V10 - Chapter 121

"Today the Un ambassador from China launched a formal protest against the United States. They claim that the US is illegally preventing their right to explore the new word. They continue to make the claim that the Gate should be given United Nations control so all nations could have equal access to the Special Region or knows as Uros by the International Astronomical Union.

The US Ambassador Kevin Collins to the UN countered by saying that China to have a history of not honoring international agreements. That China must pull out of northern Afghanistan. China invaded the Badakhshan, Kunduz, and Takhar Province.

China invaded these places after the NATO withdraw in 2022. While no official comment by the Chinese government, expects believe it is to mine much needed ore in those regions and to expand the 'One-Belt-One-Road Initiative'.

Tension rose as the US continual refuse to allow Chinese aligned nations to the Gate, saying that the Gate is under American control and should be protected by free nation." – SCNR News

--- Fort Alnus ---

December 21st, 2025

On this sunny but crisp day, Princess Pina is walking through the military base. She is not alone, her most loyal and trusted servant, Hamilton is by her left side as always. Bozes is also with her, walking by her right side. All in their standard Rose armor.

For the past fifteen minutes, they have been talking about those three movies they saw in Italica which was called The Hobbit. From what Sarah said, that movie is their version of a theater. Everything she saw was not real but just a story they wrote.

When they say this work looks like one of their made-up fantasies, they were not kidding. She could not believe how similar their stories are to her world. She started to understand why these Other Worlders are so confused by her world. To them, it is like walking into a dream, but that dream is real.

What scared her the most was the talking dragon. This world has dragons, massive ones but nothing like that. The other thing that scared her was how organized the dark races where. They fought just like standard armies. The one key advantage the Empire had against them was organization.

The main bad guy interested her. Sharpe said this was a prequel to a far greater trilogy, whatever that means. That evil eye man though, Sauron reminds her of Queen Famulis. A unifying force for the forces of evil.

The one thing she thought was funny was the relationship between the Dwarves and the Elves. That seems to be normal. The great stories of the Elves and Dwarves wars which brought down their civilizations thousands of years ago.

"While I don't normally fancy Elves, I found them pretty sexy looking in that picture story," Bozes says with a giggle.

Hamilton giggles. "Yes, but I did like Legolas. He has such a cute face."

Bozes elbows Hamilton in the arm. "I'm going to tell that American boy you are leaving him for an Elf."

"Wait… no," Hamilton says in a worried tone. "Don't do that, please. I did not mean it like that. And his name Andrew."

She could not help herself but laugh by that exchange. For as long as she can remember, Hamilton has always had a nervous but soft heart. She hoped that making her a Knight would toughen her up, which it has.

She looks back. "She is just teasing you, Hamilton. But I have to say they got the Dwarves right. Short and ill-mannered."

"Pina, did you find anyone you liked?" Bozes asks, still poking at Hamilton.

She thinks about that. She did not really find anyone attractive, but she did like now no le that Lake man was. "I did find that lake man interesting. Scruffy looking but cares about his people. But there wasn't a lot of men to pick from."

"Since we are on the topic have you two done it yet?" Bozes asks Hamilton in a silly manner as she pokes her chest.

Hamilton looks at her all embarrassed. She waves her hands lightly to shut Bozes up. "Bozes knock it off! People might hear."

Bozes chuckles. "You have always been a shy one. It's why we love you."

"Knock it off," Hamilton says.

Hearing them bicker like this makes her giggle. She cannot help but find it funny. Bozes has always been the energetic aggressive one in the group. It was hard for them both to build a trusting relationship.

When they were young, she wanted to command every detail, thinking she knew everything. But Bozes wanted to shine herself and wanted Pina to trust her. They had to butt heads a few times until she finally learned to trust her Knights.

"Be nice Bozes. I don't want her stitches to rip," she says. "And besides, at least she found a man. You keep scaring them away."

"What does that mean?" Bozes says with a fiery voice.

She can hear Hamilton giggle from that. She turns around and looks at her servant. "Still. You rarely talk about him. What's up?"

Hamilton blushes and glances away. "I don't know. It's not like we had a lot of chance to do anything, the war and all." She then grabs her other arm, trying to summon up the confidence to speak about the manner. "I don't know, I just feel warm inside when I am around him. It feels natural. I find him cute when were alone though. Doing everything he can to make me feel happy.

Hamilton then glances down and smiles. "We had a date night last night, but my side still hurts. So, we watched one of his cute anime shows. And he took care of me, so I didn't have to do anything."

She looks to Bozes and then both look at Hamilton "Ahh." Both say.

