Sakura could not hide her amusement at the expression on Arthur's face. "Gee, princeling. You could look a bit more excited about this." she teased, her smile widening when she saw him roll his eyes.

The man eyed her warily. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Oh, come on, Arthur! When did I ever not know what I was doing?"

He snorted, crossing his arms across his chest. "Before or after we had to bring you back from the dead?"

She giggled, tilting her head to one side. "Don't be such a spoil sport, princeling."

"I'm sarcastic and complicated. It's one of my charms."

"I don't think you know what that words means. Or how to count."

"I hate you."

"Why? I'm lovely!" she replied cheerfully and got to her feet. "Catch!"

His hand instinctively shot out to grab the object, though he hadn't noticed her holding anything when he sat down with her half an hour ago. He looked at the thing in his grasp.

"A wooden sword?" He looked at her incredulously, noticing a matching object in her own hands. "Is this some kind of jest?"

The woman rolled her eyes. "Of course not, princeling. We can't jump straight to wielding Excalibur. First, you need to learn how to use a sword properly."

He looked at her as if she had suddenly grown a second head. "Learn how to use a sword properly? Are you blind, wench? I know how to use a damn sword."

She looked him up and down, contemplating. "Oh, you know how to use one, alright. That doesn't mean you're good at it." She smirked at him, knowing that she was most likely hitting a nerve. Arthur was arrogant and confident, but he was also proud. And if the way he was glaring holes into her was any indication, he didn't react well to people questioning his competence.

"Watch it, wench." he warned, narrowing his eyes at her. "You are one word away from starting a war."

"Hardly a war, princeling." she drawled, seemingly bored and unaffected by his increasing annoyance. "Why, I have fought in a couple of wars. You don't even count as a warm-up." Her smirk widened at the sight of the storm raging in his eyes.

Bingo…

Arthur lunged at her, furiously swinging the wooden sword. She side-stepped to get out of the way, then ducked to avoid a hit to the head. She heard his frustrated growl and had to hide her own grin.

Come on, princeling…Let it all out.

He kept swinging at her, aiming for different parts of her body, hoping to find a weak spot. And she had to admit that for a man with no shinobi training, Arthur was quick on his feet. Granted, he wouldn't have lasted half a minute against Sasuke or Kakashi-sensei, but she could see that the sword master that had instructed him had done a good job.

For a few minutes, she simply allowed him to try and hit her. She focused on avoiding his attacks, maintaining her defensive stance and not raising her own sword even once. She could see his frustration, and she understood his position all too well. She used to be like that too when she first began her training; expecting too much from a young girl that was not ready to perform at that level and then viciously punishing herself with harsh words behind closed doors.

She almost felt guilty for putting him through this. After all, how could any man or woman from this side of the world ever hope to stand against a trained shinobi?

He has to…He needs to let it all out. And when the tension is gone and he is too exhausted to carry the burdens of guilt and anger anymore, then he will start building again. And I'll be right there to help him.

His frustration was taking over, she could tell, and his moves were becoming increasingly sloppy, desperate. Had she been the enemy, it would have been too easy to slip her sword between his ribs and right through his lung.

He swung at her head again and tried to kick her legs from under her. She backflipped, landing expertly on her feet. His hits were powerful, she'd give him that, and his stamina was commendable, but he still had a long way to go before he'd be able to wield Excalibur. Even though she'd never touched the legendary blade, she could feel its power. It was pure magic.

I can't go easy on him. Vortigern will hit him with a lot more than just a wooden sword. He needs to be ready.

Reasoning that she'd tormented him enough for the day, she slid behind him as he tried to catch her in the ribs, and grabbed his arms in an iron hold, locking them behind his back. Within seconds, the wooden sword fell from his fingers, and she kicked his feet from under him, bringing him to his knees.

"Ready to yield, yet?" she whispered in his ear.

"Damn it, wench."

She released him and he stood, dusting himself. She observed his movements, noticing the tightness in his muscles and how he didn't allow his gaze to fall on her.

She rolled her eyes. Men and their egos…She flashed him a bright smile. "Alright, I think it went well."

"You think?" he snorted. "I didn't even manage to make you lift that damn wooden stick of yours."

"Don't feel bad about it, princeling. You couldn't even if you wanted to."

He crossed his arms across his chest. "And you dare call me arrogant."

"I prefer the term 'self-aware'. Has a much nicer ring to it, don't you think?"

The man scowled at her. "I think that I'm going to aggressively ignore you until you go away."

Sakura laughed and walked up to him. "Oh, come on, princeling." she said, pinching his cheek despite his efforts to pull away from her. "Live a little! I, for one, meant what I said. This did go well."

He looked at her doubtfully.

"Be honest, Arthur. You can't tell me you don't feel lighter."

That seemed to stop him in his tracks, and his face grew thoughtful. He kept his blue gaze on her, but behind those piercing eyes, she could tell that his mind was elsewhere.

"Is this what you were trying to do?" he said after a bit. "Get me to release pent up emotion?"

"Me thinks it worked." She flashed him a wide smile when she noticed the tension start to disappear from his face.

"You sneaky, deceptive wench."

Sakura laughed, not in the least affected by his words. She knew it was all in good humor. Granted, Arthur's ego was still bruised, but now that he saw things from her own perspective, she was sure that he'd get over it rather quickly.

Picking up the two wooden swords, she motioned to the forest path. "Our job here is done for today. Shall we?" Without waiting for his reply, she started walking towards the trees.

He quickly caught up and fell in step with her. "Was it really necessary to make defeating me look so bloody easy?"

"Necessary, no. Hilarious, yes."

