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Jerome moved his long arm out, splashing Mara with water. They were in the lake, on the other side of the barrier, it was behind the palace and fairly private.

Mara opened her mouth to yell at him but he splashed her again. She laughed, and flicked the cold water back up at him. Jerome laughed at her poor attempt, before swimming over to her and lifting her high above the surface.

"Jerome!" she yelled

"Do you want me to put you down?"

"Jerome! Don't you da-" Jerome had dropped her and she fell with a splash into the deep blue water. She resurfaced, right into front of Jerome, who smiled sheepishly at her "You are such a child," she murmured, placing her hands on his neck, he smiled gently down at her, his own hands swimming through the water for her waist.

"Don't tell me you don't love it."

"Wish I could," she sighed, running the tips of her fingers through his hair. Jerome closed the small distance between them and captured her lips with his own. Mara kissed back, suddenly not caring that the water was cold. She hesitantly lifted her legs around his waist beneath the surface.

Jerome seemed momentarily surprised, before smiling against her and holding her up by the legs. They broke away panting, while Mara placed clumsy heart stopping kisses against Jerome's jaw, down to his throat.

"Mara," he breathed, tilting her chin up so he could kiss her again.

Line Break

"Wow Poppy, you look…wow," Mara managed, Poppy was wearing a shield across her stomach and long metallic looking trousers, she clenched a sword in her fist. Jerome was stood in his armour beside her, and Queen Jock beside him. "So, it's just the three of you, against, how many of them?"

"Mara, don't worry. Here they are now," Mrs Jock peered over her shoulder, and Mara turned to see about two hundred….eight year old children.

"They're….kids," Mara managed. Jerome, Poppy and Mrs Jock nodded. "You can't fight children! Are you crazy? Not with swords! They're children!"

"Relax Mara, it's not like they don't have swords," Poppy shrugged. Mara turned to Jerome, desperate

"Jerome, you can't possibly-"

"Mara, a war is a war, which I promised to fight in. It doesn't matter the opponent." His voice was slightly muffled through the glinting armour

"I don't think you should fight. Please, just make an appeasement of some sort…"

"Queen Jock does not settle." Mrs Jock said firmly "Now Mara, wait in the map room, see if you receive any information from the books that might be of use to us."

"They're children-"

"Go." Mrs Jock stated firmly

"I don't want this war."

"Well you're not fighting in it." She snapped. Jerome's head turned upwards, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't.

"Fine," Mara whispered, blinking away any tears "I'll wait in the map room, while you murder some children," and she turned away

"We're children too Mara, and they're a lot more vicious then us," Poppy called after her, but Mara kept walking.

Line Break

Mara paced in the map room, a book in hand. 200 against three out there. And if Jerome was hurt…she didn't think she'd be able to live with herself. She sighed, she should have done more to stop them.

"And what do we have here?" came a male voice, Mara spun around, surprised, she closed the book, holding it close to her chest as a sort of protection.

She saw a tall boy, with brown hair that fell into his eyes. He was dressed in a suit of armour similar to Jerome's. He placed his sword back into his sheath. "A foreign beauty, perhaps?" he asked, stepping closer. Mara stayed frozen unsure

"Who are you?"

"My apologies, I'm Harry," he stuck out his hand as if she'd take it. When she didn't, he dropped it awkwardly to his side

"What are you doing in here?"

"Attacking, you should know better, we should be better trained that this,"

"I'm not on your side." Mara stomped her foot. He seemed surprised

"But you're so…smart."

"So?"

"Well, all smart people are on our side. How much did they pay you?"

"They didn't pay me!"

"But we're the good guys," he gave her a small smile as Mara glared at him

"We're the good guys,"

"They've been lying to you,"

"Listen Harry, what are you doing in here?" he looked her up and down for moment, eye brow arched

"You really aren't on our side," Mara said nothing, watching him. "Well in that case," he lunged towards her, sword out aimed at her heart.

Mara ducked backwards, dropping the book. She ran for the door, but he somersaulted in the air and landed before her, she ran to the corner, trying to work up the courage to scream, Harry's sword swiped her collar bone

"Mara! We did it! We defeated the-" Jerome's voice was cut off when he saw Harry, saw the blood bleeding through Mara's shirt.