"Hey..." She said embarrassed. She then looks at her with determination. "But your Highness, I promise that you are my number one priority. I won't be leaving your side and serve you until the end."

She giggles hearing that, "I am sorry Hamilton but that's so cute. I never questioned your loyalist and duty so calm down."

"Not you too!" Hamilton whines.

Bozes wraps her arm around Hamilton's neck and pulls her close. "Don't worry. You are farther than the rest of us. But when the good stuff happens do not forget to tell us. Besides, I want to talk about our glorious princess now."

"Why me?" She asks confused.

"Don't why me Princess," Bozes says with an evil smirk. "We all saw it. The Major getting you that stupid paper crown as a gift. From someone at his statues, I would expect something with more quality."

Hamilton then looks up at her. "Is that true Princess? Is he courting you?"

She looks at them confused, not understanding what they are talking about. When she heard Bozes mention that paper crown she then figures it out what they are talking about. She now wonders if her Knights are assuming that Sharpe declared intentions to her by getting her a gift(1).

While this is not a universal rule within the Empire, with the high nobles in Sadera, when a man presents a gift to a noblewoman, it is him declaring his intention to a courtship. However, she understood that was not what Sharpe was doing.

She told him on that bridge in Havcristen(2) that she sold her crown to find his people(3). She understood that he was just returning what he considered a debt. No coin value but it has massive segmental value to her.

From what Rose said, it is normal in her country for people to get gifts for other people. That they make up holidays just as an excuse to buy gifts for others.

She looks at her two Knights and sees this glow in their eyes, waiting for her to tell them what they 'want' to here. She holds up her hands, trying to discharge the situation. "No, no. You two are misunderstanding the situation. It is nothing like that. We are just fellow soldiers working together."

She sees both get closer. It looks like they are trying to read her soul.

"I don't know. We all went through a lot of crap just so you can be on his good side. Why would you do that my Princess?" Bozes said with a cheeky tone.

She stands there, not believe what is happening. She raises her hand and flickers her figure into Bozes head. "Knock it off, nothing is happening. As you said we all been through a lot. That's all."

Hamilton giggles at seeing Bozes get flicked. She then looks to Pina. "Your Highness, but he did get you a gift. Are you saying there are no intentions behind it?"

She smiles and shakes her head. "There is nothing. I told him about when I sold my crown to that Dwarf. I think he just felt bad about that. As Bozes said, we all been through a lot to earn their respect. I think that is his way of showing we are all on the same team now. That they don't see us as Imperialists but fellow comrades."

"So, you say there's nothing in there? No wedding bells coming?" Bozes asks as she rubs her head.

She crosses her arms. "No. And you can tell the other Knights that to. It is just a cultural misunderstanding. He can help us retake the throne and bring an end to this silly war. We finally have a good thing going here and I don't want to ruin it."

As she thinks, she glances away. During that movie, to her surprise she enjoyed, she saw Sharpe and Sarah holding hands. She also remembers how far he was willing to go back to Havcristen. He looked like a nearly broken man when he asked for her help. "Besides, I think he is fond of someone else."

Bozes gets closer to her. "Really? Who?"

"That's none of our business Bozes. You shouldn't gossip about it." She said as she turns around and starts walking again. She can hear her moan with disappointment. She thinks about not telling them but Bozes has a big mouth and will spread something. She honestly would rather spread the truth than a lie. She decides to tell what she saw, believing it will end any rumors that she and Sharpe are courting once and for all. "I saw the Major and Sarah holding hands during the movie."

She then turns around and starts walking, knowing the gossiping is coming. She can hear both debating on what that could possibly mean. She finds it adorable to what they are talking about.

Hearing both of their viewpoints fascinates her. Both say that Sharpe is like brick, cold, calm, can be mean but under all that what seems to be a giant softy. They even bring up that strange-looking toy on the dashboard that is called Optimus Prime.

Then they bring up Sarah. She seems to be opposite to the Major, softer and welcoming to people. But deep inside her seems to be this lurking brood mother that wants to come out if anyone who messes with her people. While she has not had much time to talk to her, she seems far easier to talk to and get advice in talking to Sharpe.

Her experience somewhat proves that. It has been either one side or the other, but the situation was different back then. She remembers how naive she was, thinking she knew how the world worked.

At that time she did not realize it, the first time in Italica they were enemies. She had no idea then that they would be fighting side by side. While she did not know it, hearing his speech to the people at Italica was the start of her changing how she saw things. She still remembers every word of his speech(4).

