Florence Love - part 5 J A Skehan
This is a work of gay fiction containing scenes of sex between consenting males. If this offends you stop reading now! If you are under age stop reading now! If it is illegal to read this in the country where you live, stop reading now and move! This work is under copyright to the author and can not be used or reprinted without the author's written consent.
If you enjoy this story consider a contribution to nifty to continue its work in promoting enjoyable gay writing. Without this outlet many gay people would live alone in darkness. Comments are welcomed -jaskejr@hotmail.com
Florence Love -Part 5
The Grand Duchess Sophia and the three children-Paul, Felipe, and Maria- were sent to safety. With his family sent to a small castle in the Hapsburg domains, the Grand Duke and the city prepared in earnest for the advance of the enemy army. Florence itself was protected by it's own ancient walls. Outer defenses were hastily built to defend the suburbs. Pisa and the other large towns in Tuscany were given permission to establish their defenses and armies.
Pisa was attacked by land and sea. It quickly fell to the enemy forces. Lucca fell next and within a short time the French forces were at the outer defenses of Florence itself. Faced with far superior forces, Ferdinand was given an ultimatum by the French general. The city would be spared bombardment if the Grand Duke surrendered the city and himself to the French forces. Hurriedly, a council was summoned to decide. After a long debate the council left the decision up to a vote of the now diminished population. Ferdinand agreed to abide by their choice. A furious debate took place in the main square. A vote was finally taken and the city was to be surrendered.
Ferdinand and I prepared to face whatever fate lay before us. We made love like it was out last time that night. He penetrated me three times and held me in his arms for the entire night. In the morning we made hurried love again so that I was filled with his seed and knew fully of his devotion. We bathed and dressed to meet the enemy.
We emerged from the palace dressed in entirely in black. My only adornment was the silver and sapphire ring he had given me. He wore no orders nor jewels. We were only attended by a few footman and two body guards. As we passed on the way to the main gate and our prison the citizens lined the streets, many in tears. Ferdinand stopped before he left the safety of the city to address the crowds that had followed their Grand Duke. He urged them to protect their cherished city as he himself was doing by his surrender. He also urged them not to violently act against the occupying army.
Outside the gate an escort of French mounted troops awaited us. We were taken to the tent of the victorious general, a short man by comparison with Ferdinand. There, as is the custom , Ferdinand offered his sword and scepter in surrender.
The general accepted the sword but handed the scepter back to the Grand Duke. He explained that the armies of the republic did not accept the scepter as a symbol of authority. Ferdinand then signed the articles of surrender and asked that the city be spared the usual looting by the victorious army. The general consulted with his officers and agreed that only a limited number of prizes would be taken as long as a large fine was paid by the citizens.
It was also stipulated that the former Grand Duke was to remain in his palace and not leave his palace or the city without a French guard. Ferdinand was to be allowed a small household of his own choosing but not more than 10 people. We were to be returned to the city immediately.
We approached our former realm in sadness, escorted by the same mounted guard. At the gates we dismounted and gave our horses to the French guards as a sign of our new abject position and surrender. We stood before the gates and watched as the red and white standards of the city and Grand Duchy were lowered, maybe for the last time. We entered on foot to pass back to the palace. The harsh terms of the surrender had already been announced by the French. People lined the streets as we passed. Many of them were in tears and others trying to touch Ferdinand and kiss his hands. It was a sad day for our proud city.
Back in the palace Ferdinand was faced with some difficult decisions. He must decide which members of his staff were to be among the ten. I and the footman were to remain, along with his chaplain and 2 members of the kitchen staff. His secretary was sent off to join the exiled family. Three members of the former council begged to be allowed to share in our imprisonment. The grand chamberlain was permitted to remain in the palace as a reminder of the former status of the now ex-ruler. Ferdinand asked that one gardener remain to care for the gardens of the palace. He asked if I would want to keep my own servant. I declined, having already told the servant to return to his family. I'd given him a number of silver coins as a parting gift.
The French appointed a military governor for the city. He was left with a large number of troops to maintain order. The governor installed himself in the rooms of the former Grand Duchess. His staff took over the remaining rooms of the palace. Ferdinand was now addressed as `citizen" by the French. We were allowed only five rooms to house Ferdinand, myself, our footman and the chaplain. We were given limited access to the library and chapel. A small garden was set aside to grow our own food with another left for our exercise and seclusion.
Once a week we were taken into the city to satisfy the people that we were bring taken care of. Often people would hand us packets of food, wrapped in papers with the news of the outside world. It was our only allowed communication .
We learned via the verbal reports of the kitchen staff and the chaplain that the French armies had been successful in taking the city of Rome and that the Pope was himself a prisoner in his palace. We also learned that the victorious general had returned to France, leaving a relative in charge of the conquered Italian lands.
We lived an isolated but peaceful existence for 15 months. Ferdinand and I had each other to console us. We spent many hours making love as if it were our last time. Meetings with the staff were often held while walking in the gardens to avoid French spies. The footman and I mended our garments and linens. We no longer had the funds to buy new ones. Our meals were simple and our wine not of the best quality. The only monies we had were slipped into our pockets by former councilors and wealthy citizens.
One day a officer arrived with news that the former Grand Duke and his household would be freed to rejoin his family. He would take only his small staff and personal belongings. He should be prepared to leave in 5 days. Unrest spread in the city at this news. It was decided that the small group would leave in the middle of the night to avoid trouble from the citizens.
