Till Death Do Us Apart

Author's Note: This story is dedicated to my friend, Chidori. Anyways, yes, I know is pretty long but please bear with me, I'm a newcomer so I didn't know how long to write. Please Review.

Train Heartnet : 18 years old Bandit [Main Hero]

Eve : 16 years old Princess [Main Heroine]

Sven Vollified : 39 years old King

When new characters are introduced, their age in this story will be displayed at the top of that current chapter.

Chapter 1:

Eve greatly disapproved people slamming doors just to take their anger out, unfortunately, she wish she could do that right now or perhaps make her life easier by banging her head against the wall. Eve would have done anything just to cool herself down. It was really weird; she wasn't the type to get upset easily but she was finally at her limit and couldn't take it anymore; any sane person couldn't when one was trapped in their own house, or more like castle, for 16 years.

She was very curious about the outside world when she had seen a variety of pictures from books that her late grandmother had left. Eve was not satisfied, however, and it left a bittersweet taste. Yes, she loves reading books; eager to gain more knowledge but at the same time sick of it too. Moreover, Eve doesn't have the mood to sit down and read yet another book.

She had lost her temper earlier that day and deeply regretted it, although she knew it was worth it. She had begged her father, the King of Valdemar, to let her, the Princess, out even if it is only a short while, but her father had strongly refused and insisted she stay indoors for her own safety.

It was told that a few weeks ago, a group of bandits had settled in the outskirts of the kingdom and were known for their ruthless and strength. Eve, however, did not entirely blame them, for she knew that even if the bandits have not appeared, His Majesty would still refused to let her out, using another petty excuse.

He loved her very much, that fact she knew, provided everything and ensuring no danger ever befalls on her. Yes, Eve was grateful for her father's loving care, however, she craves the taste of freedom, the one and only thing her father had refused to give. How could she rule the kingdom when the time comes when she never even seen the outside world before?

It was night time; the moon was unbelievable bright and luminous tonight. It was definitely a good time to take a long walk in the cool and quiet night.

"I want to go out, no, I have to. If I stay here any longer, I swear I'll kill someone!" She whispered heatedly to herself within the confine of her own room with gritted teeth.

And with that thought she quickly prepared for her outing.

"Where's that rope I found in the garden? Wait, oh good I found it. Now where are those rag clothes I found in the store room the other day? There they are."

Within seconds she was dressed like a common village girl, a red dress and an old black overall hung on her shoulders, covering her chest. With two red ribbons separating her straight, blond, shiny hair into two partings at the side, she was finally ready. Swiftly, she tied the end of the rope onto the bars of the balcony and slowly slide down.

After much hard work, she was over the wall and not wasting another moment, she ran down the dark streets as fast as her legs could carry her. Anticipating the castle' soldiers giving chase, Eve constantly looked back to make sure she wasn't followed. Afraid that someone might spot her; she quickly hid behind a tree and realized that her hands were sweating. A rare sight.

Didn't wanted to risk her only opportunity, she continued running and only stopped when her legs started to feel like lead and couldn't help but collapsed against the walls. Knowing that the castle was far, Eve regained her composure and studied her surroundings.

She was currently sanding on a hill and was awed by the scenery. Lights were brightly lit all over the city and Eve felt that she was staring at a priceless diamond. She realized that the city was bigger than what she had imagined and suddenly felt very small.

The view was so beautiful and stunning that for once, the Princess was speechless. No words could describe the magnificence in front of her.

Eve buried her heads in her hands and felt like crying as she felt warmth slowly spread inside her. And for a long time, she stood there appreciating and memorizing the view. However, knowing she had limited amount of time, Eve reluctantly left the hill and began to walk deeper into the city.

After much walking and absorbing new information, she was slowly but surely getting tired. With a glance around, it was only now that Eve had discovered that she was way beyond lost.

"Shoot, I should have been more careful. What do I do now?"

Nonetheless, she kept on walking, hoping to find a familiar place or somewhere she could spot the castle.

"I can't ask anyone for directions as any sane person would be sound asleep by now."