'My name is Major Sharpe of the United States Army. I am not going to lie to you; this is a very bad situation we are in. We are facing a well-trained force coming to take this under defended city. Because of the situation, we are going to help. I see some of you are scared of the coming battle, that you are not soldiers, not trained for this. In other words, common folk. Do not feed that fear, do not think yourself as less as they enemy. History has shown the common man able to overcome great crisis, defeat great armies and even topple empires. Let me make this clear, all we must do is hold for a day. All we must do is wait for our cavalry to arrive. I have full faith you are capable of defending your homes, your families, your city. If we do this together, we will win. Orders will be given soon so be ready. Let god be with you.'

She stops and looks up at the building that she was heading to. While it does not look like a dungeon-like the one in Sadera, where they keep their prisoners. But here, this is where they are keeping General Herm Fule Maio.

She and her two Knights walk into the building. When they walk in, two guards come up. She takes how this identification card and hands it to him.

The man takes it and scans it. "Thank you, Princess Pina. You are free to go."

"Yup, what is your name?" She asks.

"You call us Agents." The man says.

She takes the hint and waits. She takes her card back and thanks to him. "I can't believe that thing knows who I am."

The guard smirks and he show her the scanning device. "Well, you see that gold strip there. It has all your information on there. Your picture, what unit you're with and security level and anything else I need."

"That is amazing," Hamilton states as she looks at the scanner.

As they start walking away, that scanner and card seem so alien to them. A part of her has gotten used to not understand these people's equipment, a daily reminder that these Other Worlders are so beyond them in technology.

She walks into the room. She got permission to see Herm, her formal Knight before he betrayed her and joined her brother ranks. He was not the only one, most of the men followed Herm during their fallout.

She walks in and sees Herm sitting on this chair in this other room. There is this glass window wall between her and him. He looks beaten up, tired and demoralized. To her surprise, she feels nothing by the sight.

Seeing him again brings back memories of their fight at Legrath. While it was tough at first, the fight went smoother than she expected. When he left, they got into a fight, one that she lost. He was becoming a sexist, seeing her female Knights as nothing but objects, just like her brother.

Zorzal has a way of corrupting people. He knows how to bring out people's deepest and darkest desires and offer them that. He feels the worse in people and that is how he gets people loyal to them.

It became clear that he and others like Calasta only used her Knights to advance their station. It was Norma who stood up against them, forcing them out. While he was a pervert himself, he was loyal. He did not deserve to die in Italica.

But she thinks what she is why was so impressed by Sharpe when they first met. It was such a sharp difference from what she was used to seeing. A man with values and principles. Herm had none of that and here he is now, sitting in this cell.

She enjoyed beating him in that fight. All her hard work, going through all those adventures and battles was worth it. Beating him down. During the fight, she saw he could have beaten her from his Rose training but held back, fearing to hurt them. He never saw them as equals and she wishes she saw it then. But he got lazy and comfortable. She found it very satisfying in defeating him in fair combat. That she is the true warrior and not him.

"What have you been doing to him?" She asks.

This man turns around and looks at her. She sees the CIA name on his shirt. Sarah told her what that means. She also told her to be careful around them. If she feels unsafe, contact Sharpe. "Has he talked?"

This agent woman walks up to her. "Nothing we don't already know. That Emperor Molt was over the throne and your brother has taken the throne. The Senate is split, and he is asking for help from other kingdoms. But the government itself is unified behind Zorzal. He purged everyone who wouldn't bend the knee."

The male agent looks at this document in his hand. "But he did tell us something interesting. He was a General that attacked Philadelphia but fled."

She crosses her arms as she looks through the window. She can hear this strange music.

"What is that noise?" Bozes asks.

"We have been playing music into the chamber for two days. Playing a song that would get annoying easily. It has been no stop." The female agent said.

She listens carefully and hears the words of the song, 'Bird, Bird, Bird is the word…'. She does not understand the context, but it already sounds annoying. "Anything else?"

"Well," The male agent says. "It seems that he is hiding something about Philadelphia. We have been trying to figure out what that is. We have been using truth drugs, but he is holding onto that secret hard. If there is a security threat to Earth, we must find out "

"And the annoying music is supposed to make him talk?" She asked.

"Works in Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp. It Drove those terrorist nuts." The female agent said.

"I want to go inside. I have questions and I have permission. I did beat him and brought him in." She spoke. She can tell the agents didn't like that she gets to talk to them, but they have orders.

The man escorts her and her two Knights to the door. The music stops and the door opens. She walks in and walks right up to Herm.

He looks exhausted like he has been up for a few days. It looks like his pride is gone but she questions that, he would have to ha e it to lose it. "Herm."

Herm looks up at her. "Traitor. Do you think you scare me?

