Valmont - The Vampire Prince: Throne of Blood

20

Chapter 20

VALMONT

Some months later...

The war continued for a long time. Men in my garrison began to feel hopeless. Many of them missed their families, their homes.

We desperately wanted an end to the war and finally our return home. But those desires looked so far away from taking place in our lives.

Again we fought our opponents with bravery and sorrow. And at nightfall we returned to our camp.

I was wounded. For the first time, an adversary wounded me with his sword. It had passed over my chest on the left. At this instant, I was transported by two men toward my bed. My body was stretched out and I felt blood in my mouth. I opened my eyes and felt death at my side. It tried to take me away.

"Aphrodite!" I whispered her name.

My body was covered in blood. I closed my eyes and listened to her voice saying to me, "THE WAR CAN CONTINUE TO EXIST WITHOUT YOU BUT I CANNOT."

I felt driven to despair. I opened my eyes. I was in a lot of pain.

"I cannot die! Cannot!" My fingers moved across my chest. I felt my blood seeping down. "I cannot abandon Aphrodite!"

Again I closed my eyes not being able to control my own body.

I didn't know if I was about to be taken by death.

During the night I opened my eyes and glanced sideways.

There was a woman in a seat beside my bed. Her hair was white, her eyes were black. She was dressed all in white.

"Who are you?" I asked with effort.

"Your protective angel," she said seriously.

"Sorry, but I don't believe in angels," I said looking down at my chest. I wanted to see my wound. There was a bandage over my chest. Maybe that woman had done it to me.

"You are badly wounded," she insisted.

I looked back at her face and saw she was about forty years old.

"But don't worry," she continued. "From one day to the next you will be in good health."

"Who are you?" I persisted. "Some sorceress?"

"I am a nurse in this encampment. I have saved many lives and yours is one of them."

"Thanks," I said dryly and looked to the side. In this moment I began to feel very sad. I thought about Aphrodite. The distance between us tormented me. I needed her by my side.

"Give me your hand," the nurse said.

I looked at her and saw she had reached out and was holding my hand.

"What do you want to do with my hand?" I asked suspicious.

She held on firmly. She gazed down at my palm and after that she looked back into my eyes. Her face seemed troubled by something on my hand.

"You have a great love waiting for you back home."

I imagined she was talking about Aphrodite. I kept my silence and she continued looking at my palm.

"She has the name of a goddess."

"How do you know that?" Rapidly I pulled my hand from hers and hid it under my cover. "Sorry, but I don't like people telling my future."

"I am a soothsayer and all I say is exact."

"I don't doubt your abilities but I don't like these things."

"I see a lot of blood in your life, and also a throne of blood."

The nurse walked backward saying,

"THE SAME ASHES THAT WILL SEPARATE YOU WILL ALSO UNITE YOU ONE DAY."

She disappeared from my tent.

I shook my head. Her words were an enigma for me. Even though she had told me things that were correct about my life I didn't accept as true any of her other prophecies.

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