101 Beginning of the Siege

(Sevta / Piotr POV)

"Your sister is still too young, she is only seven years old, you are already nine and your father agreed that I would tell you the truth when you are bigger..." (Sveta)

"But mother, father died in the war with the Swedes." (Piotr)

"I hope you understand ... please do not interrupt me, it is not easy for me to explain it. Your father is alive and he is Prince Jazłowiecki. The story that I had an affair and a child with Brzozowski is a lie. This man was Wilkomir, but because of mine peasant origin, he could not recognize you as his son, or Katarzyna as his daughter. He made an agreement with the Brzozowski family that they will recognize you as a member of the family and you will become a nobleman in exchange for money ... He once told me that because of guilt and because he cannot officially be your father, he went to war and obtained the Prince's titles for you and your sister." (Sveta)

"But how ... I don't understand." (Piotr)

"I know that it is a lot and it is difficult to understand. I also do not know how it happened. I had a husband, my husband died, then my house burned down, I was alone with two children ... then the Prince... Wilkomir helped me a lot, and then we became lovers. Even though I will never be his wife and I'm only a stupid peasant, he never treated me badly or looked down on me. I love him ... all I am telling you now is a secret, if someone finds out about it, it could hurt your father." (Sveta)

"And this Brzozowski family, do they know the truth?" (Piotr)

"I once heard your father talking to Olszewski ... " (Sveta)

"Who?" (Piotr)

"Olszewski, it was the officer who served your father. The Tatars killed him ... I heard them talking that Brzozowski family didn't know much and would get 300 ducats for their silence." (Sveta)

"When the Prince ... father comes back, I will ask him ..." (Piotr)

"Well, but he's at war now, every day I pray he'll come back safe. May good God hear me and protect him from dangers and hardships." (Sveta)

(End POV)

I woke up in the morning, in a bed made of bear and fox skins, taking Khan Temir's tent with me was definitely a good idea ... next to me there were two village girls who had been captured in one of the settlements with their husbands a few weeks ago... I didn't even have to force them, the hunger did it for me.

I put my pants on and went outside the tent ... the cold air hit my lungs. I rubbed snow on my face and body, it was better than coffee to wake up... We had been besieging Moscow for two weeks now, and the weather was good for us, temperature at night did not fall below minus 20, and during the day it fluctuated only to a few degrees to minus.

My camp was located two kilometers south of the city walls, in one of the surrounding villages. Before we started the siege, we used captured peasants to build barracks, stables, kitchens and warehouses, in fact, the work was ongoing, some prisoners were cutting trees, others were digging earth fortifications, trenches, dugouts ... almost 4,000 women and men worked on that day and night ... though each day that number decreased... but it was not a big problem, I sent some Tatars and Lisowczyków in different directions to bring new prisoners, livestock, grain, tools ... in a word, everything that could be useful. The rest of the Tatars and Cossacks patrolled the vicinity of Moscow so that no one from the city could sneak out and get help.

"Lord, everything is ready." (Iwan)

"Were spikes scattered at every gate and exit from Moscow?" (MC)

"Yes, but in order not to endanger our people, we used prisoners. The defenders immediately started firing, but the cavalry from Moscow did not pass these roads, but they can still try with the infantry." (Iwan)

"The tsar is a cruel man, he doesn't care at all about the lives of his subjects... I wouldn't care about inflantry. The Cossacks will be waiting for them ... the trenches are ready?" (MC)

"Yes, we've already manned them with people, they also have those multi-shot muskets ..." (Iwan)

"Well. Spikes and trenches ready ... cannons?" (MC)

"Ready, the cannoneers are waiting for the order." (Iwan)

"They can open fire, but they don't have to be in a hurry ... the cannons are just bait." (MC)

Ivan went to obey my orders and I went back to the tent to eat and drink something warm ... inside, my new temporary maids were waiting for me ... unfortunately dressed, they immediately started serving to the table.

"Sit down both of you, you know I don't like to sleep or eat alone." (MC)

The food was not fancy, but there are no luxuries in war. The only thing I was happy about was that the tartars managed to hunt the bear... one of the best things to keep warm is the hot melted bear fat.

After breakfast I made my way to the other end of the camp where there were stables and a paddock for horses and a group of 200 prisoners.

"Lord" (Ilya)

"How's the preparations going?" (MC)

"We can start, but the ground is frozen and it won't be an easy job." (Ilya)

"(Haha) You say it as if you are going to dig this tunnel, you have people for it ... 8 meters deep, 2.5 kilometers long and remember to prevent the tunnel from collapsing. How long will it take?" (MC)

"The new year is coming, maybe mid-January, but the beginning of February is more likely ... then we have to dig the walls and the foundation, and then put the gunpowder barrels under them." (Ilya)

Of course, I would like to get Moscow as soon as possible, but even if I had to wait until April, I had no reason to complain.