She looks directly at him. "Yes, I do. You are going to answer my questions."

Herm forces a chuckle. "I noticed you didn't come alone. You brought your pet and attack dog." He then looks to Hamilton, who he referred to Pina pet. "Hello Hamilton, it has been a while. Do you remember that night? I surely do. We could have had a special night…ugh…"

Hearing enough, she punches him into the forehead. "Enough. Bozes, Hamilton outside please."

"Your highness?" Hamilton says.

She orders then both out again. She realizes she should have done that in the first place. She knows Bozes will lose her temper quickly and try to kill him and Hamilton, bless her heart Herm will try and use her as a weak point which will only piss her off.

After both leave the room, she hears Herm chuckling again. She sees him about to say something, but she grabs him by the neck and squeezes hard, chocking him a bit. She then leans forward, looking directly into his eye.

"Look you son of a bitch. I have had enough of you. I have questions and you better answer them. Because if you do not, you are going to be stuck in this little box at the mercy of those two people in there." She said with much fire in her tone. "And trust me, I have no idea what they will or can do to you. And that should scare you."

She then let's go of him and he begins coughing. She could not believe what she just did. A few years ago, she never would have done something like that. She feels like this is personal, unlike her brother who she always has known him to be a spoiled bastard, Herm she once considered a friend.

He was one of the first nobles to join. At first, she thought he joined for noble reasons. She later learned that he just joined to pick up other girls and to help boost his career, using her to get to her brother. During the final days before she forced him out, he attempted to assault Hamilton to get back to her. His logic is that she was not of a noble house but was bought by her father for her.

She can see he got the message, and he takes a deep breath.

"Look, Pina," Herm said. "I have not been in Sadera in over a month at this point. I have no idea what the Emperor is planning."

She crosses her arms, not believing him. When it comes to Zorzal inner circle, he has a big mouth. Herm knows something and as those agents said, he has his own secret.

"What happened in Philadelphia Herm? I always wondered how you and Calasta got away while other Generals didn't. I got to see the prisoner list and I found it strange all the generals seem to be dead. Expect for people loyal to you and my brother," She says.

There is this short silence before he speaks. "Unlike you, I did my duty. We crushed them at first and then were pushed back. The other Generals refused to see what was happening and put the invasion at risk."

She could not believe it. She can see that is a lie. The Empire sent some of their best and most noble generals top Earth. They would not escape without their troops or if they had no choice.

She thinks about Krysist and what happened to him. She knows that Herm was sent to take command. How he did it was killed Krysist and Muilk. He murdered both to gain power. She remembers how he threw his men to her and the Rangers when Beluutie switched sides.

Her eyes widen with a realization. "Colt of Italica would never have betrayed his people. You keep telling people he was a coward which forced you to flee the battle. Colt has always been an honorable and loyal man. He never would have been a coward. You killed him, didn't you?"

She sees in his eyes that her guess is true. Herm is a man who will murder for his own personal glory or survival. He has no honor.

"You question me?" Herm said. "Yes, I killed him. I have no regrets. He has always been a throne in the Empire side. He was always more like these people. Weak. Just like who you are now."

"You think I am weak? You think killing a nobleman who was loved by his people is weak?" She said, pissed at him.

"Yes," Herm states. "Look who you are becoming. While you were just some arrogant child back them, you didn't look down on your own kind. Now look at you. You keep pretending to be fighting for your country, but you fight against them in Elies. Side by side with the enemy. You have walked away from everything the Empire stands for. Since that day in Italica, you have been trying to side with them. The only reason this war is continuing is because of you."

"I was trying to protect the Empire from a failed war," She shoots back. "A peace treaty was the only chance the Empire had and Zorzal never would accept that."

"But he wasn't the one who botched it. It was you who failed to achieve your peace." Herm said with a grin. "You can stay what you want about your brother, but he didn't put the Empire into this position. You say you are fighting for the Empire but all you want is power. Zorzal was next in line, not you. They will not help you take the throne. No one will ever expect you as Empress."

"You have no idea what my motives are Herm," She responds. "I am fighting for my country. My brother is not fit to lead the Empire. You keep pushing for war against a more powerful enemy. The Empire will fall if…"

Herm spits at her. "Shut up. You can tell yourself that, but I can tell that you convinced yourself of that. You are afraid of them and that is why you surrendered so easily. You talk about how you are trying to save the Empire, but you fight against everything it stood for. We have stood for six hundred years. We are strong and the strong will rule. Otherwise, it is chaos. Idos is one our side and the other gods!"

