I apologize for the lack of updating. I've been quite busy and since I have free time, I decided to write a little something just to keep you hanging on the story. Hopefully you will enjoy it!

On the previous chapter :

"And only then, when the clothes were scattered on the floor, their breathings fast and uneven, he dared think it. I love you.

Only then, did he realize how much he cared about her. He would do anything to protect her."

A Promise of Blood.

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She had been right, Gaia's army was coming. They were about a few hours away from Camp Jupiter and everyone was ready, waiting for it, for the war and the blood, the violence and the rage.

The King was, more than anyone else.

He woke up to the warm feeling of a body against his and as he opened his eyes, he remembered the event of the night before. The kisses and the touches. The moans and the pleasure. It seemed so far away now that the war was knocking at their doors, that hundreds upon hundreds of soldiers were coming straight toward them. Looking at her sleeping features made him regret last night and he wished he could go back, do it all over again and again. But this little heaven they had reached was long gone, along with the night and the tranquility that had fallen on the camp.

Now was the time for war.

So he untangled himself from her, careful in his gestures not to wake her up and put some clothes on then left the tent. Everyone was already prepared with their armors on and weapons sharpened. His heart jumped in his chest. It wasn't fear or nervousness. No, it was relief. And joy. Finally the wait was over, finally they would fight and kill. And perhaps be killed too. But they would protect this world, their world until their last breath. Including the king.

The sun was low in the horizon, orange and red floating in the sky like blood splattered around the clouds. And he realized it.

We're going to die.

But you will kill them before. As much as you can, answered a voice in his mind, you will inflict pain upon her army like no one did before. And you will die in peace. If that's what you want.

Hell, he didn't want peace and even less to die. All he wanted was to stay in that tent with Reyna and forget the world once again. But the world wouldn't let him, apparently.

He heard the sound of swords against swords, the grunts of soldiers training in last minute, the cries of fury of his mother's creatures, but all of those sounds were drowned by the atmosphere reigning over the camp. Fear mingled with apprehension.

And he could smell it. Blood was going to be shed here, it will be splattered on the earth and will be washed by the rain soon. The promise of blood was close, and the King will keep it. Whoever will stand before him, will die. He made that promise to whoever liked to hear it. His mother or Zeus perhaps. But today will be his battle and his body will be a weapon. The Earth will be his battlefield.

And the blood will be his oxygen.