a Hunter and a Countess (p.45)
“I am not a dreamer….I don’t imagine running through fields.
I have to do it.
”
-Alexandra 1923 Series
This letter is entirely different from all others. If you are a Taylor Sheridan, 1923 fan, this one is for you! I wanted to challenge myself by writing about someone else’s story. I have only written from my own experiences and thoughts. Spencer and Alex’s tale was just too fabled not to try. Sheridan’s shows captivate anyone who watches. Julia Schlaepfer and Brandon Sklenar took his words and brought these two beautiful characters to life. They were perfect in their roles.
I am not sure what I was thinking to attempt to write about one of Sheridan’s love stories…but it was fun to dive into his world.
I hope you enjoy.
a Hunter and a Countess
A SHERIDANEAN love story
A long time ago, in a faraway land,
A hunter and a countess fell in love.
Their story…an epic tale
the kind that stars that can’t help but cross,
began their journey.
It was not the most likely of matches,
He was hunting for something lost,
and she for something wild.
Her questions and wit intrigued him.
His untamed, fearless way drew her.
Their eyes met and
a thousand words could not describe
What was said within their gaze.
It did not take long
before she realized
she needed his air.
Two lives set before her…
duty and heart.
She traded it all
for that, once upon a time.
On the sunniest of days, in the hottest of summers,
In the most beautiful lands,
A hunter carried a countess into her fairytale.
Their love was born in Africa
where their happiness found home.
But beyond its protected borders,
life warred against them,
as if they had broken some sacred law.
News from home
drew them out of paradise
and their safe castle walls
into a war with many fronts.
Their travels began
and soon found themselves stranded at sea.
Death did not scare her while by his side.
But fate needed them both,
and a light appeared in the moonlit sky
Their vows were made aboard this ship.
Only a captain and the sea to witness.
With two borrowed rings,
their souls forever tied.
One duel parted them
on two separate ships,
and two separate paths.
This time, they battled alone.
She was sent home
to slowly drown.
What the sea could not take,
her darkened room could.
For once, she had tasted his air,
she could breathe no other.
It left her no choice
but to find her way there.
She made her way, but not alone.
Her war was brutal.
Her resilience…within.
She dreamt of him ‘til sundown
No matter how beaten or dishonored…wore dignity… like a crown.
The hunter fought over sea and land
for his family and their call.
Rest, he could not
for he heard every tick from the wall.
No one more loyal
but his divided heart
questioned if he could save them all.
He had a harder road.
Life made him trade between two halves of his heart.
A tooth for a knife…
something rare for something noble.
Fate was cruel and made him choose.
Sentenced to a life he could only endure
as if he committed some crime.
The door to his deepest room would then lock
for the very last time.
Her life was short but complete
Tragic…it was not.
She had felt her fairytale.
She had no questions of “might have been”.
She was a ruler of life
and left nothing to chance.
She will never know the role of first lady
or bear the empty house
or feel the line of horses and men returning home
Or even the color of her son’s hair.
She felt the winter… without the warm spring air.
She lit a fire as her very last plea
standing upon her balcony
crying out and dreaming of his return… to see
The hunter saved the countess one last time.
One more breath of his air,
One more moment in his arms,
One more glimpse of his gaze,
One more smile upon his face…
that was enough for her.
As he carried her out of her fairytale
In the end,
He put down his gun
And took off his hat.
There was no elephant to outrun,
No jeep to upright,
No tree to climb,
No animals to shoot,
No rope to grasp,
No ship to flag,
and no men to duel.
Like Samson’s hair,
winter rendered him powerless.
He walked into the room,
And laid down beside her.
On the coldest day in the darkest winter
ever to haunt Montana,
his wife fell asleep for the last time
that no kiss could wake.
********
They met again on a ballroom floor,
in the middle of a crowd,
only then did his smile return.
Never to part this time…just as they had vowed.❤️
