BLOODLINES | THE SPANISH PRINCESS

6

"You're trying to distract me and it won't work," Marie scolded him as Harry tapped out. She smiled playfully, slowly stepping back as lightly pressed the tip of her sword against his chest.

She smirked mischievously, the tip of her sword scraping against the ground as she slowly walked toward the door.

Harry frowned, turning his head as he watched her walk away. "What, have you already had enough, sweet Marie?" he asked her tauntingly, slowly beginning to follow after her.

Harry rushed forward, on the verge of swinging when her back was turned.

Marie whipped herself around and lifted her sword, her blade becoming deadlocked with Harry's.

The duo was so preoccupied with sparring each other they hadn't even noticed Oviedo and Lena, Catherine's lady, were seeing what they were doing.

Harry yelled out as he used all the strength he had to force her sword to point toward the ground alongside his.

"You fight almost like a real soldier," Marie taunted him, a smile playing at her lips.

"I am every inch the soldier," Harry whispered to Marie as he stared deeply into her blue eyes.

"Hmm. Is that so?" Marie paused, slowly beginning to lean forward as she stared down at his lips, "Are you a real man, though, huh?"

"I am," Harry replied confidently, "I could show you, if you wish."

"Do it, then," Marie challenged him, only to have her smile fade when she looked down to see the blade she formerly had deadlocked down to the ground, Harry's blade, was slowly creeping up her leg.

While she was distracted, Harry grabbed her by the wrist and pulled Marie toward him. Marie grunted as her back collided with Harry's chest. Harry placed his left arm over Marie's front, right over her chest to hold her against him while he used his other hand to hold his blade to her neck. "I am every inch the commander, too, if you'd like to know," He informed her as Marie smiled while looking down at the sword and how he purposely placed his arm over her chest just to have an excuse to touch her breasts, "I have my own ideas about military forces. I'm going to have a foundry that makes impenetrable armor."

"As great as that sounds, Harry, it's impossible," Marie spoke up as she struggled to get out of his tight grip, "All armor has weeks spots."

Marie lifted his sword and while still pressed to his chest, she lightly hit him on the ass with her sword. "Here..." She trailed off, smiling as she grabbed his hand and spun herself out of his hold, "Here," She pointed to his armpit before pointing to the bottom of his chin.

She pressed her finger there and smiled. For once, she didn't think about Nora and the stories she told about how bad the Tudors were. Not even how Arthur, Nora's eldest son, had been stabbed in the same place that Marie was pointing at by Harry's own father.

All she could think about was Harry and how much she liked him. Not about what she had been planning to do to get vengeance since she was nine-years-old.

Harry's lips parted as he grabbed a fist full of Marie's skirt and yanked her closer to him, their lips just mere centimeters from touching.

"I want to kiss you," Harry insisted, sounding almost desperate to release the tension he felt as though had been building up for years, "Let me kiss you."

"Don't ask," Marie argued sternly and Henry sighed in defeat, thinking she was refusing him, "Just do it."

Harry's lips curled upwards as he lifted his hand. He lightly grabbed the side of her neck, pulling her face closer to his as he went to finally kiss her. Years had passed. Years they had displayed their affections toward each other, yet years had passed and they still hadn't kissed.