Jaune's greaves were stained with mud as he tracked down his quarry. His quarry was foolhardy and leaden of foot, breaking every stick and branch whilst stomping through every puddle of mud. Most of his form was covered by a grey cloak, and what was not was covered in quickly drying mud. He continued on, eyes scanning the trees and the horizon, until he found his prey. There she stood, in her pale blue dress and heels that allowed her to stand above five feet in height, her royal majesty, heir apparent to the Atlasian Throne, Princesses Weiss Schnee. Or as he referred to her, her royal pain in the ass.

There she sat, stuck in mud up her her ankles, her pale blue dress ruined by the very same mud he found her in. Jaune sighed heavily and approached the rebellious Princesses.

"Are you quite done?"

The Princesses refused to meet his gaze, choosing to turn and pout instead. Normally Jaune would do not only his Knightly duties, but those of his as her legal Guardian as well and talk to her and persuade her to come back to the castle of her own free will. But seeing as had just made his trek through three miles of mud for the third time this month, Jaune wasn't feeling so patient. So instead of talking, Jaune scooped up the Princesses and carried her over his shoulder back to the castle.

"U-Unhand me this instant, you brute!"

"No."

"As your ward I demand you unhand me!"

"As your Guardian, I veto your demand."

"I'll make him pay for this!" Weiss thought angrily, before blushing. "After a change of undergarments!"

Jaune logged the Princesses back to the castle, not a very challenging task considering she weighted less that a sack of flour, much to his reluctant cargoes embarrassment. Eventually he made it back to Mantle, a respectably sized village outside of Atlas castle, by nightfall. He was intercepted by the Head of the towns guard, one Captain Winter Schnee former heir apparent.

Winter was dressed in the uniform of the guard, a pair of black reinforced trousers with a black padded jacket over which was a cuirass that covered her upper torso with full arm protection and a simple pair of greaves. Similarly to Jaune himself but instead of the white and gold of his armor hers was instead a plain metallic iron. But being the Captain meant that she wore a striking pure white cap.

Winter saw Weiss' form and sighed. "Giving you trouble again, is she?"

"Yes." Jaune replied in a monotone voice.

"Let me take her to the castle." Winter all but demanded. "Go get yourself a drink from the tavern."

"Ay ay, Captain."

Jaune transferred Weiss over to her sisters shoulder and walked off to the tavern for a well earned drink.

Once Jaune left Winter regarded her sister. "Sister. You can't keep doing this."

"I-I haven't the slightest idea of what you mean sister!" Replied a crimson faced Weiss.

Winter sighed and left Weiss' tongue lashing for when they were behind closed doors, only saying a few words til then.

"Honestly sister, just tell the man you're smitten with him." Winter sighed. "You will soon run out of dress' if you keep this up." She gained a cruel and teasing grin. "Though, that surely will get his attention."

Weiss' alabaster skin turned a bright and shiny scarlet at her sisters remark, thwarting any come back to die in her throat.

-{O}-

Jaune moseyed on over to the Blowhard Tavern, the lone tavern of Mantle. It was actually conceived and run by Jaune's mentor and his wife, Peter and Penelope Port. Though, it was now solely run by Penelope, after… after Peter… passed. Jaune forced down his feeling of grief and self-hatred and opened the well-worn and rustic door leading into the tavern.

The tavern was a simple longhouse in design, complete with a long roasting pit in the center, that was made from local stone and wood, sandstone and oak respectively, with multiple oak tables and benches lining the walls with an oak counter in the farthest side from the door where Penelope resided, behind which resided a set of staircases that lead into the cellar where the proprietors famous selection of local brews were stored. On either side of Penelope's counter were four doors, each one held a bed nearly the size of the room which travelers and such ilk could rent a portion and find rest for the night.

Jaune walked through the tavern and sat upon one of the stools in front of Penelope.