It was at that moment that she spotted a man walking down the opposite street. Eve sighed in relief and quickly followed him in hopes to get some assistance in finding a way back home. She cursed silently when the man turned into a small alley; it was hard to catch up as the man seemed to be rushing to his destination with inhuman speed. She was tempted to stop due to her tiredness but the Princess needed help and as though her wish was heard, she stopped abruptly when a gun was pointing at her forehead.

Train swiftly walked down the darkened streets and increased his pace. The day had gone bad; as a result, he was in a foul mood and felt like strangling someone. All he wanted to do now is retreat back to his small, cozy room on the third floor in the tavern where fights, usually involving him, are frequent. Nonetheless, he wasn't complaining. Hell, that room was his last sanctuary from Him. So yes, he's definitely not complaining.

The fights, however, were altogether another problem. He's pretty well-known in the tavern, which is the main reason for his active involvement in brawls but seriously, the amount of it were increasing at such a rate that it was ridiculous. Train, however, was smart enough to avoid attracting attention to himself as much as possible, for his group wasn't welcomed and knew the city' residents were terrified of them.

He was feared by many as well, including his own comrades and his nickname 'Black Cat' had long become a household name in several cities. Despite his reputation, he was mildly surprised that citizens, excluding his comrades, didn't recognize him. He had walked by countless citizens who weren't aware of his identity and Train often heard his name being whispered in fear. Truthfully, he didn't know what the meaning this nickname held nor its' origins but he gladly accepted it as Train had taken a liking toward it immediately and didn't mind when someone addressed him using his pet name.

If he is to choose, his favorite animal would definitely be a cat. He loved their way of living. Independent creatures bounded by no one and free to do whatever they please. Yes, he definitely loved cats. Moreover, his golden-cat-like eyes and fast reflexes are another big tip. Why, Train even had a small group of cats looking for him every night. Mostly for milk, of course. Nonetheless, they were good company and it distresses him without fail just by watching them.

He was immediately brought back to reality upon hearing small, quite footsteps behind him. He frowned. Was someone stalking him? No. There was no reason for anyone to pursue him. Train was positive that no one knew his identity, and even if they do, they wouldn't have dared approaching him, let alone stalk him. He took out his gun, making sure it was loaded and unseen by his 'stalker'. Quickening his pace, he deducted that the stalker was a woman from the soft footsteps. Turning into another alley, he immediately aimed his gun ready to shoot without another thought.

He stopped at once, however, upon seeing his target. Stood in front of him was a young beautiful lady. Petite size with an air of fragileness, long blond natural hair with big round eyes displaying innocence. She wore a long red dress and a black overall which was hung over shoulders to protect her from the cold. What had stopped him, though, were her violet eyes. A unique color. Nevertheless, it suited the lady before him perfectly. They reminded him of an Amethyst, a priceless diamond.

He shook his head slightly and quickly snapped back into reality. He wasn't supposed to think of his soon-to-be-dead target like this. Oh sure, killing girls was normal for him but right now his own body refused to obey his commands. As if paralyzed, he silently watched the girl's actions closely, still not letting his guard down. Train had expected to hear an annoying, piercing scream like most women would let out in this situation. Don't get him wrong, the bandit didn't hold any personal grudges against women. To him, after all, women were just annoying and loud creatures. Simple and plain. He inwardly smirked with a twisted sense of humor knowing that he was unquestionably an enemy to women.

Back to the question at hand, he concluded that this woman was very much different as she had taken hold of his gun lightly as though caressing a baby chick.

"I smell blood."

Her words caught him off-guard. Was he dealing with a mad woman? He doubted it, the girl's eyes were clear and thus, not a crazy person. He silently sighed in relief. Glad that he need not deal with a psychopathic person who was obviously more difficult than a stable woman. Surprisingly, he managed to keep a straight face throughout the entire strange yet amusing episode.

On the other hand, Eve was suffering from mental shock. She couldn't believe her bravery and stupidity. She should have just run! Instead of holding her attacker's gun. Despite that, she couldn't help voicing the first thought that came through her mind. This man was definitely a killer. No doubts about that.

