I had packed our now dried clothes and the things we used last night as I let Mathew sleep in. I had hunted a hare for breakfast. Mathew woke up to the smell of it mumbling a good morning.

"Eat up quickly, we need to make up for lost time," I said earning a frown from Mathew.

"Why must we hurry? Can't we take our time?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes having gone over this before. "I told you, the longer you are in the open, the more dangerous it is."

"Alright, alright," he put his hands up in surrender. He ate his portion of the hare before we got on our way.

We rode in silence the way I liked it. It gave me the chance to admire the beauty of nature and also kept my ears open to any approaching possible threats.

"Tell me something about yourself," Mathew's voice broke the silence after a long while.

I replied with a, "hmm?"

"Tell me something about you that no one else knows," he explained.

I have never been asked such a question. It was harder to answer than I would have imagined. "Umm... Oh I got one! I have a total of fourteen scars on my body."

Mathew eyes me up and down. "You do?"

I nodded. "Yes, they have collected over the years."

I knew men did not find scars attractive, neither did women, but my father always told me that a warrior should be proud of their scars. I have learned to be proud of mine.

"Did they hurt?" Mathew asked curiously.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Some really hurt, others were bearable."

"You only get more impressive don't you?" he said with a rich smile.

My cheeks blushed at the compliment. I shook my head trying to take the attention off of me and directed it at him. "What about you? Tell me something nobody else knows."

Mathew scratched his head. He looked like he was contemplating something. He finally spoke, "I am scared of getting married."

The good mood fell. I was not expecting that. I just always assumed he wanted to get married to Princess Alana, he bragged about it all the time.

"Why?" I whispered afraid of speaking. The look on Mathew's face was not the happiest of expressions. It was gloomy making my chest feel weird.

"I am marrying a stranger. I don't even remember how she looks like or if I have ever spoken to her. I don't know if I will even like her, or better yet love her. I am being forced to marry someone for the sake of my kingdom," He said in a quiet tone looking straight ahead of him. I could hear the emotions in his voice that he refused to show on his face. "Don't get me wrong, I will do anything for Faraine, I love my kingdom. But I am just scared about how my happiness will look like in the future."

"Coming from a soldier, I have to say that you are one of the bravest men I know," I said softly and honestly. Going in blind, dooming the rest of your future for the sake of everyone, not anyone is capable of doing that.

Mathew's head shot towards me with a wide grin on his face. "Thank you. That means a lot. I am just happy that I will have a friend with me the whole time."

"Friend?" I asked in shock. His cheeks blushed a deep crimson before he ran his hand through his soft hair.

"Yes? I was hoping we had become friends after we had forgiven each other. I don't seem to have any," he said looking embarrassed.

Mathew and no friends? I seriously doubted that.

"How do you have no friends?" I voiced my thoughts.

He shrugged. "Being the only heir to Fariane creates intimidation in some, envy in others and those who will fake everything to be on your side. Not you though, that's why I guess I always got more offended then I should have. You were the only person to make me feel like horse manure."

I threw my head back in laughter. "You did always get offended pretty easily."

Mathew frowned not enjoying this.

I pointed at his scrunched up face. "Like that! Point proven!"

He shook his head pretending to continue brooding but I could see the corners of his lips threatening to tug upwards.

"I would like to call you my friend. It is nice calling someone a friend who isn't part of my family," I admit. "Most girls don't really seem to like me and most men are sort of intimidated of me. But you, you purposely try to aggravate me."

This time, the prince was the one laughing. "I can't help it. It was my favourite pastime. Plus, you scrunch your nose when your angry in the cutest way ever and the way your face turns red is very entertaining. Oh especially when I flirted with Grace, that always got you going. Angering you always put me in a mood."

My hand shot up to my nose. I didn't scrunch up my nose... did I?

I pointed my finger accusingly at him. "I knew it! I knew you flirted with Grace on purpose! That is my baby sister you sicko!"

Mathew was laughing so hard that I couldn't help but join him. This boy was crazy.

We continued sharing things with each other that no one else knew. He told me what it was like being a prince that no one else saw. His feelings when he climbed the oak tree. His embarrassing first kiss story. I told him of the first time I had broken a bone. Or the time I had a little crush on one of the boys in the guard who I found out was very scared of me. I told him about my awkward relationship with my mother. He surprisingly gave me some encouraging words. We just let everything out.

"I have a confession to make," I said sneaking a look at him.

He had his eyebrow raised curiously. "Do tell."

"I promised your father I would teach you how to defend yourself and survive," I admit watching him connect the dots in his head.

His eyes widened when he came to realization. "You were actually training me? What... how did I not realize? I thought it was a challenge."

I didn't know whether to laugh at his pout or not. "I'm not all brawn. I am brains as well."

After a moment, Mathew mumbled under his breath, "I can take you."

I rolled my eyes. Not this again. The man ego just never leaves does it?

"You don't believe me," he said with an angry look. "Well I have a confession too. I have been practicing ever since..." He cleared his throat with a blush creeping up his neck. "Ever since that time on the field."