Penelope was a mature woman of modest height and voluptuous build with midnight black hair that was just starting to grey at her temples with king dark brown doe eyes. Her skin was the color of freshly fallen snow, a common trait shared amongst the denizens of the Atlasian Kingdom, that beautifully showed her rosy cheeks and cherry button nose. She wore a billowy white blouse with flared sleeves and a plunging neckline that also showed of her shoulders that was tucked tightly into an emerald green skirt that ended just below her knees that had a sinful slit running up the left side of her skirt, showing plenty of her thigh along with her white stocking and garter, with a pair of knee high brown leather boots, a necessity of the snowy climate they resided in. her ensemble was finished off by a stained white apron. Penelope looked up at Jaune and her eyes light up and her full lips widened into a gorgeous smile.

Penelope spoke with a noticeable but endearing Mantleson accent. "Jaune! I'd say it's good to see you, but you only ever come by now when the young Princess has run away."

"Yup." Jaune sighed, popping the P. "This is the third time this week, I've fought Gods only know how many monsters of varying strengths, but this Princess is by far the most challenging task I've ever been assigned."

"Oh, you poor dear!" Penelope cooed. "Let's get you some Jaeger Tea, Ja?"

"And one of your world famous Sauerbraten?"

Penelope smiled. "For you? Anything dear."

While Penelope wondered off towards the roasting spit, Jaune remembered the last time he had seen his mentor. It was on their last mission, when Jaune had gotten him…

Killed.

Jaune had been tasked with clearing out a crypt, a relatively easy task for any member of the Clergy, as the final step in his journey to the rank of Paladin. Naturally as his Mentor Peter had all but volunteered to be his observer, this was unusual as all the other Paladins practiced what was known as "compassionate distance" with their squires. The two set off the morning after and arrived at the afflicted crypt within a fortnight.

The final task a squire faces before becoming a Paladin is about one thing and one thing only. Control. That was why an undead infested crypt was chosen, as practically all undead were weak against the members of the clergy. There were twelve tasks, or tenets, in total to become a Paladin, all specifically designed for each individual squire. There were four tenets for each discipline utilized by the Order. Four for their martial prowess, four for their spell craft, and four for chivalry.

As expected the undead fell like blades of grass under a scythe. But, there was something they never could have predicted residing in that crypt. For in the last chamber, where instead of a letter of congratulations, there resided a…

Lich

And it was an Old Lich. Old and powerful enough to resist not only Jaunes potent magics, but the combined might of both of the present Paladins. They fought long and hard, until they retreated to the exit and ran back to the Order and warn them of the Lich. They ran as fast as they could back to the Order and warned them of the Lich. Once a plan was drafted to face the Lich, Jaune begged to be apart of the rescue team. After three days and nights of begging, Jaune's wish was granted. And so twelve Paladins departed the next day for the crypt and used a teleportation spell to arrive at the crypt almost instantaneous, as to not let the Lich gain any more power.

The second battle with the Lich was even harsher and longer than the first. Fire and lightning of both arcane and divine launched through the air, many corpses of both the Paladins number as well as the summons of the Lich littered the floor. Eventually, only Jaune and Peter remained of the Paladins number, and the Lich looked close to it's final death. Both men dressed in their gleaming armor of naked steel and covered maroon Tabard respectively stood steadfast against the undead horror. At the sound of a silent horn, both men charged the Lich.

The Lich gathered the last remains of its power into a final attack and launched it towards the two Paladins. Peter saw it coming a mile away, but the inexperienced Jaune did not. Peter knowing his charge would lose his life if he did not act. So he indeed act. Peter shoved Jaune forward into a roll and out of the attacks way, but was himself caught by the blast. He hadn't even had the time to so much as grunt in pain before he had been disintegrated.

Jaune stared in horror at the remains of his Mentor until a hideous cackling offended his ears. He turned to see the Lich hadn't perished in its attack, but had instead turned into a Demi-Lich. Jaune whipped away his tears or his slain master and steeled his nerves. Jaune stood and stalked towards the Demi-Lich, raising his sword for a vengeful strike. Jaune's strike rung true, and as his sword cleaved the floating skull in twain, a single echoing word of power ripped through the ghastly silence.