She almost scream though, when she saw the man's almost-glowing eyes which were further reflected by the moon's glow. And even though his eyes were golden, she could almost see an imagined hint of blood red in them and felt herself being swallowed by the man's intense gaze.

The man slowly lowered his gun with caution, still not trusting her and his own foreign actions. After a while when Eve started feeling uncomfortable, the stranger broke the uncomfortable silence and softly demanded,

"Why are you following me?"

"I'm sorry but I'm lost."

After saying that, they both knew instantly that their night had gone from bad to worse.

The bandit was very well aware of his infamous bad luck towards others but didn't know that it would backfire on him and be this awful. Deciding that someone up there hates him, he heard himself subconsciously saying,

"This area is dangerous for a lady like you and I recommend you to leave immediately." With a heavy sigh as though condemning himself with a troublesome task, he continued. "I'll bring you around the town so alert me if there are any places that look familiar to you."

Eve frowned at the man's tone, which clearly didn't stand for any arguments. Wherever he comes from, he was of a superior rank. Well, too bad for him then.

"I appreciate that but I twisted my ankle in the process of keeping up with you."

Train wanted to scream. Literally. However, he knew it was partly his fault that she twisted her ankle because no normal person could keep up with him. Even more faster than his leader, he prides his renowned speed above everything else for the past few years.

"There's a tavern nearby which I was heading to until I realized that someone was chasing after me. Thanks for ruining my plans."

He glared at her, vice versa. Without warning, he lifted her quickly and the poor lady yelped in surprise. He muttered a quick 'sorry' which was loud enough for her to hear and making sure he had a good grip on her, Train continued on his merry way, thinking why he even bothered to help this lady.

The man's warmth was a comfort to Eve as the night went colder. A small part of her was hoping that the tavern they were heading to was further so she could enjoy the warmth more but quickly shook her thought away. She, of all people, shouldn't be thinking about that right now! Let alone to a stranger!

Seeing that the man was not interested in having a conversation with her, Eve took her time to examine her 'so-called help'. The man had spiky light brown ruffled and messy hair, and she didn't think a comb could easily solve that problem; it suits the man though, along with his stubborn personality. He was of average height with a slim body; the Princess was positive that he would have made a perfect candidate to dress up as a girl. The man wore black pants and a shirt, accompanied by a long black coat which was tattered at the edges as though he had been in several battles. Eve felt very fortunate that she had managed to spot him in this dark night.

She bathe herself in his scent and almost smile in amusement when she could smell milk from him. Apparently, killers do eat and drink normally as well, as well as having a favorite drink to go with it. Surprise, surprise, she had expected to smell Vodka or beer from him, anything but milk.

However, what attracted Eve the most were his golden-catlike slit eyes that glow in the dark night which had previously frightened her. Upon closer inspection, she couldn't believe that she was terrified by those eyes. No words can describe its' beauty and magnificence but as beautiful as those eyes are though, she could see several emotions, negative emotions, clashing within them. Pain, sorrow and loneliness. Her deduction troubles her. This man was in pain, heartless killer or not, and he hid it very well. No one should bear so much within oneself. It would, no doubt, drowned a person in devastation when he or she finally breaks under the pressure. She was curious about this killer. What had happened to this young man that broke his entire life?

Train raised an eyebrow when the young woman snuggled up to him and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from smiling. He had to confess though, that this young woman was exceptionally beautiful and had definitely caught his interest. An uncommon feeling. Somehow, the bandit knew that this woman who had previously caressed Hades was very much different compared to the women he had met previously.

It was obvious that he should kill this stranger but as she snuggled towards him again, he couldn't help tightening his hold and bring her closer. He knew it was foolish of him but for now, he was comfortable with it and wishes that it remains this way, even if it is just for a while. Of course, he had thought about leaving her at the sidewalk and continued on with his way. Or was it better just to kill her and be done with the extra trouble and annoyance. But why the sudden impulse to help her? To protect her? A question that left him with more doubts.