The last thing she remembered was him running towards them and blacked out.

Line Break

Mara took a deep breath, and blinked a couple of times, adjusting to the light. It was then that everything came rushing back to her. She saw Jerome sitting beside her on the bed, looking down at her

"You're awake." He stated softly.

"Mmmhmm,"

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm not sure,"

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, chocking on unshushed tears "This was all my fault,"

"What was?" Mara asked, genuinely confused

"Don't Mara, okay!" Jerome stood now, walking away from the bed. Mara was able to follow his movements as she was in a sitting position, pillows fluffed up behind her.

"What?"

Jerome fumed for a moment, before walking over to the desk and picking up a small mirror, he walked back over to Mara and held it in front of her neck, Mara peered into the mirror and gasped.

"How did…?" she tentively ran her hand towards her neck, and could feel the scars, it was ugly and red.

"Harry swiped you. I'm so sorry," he sat back beside her, running a hand through his already scruffy hair.

"Does your dad know?"

"No, we got you up here, you'll have wear a scarf until it clears up. Mrs Jock has some cream, it should speed things up."

"That's good," Mara summed up.

"Mara," Jerome seemed really upset "It's all my fault! You didn't want us to fight! But I did anyway! I didn't stand up for you, you got hurt!"

"I'm not hurt!" Mara tried to sit up to prove her point, but a throbbing pain shot through her and she let out a shuddering squeal, moving back. Jerome leapt up, guilt evident on his face, he ran over to the chest of drawers in his room and pulled out a small vial, he ran back to Mara, muttering how terrible he was under his breath.

"See? You are hurt,"

Mara said nothing, unsure what she should say.

"Can I put some on your neck?"

"Sure,"

He dapped some onto his finger, and so very gently, placed some along her neck. It was so gentle, like was handling a fragile doll, made of glass. His finger tips felt like soft whispers of air.

"I'm so sorry," he chocked, adding more cream. Mara sat on his bed, eyes down "I should have listened to you. You're always right."

"I'm not," she tried to shake her head, only to realise that hurt too. She tried not to wince, afraid to make him feel worse.

"You're so perfect," his swallowed, taking a deep breath, eyes glistening with tears an intense gaze behind them "I don't deserve you,"

"Jerome," she spoke honestly "We're good together, I'm not perfect, far from it actually,"

"You admitting you're not perfect just proves how perfect you are," he shook his head.

"Jerome please, you're scaring me a bit. What are you saying?" she reached up to brush some hair out of her face, but Jerome beat her too it, tucking the black lock tenderly behind her ear.

"Maybe I'm saying…I'm just dragging you down, you could do better Mara. I've given you nothing, maybe it would be best if…we broke up," he sounded as if he wanted to do the opposite of what he was saying, but he said it anyway, for Mara.

"Maybe?" Mara chocked out "I thought that- I thought that you-" she started to hyperventilate. Pressure pushing down on her, stress coming together, she started breath harder, convulsing.

"Mara," Jerome warned, holding her shoulders down while she began to thrash, panting as though she was being attacked

"I thought you loved me!" she screamed, tears rolling down her cheek. Jerome placed a hand over her mouth

"Shhhh," he whispered to her, looking her right in the hazel brown eyes. "Calm down Mara," Mara didn't listen to him, shuddering, pain in her neck increasing, the fact that Jerome was dumping her. Jerome, the person she thought was always the one- "I do love you!" she calmed slightly, and Jerome looked down at her worry clear on his face "Shhhh, it's okay, I'm sorry. So sorry," he wrapped his arms around her small body, letting her calm down into his shoulder, he held her tightly "So so sorry," he whispered quietly.

Mara leaned back after a while, a shy smile on her face "Sorry," she breathed "Freaked out a little,"

"You've been through a lot." He sympathised "Although it is nice to know how much you like me,"

"You know how much I like you,"

He smiled at her "I'm sorry, Mara,"

"Don't be," she smiled back

Please Review, I notice they've been slowing…is it me? I bet it's me…hope you enjoyed this chap!

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