Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 120: Fury

The young servant returned a couple of minutes later with folded garments in his arms. He hastily bowed, then handed the garments to a very confused looking Camilla.

"Begging your pardon, Your Highnesses. I managed to find a shirt and trousers that might fit, but no boots I’m afraid. Even the youngest, smallest squires have far larger feet than the lady." The servant glanced down at Camilla’s dainty toes peeking out from the hem of her skirts.

"Very well, you may go." replied William. Turning to Camilla, he gestured briskly to the small storage shed. "Go on in there and get dressed for practice."

"Practice? What is this? What the hell are we doing?"

William bit back a smile at her less than poised language. "You looked ready to murder someone when we were in the king’s rooms. And since the object of your ire is in another kingdom, I’m afraid I’m your next best option. So fight with me instead."

"You want me to cut you down with a sword? Surely I’m not understanding you right now!"

"I’m fairly sure you won’t cut me down, my dear. I think I know a thing or two about defending myself in a sword fight." William drawled, looking a little petulant. He slid out of his outer tunic and started rolling up his shirt sleeves. "But you’ve got to get all that unladylike rage out, don’t you? You said so yourself - it isn’t healthy to bottle up your feelings. I’m offering you a solution to vent your anger that won’t get you executed."

"If I accidentally run you through, I’ll probably still be executed by your uncle." Camilla glowered.

William smiled, tempted to kiss the girl hard. "Let’s hope for both of our sakes then, that doesn’t happen." He spun her around by the shoulders and gave her a little push towards the shed. "Now, go."

A few minutes later, William realised he’d made an almighty mistake. Camilla stepped out in the training shirt and leather trousers she’d been given, her hair tied into a messy high ponytail and her feet bare. William almost dropped to his knees when he saw her, all thoughts of a righteous sparring session forgotten.

The slim trousers were a completely different thing on a woman’s body compared to a man’s, he noted. The leather clung to every single curve of her hips and long legs. The dark linen shirt was still too large for her, so she’d tied the bottom in a knot around her tiny waist, revealing a couple of inches of smooth midriff.

"Lord have mercy," he sighed to himself. He should probably just stab himself in the heart here and now to spare himself any more suffering.

"Yes, I know I look ridiculous!" Camilla snapped when she caught him staring. She stalked up to the rack of practice swords and started picking each one up to test its weight.

William kept his eyes firmly on her backside, completely forgetting what they were doing at the training grounds or even what his own name was.

After assessing a few different swords, Camilla decided which one she’d use and with a gesture, invited him to do the same.

William quickly chose one without thinking. He barely had time to turn around before he saw Camilla rushing at him.

For the better part of an hour, the two of them dueled. He was rather impressed with the stamina of such a slight, slim young woman as well as with her agility. As he swung, parried and defended, William found himself enjoying himself immensely. He did his best not to laugh out loud though, because he was fairly certain Camilla wouldn’t appreciate it.

Her lovely face was tense and her eyes narrowed with concentration and temper as she leapt at him again and again.

He was stronger, of course. But she was light and graceful and surprisingly quick. "How did you learn to fight like this?" he yelled above the deafening clash of steel against steel.

"Three older brothers." she replied between clenched teeth, as if her short reply should explain everything to him.

At one point, the two of them found themselves very close and face to face, locking both swords and eyes. Ducking under the blades, William quickly grabbed her around the waist before she lost her balance and pulled Camilla back against his chest, taking the opportunity to quickly kiss, then nip, her exposed neck. Her hot, flushed skin tasted heavenly.

He heard her give a little scream of outrage and he quickly released her, laughing. Spinning around to face him again, she launched another furious attack.

Eventually, all her energy was spent. Camilla dropped her sword and fell to the ground in exhaustion. She lay sprawled on her back on the dusty ground, oblivious to the clouds of dust she’d created by collapsing. She closed her eyes and slung one arm across her face to shield it from the sun as she panted for air.

Lowering his own sword as he caught his breath, William stood over her and asked, "Feeling any better? Or do you still want to stab anyone within striking distance?"

"As much as I’d like to, I don’t think I have the energy to even lift a sword now, much less use it against anyone." Camilla muttered, sounding drained.

"Very good," replied William. "Whenever you feel like lopping off someone’s head over the next few weeks, especially if it’s a crowned head, let me know and I can spar with you again." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Camilla smiled slightly, eyes still closed. "Thank you for bringing me here. At first I though your idea sounded completely mad but this has helped."

"Of course it has." William aimed a smile her way. "You think I’ve never had to learn to quell my rage before? How do you think I became so adept with the sword? One hell of a lot of practice."

"Your uncle has made you angry too?"

"Sometimes." William answered vaguely. If he was being brutally honest, he’d tell her that most of his frustrations from the past year stemmed from his stifled desire for a beautiful, untouchable brunette.

He looked at Camilla from head to toe as she lay in the dirt - all flushed cheeks and heaving chest, the patch of exposed skin above her waistband and her sweat drenched clothes clinging to every curve...oh goddamnit.

William swallowed hard and tried to calm himself down, because it was on the tip of his tongue to suggest another way that she could burn off all her furious energy.

Why had this seemed like a good idea, he asked himself? Sword fighting may have calmed her but it had now lit a fuse under his own desire. The more he looked at her, languid and limp, the higher the inferno flamed. Unable to resist, William dropped to one knee next to her. With his smallest finger, began to lightly trace the bare skin at her waist.

Camilla moved her arm slightly so she could look at him through one eye, suspicious. "What are you doing? Why are you looking at me that way when I’m a dreadful mess?"

"Mmmm."

"You realise we’re out in the open, don’t you?"

"Mmmm."

"William. Don’t even think about it and please get that look off your face before any of the servants see you." With effort, Camilla sat up and brushed back a loose strand of hair that was stuck to her cheek.

"Sometimes you are no fun at all, woman. Where’s your sense of adventure?"

"Adventure? You’re out of your mind!" she hissed, trying to keep a straight face. "If I went along with all of your whims, I swear I’d find myself locked in a convent five times over!"

Despite knowing full well she wasn’t going to lie with him at the training ground of all places, William grinned at her until she unwittingly started to both blush and laugh.

He finally stood up and pulled her to her feet. Briefly kissing her lips, he then gave her backside a firm slap and told her, "Go back to your rooms and get yourself cleaned up then. Go now before I change my mind and have my way with you here and now."

He was only half joking.

- - -

Camilla trudged back to her apartments barefoot and alone, ignoring the confused stares she received from courtiers and servants alike. She was so tired that her muscles ached and she knew she looked like a dusty, sweaty urchin.

She swept through the doors to her presence chamber and was greeted by the site of her ladies playing cards. All three of them turned to look at her, slack jawed.

"My lady," Meg gasped. "What in the world happened to you? Why are you dressed like-"

"There’s no need to say it, Meg." Camilla interjected, too late.

"- a grubby little page?" The words tumbled out of Meg’s mouth before she could stop herself.

Camilla rolled her eyes. With as much dignity as she could muster, she then turned to her aghast looking maids. "I’ll need my bath run now."