She's the Prince

Chapter 10

Caught Between Two Worlds

Captain Callan was known for his unmatched combat skills, a fierce warrior who had earned the respect of every soldier in the kingdom. But today, his opponent was no ordinary prince. Prince Ares—or rather, Aria in a prince's body—stood across from him, wearing a calm, confident smirk that masked the whirlwind of thoughts running through her mind.

Alright, Aria. You've won judo tournaments before. Another fight—no problem, you're in a man's body. Just don't get distracted by how weird this feels, she reminded herself, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet.

Callan grinned, twirling his sword lazily. "Ready for a little workout, Your Highness? Don't worry, I'll go easy on you... maybe."

Ares rolled his eyes. "I think you should be worried about yourself, Captain."

Callan's brow arched, amused. "Oh? Well, I do like surprises." He lunged forward, his sword slashing through the air with practiced precision.

Ares sidestepped quickly, moving with a grace that made Callan blink in surprise. Instead of drawing a sword, Ares dropped into a low stance, arms poised for defense. His movement was fluid and precise—a stark contrast to the typical swordplay Callan was used to seeing from the royal family.

"That's new!" Callan laughed, raising his sword. "Now this is going to be fun."

Ares didn't respond, eyes sharp as Callan lunged again, his sword aimed at Ares's chest. But Ares was faster, spinning out of the way and landing a quick, sharp kick to Callan's side. The captain stumbled, more from shock than the force of the hit.

"Hey, careful with the kicks, Your Highness. You might make me fall for you," Callan teased, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Literally."

Ares couldn't tell if the heat in his cheeks was from being teased or suddenly realizing how close they were. "Don't flatter yourself, Captain. Focus on not losing."

Callan grinned wider. "As you wish, Your Highness." He moved quicker now, his sword slicing toward Ares's legs, but Ares easily jumped over the hit, spinning mid-air to deliver a clean kick to Callan's shoulder.

"Impressive," Callan grunted, staggering back. "But I'm not done yet."

With a swift move, Callan feinted to the left, causing Ares to shift his weight. In a flash, Callan tackled him, pinning Ares to the ground. He straddled the prince, holding Ares's hands beside his head. The smug grin on his face told Ares everything—he thought he'd won.

Ares glared up at him, chest heaving as she tried not to think about how awkwardly close they were. Great, now I'm stuck underneath this guy, and everyone's staring.

"Oh, look at that," Callan smirked, his voice dripping with mock sweetness. "It seems I've got you right where I want you."

Ares squirmed, trying to break free, but Callan held firm. A nearby group of soldiers had stopped in their tracks, wide-eyed at the scene before them. A prince pinned beneath their captain? This wasn't something they saw every day.

"Careful, Captain," Ares muttered, narrowing his eyes. "You're in for a surprise."

Before Callan could respond, Ares hooked his leg around Callan's waist and flipped him over in one fluid motion. Suddenly, Callan was lying on his back with his sword slashed off. Ares sprang up, throwing a few rapid punches that forced Callan to scramble for defense.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy, Your Highness!" Callan laughed, rolling out of the way as Ares aimed a swift kick at his side.

"Still having fun?" Ares asked, a grin tugging at his lips as he delivered a roundhouse kick that narrowly missed Callan's head.