The forest fell silent, save for the heavy, ragged breathing of the Princess and the self-satisfied humming of the goblin-in-a-bathrobe.
Seraphina stumbled forward, her legs feeling like overcooked noodles. She finally managed to pry Kaizen off her back. It made a sickening, sticky shhh-luck sound as his sweat-drenched chest peeled away from her leather jacket.
She spun around, face beet red, ready to slap the grin right off his cratered face.
"You... you absolute..."
"Princess! Are you injured?!"
Arthur came crashing through the bushes, tripping over a dead goblin and nearly impaling himself on his own sword.
"I heard your breathing! It sounded... erratic! Strained! Like a woman in the throes of... of great pain!"
"Pain! Yes! Intense pain!" Seraphina latched onto the excuse, glaring daggers at Kaizen. "My... my back. It was heavy."
"Oh no!"
Arthur gasped, sheathing his sword, missing the scabbard twice before getting it in.
