming day,

"The East India allies are mighty but they are foolish. Their patrols are easily seen and our scouts evade them without any clash at arms. The column comprises sepoys, probably mercenaries, and the foot infantry of swordsmen and musket men. Their cavalry is a mix of tribesmen led by the English officers. I believe they are unbloodied and green, lacking in any real experience in open warfare. They will be unnerved when our black powder mines are set off, I have men ready. I would counsel an attack of the mind before a shot is fired. First, they are green inexperienced troops, so they will be frightened. I would advise flying the flags of 'no quarter' and having the trumpets sound as they emerge into the flat fields at the borders of the town. They will take their time, as large armies do and then we strike at their guns, with a lightning attack with mounted rifles and spike their guns, with copper nails. Then we enfilade with our mortars, which they cannot see, then attack as a European army!" Gobinder knew the strategy was bold, but he knew his enemy and his smile filled the others with confidence.

"Your words are well heeded, Gobinder. Now, Deewan, what is the state of the infantry and the cannon?" The Rani smiled serenely as he informed this Rani of the state of the backbone of the armed forces at her disposal.

"With the cannon on the fort, we can reach the town and beyond. The mortars can fire over the wall and onto the formations as they form. This will cause maximum disruption, then the cavalry will strike from hidden places and attempt to spike their cannon. While they attack the rear, the six full regiments of foot, will advance and pour fire on the enemy. The final charge, which your Excellence has commanded to be led by yourself, will then strike the officers and the retreating troops," He nodded in reverence to his Rani and then waited for her to reply. Gobinder did not comment, his lover was a consummate horsewoman, skilled musket shot and excellent swordswoman, and he knew any argument would be ignored.

"Then before we set ourselves to the task of defending our land, I think it is now the right time to announce the marriage of Deewan and Tara and hold your celebrations before the dark clouds of war settle upon us!" The Rani smiled and Tara smiled warmly and hugged her best friend and Deewan bowed his gratitude. The couple hugged each other and then left Gobinder and Lakshmi to the evening warmth. As they descended the tower's stone steps, they smiled and felt the heat of the great red sun as they crossed the courtyard, to their apartments. Dewan was still overcome with his sense of good fortune.

"The Rani and Gobinder will make love this night in the tower, and I would like you to follow their example. I want to touch you, feel you and most importantly feel you inside me," She blushed excitedly. On her couch, Tara lay, her nakedness only covered by a long red and gold saree pleat. Deewan, his bare chest thick with black curls, knelt at her feet, in a cream sarong, attempting to cover his stiff prick, tenting the material. Tara looked shy and deliberately cast her eyes away from his, hungry gaze. She had played the seductress game with her new betrothed lover and he enjoyed the role as much as she. He pulled the saree from her, exposing her upturned breasts. She of course resisted his pulling but then looked at him with her dark seductive eyes, then let go. With her gold armlets and the chain that sat erotically at her hips, her body glowed in the oil lamp light of their love nest. He, then, leaned forward and began to kiss her chin, cheeks and face, his beard tickled her delicate skin but she made no sound. He kissed her feet, up her legs and, her rounded buttocks working his way up her flat belly, deliberated missing the black curls of her cunny and then kissed and suckled on her crowning nipples, already stiff and wonderfully aroused. As he moved his mouth to her, Deewan moved her legs apart but she rose from her reclined position and met his lips and for a few moments, their lips devoured each other. With his free hands, he slipped his hand down to her pubic hair, already wet from her growing arousal. He slipped a playful finger and tickled at her cunny lips, and then probed her wet hole causing her to jerk, shudder and moan.

"Make me your woman, Deewan! Make my cunny flutter and release my stream of love for you!"

Deewan pulled his wet finger and allowed her to suck on her juices and lick his finger clean. Then he resumed suckling her nipples, heavy and somnolent, her breasts twitched and as he drew her arousal higher and higher she was ready for his prick. Suddenly, Deewan turned her over and began kissing and licking her buttocks, his prick nudged her now, as he moved against her skin leaving a trail of his wetness, his prick hard and wanton. His tongue found the cleft of her buttocks and then snaked it down to the delicate bridge of flesh between her dirt hole and her sodden cunny.

"You make me a river!" She moaned as he slid into her cunny, and she devoured his length and pulled out again.

"I want to look at you and I love you" He whispered, and they straddled each other; she took him deep inside her cunny and he built up a powerful but rhythmic pace as they moved in perfect concert, their bodies now joined in a convulsing, rocking motion to bring them both to a terrible and joyous orgasm,

"Give me your seed, Deewan and may the Lord Krishna bless me with a child!" She moaned as they rode the crescendo of their love.

As the armies approached the outskirts of the town, a tiny sperm burrowed into an ovum and a new life began.

End of Chapter Eight.