Diana looked back one last time at Ontoga while smiling. Happy with what she helped to accomplish. She moved on to Tagia, leaving past grief to focus on planning for the future.

The trip passed smoothly and quietly. Some talking here and there but most of the time they were enjoying the quietness of nature while they were passing through the forest.

In the early evening, they arrived at the gates of the Town of Taiga. They split up. Sebastian took Maria and the carriage, returning to what's left of Diana's Town; to rebuild it with the protectors who are now free to take plenty of gold from the treasury back at the castle, which was more than enough to reconstruct the town.

After a tight hug from Maria. They left Diana in the custody of her uncle again, with a promise that the next time she would go back to her home. Her father would be her companion. That is. If she actually managed to save him.

As the journey through the streets of Tagia was nearing its final stop, a conversation started when Alfred looked at Diana with a query, speaking a piece of his mind.

"Does it still hurt?". He asked without introductions and without meeting her gaze

"My face or my stomach?". She trickily backfired.

"Your face". He said coldly.

"Yes"

"You still have that grudge, ha? You still see me as a coward"

"No, but I don't see any resemblance to say you are my uncle either"

His head flicked back in amazement. "I just saved your life two days ago!"

"It doesn't change the fact that you hit me in front of everyone. Hell, YOU are the last part of my family known alive and you are treating me like a whore! "

"That's because I am not soft like your protector. I am the bad version of him"

"Fine, be as you like". She sped up forward to avoid his company.

"Oh, come on. Now I am ignored because I speak the truth!?". He raised his voice a bit to reach her.

She stopped in her tracks. "What bloody truth?! your excuses for the absence of humanity are absolute garbage! You hit me to protect your ego from the ONLY truth. Ask and Miss Marigold would approve"

"She already did. She didn't stop punching my eardrums with protests after that foxy prince told us everything. She is the reason why we are having this debate"

She narrowed her eyes and hid the build-up of rage from the ongoing useless dialogue.

"Pioneer, what the hell do you want with me?!". She stated

"To make things right"

"How? Are you going back in time to bring my father back? or would you return to fix your irredeemable mistake!?"

He remained silent despite the high level of sass.

"What, the cat got your tongue?". She locked her arms, challenging him.

Without responding to her trash-talking. He knelt on one knee while exposing the left side of his face. "Give it your best shot"

Her eyes flicked with awkwardness, slowly breaking her arm's stance..."You are joking, right?"

"Why would you th...AW!".

"Serves you right, mate". She said while shaking off the impact power left in her hand.

The slap came swift and loud on his face. People in the street saw what happened. Some had their mouth open from the controversial request that has been answered quite brutally.

"What the hell was your father feeding you!?". He held his hot red face with his arm.

The girl burst into a cute loud laugh that broke the tension around faster than expected.

"Damn..". he massaged his face in an attempt to knock out the intended pain. He looked at her and saw those strawberry dinky cheeks still giggling.

"I missed that laugh. You remind me of Wanda". He smiled. Few as they were, the words took away her momentary happiness and instead left her with a sense of stun.

"Y-You knew my ma?"

"She was one of the kindest and most faithful women I have ever made an acquaintance with". A slight smirk came out from him. "She hit me the first time we met. She was right to do so, I was a drunk fool at that age. When I wanted revenge at her, your father and I were at each other throats. I knew later how immature I was. Despite how I always tried to prove her wrong. She was always a woman of principles, and she never yielded to change me"

Diana smiled. Hardly, stopping her lips from quivering, unspoken awe rising from her grieving heart that made all of her anger dwindle as water spilt on the grass.

"Even after you hit me now. I can see her within you. You carry her legacy"

Does he mean the blade? She thought

"It's not that". He added, knowing what she was thinking about.

"It's. right. Here". His index finger touched the surface of the amulet. And there, at this instance, A realization struck Diana that made her eyes snap open of astonishment, of how she didn't think of this possibility.

"The amulet belonged to my mother!"

"Wait, Richard didn't tell you?"