"And those are the old ways," She responds as she wipes her face. "Those ways will not serve us anymore. What you call weakness, they call it their strength. They protect and love their people. Why can't we do the same?"

"Your father would be upset to hear that," Herm said. "Maybe it is a good thing that he never loved you. You were always a thorn and you knew that. Why else you called yourself the Rose Order. Do you think love will rule the Empire? That love will keep the peace? While you think you have grown, you are still a child, still seeking the protection of a stronger man."

She does not let that get to her. She finds it pathetic that all he ever has is say is something sexist. It is showing her that he does not have anything to say. Not too long ago she would flip out at him or anyone, feeling like she needed to protect her pride or something. But now she understands he is a spoiled child with surface attacks. Spending time around Major Sharpe, she has learned how to keep her cool and the true depths of one's character. That is because she had to work for it. His respect was not going to be given like so many in Sadera.

"You said Idos and the other gods. Idos means Taylin so what do you mean? What is my brother planning?" She asks. She can see his frustration this his cheap shot at her did not do anything. "After the defeat at Elies, even he knows the standard army won't be enough."

"As I said. I do not know. You might want to go to him and ask. He might forgive you if you ask for it." Herm said. "While you think you have the people on your side, it is only your Rose Knights that are here. The rest of Falmart do not want your new friends to take over this world."

"He ordered my death. You and Taylin were going to execute me if it wasn't for these people. I didn't betray you. You betrayed me." She said and thinks. "And you know what, all my brother cares about are that damn throne. You think of him as a friend and yet he sent you to Elies to lead a defeat. At least Krysist and Muilk would have fought to the end with honor. Why did you think Legrath defenders rebelled against you?"

"You know nothing," Herm said and looks down. "You are right. Your brother agreed with you. Your father did bring doom to the Empire. And we are correcting his mistake." He then looks up. "You think of me a coward and yet I went to Elies. I killed that bastard Krysist and his dog Frayen. I killed that traitor Muilk for siding with that exiled general. And I will be remembered as the man who saved the throne. Zorzal is the true heir to the throne. He and his coalition will overwhelm and crush these people and retake Alnus one day. We are the Empire, we can endure."

None of that made sense to her. Now that she thinks about it, he did not try to defend the fortress. It seemed to be a secondary priority while he focused on purging Krysist and his loyalists. All he seems to care about is that he killed Krysist and Muilk. Krysist she somewhat understands but Muilk made no sense. It seems he is afraid of something else.

"General Herm," She said. "What was your mission in Elies? Why did you kill the only leaders we had who was putting up an effective fight against the Other Worlders? If you are truly loyal to the Empire and wanted to win, it makes no sense what you did. And besides, it was guaranteed that Legrath was going to fall. Knowing you and my brother, you two would rather let him the blame for the defeat."

"As I said, you know nothing…" Herm said before she grabs him by the throat and punches him three times.

"You knew I was going to be there and tried to execute me! And you execute my countrymen for defending their homes!" She yells. "You know why I won't stand by my brother! You talk about being loyal and yet none of you know anything about loyalty! I worked hard to get to where I am at! To be respected! Neither of you has ever earned a single thing!"

She punches him again and then grabs his collar and pulls him close. "You will tell me your secret, or I will untie you and beat you down again where you belong."

He nods with fear, remembering their fight and how she beat him in a sword fight. "Ok… it doesn't matter anyway anymore."

She lets go and takes a step back. She sees Herm face bleeding as he breathes heavily. "My mission wasn't to stop the Other Worlders. It was to stop Krysist at all cost(5). He is a bastard who needed to be put down before he threatens the throne. He was a threat to the future of the Empire. Even that coward Diabo agreed."

That again made no sense to her.

"Emperor Molt was a traitor and we need changes to the Empire. Your brother will renew the Empire and fix his past sins. You are not one of us anymore. You can call yourself a patriot but that is a lie. I can see why you act the way you do. There is a virus in Molt bloodline, and both fo you were infected by it." Herm says as he rambles.

She is confused by what he means by both. He could not be referring Zorzal, maybe Diabo? But the context does not make sense. She grabs his collar again, annoyed by his rambling. "Stop and just tell me!"

Herm looks directly at her. "Krysist is Molts firstborn."

She lets go of him and takes a few steps back. She thought she heard him wrong, but her ears are telling her what she heard is true. "What?"

"Krysist is the bastard son of Molt. He is Zorzals and your older brother. The heir to the throne." Herm said. "Zorzal told me everything and Diabo didn't deny anything. Your father raped a woman during the wars against Famulis. Once he found out she bared his child he tried to kill him and failed."

