Mercenary letters

Valerius stood up and wished his face, a general approached to soldiers and he begun a discourse: “Our soldiers are around 29.000 soldiers and that of protestant are 21.00, much are mercenaries and we must trust of these person, although we must attentive for their reaction and above all, that they don’t betray, today is 8^th November 1620, and we are in Bílá Hora or Weisser Berg for German and White month for other; general von Mansfeld before protestant now catholic is our general, and soldiers, as he want that we call him, we are certainly better armed and we have more soldiers than heretical, we must use this vantage, very next is Prague, and we must arrived there and conquer it, the count Buquoy and noble man Tilly our supreme generals have said that nobody can die without order, God sees us by sky and proteges us by dangers, therefore we are very lucky, other are heretical or protestant therefore very long from God, we have divine truth because we are catholic, now we must pray”, and a Franciscan monk approached and in Latin gave benediction: “Dominus vobiscum”, and among soldiers very little know Latin but among memories of former messes that they have heard somebody answered: “Et cum spirito tuo”.Valerius therefore gone back to his bed, a layer of straw on word, he and other soldiers slept with armies and dress, every moment can be perfect for an attack, but perhaps that day not, because was Sunday, and at last religion was respected. Therefore Valerius decided write a letter to Angelica his wife; Valerius was a mercenary soldier and he gained alone for war, which during 17^th don’t lack, then took pen and paper: “Dear Angelica, my love, I am now at White month and I think always that you now are alone, but you know that for us it is very important, I aren’t catholic or protestant, but unfortunately I must take every position for gain, anyway I promise that when I will go back we will have a son, as you want, I love you my treasure”, that day passed among typical jockeys soldiers and language same. Valerius with sunset he has waited postman for his letter, but that day all was stop for Sunday, he kept his letter with much prudence, and to sunset he, as other, slept. Day after, with sound of trumpet, Valerius got up, and took his armies, he uploaded his rifle, but he noted that he hasn’t letter, and he look around and saw postman with his horse, therefore calmed and smiled for his naivety. Toward night after fight and some dead, Valerius gone back for to eat and for to sleep, he though often his letter and though that answered would be arrived after some week, because Angelica was illiterate and then she before must go master of country for write her answer, but she must pay master, and therefore she must wait money for this service. Day after always very early Valerius got up and with big his surprise he looked that he has a letter next his bad of straw, he though a jokey, and then opened letter, but before he smell a strong perfume, a very sweetest perfume, and he was very charmed, smell this perfume for half hour and finally he opened letter and red: “My love, Valerius, you missing me very much, and I think every day where you are and how are you, although I see how are you, and I know that you are very well now, I pray always for you, and I know that you will go back and you will be always with me for eternity”, Valerius  was very astonish for these words od Angelica, because he knows that Angelica was very little interested to paradise and religion, she gone to mess but often avoided it, and with much pleasure, on contrary she joked about who gone to mess, and often she asked because they gone to mess, therefore that Angelica prays and word eternity, was very strange for Angelica, but he thought that she should was worried for him; and while a soldiers, friend of Valerius approached to him and asked: “Then? Do you know read? It is big surprise”, Valerius looked forward and after his friend, Romulus, and commented: “And you are life still? It is very astonishing, I thought that some heretical has killed you, but evidently, they won’t waste bullet for you, since cost of bullet is very great”, these behavior between them was usually, and Romulus after noted and said: “What is this perfume? I smell a perfume very strong”, and Valerius: “It is letter of my Angelica”, Romulus looked letter and naturally he doesn’t what he has read, Romulus knows perfectly that Valerius accepted much jokes and beats but not around Angelica, then he was silent. But trumpet sounded and battle begun again. Also that day passed, and Valerius slept.  While during battle that was very strong Romulus was hurt by a bullet, and after some hour he died. Valerius was very worry and he cry and he felt worry very strong. Day after he got up and with surprise he saw Romulus on one’s feet who look around and seems to ignore Valerius, who while looked Romulus and asked: “Romulus, what is?” Romulus haired but not answered and continued to look around, Valerius called with high voice Romulus and he turned towards Valerius and answered: “Yes, excuse me this letter for you, I think that is from Angelica”, Valerius with suspect looked Valerius, but after red soon letter, that said: “My love sweetest, I must say you that I have some hour to life and letter that you now are reading is true last, but you mustn’t fright because we will be together for eternity”. Valerius red and red again letter, and he cried with much worry. But while war continued and dead and again dead, until a day when Valerius was got up with Romulus, very next for bad, general made names of dead, and alone for letter of first name, and when letter was R, Valerius haired name of Romulus, he looked around and he saw Romulus who looked him and smiled, and after for letter V, he haired name of Valerius, he saw astonished and said general: “General I am here, I aren’t died”, but more he cry than less general haired, until Romulus called him: “Valerius, you are died, and I am died and Angelica is died, we must go Angelica, she wait you”, and Romulus indicated a cavern, and both gone in, and when Valerius was in cavern, he was charming by perfume that he has smelled from letter of Angelica; he shut eyes and haired voice of Angelica: “I have said that we will be together for eternity”.

                  Alessandro Lusana