"N-No, the first time I saw this amulet was when the captain captured me. My pa passed it unseen to my pocket before I was taken"

"Cheeky". Alfred smirked shaking his head. "Richard, you one hell son of ma, I should have seen that one coming"

She hugged the amulet with all of her might. Tears falling without stopping. Her soul was longing for her mother's embrace. Yet, she never expected the light of Wanda to be always beside her. Whispering wisdom and guidance when necessary. Warning of dangers, especially of those which run on four legs or simply encouraging her when she becomes too close to falling off certain ledges.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

"You OK?". Alfred said.

"Yeah". I just wanted to meet her.

"I see. Well, are you still mad at me?"

When she faced him again to answer, she saw his arm inviting her to a hug.

Something had changed in that man. It could be her relentless enthusiasm at that battle or the corpse of Biao changed his perspective about her. Or maybe his love to his sister-in law pushed him to do the right thing towards her daughter. Either way. Alfred seems to have a little tiny microscopic part where he is actually a nice person. She knew he wasn't like Richard, yet part of her mother kindness still lurk somewhere deep under the many layers of vulgarity that Alfred had.

That part is what made her forgive him for the misdeed he made. And, of course, that revengeful slap did its work.

She walked right under his arm as his fingers dived into her blonde hair. The rest of his arm circled her back like a wing of a hawk upon his child.

"Thanks for coming for me, Uncle". She smiled behind his back

"Yeah, whatever".

Her uncle patted her shoulder comforting her from whatever horrible sights she saw back at the castle. Despite her grudge, her uncle seemed to be still by her side.

"MY Dagger!". Her brain jumped out of nowhere.

"Where is my dagger!?" she gasped frighteningly, hopping away from the hug.

"What dagger?!" he asked.

Her eyes widened in shock. She grabbed her head and panic began to sink in."No No No No! That's the only thing left from my fa.."

And before she can go on with her paranoia, Alfred chuckled with a sly laugh. He cunningly revealed the dagger from a hiding spot in his clothes.

She snatched it with an angry face. "Not funny!" she said, relieved the dagger was still in place, but mad at her uncle's childish tricks.

"You need to stop this..."

"Stop what?" she asked. confused. Her eyes sharpened.

"This. to give such importance to mere objects, just because they were linked to your father. Those objects won't bring him back. You will"

"But such 'objects' gave me valuable assistance. Just the same as the amulet..." she said in defense.

"Nonsense. These are mere methods. You are the one using it for your assistance. It wasn't made to be loved, it was made to slay. This dagger is just a tool to steal a human soul, not the other way around. Think with me, If I throw this dagger into a lake. Will this stop you from reaching your Dad?!" He questioned.

She paused, thinking through. Although he might be right, the sentimental bond between her and the dagger had never reached a peak until recently.

The same dagger was used to kill a full-grown wolf to save Louis, and the same blade assisted her in killing the lieutenant. That's the "Tool" that her father gave her when she was 16 years old solely for self-protection has become her most loyal and lethal weapon.

"You are right" she admitted with a frown. "I just miss him"

"Patience" he blankly said. "We will get to him, with the castle deserted, the communication net of slavery is no longer in operation. It's a matter of time before We free him from that woman, just have patience"

Inside herself she wasn't intending to gain this virtue, instead, she fixed her mind on how to reach this town and to free her father from that witch.

They began strolling again to the house when a strange gathering ahead was noticed.

"Let me guess, another street fight?" She asked.

"Could be. This town citizens never rest an eye"

However, the more she walks. The closer she got to the large crowd, the more they appeared to be gathered around a certain house, that house...

"Oh No..." her eyes widen.

The targeted house was her uncle's house.

Something must have happened.

"Mari..." her uncle whispered before sprinting towards his house.

The two ran accompanied by their frightful thoughts. She was faster than her uncle. Younger and more energetic despite her wound. She rushed between the crowds. Dashing through people, opening a way to the house. Yet, there was something off...

The people there were throwing congratulations to the girl for an unknown reason.

"Could it be...?" she thought. She kept squeezing through people until she reached the house front. Where the crowd was watching the presumed important event. She continued squeezing herself forward till she finally came to the clear...

She stopped. Eyes widened in surprise. A wide smile was drawn upon the face. She felt the unbelievable happiness instantly.

Soon enough. Alfred catches up with Diana through the same gathering towards the house. For him, to see the same view.

But the feeling inside him was far far more than Diana's. He stared, then walked slowly. Trying to keep his tears away from unmasking that he was a soft man inside.