When the man drew her closer, Eve blushed and relaxed considerably. She had never felt so content in her life, not counting the moments she had with her family. Her happiness was short-lived, however, when an old building came into view.

Assuming that the old building was the tavern, which the man had previously talked about, she straightened herself as he carried her into the old building. Several heads turned towards them as they entered. Eve felt uncomfortable under the unwanted attention and was secretly relieved that her dress reached her till her ankles. She shivered involuntarily at the intense gazes and couldn't help holding onto the man tighter.

"Ignore them."

His smooth voice soothe her greatly, knowing that this stranger had no intention to harm her. She could see that he was unfazed by the looks and brushed them off as though he was used to it.

Walking towards an empty table which was located near the window, he placed her down gently on the chair and kneeled while resting a hand on her shoulder as though to secure her. "I'm going to get some drinks as well as bandages. Will you be alright sitting here alone for a while? If you want, I can get someone to stay with you if you like."

Eve felt her face reddened at the intimate contact of his warm hand and the small distance between their faces. She wanted to shout that undoubtedly she wouldn't be okay sitting here by herself with all the lustful gazes directed to her. The Princess could even spot men shifting their tables to move closer to theirs. Horny men! She was greatly tempted to ask the man to stay and ask someone else to get the bandages but Eve refused to look weak in front of this man for some unknown reason. With great effort, she spoke softly.

"Is all right, I can handle myself. You don't have to worry about me."

The killer looked straight into her eyes as though he was trying to catch her in her own lie. With an unconvinced nod, he stood up. "I'll be quick."

"Please make haste."

Train nodded with confidence and briskly walked off. Eve felt her barrier cracked when she saw the man disappeared into the crowd and had to stop herself from calling him to come back. She had to be strong. The Princess was determined to not create any more trouble for someone who is willing to do so much just to help her.

Noticing that eyes were still locked upon her, she blushed and quickly looked back down, trying to avoid as much eye contact as possible. Shifting uncomfortably, she hope the man quickly returned. Compared to the rest, it seems to her that he was the only one who looks as well as act differently, and Eve couldn't help but felt protected when he was nearby.

She snapped back into reality and felt a sense of forbidding came upon her when a man confidently stalked towards her, intending to take advantage that her protector had left.

Muscled and ugly, the big-sized man gave a mischievous grin which show his crooked yellow teeth and sat heavily on a chair which was just a few meters away from Eve. A booming voice was heard at once.

"Hey beautiful, what brings a little lady like you to this old tavern? Looking for some fun and excitement? Maybe I can be of some assistance."

She wanted to puke; the man who had spoken was definitely a lousy womanizer and needed some brush up. An amateur compared to her brother. Even she could have done better than that.

Knowing that the man wouldn't leave anytime soon, she glanced around nervously hoping to see the stranger. To her dismay, she couldn't locate him anywhere and her view was suddenly blocked by a large hairy hand.

"Looking for your knight in shining armor? Well, he's busy from the looks of it but that's good news for both of us, right? He can't give what you are looking for, baby, so why don't you dump him? Come with me and my friends for some real fun!"

He beckoned to a group and she realized with horror that more men with similar physical features were approaching her table. Surrounding her, they all held perverted and lusty looks which were again directed at her alone. When a man reached for her, she almost cried when another voice was heard.

"Stop it, young men. You shouldn't involve yourself with her. Didn't you see that Black Cat was the one who had brought her here? You wouldn't want to get into trouble with him, would you? If you have some common sense, back off from her and return to your table. Don't cause any unwanted trouble here."

An old man sitting at a table next to hers had suddenly spoken.

Black Cat? The man's nickname? With his cat-like features, attitude and his fondness of milk, she wholeheartedly agreed that it suited the man. However, the way the old man had spoke earlier; it seemed that this stranger was widely feared. Was he so famous that even an old man knew about him?

The man, who had wooed her, seems to be the leader of the merry group as he walked towards the old man with an air of superiority. She was surprised and impressed that the old man did not cower in fear or back away.