She thinks about it and for some reason, her heart is telling her it is true. Her father always hated him, but she never fully understood why. She hated him just because she was told to, royal politics. If her brother plans to rule with an iron fist, then he would have to remove the only person who could challenge him. And he did.

She thinks about the only time she had an interaction with him. He trusted her to fulfill his final plan, to bring an end to the war and end the corruption within the Empire. She did not understand it then, but their conversation felt so natural. He told her of his story, fighting up the ranks as a gladiator and then being adopted by a family to serve in the Imperial Army. She knows that her father kept giving him a suicide mission and yet he kept surviving.

His rebellion six years ago makes sense now. That event never made sense to her; her father suddenly attacks him. From what Krysist told her, Molt made the first move. She just figured she was too young. But based on her conversation with Krysist, he did not seem like he knew Molt was his father.

She has had a rocky relationship with her father, he always looking past her. Because she never could take the throne as long as her brothers were alive, she had less value to Molt. But he never threatened her or put her in any danger.

Now that she thinks about it, she feels depressed for Krysist. His whole like was a joke. He never knew it, but his father was trying to get him killed just because his mother is a slave.

She looks up at Herm and all she can see what everything is wrong with the Empire. What her father and brother have built. They throw everything against her brother and he still was loyal to the country, to the soldiers and people of it. Just like Major Sharpe and his people.

"Herm," She said in a cold voice. "You think you won. That you accomplished your mission and removing my brother's proper place on the throne. You were right to fear him. He told me what his mission was. He was a man for the people, and I want to say thank you for making it clear to me. I am going to carry that torch for him. I will accept that so-called virus within our blood and replace all of you."

She then turns around and opens the door. She stops halfway and looks back at him. "One more thing." She thinks back on why she wanted to be by Sharpe's side. He is an example of a true man. Honorable, loyal, strong, and caring. It does not use people but helps and respect the people around them, regardless of class and title. Herm and her bother are none of those things.

"If you were half of the man you think you are, which is already little. But if you were, you never would have betrayed me. You still would be by my side right now, loyal. And when the Gate appeared and this war started, you would be right here by my side, being a great general of the Empire besides as my brother lackey. Something to think about because you are going to die here."

After saying that she closes the door and heads out of the building, having enough. Her two Knights rush up to her, hearing everything. She just ignores them until she walks outside.

Once outside, she falls to her knees and holds herself.

"Princess, are you ok?" Hamilton asks as she gets to her side, holding her.

She starts to cry as she thinks about her brother Krysist's fate. "Krysist was my brother and I let him die. I let him face the world alone and I could have done something. The only man in my family who ever gave me respect was someone I didn't even know. Damnit!"

***

--- Alnus Military Gym ---

December 21st, 2025

"nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen…" Sharpe says.

He sits up after doing ten sits ups. That is nothing for him, but he looks over to Selina as she did her first set. He smirks seeing her struggle with it, it is her first time. "Don't worry. It will take time for your body to get used to it."

"It felt wired," She says and then looks at him with a smile.

He reaches over and rubs her hair. Both are at the gym, Selina wanted to start training with him to get stronger. He understands why, after what happened. She feels insecure and wants to be able to defend herself. He doesn't disagree with that, that is why he gave her a pistol in the first place. Too bad that failed its first test.

But he sees this as quality time, something he has not had recently. It has been far harder than he figured being a soldier father, the double loyalties. "Alright, let us do some pull-ups."

"Ok dad," Selina says as she gets up.

He gets up, always shocked by her determination. After everything she has been through, she still has a smile and willing to keep pushing herself. He also still not used to her calling him dad. He assumed that have been a one-off, but she has kept doing it.

As they walk to the pull-up section, she looks up at him. "I thought you always worked out shirtless? I know you do at the apartment."

He looks down at her and sees her in her new gym outfits, black and red sports bra, and pink shorts. It was something she picked up on Earth with Sarah. He can see she is growing up not just with age but physically too. He is glad she wants to work out and learn self-defense, it should help her get more confident. And if some teenage boy tries to pull a fast one on her, he will feel better if she can protect herself. He seen too many monsters in his life, and he is not talking about goblins and trolls.

"It is an old habit, but this is public," He said.

"Is it because of those scares?" She asks.

He walks over to the pull-up stand. He knows that the Army teaches chin-ups, but he does not want to complicate things for her. "A little. It brings unwanted attention, and I am not allowed to talk about most of them. And besides, I need to give the other guys here a chance with the ladies.

She giggles hearing that. "How did you get all those? All from battle?"

He looks down at her. He then points to the big scare on his right shoulder. "I got shot here. That isn't fun." He then lifts his shirt and points to a few more. He explains where he got some of his other scares, avoid any classified details.

