The Mearsmaine Chronicles 1 - The Return of the Queen

Chapter 18 - A (Un)Forgettable First Date

Elizabeth smiled in Nathaniel's direction, both of them evaluating the other to guess their next move. Nate furrowed his eyebrow, thinking that the girl was getting really good with a sword: the important thing was not to let her win, because if she did, it would be the end of his career. Lizz attacked the boy's neck, but he stopped her weapon with his and pushed her away.

'You'll have to do better than that.' He said, a sarcastic smirk on his face.

Elizabeth side looked him and, in a quick gesture of her sword, she went for his head. However, the next thing she noticed was her sword flying in the opposite direction and Nathaniel's long weapon was on her back, the cold steel touching her clothes. Nate had got really close to her and the only thing she could see now was his chest. 

'I told you you would have to do...' Nevertheless, the boy didn't get to finish his sentence, as he felt a cold blade touching the skin of his throat. The blond girl had pulled out the dagger she always kept hidden inside her boot in his moment of distraction and was now smirking at him, a look of victory mirroring her pretty blue eyes.

'You were saying...?' Lizz asked, one of her eyebrows raised in defiance.

Nathaniel grinned and got close to her, not minding the cool steel on his skin and not letting go of the sword that prevented the girl to step back. 'I'm pretty sure that's cheating, love.' 

Elizabeth shrugged. 'You should never trust a woman.' She teased, seeing him gaze her in pure amusement. 'Besides, I don't remember you setting any rules.' She added.

'Well, I just did.' Nate whispered in her ear and, taking advantage of her distraction, he turned her around, the dagger flying from her hand as her sword had already done. Nathaniel's own blade ended up on Elizabeth's throat, her body pressed against his and his mouth still whispering on her ear. 'And now you're dead.'

Lizz dry swallowed, trying to ignore Nate's heat on her back. 'You were dead before.' The blond girl muttered, trying to get loose from Nathaniel's tight grip, but he wouldn't let her go and, to speak the truth, she wasn't minding it that much.

'So, this is it?' Nate asked, seeming disappointed. 'I thought you had improved.'

Elizabeth's cheeks turned red from anger and she was about to throw the guy a sarcastic response when another better idea came to her mind. 'Well, Nate...' She started, getting her body closer to him, if only that was possible, turning her head a bit and resting it on his shoulder. 'I don't think I can beat you. You distract me too much.' 

Nathaniel's lips turned into a smirk and he was about to turn her around again when suddenly his ass fell on the ground. Lizz had moved her feet fast to make the boy lose his balance, he was so over the moon with her words that he completely fell for the trick: literally. In his way down, he had let go of his sword, which was now being held by Lizz and pointed to his throat.

'As I said, you should never trust a woman.' The Queen told him, her face lighten up with a bright and amused smile. 

The black haired boy got to his feet and took the sword from Elizabeth's hands, his face grumpy once again. 'That was low.' He told her as he walked past her quickly.

Lizz rolled her eyes and went after him. 'Come on, it was clever. Admit it.' 

'It was low.' Nathaniel repeated, leaving the training camp followed by the Queen.

'You're only saying that because you wished it to be true.' The girl teased, still chaising after her bad-mooded friend.

'And what would I wish to be true, exactly?' The boy yelled, not daring to look at her.