Red, everything that surrounded him was red. Like the sea, the haematic liquid pooled through the vastness of the field. His lips quirked with satisfaction. Those gruesome remains of the corpses were a grisly scene for the others but not for him. It was such a pleasing view. Their bodies were crippled and thorn from limb to limb. Innards were splayed on the cold damp ground and some bodies were left only with the remnants of parts. The agonizing screams of the people he killed were still ringing in his ears. The way they desperately begged for him to spare their pathetic lives that was left purposely unheard. He continued to slaughter them, hearing the break every bones and maw that were mercilessly down by his own hands.

He was Alfred Jones. An infamous remorseless killer that was capable of taking the lives of every individual in just a flick of his fingers. He was a contemptible person that was feared by everyone. And like death itself, he was ruthless and cold-blooded.

At a young age, his innocence and purity were lost after he saw in front of his very own eyes the inhumane slaughter of his parents. He was left alone in the broad field of battle, losy and no one to be there by his side. After years of growing in the chaotic place of his country, he had grown accustomed with the atrocious way of living. He had killed, connived, and lied his way to gaining the things he wanted. Every single day was a fierce war for survival. It was either kill or be killed.

As he got older, his name was well-known around the expanse of the place. The mere mention of euonym would give shivers to the spine lf every person. He was the human form of fear and a semblance of demise, as what they say.

~~~~~~~

It was when he first saw her when she stepped out of the carriage. She has those peculiar heliotrope eyes that were captivating and enticing although they hardly showed any hint of emotion. Her skin was pale and her hair was in a different shade of blonde. She was like the daughter of winter, divinely beautiful and fair. The creamy white dress made of the finest fabric draped on her shoulders, leaving a trail of silk behind her back. From the looks and the atmosphere she has, it was no doubt she was one of those pampered aristocrats. Her eyes scanned around the place, her lips pursed into a frown obviously not amazed by the surroundings. And when her heliotrope eyes found his azure ones, a sudden spark abruptly emerged from his being. It was unfamiliar and strange yet it was also elysian. She looked at him for a moment before a man with long brunette hair called her and led her inside the beanery. The maiden was gone from his sight but he was still standing in the place, not budging until he realized he was staring for far too long.

~~~~~~~

Several months have passed and the season of winter finally came. Out of the frozen mist of the street, flakes of snow started appearing one by one, filling the sky above and the earth below. Warm bodies tangled to each other as passionate kisses were exchanged. Soft hush and whispers, gentle touches and delicate caresses. The red blemishes on her smooth skin were indications that she belonged to him and no one else. A high-pitched moan was received with avidity when his cold-chapped lips found her erogenous zone.Her back arched, giving more access to him. A puff of air came out of her lips as she released a breathy moan. "More." Her petite figure fitted perfectly in his arms as they moved in sync. The frame of the bed creaked while both aroused bodies were completely immersed in their libidinous activity. He worshipped her body with his insatiable and quenchless kisses filled with burning ardent desire. She cupped his cheeks on her delicate palms as she pulled him in a tender kiss that eventually escalated into a fierce one. Their sultry tongues were like blades of the finest rapier, battling for dominance in a ferocious yet lascivious war. "Natalia." Alfred howled her name as he increased his pace.

"Alfred." Her voice was melodious and alluring like a siren's song. He pounded on her being, pulling and pushing himself repeatedly inside of her in a tempo. She screamed, her red luscious lips agape with each euphoric wave.

For the last abhorrent years of living in this horried world, never once did he feel a halycon life. Since he was a young helpless boy, all he did was to survive for the day and think how to live by tomorrow.

Thousands of battle and torturous path were what he endured. Her brother's challenges were nothing compared to what he lived. He surpassed each of them and fought every blow, like the ruthless man he was with his rantipole strikes.

She was his dearest paramour. Within her arms did he feel for the first time the acceptance and love once he longed. "My Natalia." She was like a lodestone, who he was helplessly drawn upon.

With a final thrust, both beings wallow in the abyss of ecstatic pleasure. Finding her release, Natalia clenched the coverlet tightly on her hands as she cried a moan of ustalation.

This was it. Alfred closed his eyes and thrived himself in a blissful frisson. She was his happiness, the sole being who filled the lacuna in his cold beating heart. She was a faodail that he was fortuitous enough to get hold of.

Reluctant he was, he pulled himself out as her mellifluous voice quieted. He gathered her in his arms, murmuring dulcet words on her ear as he gingerly ran his fingers on her silky hair. Natalia yawned with exhaustion as she closed her eyes and nestled herself comfortably in his warm loving embrace.

With a tender chaste kiss on her forehead Alfred closed his eyes and let himself succumb into a slumber filled with the vivid memories he had with the woman he dearly loves.

~~~~~~~

He was a brute, a murderer even. There was no place for softness in his wretched of a heart. It was dark like his soul, filled only with the presence of sheer cruelty.

And yet even a murderous villain he was, he is a human nonetheless. Capable of having emotions as well as capable of loving. For all of his life, he went astray. Lost and alone in the path of darkness obscured by the lack of any source of light. And yet it all changed when she came. Natalia became his luminescence, the source of his light. She reached for his hand and stayed by his side. He was nefarious but she wasn't afraid. She remained and never saw him as a peril.

She loves him and he truly loves her.