His wife came to his eyesight. "Glad you made it, my dears" Marigold smiled. Eyes tighten with a pleasant gasp.

And she wasn't alone...someone was between her arms...

She was sitting on a chair. Holding a beautiful little child. The baby Yawned, with closed eyes. Her stomach was no longer big as everything came to Diana all at once.

Her cousin has arrived.

Diana chuckled happily, her smile turned to a low laugh, putting her two hands on her mouth. She was always sentimental when it came to children. Especially if the child is one of the family.

The man approached his wife and his newborn child. Unlike what people expected from him, he collapsed on his knees and began crying.

Marigold, when she saw what happened she jumped with a gasp from the chair to hug her husband with one hand while the other was holding the petite child.

"My dear, what's wrong?!" She asked warmly, batting his back.

"I...I...I am sorry, I should have been by your side, I was waiting for this day for a long time, to witness this moment, F...Forgive me"

"My sweetheart" she began warmly. Backed off to sweep his tears with her golden hand. Her brown eyes provide condolence and relief feelings. "I am not mad at you, quite the opposite, I am proud of you!" She looked at Diana. Smiling. "You brought her back safely as you promised me, my champ" She stared at his sad eyes. Her cute smile still portrays her exhausted face.

Struck by the soft words, he hugged her to his body, infecting him with a smile.

Diana kept watching. Tears slowly slid along her cheeks.

"So that's how it feels to give a new birth in the family!", she whispered to herself

Does that mean that her father had the same joy when she came to this world? She stared at them even more. Can she have that opportunity too? To feel the same joy they experience now when the right time comes for her turn?

She swiped that hot tear that escaped her eyes. Her imagination ran back to the past. She was once in the place of this baby. But her father was holding her alone. Her mother never saw her and she don't have any drawing of her. Only the faint and unrefined descriptions of her father remained of her.

I hope you are proud of me, mama. She squeezed the amulet with her left hand

"Hey, enough, make way!" A very familiar voice entered Diana's ears. Cutting the same squeezing path she took.

"Come on, people! Nothing epic here. Haven't you seen a woman give birth before? Big deal! Shoo shoo everyone go about your business, go!"

The people are dispersed in all directions. Some of them were slightly annoyed to leave and others were talking about what happened earlier...

How they saw a boy came shouting through the streets, requesting urgently for a doctor. Because of his loud voice, he broke the dull routine day of the citizens of Tagia. Half of the town knew that Marigold was giving birth.

The owner of the voice finally came to eyesight.

Louis.

He was holding a warm bottle of milk tightly.

"Diana!" He gasped with wide happy eyes. She smiled with a slight blush. He couldn't believe his eyes. His beloved girl is standing in front of him. Beautifully smiling. She made it back with bandages. Yet, she still lives to tell her story.

He put the bottle down. And hugged her tightly. One arm on her back and the other brushing her messy blonde hair with his hand. "Thank goodness, you ok. my sweet love" he frowned. Still hugging her. Softly and repeatedly marching his hand on her back. He knew how to treat his girl as a princess. The princess that he wishes to share the rest of his life with.

"I told you not to worry" she gasped. Feeling comfortably at ease between his arms. The same happy smile on her face. Slowly drifting towards the relaxed and safe sensation. Her arms wrapped around his neck. Pulling his body more into hers.

Both of them had closed their eyes to enjoy the precious moments they spent together. The moments that they both missed during the crusade on the Red Castle.

Knowing Louis. Diana knew she had to be the one to back off because if she waited for Louis. He will probably sleep standing and snore during the hug.

They back off. Staring at each other. Diana's arms slowly became resting on Louis's chest. As she raised her eyes to meet his. He held her chin with his hand, she knew what he was willing to do. yet she was lost in his eyes. He didn't stop her when her lips came closer to his...

"Oh no no no, both of you get a bloody room already," Alfred said boldly. He pointed upstairs to the bedroom.

Diana couldn't hide the wine-colored blushes flowering on her cheeks while her eyes widened surprisingly at her uncle's audacity.

Again.

While the oblivious Louis backed from his uncompleted attempt to kiss and confusingly looked at Alfred. Then to Diana.

"I don't get it, we already have a room upstairs, haven't we?!" he said.

Diana slammed her forehead in total embarrassment.