Loveless: Day 15

Word Count: 90,034

Year to Date: 690,085

Summary of Events:

Le Démon heard military drumming and thought the army was out to get him, so he hurried to hide Thérèse in one of the castle turrets. Henri was gathered with the men preparing to go to Château Montegnard to fight Le Démon when the King rode through; he led the men in following the King to see what he was doing in Tiegnais. Thérèse was puzzled as to why she'd been locked away until she heard shouted orders and guessed he'd hidden her away in safety. Le Démon watched a battle begin when some strange forces attacked those marshalling outside of the castle, he then spied someone leave the battle and approach the castle, he attacked the man when he entered and they battled, Le Démon getting run through by a sword three times. Thérèse, who'd managed to get out, went to Le Démon's side after the fight was over . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

""No," Thérèse choked, tears blurring her vision as she pressed her face into his furry neck. "No."

He couldn't be dead. She couldn't let him be. He had to make it. If only she knew how to will him into living again.

"Please, you can't die," she sobbed into his neck. "You can't die."

A feeble croak came from his throat that almost sounded like he was asking why.

Why? Well . . .  well . . . "Because I love you," she whispered.

Suddenly a force thrust her backwards and, despite the fact that her eyes were closed, a flash of light blinded her and she thought she may've even heard an explosion. Then everything went still.

Nervously, Thérèse opened her eyes and looked. There was still blood on the floor, but instead of Le Démon and Évrard on the floor, there were two men. One was Évrard, and the other was quite bloody.

Then a third man appeared, with a slight glow about him. He knelt down beside the bloodier man and touched his hand to the still feebly moving ribcage, then he bowed down, cupping his hands on either side of the other man's face and blew.

Suddenly his ribcage leapt into motion and he gasped. The glowing man touched his own chest and then bowed. Moving to rise, he looked at Thérèse.

There was a sort of gratitude in his face, and also a reverent respect. He then beckoned to her.

"Where is Le Démon?" she whispered.

"He's right here," the glowing man whispered in reply.

Thérèse moved closer and looked at the strange man, wearing bloodied tatters, staring at the ceiling with eerily familiar green eyes, breathing more normally now. She gasped when she saw his face. It looked terribly like King Guillaume's, and that could only mean one thing.

"Crown Prince Laurent!" Thérèse gasped.

His head suddenly lifted and looked at her. Those were Le Démon's eyes staring at her. It couldn't be.

"But how?" she breathed.

The glowing man helped the Crown Prince sit up. He looked himself over as if seeing himself anew, then looked at her. He opened his mouth, but only a hoarse croak came out.

In an instant the glowing man had a glass of water for him and he drank it thirstily, then he practised making sounds for a few minutes before looking at her with an expression of pure desperation.

"You're not his fiancée are you?"

"No," Thérèse replied. "All the gossips thought us as good as married, but that's it."

Relief relaxed his body as he gazed at her.

"Oh, I was so terrible toward you," Thérèse whispered.

"Like I behaved in a manner becoming of the heir to the throne," he replied dryly.

"But I forgive you," Thérèse said.

"And I return your forgiveness with my own," he replied, taking up her hand gently. "And I give you my love.""

Summary of Events (continued):

After the rather abrupt end of the battle, Henri followed King Guillaume to the castle, where they both found their children alive and well, and Henri agreed to give Thérèse's hand to Laurent; they also learned that — distraught at having stabbed the Crown Prince three times — Évrard killed himself.

Pronunciation:

Laurent: lohrohn'

With the completion of this novel, once again, I am a

Look for the next post on July 29.