"Do you like being a soldier? Even though it is dangerous?" She asks.

"I love being a soldier. It was the only thing I saw myself doing with my life." He said, thinking about it. "But life does change and let me tell you something. There is always more to life."

"And that is?" She asks, confused.

He reaches out and pinches her nose. "You know, picking on people. Sweets. Sleeping. Love sleeping."

She laughs as she slaps his hand away. She then looks at him seriously. "But do you ever get scared? When I was a slave I was scared. And when I was about to be executed, I was scared. I want to be brave like you. I don't want to be weak dad."

He takes a deep breath, already knowing that was how she felt. He places his hand on her shoulder. "Selina, it is ok to be afraid. When you were taken, I was. When I fought Taylin I was scared."

"Really? You never look scared." She speaks.

"Being brave isn't about not being scared. Being brave means you are scared but you act anyway." He explains. "For example, I wasn't going to let my fear stop me from finding you. When I am on the frontlines, I don't let my fear control me. Being afraid does not mean you are weak. But you can't let it control you."

She looks down as she thinks. She then looks up at him. "Ok."

"Now watch me." He jumps up and grabs the pull. He begins lifting himself. "Watch how I do it. What this does is build up your upper body in a more even way. All your upper body muscles are in use."

"That… looks hard. How many can you do?" She asks, nervous at the sight.

He starts doing chin-ups. "The basic requirement for the Rangers is six but I can do ten myself. I used to be able to do more."

"Because you are getting old?" She says with a smirk.

"I only started getting when I ran into you," He shots back and then hopes down after doing ten chin-ups.

"Your mean," She says with a giggle and punches him in the arm.

"It is Wednesday. I can be mean on Wednesdays. Now your turn." He said with a smile. He pulls over this booth and helps lift her so she can do pull-ups. His goal today is to make her feel like she can do it over getting real results. Part of building yourself up is building your mind. If she believes she can do it, her body and actions will follow.

He watches as he helps her, counting for her. After doing five she calls it quits. "Good job, not bad for your first time."

He helps her down and hands her some water.

She takes and starts drinking. "You make it look so easy."

"A decade of practice kid," He said and sits down on the booth. "The key is to train your body on what to do. It will be hard at first, but it gets easier."

As he explains, he notices two soldiers walking up behind her. She turns around as they approach.

"I am sorry, no ladies allowed in this gym. But Selina can stay." The SAS soldier says with a laugh.

The man next to him looks polish starts to laugh. "Sorry, rules are rules Major."

Selina looks at them and then back to him. "Bye dad. Rules are rules."

He looks down at her. "You traitor." He then hears both laughing from that.

"Who are they?" She asks.

"Selina, the prick there is Captain Albert Nelson, head of the British Special Air Services detachment here. The short polish man there is Captain Karol Kowalski of GROM. Both Special Forces from their countries." He says. "Guys, this is my daughter Selina."

Albert looks down at her. "So, you have been the one who's been giving him trouble. Good. He is a boring person and needs some excitement in his life."

Selina looks up at Albert. "So, you're from that country my dad said he kicked your ass during the Revolution. And then he said he saved your people during both World Wars."

Hearing that he closes his eyes. Damn, she is a direct kid, and he loves it.

Both men start to laugh. "Your father said that? Well, he is telling you lies kid. We just had better things to do than rule over his people." Albert said in a sarcastic voice.

Selina smiles and looks up back at him. "Did you fight with them before?"

"Albert here, we both did a mission in South East Asia years back. We took out a pirate den who was attacking shipping lanes." He says.

"That was a long time now," Albert said. "I think I was still a lieutenant."

He smirks, thinking back on that mission. People think the Empire is a barbaric brutal place compared to the civilized nations of Earth. However, if you look at the right places, you can still find evil.

"The Polish man there, I never had a chance to serve with," He said and then shakes his head. "But I have heard of your reputation in Syria and Iraq. Nice job."

"It is an honor sir to finally meet you," Karol said as he shakes his hand. "Your reputation proceeds you."

"Yeah Major," Albert said. "What they did to you was bullshit."

He glares at Albert, clearly warning him to not bring up that topic. He sees that he noticed the warning and drops it.

"Yeah, well, we should get going. Sharpe, me, and the other SF officers host a poker game here and there. You're welcome to join." Albert asks.

He waves them off. "Thanks for the offer but I busy enough as is. And besides, I am not in that world anymore."

"Come on, that is bull," Karol said. "A card game wouldn't be a bother to anyone. You might not have the badge, but you still have the heart."