"Shut up, old man. What would you know? Even Black Cat had a bitch to accompany him during the lonely nights, eh? Shouldn't he share her with others then? I'm not afraid of him! He's just some kid who arrived this city recently! What's so terrifying about him?! You should fear me instead!"

Eve felt anger coursed through her. Had he just called her a bitch? How dare he?!

With indifference, the old man spoke again.

"You will regret tarnishing his name."

"Shut your mouth!"

With horror, she saw the brute aiming a punch at the old man. Without thinking, despite her twisted ankle, she rushed forward and stood between both of them, surprising everyone, including herself.

"Is me you want, right? No need to involve anyone else."

"Miss, you don't have to do this. Please return to your table and wait for him to come back. Is safer for you." The old man make an attempt to push her away but Eve stood still, not intending to let someone get harm on her behalf.

She smiled warmly at the old man. "Is all right. I know what I'm doing. Thank you for standing up for me but I shouldn't involve anyone else."

The old man wanted to argue but was cut off.

"Well, you have bravery, little miss. I like that! Is not every day that a girl like you appear. Now come here and lets' enjoy ourselves."

And the brute reached out for Eve who closed her eyes fearing the worst.

All of a sudden, she felt a dangerous aura and had trouble breathing. A shot was unexpectedly heard and Eve quickly looked up. The audience who was getting rowdy upon their scene immediately quiet down. Heads which were previously looking at them now looked at a different direction, this time however, with terrified expressions. Following them, she couldn't help but sighed in relief as she saw the stranger returned with another man holding the drinks and bandages.

The stranger held a gun and Eve knew that he was responsible for the previous shot. She quickly turned and saw that the brute had a deep cut on his cheek with a small trial of blood dripping down his face. Furthermore, upon closer inspection, Eve noticed that the bullet had penetrated the wall deeply behind the brute.

Without lowering his gun, the stranger slowly accessed the situation. The stranger's gaze soften slightly upon finding Eve and the old man, glad that he was not too late. Maybe he wasn't as cruel as she thought he would be. She looked back as the stranger's cold gaze landed again on the brute and his group. The Princess was surprised that they haven't melt under the deadly glare.

"You again?" The stranger had suddenly spoken.

The brute snapped out of his trance and smirked. "You have something that I want, little kitty."

With a blush, Eve quickly looked down when they both glanced at her.

"She's not an object nor will you have her."

"Guess I have to snatch her from you then! Boys! Let's show the kid who's boss!"

Without further delay, the stranger was encircled without delay and Eve watched the situation, worry shown on her face clearly. The nearby people quickly backed away and the rest watched from afar.

"Alfred."

The man who was following Train responded and waved at him lazily. "Yeah, yeah. You owe me."

"Whatever."

Alfred then directed Eve and the old man to the back. "It will be safer here. Both of you might get hurt."

Eve's gaze didn't tore away. "What about him? Will he be alright? He's surrounded."

Alfred followed her gaze and chuckled. "Don't worry, he will definitely be alright. If you need to worry, then you can worry about his opponents. They don't stand a chance against Black Cat, not an ounce. Now, come along. He would have my head if you get hurt."

Eve face immediately turned crimson and nodded at Alfred. Helping the old man, they stood further but with a clear view of what was happening. Eve stood on her toes and wasn't surprised at the stranger's confident smirk. Obviously irked by it, the brute spat.

"You think a kid with a gun is going to frightened us. It's time that Black Cat goes down! Boys, let's get him!"

And with that said, the guys drew knifes which were previously hidden in their back pockets and Eve gasped as they rushed towards the stranger. With his hands on his hips and eyes closed, the stranger shook his head as though mocking them for their stupidity.

"I assure you that numbers alone isn't capable in defeating me."

Once the words had left his lips, with godlike speed, he shot a few bullets at the men and Eve saw every knife was thrown across the room and each of them was stuck to the wall, barely missing a few bystanders. Suddenly screaming in agony and pain, the men slowly collapsed, one by one. For a while, all was quiet as the audience watched Train professionally slipped his gun back into the holster which was strapped to his right thigh.

