Alexander was sitting on a dusty training patch of dirt with a green field around it. His small mansion loomed over him but it cast no shadow, the sun was high on the sky.

He sat on his knees in sort of a meditational manner, eyes closed, mind occupied and hair and beard gently swaying in the summer breeze, his sword was before him with its tip buried in the dirt.

Old scars of battle and strange tattoos going from his chest and back over his right arm were showing as he only had his trousers and hand bandages on.

With resolve, his eyes shot open and a look of determination appeared on his face. He got up and grabbed his sword in a swirl of death.

He then performed three deadly strikes with it. First, he raised his sword with an upward strike, then he brought it down and to his left side with an overhead slash and finished off with a savage horizontal swipe that would cut a man in half.

Tired of stopping his own force he used the momentum from his last swing to turn himself around again.

He grinned to himself, clearly happy with the improvement in speed.

On the large field that was a part of the mansion and next to the training space stood a small garden house overgrown with vines and roses in full bloom.

Leaning his sword against one of the pillars before sitting down he looked over his arm and then raised it from the table, clenched his fingers into a fist, then released, then repeated the motion a few times as his fingertips tinged with mana that failed to either disperse or get absorbed. Knowing now that while his training with the sword may have bore fruit, however small, his magical experimentation did not.

He shook his head. After a few moments of leaning back the gentle breeze alongside with the pleasant smell of finest red roses soothed him into slumber.

Alexander looked so peaceful and content then, feelings that he did not feel for a long time but they became more and more reappearing since he adopted the little lost girl now called Jeanne.

Another thing that was atypical for him was dreaming, he simply did not dream but that morning he did have one dream. It was a dream of a wonderful woman with long black hair and eyes of blue hues you would find in the seas around Ausetaria. The woman was wearing an elaborate dark dress and a smile that would enchant any man and even many women. She and Alexander were sitting under a tree, overlooking the great green fields that Carnalia was so famous for. On the field, a girl was playing with a wooden sword, the girl had flaming hair and eyes the same colour as the grass she danced upon.

"You raise her well Dear…" Whispered the woman into his ear.

Before he could respond the dream faded into nothing but a small memory. Only her name slipped from his lips while he slept, he whispered the name Elizabeth.

He woke up, peacefully and slowly he opened his eyes only to find himself staring onto the roof of the small garden house. After, Alexander looked a little to the left where the face of the girl, now much older, had a happy expression as she slept leaning against him.

She opened her eyes as slowly as Alexander did and looked around in confusion, much like Alexander always does after waking up.

"Oh, hello there." Jeanne said as she looked up and into his deep brown eyes.

"Hey, you're back from shopping?"

"Oh no, I just thought I'd go back and take a nap with you because I have nothing better to do…"

"Well, guess I'll have to go and buy the ingredients for lunch, and also cook it." Alexander smiled mischievously as he answered with the same amount of sarcasm that the girl learned to use from him. The taste of his own medicine was rather sweet to him.

"Don't. You. Dare."

Alexander and Jeanne laughed together at their little exchange and afterwards they got up. Now that she stood up Alexander could take a much better look at her realizing that was wearing her normal outfit modified for the summer, her midriff was uncovered and she wore trousers with tall boots, her back and hands were covered in a small leather jacket and a shirt that had similar patterns as Alexander's shirt, even the shadowy color of the fabric was the same.

Jeanne noticed him staring at her and she turned around in place to show off her entire apparel.

"You like my new outfit ?"

"I keep forgetting how quickly you grew up…" Was his reminiscing response.

She smiled kindly and hugged him tight which surprised him. It was rather comical to him as their height difference was quite marginal, him standing at an impressive two meters, without a few odd centimeters, and her being the average hundred and sixty, that is average for her age.

"We're having your favourite, chicken cutlets and boiled potatoes."

With joking motion and tone he took her by her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "You're treating me well… what have you done young lady?"

In contrast to the joke Jeanne answered with honest worry. "Nothing… you've just been training so hard lately that I want to make you something nice."