"Knock it off you two. Let me let spend some time with my daughter," He said, ordering them to leave.

Both laugh and start to head out. But Albert stops and points to Selina. "If he gives you trouble, ask him about that time he spent in jail in the Philippines." He winks at her and walks away.

She looks at him confused. "I heard this before. What happened?"

He places his hand on his forehead. All he remembers is waking up in the ceil and nearly breaking this man's arm for rubbing his beard. To this day he has no idea how he pissed off the police chief. His old Delta squad broke him out of it, and they all were acting strangely. Especially Jessy.

"Don't ask Selina. I honestly do not know. Damn Jessy, he told everyone it seems." He states.

Selina waves goodbye and look back at him. "Do you miss being one of them?"

He stops and looks at her. That is a hard question for him. A part of him misses his old team and the work they did. When they invaded this word and if he got the offer to rejoin Delta he would not hesitate. They are the best for a reason.

But now, he is proud of his Ranger team and all the work he has made with the people in Alnus. He enjoys his friendship with the girls and experiencing everything that this world has to offer. He has seen and done things here that he never would have seen while in Delta. They might have been deployed here but it would not be the same. He never would have such a close relationship with Rory, Lelei, and especially Selina.

"Honestly, no." He responds. "If I was still with them then I never would have met you, Rory or Lelei."

"Even Tuka?" She adds.

"Yes, even Tuka." He smiles. He thinks its best that she does not know what happen between him and Tuka. "Life can take you down interesting paths and sometimes something seems hard or bad might lead to something great." He finishes as he messes up her hair. "Alright, let's do some pushups."

"I tried but it is hard," She said as she gets on her knees.

"As I said, it takes time to train your body. Just do ten for now and we will bump that number up as you get stronger." He said as he gets down.

He then starts to do his set of pushups. He looks over and sees her struggling. "Keep your legs together and do this. Put your knees down and push up from there. That should help you for now."

He sees her correct herself and begins doing pushups. He smiles and starts doing his.

For the next hour, he teaches her many different workout routines. They end up in the weightlifting area as they finish up their day.

"After this, let us go to Apex and get something to eat. After a workout, you need to eat something heavy in protein. Otherwise, your body going to hate you tomorrow." He says.

"Eight…." She says as she lifts a weight. "I would like that. I am getting hungry anyway."

He nods. "By the way, you are starting school soon. Sarah got the permits to a building."

He sees her look away, not thrilled. "I know. You want me to go?"

"Of course," He responds. "You can't just build your body. Your mind is the most important tool you have."

"I know," She said and sets down her weight. "It is just I don't fit in."

He knows what she means. She has struggled to make friends here in Alnus. He wanted to help but the war has limited his chances to help her in this. Edrians seem to be considered strange and outcasts to people in this region thanks to centuries of Empire propaganda.

But he understands how she feels. He was not the popular kid in school, more of the outcast. He hated it at the time, but life can be strange. Most of those kids are on drugs or have a plain life. It made him stronger and have a far-reaching perspective on life.

But his parents did not get involved, preferring to be absent during that of his life, which was easier. They are not bad people, just absent. He had to figure it all out on his own and the Army had a massive help in getting past that. Even if the war is going on, he does not want to do that to her, be absent.

"I know it is hard to make friends here. I didn't have any close friends either." He said as he puts down his weight.

"But I am reading as you asked. I do not need to go to a place to do that. Noriko has been helping and…" Selina said before he stops her.

"Noriko has a baby. I am happy you two are close, but she cannot take care of you. You must learn to do this. Otherwise, the bullies win." He explains. "I am glad you are reading. You have gotten good. I cannot wait until you tell me your next story. But you need to go into a classroom and learn other things. Trust me."

She takes a deep breath, not liking the idea. But she looks up at him. "I do and I will give it a try."

He gets on his knee and holds up a figure. "Never say try. You either do or you do not. Understand?"

She nods her head. "I do sir."

He smiles, seeing that she understands his point. People who try never cross the finish line. He wants her to be a winner because she deserves it. "And besides, it will mean a lot to Sarah if you go. She cares about you."

"I know," She said. "She is very nice, but I like being around you more."

He could not help but smile. He lightly grabs her and hugs her. "Thanks, kiddo. Let us get something to eat."

Reference:

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Alnus Map: https://www.wattpad.com/846518959-gate-wotw-pictures-alnus-regional-map

Elies Map: https://www.wattpad.com/887963010-gate-wotw-pictures-the-greater-elies-regional-map

(1)Chapter 114

(2)Chapter 91

(3)Chapter 68

(4)Chapter 16

(5)Chapter 88