Valentine’s Heart
Jamieson Wolf
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to locales, events and people living or dead is entirely coincidental.
Valentine’s Heart
Night Wolf Books 2008
Cover Artist: Jamieson Wolf
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
For Caroline, Sandy, Naomi, Kimberlee and Wanda
You have become my Sisters of the Heart
Valentine’s Heart
Jamieson Wolf
Authors Note
According to legend, as early as the fourth century B.C., the Romans engaged in an annual young man’s rite to passage to the god Lupercus. The names of the teenage women were placed in a box and drawn at random by adolescent men; thus, a man was assigned a woman companion for the duration of the year, after which another lottery was staged.
After eight hundred years of this, the early church fathers sought to end this practice and promote monogamy. They found an answer in Valentine, a bishop who had been martyred some two hundred years earlier. According to church tradition, St. Valentine was a priest near Rome in about the year 270 A.D. At that time, the Roman Emperor, Claudius II, had issued an edict forbidding marriage. This was around when the heyday of Roman Empire had almost come to an end.
When Claudius became the emperor, he discerned that married men were more emotionally attached to their families, and thus, would not make good soldiers. So to assure quality soldiers, he banned marriage.
Valentine, a bishop who witnessed the trauma of young lovers, met them in a secret place and joined them in the sacrament of matrimony. Claudius learned of this “friend of lovers,” and had him arrested. The emperor, impressed with the young priest’s dignity and conviction, attempted to convert him to the Roman gods, to save him from certain execution. Valentine refused to recognize Roman gods and even attempted to convert the emperor, knowing the consequences fully.
On February 24, 270, Valentine was executed.
While Valentine was in prison awaiting his fate, he came in contact with his jailor, Asterius. The jailor had a blind daughter. Asterius requested him to heal his daughter. Through his faith, he miraculously restored girl’s sight. Just before his execution, he asked for a pen and paper from his jailor, and signed a farewell message to her, “From Your Valentine.” A phrase that lived ever after.
Valentine, the first novel in this series, is loosely based on this legend. I have taken certain liberties with the characters of Valentine and Asterius.
The second novel in the series, Valentines Labyrinth, examines what happens after the events in Valentine and what would happen if their hearts were threatened by evil.
But I found myself wondering about something. Valentine takes place in the Summer of 270 AD. Valentines Labyrinth takes place in December of the same year. I found myself wondering what Valentine was up to during the months between the first and second book.
Thus Valentines Heart was born.
I do hope you enjoy it. And I do hope that you will want to read what comes before and after it.
Jamieson
270 AD
They had been in hiding for what felt like years.
Valentine knew that it had only been a few weeks. But already he could feel the air growing colder at night. Soon, Fall would be upon them; and still they would not be gone.
The plan had been to hide in their forest home for a couple of weeks and then flee from Rome to Italy under the cover of darkness. But sometimes, even the best laid plans have a way of working against you.
It was like Magic, Valentine thought. Though you followed a spell to the letter and forgot nothing, any number of things could still go wrong. Life was like that; Valentine knew this better than anybody.
Wanted by Claudius the Second, the Emperor of Rome, for high treason, Valentine knew that he should have taken Asterius in his arms and fled to Italy. But his heart could not leave Anna to suffer her fate alone. Besides, he thought, running away wouldn’t solve anything. He had to remain in Rome so that he could hear the news, he had to remain in Rome to fight the Emperor.
He had to remain in Rome so that he could make sure Anna was safe.
Valentine sighed. What sort of a paradox was it, to love a woman so completely yet give his heart to another? He loved Anna like a sister, like a sister of blood. But he did not love her in the way she needed. He knew she loved him. Valentine saw it every time she looked at him. Though she had said she would stay in hiding on a small cottage in the hills of Rome, Valentine knew that she would continue their work. Knew that she would continue it for him.
He sighed once more and went to the wooden chest that rested near the entrance to their tree house. Opening it, he took out a small silver basin, a candle and a water gourd.
