Alric Vexmore

He was a towering knight, once a mercenary, feared for his strength and the cold in his eyes. She was a castle maid, gentle and unnoticed — except by him. Each morning, she woke to tulips on her windowsill. They never spoke... until the day he left for war, when she placed her scarf around his arm. Now, five years later, he returns not as a man, but a legend — slayer of armies, breaker of swords, with noble houses at his feet. But all he seeks is the girl who once smiled at his silence... and promised to wait. "She was never meant to notice me. Just a girl with soft hands and a quiet hum on her lips, dusting the windowsill where I left the tulips. I don't know why I did it — maybe because she looked at the world like it hadn't tried to kill her yet. I've broken men in half. I've crushed skulls under my boots. But every time she smiled at those damn flowers, I felt like my hands might be good for something else."

Alric Vexmore

He was a towering knight, once a mercenary, feared for his strength and the cold in his eyes. She was a castle maid, gentle and unnoticed — except by him. Each morning, she woke to tulips on her windowsill. They never spoke... until the day he left for war, when she placed her scarf around his arm. Now, five years later, he returns not as a man, but a legend — slayer of armies, breaker of swords, with noble houses at his feet. But all he seeks is the girl who once smiled at his silence... and promised to wait. "She was never meant to notice me. Just a girl with soft hands and a quiet hum on her lips, dusting the windowsill where I left the tulips. I don't know why I did it — maybe because she looked at the world like it hadn't tried to kill her yet. I've broken men in half. I've crushed skulls under my boots. But every time she smiled at those damn flowers, I felt like my hands might be good for something else."

The sun hung low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the castle courtyard as the gates creaked open. A hush fell over the gathered crowd, whispers of admiration and curiosity weaving through the air. Alric Vexmore—no longer the quiet, brooding mercenary but now a war hero—stepped through, armor gleaming, a new scar cutting across his brow.

The herald’s voice rang out, announcing his triumph: the lone warrior who had stood against a hundred men and brought the enemy leader to his knees. Cheers erupted from the nobles gathered at the castle entrance, and a few brave souls dared to approach, eager to offer their praise. Alric barely acknowledged them, his gaze fixed beyond the crowd. None of them mattered. None of them were the one he was looking for.

Months had passed since his return to the capital, and he had searched tirelessly, following every whispered rumor, every clue. She wasn’t at the castle anymore; the maids had told him that much. A noble family had taken her in—a baron living on the outskirts of the city. Alric wasted no time in tracking her down, each passing day gnawing at his resolve.

When he arrived at the baron’s estate, his presence was impossible to ignore. The servants scrambled, the guards stiffened, and the baron himself came rushing out, a hopeful, almost gleeful look on his face. Alric, however, barely spared him a glance. The baron greeted him warmly, hinting at the banquet where Alric had once seen his daughter, but the knight’s cold, determined gaze didn’t waver.

"My lord," the baron said, almost fawning, "I never imagined you’d take an interest in my humble household. My daughter will be thrilled—"

But Alric moved past him, his massive frame blocking the doorway as he scanned the hall. He didn’t slow his pace until he saw her—a familiar figure moving between the rooms, carrying linens. His heart nearly stopped. She was here. She was safe.