Alfred was the one who broke the silence as he walked towards the stranger, apparently not afraid of the man who single-handedly defeated a group of men with much ease.

"No matter how many fights I see you in, you always amazed me. However, making a big mess in my tavern is entirely different matter and you never did cleaned up after your fights, did you? Can't you come and go in my tavern without causing so much ruckus and trouble for once?"

Train smirked confidently. "Trouble had been my middle name for ages."

Alfred grunted and smacked Train's shoulder so hard that the bandit winced.

"For your information, the lovely maiden and the old man are at the back as well as your drinks and bandages. Get the hell out of here when you're done. I have enough trouble for one day. Shoo!"

Without a word, the bandit walked over to the back and chatter quickly resumed in the tavern, mostly discussing about the fight that they had just witnessed.

Spotting the stranger walking towards their direction, Eve make up her mind to apologize for the inconvenience caused. However, the man had ignored both of them and reached for his glass immediately which contained milk. With a single gulp, the killer drained the milk and smacked his lips in satisfaction. Placing the milk down, he reached for the bandages and kneeled to get a closer look at Eve's legs.

"It wasn't your fault."

With those words spoken, he gently prodded Eve's ankle, trying to find the swollen area. She just watched him silently, wincing occasionally when he touched a tender spot, wondering how he knew her thoughts in advance. Eve was brought back to earth when the stranger spoke again.

"Aren't you going to finish your drink?"

Blushing in nervous, Eve spotted another tall glass of milk and drank the creamy liquid slowly, savoring the taste of it and didn't know that milk could have been even more delicious than ever. He was shortly done wrapping Eve's ankle and threw the remaining bandages on the table. Upon placing her injured leg on the floor, the anticipated pain never came and Eve started walking albeit a bit wobbly. The stranger watched her with satisfaction and knew he had bandaged it well. He turned to the old man who was watching both of them the entire time.

"I don't know who you are, old man but I humbly thanked you for standing up for my name and helping her."

The old man chuckled lightly. "I didn't think you heard that. The young lady was clearly getting uncomfortable."

Eve turned back upon hearing their conversation. "Thank you for helping me again, Mister. I'm in your debt."

"Nonsense. It was something that anyone would have done. However, you had better leave this tavern, in case, something else happened."

Train nodded and with ease, carried a surprised Eve out of the tavern with everyone's eyes glued to them.

"What's your real name?"

Eve decided to break the long uncomfortable silence that had followed them after leaving the tavern far behind. She felt him tensed and stood still obviously wondering whether he should answer her question.

Figured that he had nothing to lose in announcing his real name, the stranger licked his dry lips and finally answered. "Train. Train Heartnet."

Eve silently rolled the stranger's name on her tongue, liking the sound of it. It was familiar though and the Princess felt that she had read this name somewhere before. Suddenly she felt his gaze upon her, silently demanding her to do the honor too.

As a princess, she had a duty to conceal her identity for safety reasons. However, upon facing Train, she felt the urge to let him know the truth. In time, she thought. If she ever meet this man again, then she will tell the truth. If that's the case, she had to think of a different family name for herself. "Eve Windsor."

Eve' was definitely a foreign name and Train never heard of it before. Nevertheless, he found it quite catchy. He responded after a moment of silence. "It suits you."

"What?" She blinked with confusion.

"Your name, Eve. It suits you."

Eve blushed and beamed in happiness. This was her first time receiving an honest compliment from a total stranger. At home, during the party season, relatives and friends would shower her with praises and compliments hoping to gain benefits from it. However, she herself knew that half of them were lies and always responded only with a terse 'thank you'.

The bandit inwardly sighed. They had been walking for a long time and Train was finally getting tired. After all, it had been a long day.

"What should I call you?"

The man seemed to ponder for a moment. "Train. Is it the same with you, 'Eve'?"

Eve nodded, liking their informality between them and continued on. "Excuse me for asking but is that tavern always so crowded?"