Alexander gently pat her on the head. "I've just been practicing old skills. You on the other hand… You've been soaking up the few fighting styles and basics of magic I know like a sponge AND learning them pretty quick. That's a lot of work."

She smiled, took his hand and led him inside their mansion where their servants Serana and Sammuel were hard at work with cutting wood and preparing for their lunch.

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Days later, they were going through the small village not too far away from their secluded mansion, Alexander wanted her to socialize a little and to get her a gift, it was a need to care about someone that he had not felt for decades before meeting her, aside for Sammuel and Seranna that is.

As they walked through the streets the merchants and peasants all went about their days except, sometimes they would stop or start walking in the opposite direction of them while giving them strange looks.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Alexander and Jeanne walked through the outskirts and onto the small square as Jeanne happily went around shopping, picking vegetables and meat from the market while Alexander stood a little distance away with his arms crossed, overlooking the square.

He noticed something strange, the guards were watching Jen and then they would look at him with a look of suspicion and a pinch of… hatred. One look from the towering man clothed in black coat would make them shy away though.

He eventually got enough of the feeling of something about to happen and decided to walk up behind Jen and keep her close. As he walked up to her he noticed her cheerfully chatting with the merchant that sold her some fresh apples but the mood of the conversation changed quickly as he saw Alexander and cut the whole chat short.

"What is wrong with people today?" Thought aloud the young woman.

"I don't know, but I don't like it..." And with those words he offered her his hand covered in the fingerless gloves that were rarely ever put down.

Hand in hand they hurried through the city which made Jen feel like a little child again, while acting rather mature for her age she enjoyed this moment of childlike feeling and made the most of it.

Minutes later they entered the shop of an old friend, an old smith that made or modified all the equipment Jen wore and used.

The smith was nowhere to be seen but he did call out from the back of the shop.

"Hold on, I'll be right with ya'..."

Jen sat on a stool, leaned back and crossed her legs in frustration while Alex took a careful peek outside.

"What kind of trouble have you two gotten yourself into this time?" Condescendingly asked the smith who was just cleaning his hands with an old piece of cloth.

The man stood at about two meters, his beard was starting to grow over the size that would be considered medium length while the rest of his head was practically bald. His muscular body was covered in a simple shirt and trousers that were hidden beneath a large leather apron of a smith.

"Hell if I know. But I've got two questions for you."

"Hah, ask away then…"

"You got that special order ready?" Asked Alex as he leaned against the counter with a sly smile.

"Sure do." The smith nodded several times and bent to reach under the counter.

"Also, do you have any idea why everyone's looking at us with even more disdain than usually?"

The smith came up from underneath the counter and placed a small decorative pouch onto it. "Heard there was a rumour of someone that looks a lot like you and killed some royal guy or something so the Divine Order is lookin' for him. Might be that or the fact that there were some strange mercenary types around here."

Alex rubbed his chin and his short beard while thinking. "Mercenary types… strage, there isn't much work here."

"They didn't look for work. They were looking for someone that sounded a lot like you."

"Are these mercs still around?"

"Don't think so. Oh by the way, that'll be three golds."

A comment that might insult others and seem greedy to most when dropped in the middle of a conversation only got a hearty chuckle from Alex who dropped the three golden coins onto the counter and took the ornate pouch.

"Thanks. For this and the info." He added before leaving the shop.

"See ya' Axel!" Cheered the young lady who simply listened and watched them with interest while they talked.

On their way home Jen would ask Alexander about the precarious pouch and when he refused to tell her she would try to steal it but alas, his instincts and reflexes were superior to hers.

Once they got back home they gave the things they bought to Mrs Serana and went into their favourite spot. The garden house.

Alexander effortlessly lifted a marble slab from its floor and pulled out a bottle, a piece of cloth and two glasses from beneath it. He poured the liquid into the glasses and offered one to Jen.

"Don't drink it yet. First, I have a gift for you.."

Jen's eyes lit up with excitement as she was leaning over the table to be closer to him. "I know that you let me drink only on special occasions, so tell me, what gift and what for?!"