Our journey to the border of the Hapsburg lands in three small, dark coaches was slow and often delayed. We had an escort of only 8 French horsemen. Many of our personal belongings were carried behind the coaches in a covered cart. At the border we were delayed further by endless conferences among the military officers of both sides.
Finally, we crossed the border to be greeted by the former secretary and by now the oldest of Ferdinand's sons, Paul. He had grown into a handsome, muscled young man of 17 years. He wore the scarlet uniform of an officer of the Austrian emperor. We were allowed to refresh ourselves and rest overnight before continuing our journey. In the morning our small coaches were replaced by much grander ones, as befitting a Grand Duke. Our new escort was one from the personal guard regiment of the emperor himself. During our 10 day journey I assumed my old duties as the personal chamberlain to Ferdinand. We shared adjoining rooms and were able to make love daily.
We finally reached the Hapsburg capital, Vienna. We were taken to a fine palace in the city where Ferdinand was to be joined by his family. Word was sent that the emperor would receive Ferdinand formally at court when his wife joined him.
All courtesies befitting his position were given to him. I was immediately placed back into my old position of private chamberlain. A large pension was also granted to Ferdinand. Our threadbare wardrobes had been replaced with new, suitable garments when we had crossed the border. Now tailors had been dispatched by the imperial court to refit the entire household. Our dining table was set out in the finest gold and silver plates. A personal military staff had been appointed to the Grand Duke. He had received a commission as a general in the imperial army, along with an appropriate salary and household pension.
Ferdinand saw that I was also brought along with his new honors and position. I was made an honorary colonel and promoted as one of his chief aides de camp. My new blue uniform was splendid but a little bulky for my own purposes. We would often make love hurriedly with him pulling my white britches down in the rear to penetrate me in a small room off of our quarters while the footman kept guard at the outer doors.
Since he could not appear at court functions until he was received formally by the emperor, Ferdinand had accepted a number of invitations from the imperial archdukes and higher princes. I was to accompany him to these occasions as his aide. At one such affair we saw our former foe, the retired archbishop of Florence, now a simple priest, attending a bishop. He had fallen a long way from his pompous days as our foe. No more orders, no fine robes, now he wore a simple black gown with no sign of his former position. I deliberately decided not to acknowledge him when the bishop was presented to Ferdinand. I picked that moment to direct my attention to an ornament on my uniform. Ferdinand was gracious to the bishop, ignoring the priest.
The reunion with his family brought great joy to both of us. The other children- Felipe and Maria- had grown into fine young people. The Grand Duchess Sophia, now with the rank of imperial princess, greeted me with a hug that defied protocol. She was obviously happy to see both of us well and safe. She wore the jewels, her favorites, that she had taken from Florence. Sadly, her once fine figure had grown with the idleness of her exile and now she appeared to be rather a larger, older matron .
That same evening Ferdinand was informed that the family would be received at the imperial court at the next evening levee. Tailors were immediately summoned to provide appropriate dresses for the ladies and proper clothing for all of the males. Coaches and an honor guard were sent to our palace to bring the entire party to the imperial palace. As we processed to the palace we were joined by the coaches of the court nobility.
At the gates of the imperial palace an honor guard had formed. Imperial chamberlains welcomed us and escorted us past the court officials to an ante-chamber where we were given refreshments and waited to be announced. The stiff protocol of the Austrian court required that we were announced by a court herald and then the Grand Imperial Chamberlain. At the correct time we were summoned to the grand throne room. It was far more ornate than any I had ever seen. Standing on both sides of the room were the gentlemen, ladies, and officers of the court dressed in their splendid uniforms and attire.
The grand chamberlain raised his staff and signaled that the room should be silent. He announced the arrival of the Grand Duke of Tuscany and his family. I stood behind Ferdinand and Sophia with the children around me. We followed the imperial chamberlain down the wide carpeted way to the dais where the emperor sat alone on his throne. Ferdinand bowed and greeted the Austrian emperor. Putting protocol aside the emperor stood and greeted Ferdinand as cousin with a warm handshake. He turned to the rest of us. Ferdinand introduced Sophia, his children, and finally me as his aide who had joined him in his imprisonment. We all bowed to his imperial majesty.
The emperor resumed his seat on the throne and addressed those in the room. He warmly welcome the Grand Duke and his party. It was a brief ceremony but opened up a new world to all of us. Our status ranked us just behind the imperial family itself. Our new home and household far outshone anything we had seen in the past.
Our life in Vienna while busy was not as joyful as in Florence. It was a cold city with the winds from the river making it seem even colder. The common people huddled in their coats or small homes. The nobles exchanged visits, riding in heated coaches with armed escorts. Our residence was heated by numerous wood stoves, mainly tended by the servants of the household. On the rare nights when we were at home we all gathered in one of the warmer drawing rooms. Sophia and I would talk of the warmth of Tuscany that we both missed. Ferdinand would read dispatches or talk with the children. News of events in the war torn nations of Europe would filter in from the imperial chancellery. We remained ever hopeful that we would one day return home. I had come a long way in life from the streets of Florence.
Ok that's part 5 folks! I don't know if there will be more. Only history and my imagination, along with your encouragement will tell. -jas