"The time I kicked your royal behind?" I reminded him, it was more like a threat.

His lips formed into a straight line, not amused by my choice of words. "Yes, that."

"And you think three days of training is enough for you to take down someone with years and years of experience?" I asked trying to show him the logic.

He pulled the reigns of his horse stopping it in it's place. I stopped my horse only a few feet in front of him turning it around to face him. "What are you doing? We need to keep going."

Mathew hopped off his horse and pulled up his sleeves revealing his nice looking forearms. I was a girl, I had the right to admire.

I rolled my eyes not having time for his foolishness. "Really? You want to duel it out now?"

I really did not have enough time for this.

Mathew nodded eagerly. Well I better get this over with. The faster this goes, the faster we can keep going.

I hoped down my horse with a sigh cracking my neck for emphasis. "Okay, bring it on you giant."

Mathew charged at me, but I jumped to the side avoiding his attack. The prince was tall with broad shoulders, his hit was sure to have a nasty impact.

"So this time you are actually trying," I probed him with a smug grin.

He only clenched his jaw. "I take great offense to that."

"Good. Now, try again," I instructed.

The prince put on his game face before charging again. I jumped to the side but managed to sneak in my elbow. I had my fists raised in front of me ready. As soon as Mathew turned around he put his fists up too.

"Come on, throw one," I instigated.

Mathew threw the obvious right hook, I ducked and punched his gut before standing up and getting a kick in on his side. He let out a painful grunt but kept his fists up. Good. He had gotten better. Maybe three days did help.

"Your moves are obvious. Surprise your opponent, they shouldn't know what hit them," I instructed earning a nod from the prince right before I hit him again.

"How do you move so fast?" he said through heavy breathes trying to punch me again and failing. I punched him again earning another groan.

"I am just that good," I replied with a smug grin.

I threw a punch and to my surprise Mathew caught it in his fist. His eyes widened as he stared at the fist he caught. I turned around with my back facing him bringing my elbow to his face and stopping only millimeters away. Damn that wedding of his. The prince used my hesitation as a window of opportunity to grab me with my back still turned and one of my arms in his grasp. He grabbed the other arm bringing them both in front of me. I tried prying them out but as suspected he was fairly strong.

"Thank you for not hitting my face," he said, his head nuzzled between my shoulder, his breath hitting my skin sending a shiver through me.

I lost my train of thoughts for a moment. I never got distracted when I fought. What was happened to me?

This time, I brought my elbow back hitting his abdomen. With a groan, his grip on me faltered enough for me to break free. Mathew was quick to react by grabbing me and throwing me over his shoulder.

"You know how many pressure points I can hurt you from this angle?" I asked, trying to get him to ease his grip so that I may escape but he had hands of steel.

"You can't bring me down Clary," he said and I could hear the smugness in his voice. Did he think he won?

"Did you know that the bigger they are the harder they fall?" I warned before I wrapped my legs around his torso, and hitting his back with my elbow allowing me to do a move that brought him crashing to the ground with me. Taking advantage of the situation, I climbed on top of his waist keeping him down as he groaned in pain.

"I win," I stated.

Mathew looked at me before a mischievous look twinkled in his eyes. He trailed his hands up my thighs. "You know... I can't stop thinking about those legs of yours. I guess it's all a matter of perspective, in this position you could say that I won. I am a leg man after all."

My jaw fell in shock as heat rose in my cheeks. "You did not just say that!"

His hands that were trailing up my thighs now landing on my hips. Before I could pry them off me, he had flipped us around so that he was on top knocking the air out of me. I winced at the impact of the ground only to open my eyes to a grinning Mathew. "I win."

"Okay fine, just get off me!" I said trying to push him off. His hands were still clamped around my hips.

Mathew jumped up doing what had to be the most awkward happy dance to have ever been created. I really wanted to laugh but the sore loser in me would not allow it.

He pointed his finger in my face. "You lost and I won!"

He continued doing that silly dance that a traitorous smile crept on my lips. "No one likes a brag."

He stopped dancing only to grab my hand and twirl me. I let out a small chuckle entertaining him.

"To be completely honest, I did use your lessons and instructions. The whole be unexpected and understand you opponent's body better than they do," he said wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

I hit his shoulder playfully. "You're crazy."

"Crazy? I thought I was a winner," He sung the last bit. I had never seen Mathew so happy. I guess I really had done a number on him.

"Let's go winner," I rolled my eyes. "You keep setting me behind on schedule."

"Oh don't be so fussy because I won," he continued to dance.

I let out an impatient sigh before marching over to him and grabbing him by the ear and dragging him to his horse.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" he complained all the way to the horse. Once I released him he rubbed his ear gently giving me a dark look.

I hopped on my horse giving him a side look. "Stop brooding champ, we are waisting day light."

With a swear under his breath, Mathew's small victory was cut short.

Loving the sulking expression on the prince's face, I couldn't help but add, "I won."

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