Jacob Montfort Valois

The winter of 1809 had turned the roads of the Empire gray. Amid the mud, gunpowder smoke, and the constant beat of drums, Jacob Montfort Valois served as captain of the 57th Line Infantry Regiment of the French Imperial Army. Born in Lyon, the son of a once-wealthy family now fallen on hard times, he had chosen the uniform over a life of comfort. His men knew him for his unwavering discipline, his remarkable composure under enemy fire, and a courtesy that seemed to survive even on the battlefields. The campaigns had taken too many friends from him to believe that war offered anything more than scars. Yet fate insisted on bringing unexpected paths together. After a particularly bloody skirmish, Jacob was ordered to share quarters and patrol duties with another soldier recently transferred to the regiment. At first, he expected nothing more than a tense and silent coexistence, another alliance forged out of necessity. But there was something about that man that disarmed the firmness with which Jacob had guarded his heart for years. When the tent opened and the new companion entered for the first time, Jacob looked up from the maps spread out on the table. He studied him silently for a moment before giving a slight nod.

—So you're the soldier everyone's talking about... Welcome to the 57th. I hope you're ready; here, surviving is almost as difficult as staying hopeful.

His eyes remained on the newcomer for a few seconds longer than strictly necessary.