SMITE!

The Order had later found Jaune cradling the corpse of his former Mentor. He was later officially awarded the rank of Paladin.

Jaune was broken from his spell by Penelope setting down a wooded dish and tankard in front of him.

"Thank you, Penelope." Jaune all but whispered refusing to look her in the eye, only to be rewarded with a smack to his uncovered head. "Ow?! What was that for?"

"For blaming youngest for my Peters death." Penelope chastised before her tone turned soft and soothing. "He wouldn't want you to blame yourself, Jaune, and neither to I."

"I… I know, just… remembering, is all." Jaune replied before digging into his meal.

-{O}-

After an hour or so, Jaune made his way back to Castle Atlas. It was a simultaneously bland and overly posh thing. Stark whites contrasted against harsh blacks only to blend in the middle with the occasional bland grey. It was an overly tall thing with an over all Gothic aesthetic, looming pillars and all. It reminded Jaune of various story books with castles such as thees housing villainous Kings, Queen, and other story book staples. And the truth didn't fall very far from the tree either.

King Jacques, by marriage, was for all intense and purposes utterly hated by his subjects. Even though the Kingdom had become the richest and most developed under his care, it had lost much of it's culture and soul in the process. And having personally meet the aforementioned man, Jaune couldn't say he was a staunch supporter.

But Jaune rid himself of "King Jack-ass", as he was more commonly referred to in private, and made his way to his chambers. Naturally his chambers were only a few doors away from the young Princess', far enough away to give her privacy but close enough to protect her if need be. The room was more luxurious than need be, nor personally desired, with a large imported canopy bed with fine purple drapes and similarly lavish silk sheets, along with a smattering of also needlessly expensive and showy accoutrements, including a private bath with a diamond encrusted gold tub.

"Welcome back, Master!" Greeted a shy but energetic voice.

Ah yes, how could he forget the personal maid that was thrust upon him. In all fairness he couldn't rightly blame her, so he didn't.

"Hello, Velvet."

Velvet was a willowy Rabbit Faunas, commonly referred to as Beastmen or Demi-Humans by the more… "Human First" ilk, that wore a rather traditional maids dress consisting of a well-fitting high-necked black dress and starched white apron that only left her hands and head uncovered, with her hair done up and tucked under her white cap, with the exception of her bunny ears which stuck out for obvious reasons, and her brown fur covered rabbits feet that barely showed beneath her full-length skirt. Like the rest of the Atlasian Kingdom, Velvet had pale skin that complemented her brown hair and eyes.

"Would you like some help removing your armor, Master?"

"I… yes, that'd be lovely."

Velvet practically beamed as she helped Jaune doff his armor. In truth he didn't actually need the help, but he knew it made Velvet happy so he let her do so.

The first part of his armor to come off was his bright white monastic scapula, that bared his orders symbol as well as gold colored border. The next set of pieces was the armor covering his arms, consisting of Pauldrons, Rerebraces, Couters, Vambraces, and Gauntlets. After that was the armor covering his legs, consisting of Greaves, Poleyns, and Tassets. And finally Velvet removed the armor covering his chest, consisting of a Cuirass that only covered Jaune's upper torso along with a Gorget and Bevor. Jaune had already removed his helmet before entering his room.

The pieces of his white and golden trimmed armor were then placed upon a mannequin until he needed to don them once more, leaving Jaune in his black padded jacket and chausses. Before those too were removed and sent of for perfuming, as properly washing made them shrink, leaving Jaune in a pair of brown hose and a linen undershirt.

"Would you like me to prepare you a bath, Master?"

"Yes, it's… been a long day." Jaune sighed.

"I'll get to that right away, Master." Velvet smiled before turning shy. "W-Would you like m-me to w-wash your b-back?"

"No thank you, I'll be fine." Jaune replied, blatantly ignoring Velvet's disappointed whine.

Shortly after Jaune washed himself before laying in his atrociously lavish bed and praying that tomorrow would be peaceful. The Gods would not answer his prayers.