Train blinked at the sudden question before replying. "Usually no but tomorrow is the Fireworks Festival so is pretty normal to have lots of people at that time." Train answered matter-of-factly.

"Fireworks Festival? What's that?"

Train almost tripped, causing Eve to jerk slightly. Realizing that she was serious about the question, he continued walking and responded with hesitation, as though afraid he was being played in a cruel joke. "Fireworks Festival is celebrated for the coming of the new year. Several fireworks display will be held on this day."

"Oh."

Silence fell. Train wasn't sure whether she was pulling his leg or serious about it. The bandit grimaced at the thought.

Eve, on the other hand, couldn't help feeling excited at the mentioned of this festival. She was determined to attend the festival tomorrow but doubts of escaping the castle again ate at her. "Are you coming for the festival?"

"No." An answer without hesitation.

Eve couldn't help feeling disappointed. "Why not?"

Train shrugged. "I had seen it countless of time and is a waste of time, no matter how beautiful they are."

Eve couldn't help staring at him and decided to approach him from a different angle. "Do you use your gun for your work?" She took Train's silence as a 'yes'. "You are a bandit, aren't you?"

Surprised that she knew, Train abruptly stopped and stared at her.

"It was just a hunch. I'm not sure but you have this kind of feel about you."

"That explains what you first said then." He continued walking.

Eve blushed when she remembered what she had first said to him.

"I smell blood."

Silence fell again but not for long.

"I have another question."

Curiosity was displayed all over Train's face as he patiently waited for the incoming question.

"What's a bandit?"

Train halted and stood completely still. Unexpectedly caught by the question asked. He thought over it carefully and tried to find the best words for explanation.

When the silence between them drag on, Eve began to worry whether the bandit was offended until he finally replied slowly, as though unsure of himself. "A bandit is an unruly individual with strong bloodlust and revenge. On a basic routine, bandits are offered different kinds of jobs which may involves stealing and killing. For example, a 'client' will asked a bandit to steal something or kill someone, if he succeeds then the 'client 'will reward him. A bandit's reputation is vital to him or her as it affects the quality of the jobs offered. The higher the reputation, the more dangerous the work. However, there are bandits that kill either mainly for fun, personal reasons or to gain something beneficial."

Eve thought for a while before responding. "Then bandits are evil?"

Train paused and took a while before replying. "It depends. Personally, as a bandit, I don't think so. We're humans just like the city's citizens. What right do they have to discriminate us? Many of my comrades had been abandoned, neglected and treated wrongly but in fact, we are just trying to survive as well as finding a place where we truly belong in this cold harsh world. We never did harm the innocent, nor have we burned down any villages, yet stories of us performing these acts have been circulated among residents of all cities. Thus, the its normal for the city's citizens to portray us as evil people. I expect no different from this town. Rest assured that I won't be offended if you think we are wicked people seeking to disrupt Valdemar's peace."

Eve quietly thought over Train's answer. Everything he had said make sense and for a while she felt shameful of her people who had foolishly conjured these false rumors. "You are very knowledgeable."

Another shrug. "I speak my mind."

Eve suddenly spotted a very familiar hill, continued by more recognizable trees. Not wanting Train to know that her home is the castle, she quickly stopped him. "Train! Is here!"

Train grimaced at the volume but nonetheless, let her down. "Are you going to be alright?"

Eve gave a quick bow and beamed. "Yes. Thank you so much for helping me and I apologized for taking up your time. Please allow me to repay my debt next time."

Train nodded and prepared to leave for the night.

Eve stood there looking at his retreating back with a thoughtful gaze."I believed that you're not evil, Train."

Hearing that, the bandit swiftly turned towards her with widened eyes. After giving him a genuine smile she ran up the dark streets leaving the surprised bandit. For a few moments, he just stood there and a smile slowly formed on his lips. Letting out a chuckle, he shook his head and was ready to call it a day.

He froze in his tracks as he heard a familiar voice which he always dreaded.

"Dearest Train, who was that beautiful lady?"

-End-of-Chapter-