Three bodies were lying on the ground with some smoke coming out from their holes, Anastasia was sweating hard, she even kneeled on the ground from the exhaustion, however, the satisfaction on her eyes was a contrast.

She was dead tired…

But she was excited at the same time…

Anastasia took some seconds to stood up, she looked back at Hans with a smile on her face.

"Than- thank you!" Said Hans with excitement.

Anastasia smiled widely once again and turned around without saying anything.

"Wa- wait!" Said Hans.

Anastasia stopped, but she didn't turn.

"You- you are injured…" Said Hans.

"Better take of yourself first, I am the princess of the north after all!" Said Anastasia.

With that, she disappeared from the alley, leaving the young Hans alone.

Hans looked at the alley for some time, his eyes couldn't help but reflect the heroic silhouette of Anastasia.

"She is like a hero" Though Hans.

It was like some drug, he was beaten senseless, but, right now, he didn't feel any kind of pain.

He stood up and went back to his home.

Hans was born in a pretty poor family, his father died when he was very young and her mother fell ill shortly after that. Since young, Hans had lived working day and night, of course, it was hard for a child to earn money to support two people, what's more, there were limited jobs that a nine-year-old kid could do.

Hans walked to a pretty worn outhouse, it was quite small and obviously was falling apart in some parts.

"Mom, I am home" Said Hans.

Lying on the ground covered with a blanket, a white-haired woman was coughing.

"Hans, my child, is that you?" Smiled the woman.

"Mom, I brought some good stuff!" Said Hans with a smile.

He turned the stove and put some milk to heat.

The woman looked at the child's back, he had some marks on his small body and was too slim for his young age.

This has happened a few times, however, Hans never showed a pained expression to her mother, nor did he ever complain.

The woman's heart broke every time she saw the back of his small child, she couldn't help but tear and remember better times, when his husband was still alive.

She always had to try very hard to stop the tears from falling down of her cheek, because, the only time Hans ever made a sad expression, it was when he saw her mother sad.

"Here you go, mom" Said Hans.

"How about you, my child?"

"I already took my portion, mom, come on, drink! I also bought bread" Said Hans.

Of course, that was a lie, and both of them know it.

However, looking at his son's eyes, the mother only nodded and drank her milk.

"That's right, mom! Today, I met a hero!" Said Hans with sparks on his eyes.

"He- hero?" Her mother was surprised.

"That's right! She called herself the princess of the north!"

With that, Hans spoke to her mother his adventure in the alley, of course… exaggerating a lot.

Her mother looked at his child who always seems as he was carrying a big rock on his shoulders, smiling and laughing like a child of his age.

She smiled, however, this time, it wasn't a forced smile, it was a smile then came from her heart.

The next day, Hans went to his usual job on the market, selling fruits and stuff.

"Uncle"

"Little Hans, what's it?"

"Have you heard of the princess of the north?"

"The princess of the north? You mean Princess Diana?"

"No, no, I mean one that is blonde with yellow eyes!"

"Yellow eyes? No, I haven't"

Hans had this kind of conversation with all the people he knew on the market, but nobody answered it, until, a few days later, someone finally answered him.

"Princess of the north? You wouldn't mean the little princess of the Boltor family, won't you?"

"Little princess?"

"Blonde hair with blonde eyes with a pigtailed hair?"

"YES! Yes, she!" Said Hans.

"Well, I wouldn't call her exactly the princess of the north, but she has changed since a couple of days ago"

"How so?"

"Well, for instance, she beat the crap out of three kids in the school with just a single movement"

"I also heard that his sword teacher, who always looked down on her, almost pissed his pants off went he duel with her yesterday"

"Oh yeah, just today, she went and challenge someone three years older than her, what happened to her I wonder?"

The most Hans heard the brighter his eyes became.

Like that, Hans tried to get at much info at he could from the 'princess of the north' for an entire year, on this year, Hans was happier than ever, he got home and would immediately tell his mother, all the stories and rumors about the 'princess of the north', who become something like a symbol to him.

His mother was happy of course, seeing his little kid getting brighter and brighter each day.

However, happy moments were always the shortest…

One sunny day, when everyone in Yellow city was busy doing their business. In a wrap of house, one kid was silently crying next to a grave.

That sunny day, the mother of Hans never woke up…

........................….

That day Hans walked the Yellow city like a living corpse, he didn't know how or when, but he got to the Boltor family mansion, He looked from the outside, looking for someone.

"Hey! You kid! What are you doing there!?" One guard spotted Hans.

Hans seemed to wake up from a dream when the guard called him.

"I… is… is this where the princess of the north lives?" Asked Hans.

"And who the hell are you, to ask for the princess? Get the hell out, before I break your legs!" Said the guard.

Hans was scared, however, a force that who knows where did I came from didn't let him move, he stood firmly there.

"I… I just want to see her, even if it's from afar" Said Hans.

"You… you asked for it, kid" Said the guard.

The guard approached Hans with his sword lifted, despite the treat, Hand didn't back up.

"Stop"

A voice stopped the guard.

The voice was very familiar to Hans, he looked at the back…

And saw her.

"It's been a while, Hans"

This would be the second encounter between Hans and Anastasia.