Arthur glared at her. "Your mouth's too smart for your own good, lass."

"So I've been told." she shot back cheerfully, growing increasingly certain that riling Arthur up was going to be her new favorite pastime.

For a few minutes they walked in silence, the calmness of the forest interrupted only by the chirping of the birds and the sound of their steps. His arms brushed hers as they walked, and Sakura could feel the exhaustion rolling off Arthur in waves. Their little sparring match along with the physically and mentally draining events of the previous night had taken their toll him. She made a mental note to make him one of her energizing herbal brews when they got back to the caves.

"Say, princeling," she started, already half-smirking, "what does it feel like to lose to a woman?"

"Watch it, wench…" he warned, sending her a sidelong glare.

Ignoring his warning, she continued in a thoughtful tone, "I suspect it is as much of a blow as losing to a man is. Just a bit more shameful." She grinned up at him, noticing the muscle above his brow twitch.

"One of these days, wench. One of these days…"

Sakura just laughed.

XxxOxOxOxxX

Vortigern sipped his wine as he watched two soldiers drag the body of the Blackleg that had been unlucky enough to be tasked with bringing him ill tidings out of the throne room.

"Dispose of the body properly. I do not need rats and other vermin infesting my halls."

"Sire, I-"

"Silence." he ordered curtly. The fear that overtook the people in the room was palpable; it almost made him smile. "I just need a bit of silence."

For a moment, nothing could be heard in the room, as if Death itself had settled upon the walls of the Dark Tower. Even the wind seemed afraid of his wrath, for despite the open windows, the flames of the candles remained steady, unmoving.

He stood from his seat, and calmly walked over to the window, cup of wine still in hand. He took a sip as he gazed at the cliffside and the visible part of the gushing river below.

"Mercia, please approach."

The man hurried to his side, bowing deeply. "Sire."

"Do you see what I see, Mercia?"

"I see a Kingdom flourishing under your rule, Sire."

"Splendor. Can you see that too?"

"Yes, Sire, I-"

"No, you can't." Vortigern cut him sharply. "None of you can. How could you ever hope to see the beauty of my creation?"

Wisely, the other man bowed deeply. "We could never hope to perceive things the way you do, Sire, for we are not worthy."

Vortigern smiled sardonically. See brother? This is what fear does to those below us. It makes them bow low. "Do you believe in my cause, Mercia? Do you stand by my side, as a faithful subject?"

"To my dying breath, Sire."

Vortigern nodded, never taking his eyes away from the window. "Good, good. And will you follow my orders and carry out my will, without objection?"

"Your will is my command, Sire."

"Splendid. That's exactly what I wanted to hear." He took another sip, tasting the wine on his lips. "Now tell me, Mercia. Which was the last order I gave you?"

The man hesitated for merely a moment, but in the deathly silence of the room, it could have been an hour. "To bring you the heads of the heinous criminals that dared steal the Sword and disrupt your rule, Sire."

The loud clang of the wine cup echoed around them as Vortigern flung it violently across the room, creating a cacophony of metal against marble as it bounced off the wall and across the floor.

"They why are they not here?!" he roared, and the flames of the candles suddenly went out, making the vast hall appear even darker than before. "Why," Vortigern continued, "Why have they not been brought before me to be punished for their crimes against the Crown?"

"S-Sire! We hunted them down in the woods, but my men were unable to make an arrest. Only one of our soldiers returned, Sire. He reported seeing the likeness of Uther's son turn to dust before their very eyes and the Earth rise up to swallow them whole." Mercia stammered, trying hard to gather his wits, as Vortigern's suffocating darkness pressed down on him.

You worthless tool…

"Impossible! The Mage that accompanies them does not have that kind of power."

For just a moment, Mercia faltered, as if unwilling to continue. "It was not the Mage, Sire. Our soldier reported that it was all the other woman's doing."

Vortigern's eyes flashed, and the glass of the window in front of him cracked as his energy swirled around him like a bad omen. He shook his head. "The other woman…A foreigner strong enough to be a threat to me has now allied herself with my brother's accursed spawn. A Mage…I should have wiped out their kin a long time ago." he spat, the very mention of that abominable breed making him want to vomit.

Without tearing his gaze away from the cracked windows, he motioned to a maid standing in the far corner of the room to approach. She scampered to gather her skirts, and approached them with her tray in hand. As he picked a new cup of wine from the tray, Vortigern took a sick kind of pleasure in they way the maid's hands were trembling, making the cups jangle.

Let it be fear…

He took a sip, then turned his hard, frozen gaze to Mercia. "Find them and bring them to me. I want my nephew's and that woman's head on a spike before another moon's cycle."

Mercia straightened his back, trying in vain to appear unaffected by his foul mood. Worthless simpleton…

"I will lead the hunt and rain steel and fire upon them, Sire. I will have every man in the Realm looking for them. They won't escape us again."

"See that they don't, or I'll be swapping their heads for yours."

"Yes, Sire." Mercia bowed deeply, and hurried out of the throne room, leaving Vortigern standing alone.

He took another sip from the cup, swirling the liquid in his mouth, savoring its taste as it slid down his throat.

I do wonder, little mortal…Will you blood taste this sweet?

TBC

Hiya! Another day, another chapter!

I know, I know! Nothing too grand in this one and it is a bit shorter than others, but I do think these chapters are needed if we want to build a nice, well-rounded story!

I honestly enjoy writing ArthurXSakura scenes the most. Really, these two characters offer such wonderful opportunities for smart, cheeky dialogue!

Starting from the next chapter on, I will really start cranking up the romantic tension between our favorite couple so stay tuned!

I hope you enjoyed this!

Until next time,

Lots of love!