Flicking his fingers, Valentine watched as a flame emerged. He pressed his finger to the tip of the candle’s wick and watched the light grow brighter.
No longer in the darkness, Valentine opened the gourd and poured some water into the base of the silver basin. Swirling his finger in the water three times in a clockwise motion, he whispered the following words:
“Oh Lupercus, let me see. Set my mortal vision free. Show me my Sister, I beseech thee. As I will it, so mote it be.”
The water in the basin began to glow a soft, pearly white. The air hummed around him and Valentine watched as the pearl white of the water began to fade to be replaced by something else.
It was Anna. Valentine saw her wearing a white robe and talking to a man with shining blond hair. Watching the man look at Anna, he could see love in his eyes. Anna had love right in front of her, yet she could not, or would not, see it.
He saw the trees around her and knew that she was still in the forest, their forest. His heart was glad to know that she was only a few miles away; even if he could not see her again.
To do so would be to put her in jeopardy. To do so would be to bring death to her. He could not let that happen He could not lose the only family he had ever known. Though she tempted danger herself, he would not bring danger to her.
He had brought her enough pain already.
Valentine looked up from the basin when he heard footsteps on the rope ladder. He felt a moment of fear before Asterius’ head came into view, his red gold hair shining in the early dawn.
And, just as he had felt his whole body fill with despair with thoughts of Anna, one look at his lover chased all those dark thoughts away. With one look at Asterius, his whole body was filled with warmth, love and longing.
Asterius smiled and stepped into the tree hut, putting a cloth sack on the floor beside him. He approached Valentine and looked down at the silver basin, the candle light flickering off of his bare chest.
Placing a hand softly against Valentine’s cheek, Asterius watched as Anna readied the forest for a hand fasting. She fastened ribbons on the boughs of the trees so that they would flutter in the wind. But there was a slowness to her movements, a slowness that spoke of sadness and want.
Valentine sighed and blew out the candle. When the flame no longer flickered, the water in the silver basin was clear once more. Asterius lowered himself so that he was sitting beside his lover and took Valentine in his arms.
“You really miss her, don’t you?” he said.
Valentine nodded, not trusting himself to speak. When he did, his voice shook. “How is it I ache for her yet do not love her like I love you?”
Asterius stroked Valentine’s curly brown hair, felt its softness. “There are all kinds of love in the world Valentine. You should know this by now. There is no shame in loving Anna as you do.”
“But I cannot give her my heart.”
“And why is that, my Valentine?”
“Because I have given it to you.”
Asterius as quiet for a moment. He listened to the sound of the two of them breathing, the wind rustling outside making the leaves whisper around them. When he spoke, his voice was soft and comforting.
“Your heart is the greatest gift you could have given me. I have given you mine in return. But I know that part of your heart breaks for her. She is your Sister of the Heart. I would worry if you did not love her as much as you do.”
“I’m so frightened for her,” Valentine said softly. “She continues my quest, defying Emperor Claudius. I have brought danger to her.”
Asterius chuckled. “She knows what she is doing, Valentine. I think that she shows incredible courage to continue your work in your absence. Her heart breaks but she will find love too. This will all work out, my Valentine. Have faith.”
“How can you be so sure we will win?” Valentine asked. “How can you be sure that Emperor Claudius will fall?”
“Because good must always triumph over evil. It has been this way since time began and so it shall be again.”
He kissed Valentine softly on the head and stood, holding out his hands to him. “Come, I have something for you. I know that living in hiding is not easy for you. But I have something that may brighten your spirits.”
Valentine took Asterius’ hand and let his lover pull him up. They stood close to each other and Valentine could smell the smoky scent of sandalwood coming from Asterius’ skin. “Am I about to find out where you went this morning?”
Asterius smiled. “I wanted to surprise you. I wanted to put a smile on your face and in your heart.” Asterius put a hand to Valentine’s chest and felt the steady beat under the skin. The tattoo of rhythm that excited him.
