Forbidden Love

5

-Butch-

The ground hits me hard, knocking the air from my chest and causing my grip to loosen. The sword clatters down beside me, but before I have time to gather my breath and grab it, it is kicked up. It spins like a glowing death bringer above me before a small hand reaches out and snatches it out of the air. My breath mostly back, I sit up, only to be stopped by the feeling of cold metal under my chin. I pause, half sitting, and follow the sword up to see a person blocked by the shine of the sword. The person turns the sword ever so slightly and I see a pair of golden eyes watching me.

"I win," she declares proudly, waiting for me to agree. When I don't, she gives me a small prick that causes a tiny stream of red blood to glide down my neck.

"Yes, yes, you win," I agree quickly and, before she can decide wether or not to chop off my head, push the blade away. She moves with the flow of my hand before bringing it down, evidentially slicing my palm, and embedding it into the dirt between the fingers of my hand that is holding me up. I jerk away. "Dammit Britney!" I clutch my bleeding palm.

"Oh relax, you're already healing up," she murmurs, leaning against her sword and watching with a bemused expression as my skin pulls back together. I wipe the blood on the grass and examine my palm. Its back to normal, as if she never sliced it, with only a slight red mark to prove it ever occurred.

"You know it's treason to spill royal blood," I remind her, smirking up and squinting against the sun. Britney's pride over her win instantly falls from her face, and she takes on a more angry expression.

"You mean because it starts a war or because there is a man who can do you harm, so you must get rid of him," she replies spitefully, turning her head away from the sun. Color seems to light up her face as she speaks, like a painting coming to life.

"What are you talking about?" I ask curiously, a little taken by her outburst. She quickly checks herself and sighs, returning to an indifferent and overall uncaring feature that I'm most used to. A few strands of dark brown hair slip out from her bun, flying into her eyes. She brushes them away impatiently and extends a hand down to me, thinning her lips into a thin smile.

"Never mind, let's go get you cleaned up, yeah?" She asks, shaking her hand in my face. I glance up at her eyes one last time, looking for any of the anger she had displayed, but she was back to being the perfect spoiled little sister. I sigh, thinking it was just my imagination, and accept her hand. She pulls me to my feet and we walk back over the hills to the castle.

Unlike our trip over here where we bantered and played, Britney seemed to be a little more reserved. I strode at her side, glancing over occasionally when I felt her scrutiny on me. I'd find her staring at me, more like examining me, but she wasn't trying to hide it. After the fourth time of catching her doing this I stopped and sent her what I hoped was an amused smile. It was a little shaky though, at least from my point of view.

"Look, I know I'm hot, but you are my sister after all. Don't you think the staring is a little weird?" I ask and laugh. Britney's eyes seem to harden and glow as frustration and anger leak into her face.

"What're your plans for the kingdom? You know, after you figure out this whole problem with the True Kings?" She accuses, as if I was a child and she had caught me stealing a cookie out of the jar.

"My plans for the kingdom? Why should I think about that, isn't that Brick's duty?" I ask, rather surprised.

"Until Brick weds it's all of yours, and eventually you will have your own kingdom to look after," she states, glaring at me as if daring me to refute her. This is a little shocking, seeing Britney all angry and spiteful. I mean, I've seen her pissed before, but never like this. Like, she's looking for something in me and just can't seem to find it.