Alexander smiled at her, leaned against the table so that their eyes were almost at the same level.

"I thought these might look really nice on you, don't worry, Serana approved them." He then procured the ornate pouch and placed it in front of her.

With wide eyes she stalked the pouch like a feline predator. Eyeing it from multiple angles in a comedic way and sure enough she succeeded in making Alexander chuckle. After her playful gesture was over she carefully opened the pouch and from within it pulled out two, golden earpieces with emeralds embedded in them.

"Dad… that… those…I…" She was at a complete loss for words, something that rarely ever happened to either of them.

"Well, go on, put them on."

"Uh, help me?"

"Sure? But I don't know if I still remember how to clip these on…"

"And I never had anything like these… what a pair we are…"

"Pair of amazing fighters that can't use a simple earclip. Gotta love the irony."

They both got up with smiles, stood in the warm summer sunlight and with an intense look of focus Alexander tried to put the earpieces in their place.

"Aaand, there?"

Jen unfroze and took a small mirror into her hands, looked herself over and hugged Alexander. She could not hold her tears any longer and started sobbing.

"They're that ugly, huh?"

"No… they are the greatest!"

The earpieces were actually earclips. They enveloped the outer edges of her ears and the gold was formed into sorts of feathers or petals, the emeralds embedded in them so that they finished the look and so that their beautiful colour would accompany her green eyes.

"So, tears of joy, then?"

"You always treat me so well… I still don't get why…"

"Same reason why I saved you all these years ago. I just feel like it."

"Ah yes, living in the moment are you?"

"The past would drown me, the future is a mystery but the time we have now is a gift. That's why it's called the present."

Through her wide eyes the surprise she felt was now clearly visible, she was used to Alexander acting more like a young man on the outside while he was a very dark, serious and wise man inside yet he would still surprise her with meaningful quotes and sayings from time to time.

The rest of the day was the same as most for them. They ate together, trained together, drank together, although that happened a lot more often that Alexander would like with the possible effects on his little apprentice, and helped Serana and Sammuel with various chores around the mansion and its surrounding land. They spent the evening in front of the mansion's large fireplace with stories of old and cuddles, the last of which was on specific demand made by Jeanne herself.

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A week has passed since they last entered the city as they have decided it would be better to simply stay low and not show up around that much for a while.

What they did not know though… was that the real trouble would find them soon anyway…

The day started as usual, they had a plentiful breakfast and then went on with their training, Jeanne with her shortswords and Alexander with his longsword and the occasional shield, but the entire time Alexander had a strange feeling.

Unsure and uneasy he simply continued with his day.

Halfway through, just as they were about to eat their lunch in the garden house, Alexander finally figured out the feeling. It was the creeping sensation of someone watching, coming closer and closer.

"Something the matter?" She questioned with her mouth half full.

"No… I don't think so anyway…"

"You sure?"

"Ask me again after you gobble up your food." With that he got up and wandered around the edges of his plot of land.

Few minutes passed and Jeanne finished her lunch as quickly as she could so she could seek out her guardian.

She found him alongside the line of trees beginning the great forest they sometimes went into to gather mushrooms. "Hey… are you… feeling any better?"

As Alexander turned around he wore a grim expression. "I told you, no need to worry about me."

"I get it… I just want you to… I don't want you to worry needlessly. Or run off somewhere alone and get hurt, you know?" Jeanne said as she remembered the few times in the past years where Alexander came home wounded because he feared to take her with him.

Alexander laughed at her, however fake that laughter was it did reassure her a little, and put his hands on his hips. "Oh please, I am the one supposed to be more worried here. You know, there's nothing that can just take me dow-"

It felt as if time had stopped from her perspective.

A flash.

A loud noise.

A pained expression on the face of the man that raised her.

Blood. Blood of the man that saved her.

His body limply fell onto the ground and the grass got covered in blackened blood. The air got filled with flesh burnt by frost.

She only screamed, she screamed only one word, over and over again even as dark figures in red robes dragged her away. 'DAD!'