Valentine watched as Asterius reached into the cloth sack and withdrew a small wooden box. Without a word, Asterius handed the box to Valentine. He held it in the palm of his hand and looked at Asterius for some clue of what was inside. Asterius merely motioned for Valentine to open the box.
When he did so, Valentine gasped. Nestled in a deep green fabric was a thick band fashioned out of silver. It gleamed in the half light of their hut. Along the band there were two strands that wove together to form a never ending line.
Asterius plucked the ring out of the cloth and slipped it onto the third finger of Valentine’s hand. It fit perfectly. The air around them began to hum and they watched as the ring started to glow; bright light began to fill the hut so that they could see each other easily.
It was then that Valentine realized that Asterius was wearing his own silver band and that it matched his own. Valentine felt tears spring to his eyes and looked at his lover.
“We are lovers in heart and spirit.” Asterius said. “Will you do me the honour of spending the rest of your life with me? I can only give you my heart.”
“That’s all I have to give you in return.” Valentine said. Asterius wiped away the tears and Valentine kissed his lover, his husband, trying to communicate all the passion that he felt without words.
Asterius returned the kiss, matching the passion and Valentine felt the world swoon around him. He felt Asterius gather him up in his arms and carry him to the pallet that served as their bed. Placing him upon it, Asterius broke the kiss long enough to remove the cotton shift that Valentine wore.
Valentine shivered in the cool air for only an instant before Asterius lay on top of him, covering him with his warmth. Valentine felt the hardness of his body, the hardness of Asterius’ cock, pressing against him and his own cock responded eagerly.
Valentine moaned when Asterius cupped his balls in his hand and massaged them, ran his hand up along the shaft of Valentine’s hard dick. His lovers breath was warm on his face.
“You are my heart.” Asterius said softly.
“As you are mine.” Valentine whispered.
The glow from their rings glowed brighter as Asterius began to kiss first Valentine’s neck and then his chest. He licked at Valentine’s nipples greedily, biting them gently and then continued the kissing, leaving a hot trail along Valentine’s chest and stomach.
Before Asterius could take Valentine’s dick into his mouth, he pulled away and positioned himself so that he could take his lover into his own mouth. He ran a hand along Asterius’ chest, feeling the hair there, the thick muscle. He pulled on a nipple, making Asterius moan.
When Valentine took Asterius’ cock into his mouth, Asterius took Valentine into his. Together, they stroked each others cocks with their tongues and mouths. Valentine moaned deep in his throat, his mouth wrapped around Asterius’ hard dick and felt his lover spasm.
He knew he was close.
Valentine began to thrust his cock in and out of Asterius’ mouth as his lover, his husband, did the same. Together they moved as one, unaware of the glow that emanated from their rings and from their skin. They knew only each other, only the pleasure they gave each other.
Another spasm went through Asterius’ body and Valentine began to thrust more quickly so that they could come together, so that they could release their passion at the same time.
Asterius moaned and Valentine’s mouth was filled with his lover. He swallowed greedily and came hard and fast with a deep moan; he felt Asterius’ mouth working around his cock, swallowing his lovers cum.
When they were both spent, they lay together on the pallet, the glow coming from them and their rings glowing still brighter in the aftermath of their passion.
Asterius stroked Valentine’s hair, pulled Valentine closer to him. “My funny Valentine.” He said. “My one and only.”
Valentine kissed Asterius softly. “My heart.” He said.
They lay there in the soft darkness of the dawn and listened to the wind whispering in the trees…
Jamieson Wolf has been writing since a young age when he realized he could be writing instead of paying attention in school. Since then, he has created many worlds in which to live his fantasies and live out his dreams.
He is the author of several novels and two non fiction works which include the best selling novels Valentine, Finding Beauty, Witches and others.
He currently lives in Ottawa Ontario Canada with his husband and his cat, Mave, who thinks she's people.
More information about Jamieson and his work can be found at his web site: www.jamiesonwolf.com
And his blog, which can be found at www.jamiesonwolf.blogspot.com