"Alexander Knavesmire. You know who he was, don't you, my Ella." Xander chuckled and held Ella's hand in a tight grip but yet it was gentle.

He looked to the unmoving form of Ella and sighed once again in utter disappointment.

"He was bandit. A good bandit who, along with his gang, used to loot only those wealthy people who gathered their wealth by collecting absurd tariffs and incredulous interest from poor people. Do you know how the bandit gangs function? These bandits were once oppressed and mistreated by those heartless cruel wealthy Lords and royals only to have their needs fulfilled. So those mistreated people started forming large groups as one family and started revolting against such Lords and those groups were headed by a chief." He said smiling to himself and suddenly his smile turned into a bitter one.

"In one such loot, Alexander's father was killed mysteriously in the woods when Alexander was not more than ten years old. He was stunned and very sad to hear from his chief, Radburn Bunce, that his father was killed by soldiers of the Lord they went to rob. Though Alexander was not very close to his father, his father was a great man with compassion and was always loyal to his mother. The news that her husband can never return to her broke Alexander's mother deeply."

He could still remember the day when Alexander's mother starved herself for more than a week in the hope that her husband will return and scold her for being stubborn and foolish.

"His younger brother was totally another matter. While Alexander was not much close to their father, his younger brother who was four years old then was very close to their father. He could not take the news of their father's death so Alex had to swallow the pain himself to support his mother and brother vowing to avenge his father's death one day." A small drop of tear escaped from Xander's eye and fell on Ella's cheek. He immediately wiped away the tear and closed his eyes, gathering some strength to continue further.

"Years passed by and Alexander turned thirty with beauty of an angel and wicked like a devil and why not, he was nothing less than a devil. He was above good six feet tall and was so muscular that his mother use to gush at him in front of mothers of other young men and young maidens." He laughed reminiscing the moments of Alexander's mother boasting about his sons and their charms.

"Ale, women, wealth – he had everything. He use to spend days in practicing fencing, fighting, strategizing the loots, and in the nights he use to spend with different women. Seduction was his forte and women from and around the locality weren't able to control themselves from falling for him. But his mother did not like the way was sleeping around with different women and has no thought of settling down for good. His mother use to bring in daughters of her acquaintances in hope that he might like one of them enough to marry but both of them didn't know that the woman who was made for Alex was the most precious with an untainted heart who could love him the way he was." Xander pressed a kiss on Ella's lips, rubbing her cheeks with his fingers in order to produce some heat to her cold skin.

"He was happy with how he was living and he was proud for what he was doing. He was proud that he was not a Lord not a wealthy merchant but a bandit that steal and provide the less fortunate people. He was living the happiest days of his life with his mother, brother and his village when the chief decided to put an end to the greed a Lord was conspiring. The chief called all the men, including Alexander who was the best among them to tell them about the plan." Xander didn't knew that it would be the day when Alexander would loose everything he ever had.

He can still remember the day as clear as day which taught Alexander the lesson of life, the lesson of death and the lesson of betrayal.

"The chief planned that they would rob Lord Knight of the Northern region who went over the limit by torturing his staff also accumulating wealth by pushing his people into downright poverty. He was one of the cruelest person people had ever seen. So soon enough, they planned to attack the Lord and loot him on the arriving no moon day. The preparations were in place and the men along with few women who were well accomplished in fighting tagged along to finish the job." Xander always wanted to tell this story to his Ella but never thought he would tell her in this state when he did not even know she was hearing him or not.

The coming part of the story was the part where he always wanted Ella to encourage him and pat him with her support, for the story will be taking a rocky fall as a great tragedy strikes.

"That night, the troop chose to divide into small groups and surrounds the Knights castle in the woods. It was late night and darkness was at its highest reach when the chief gave the groups the signal to move into the castle stealthily after they got the confirmation that the staff are in sleep completely. While few troops dispersed to get the treasure and living stock from the barn, the other troops went inside the castle to take care of jewels and money."

"It was informed that the Lord would not be staying in the castle as he was out of the town to take care of his personal affairs. It was almost invincible for Alexander and his troop to sneak in and collect the wealth. Alexander was known to be the best among all and he did not taste failure in any of his missions. So that night, the job was almost so easy that he felt something was off, that something was going wrong. His instincts were telling him to take each step cautiously and not to trust anything that he sees." Holding Ella's hand in a tight grip, Xander couldn't help but imagine how Ella would react if she heard the tale fully conscious.

Would she reprimand Alexander?

Would she sympathize him or would she show her confidence in her first husband whom she did not meet at all?

"The troop got out of the castle and escaped into the dark depths of jungle with the collected treasure. Alexander, who was feeling something amiss in the situation, stopped and looked around the woods with a suspicious look but continued to run further when his chief encouraged escaping fast. A while later, as usual Alexander and Chief were the one who tagged at the furthermost back of the troop while covering the evidences of the burgle." Xander's other hand folded itself into a tight fist and his eyes changed its color to bright red which talks of the danger and anger inside him.

"You know Ella, that the moment when Alexander made a biggest blunder of his life. The mistake that cost his life was turning back and running back when he heard his chief yelp in pain. It was the very moment that Alexander his fate to an end, when he ran back to help his chief only to be surrounded by the Lord and his men. But the biggest blunder was to trust the person whom he respected like a father because the reason Alexander was dead was because of the same person whom he respected but was betrayed but the very person." Xander gritted his teeth in absolute anger and hatred.

"Alexander was surprised when the chief who was crouching on the ground in pain suddenly stood up with a smirk like nothing happened and walked towards Alexander from back and stabbed him in his neck with a poisoned needle."

"That night, the last night of Alexander's life taught him a great lesson of betrayal and heart break."