#kcd henry

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With the loud cheering from the soldiers and the laughter of the Devil's pack, no one paid much attention to where Henry trudges, heavy armoured clanking with each tired step. The siege is over, the Praguers left decimated in the castle's dirt, and their silver rightfully returned to the true king's party.

His whole body aches, from a month of starvation to the weight of a full body plate armor, to the hits and arrows hopelessly landing on him. His bust and face covered in blood, grime and sweat, it still doesn't stop him from shuffling closer to her.

The last day was the worst. The enemy had stepped ever so close, battering the wooden door with strong axes in the hopes of invading the inner castle, where they had waited, terrified, for their moment to fight back. Hunger was not just a pit in their stomachs, but a sentence. They had known it was coming. That they would die, either because their body was drained of any energy, or because each heavy strike of steel against the door was a step closer to death.

Katherine had been hiding with the others in the higher floors, waiting for whichever death would have come faster.

And they were liberated.

Henry hurriedly lets go of his sword, the steel landing loudly on a forgotten barrel, his plate gloves following with a softer clank. She is here. She is safe.

Katherine doesn't have the time to utter a word before he engulfs her in a hug, mindful of his armor, but desperate enough for her to feel his relief. And he senses hers too, the moment she lunges herself in his arms as well, face burying in his neck while her hands wrap themselves around his head.

He had hoped, the moment he climbed down the walls, he would see her again. There wasn't much of a choice, their situation dire and their stance weakened by the wait. Duty was calling his name once again, so he could sacrifice himself for the greater good of others. All depended on him to relay the message to Jobst, and Katherine above all.

He tightens his hold on her waist and back, a small laugh erupting from his throat.

"You're safe..." He mumbles, more to himself than her, but she grips at his head harder, her own laughter shaking her shoulders.

"And you're here."

Henry slowly pulls back, close enough to stay pressed against her but with a view of her face, usually serious or worried, now glowing with relief.

Her eyes shine, pearls of tears stubbornly refusing to fall just yet, and a look of pure joy pulling him back to her. Like a moth to a flame, he shifts closer, leaning his bloody forehead against hers. There's something dancing in his heart, where anger used to burn.

"I promised, didn't I?"

His voice is hoarse from the shouting, the running and the fighting also taking a toll on his throat. Katherine rolls her eyes, too tired to huff at his words.

Is it possible that, even after all of this siege, in the dust, blood and wreck of what used to be a beautiful monument of architecture surrounded by peaceful nature, he finds himself washed by her? Beauty isn't everything, although hers strikes him down like thunder on a tree. Her strength, throughout everything she's been through and survived, as much as her cunningness and sharp tongue, it's an ensemble of everything that makes her who she is. All of this she kept to her, and every breath she takes is a victory crowded by the heavens.

Before she can utter anything, Henry closes the distance between them, mouth finding hers on instinct, his beard tickling at her skin, the breath he had just managed to catch running short as she gives out a tiny moan of surprise. Katherine's fingers grow gentle on his head, sliding to his neck and front, holding onto his cuirass for a moment.

He doesn't dare to dive his tongue into her mouth, the relief he gets from seeing her again not drowning their surroundings enough, and while he keeps their mouths locked, he shuffles them to a darker corner, unwilling to share their reunion with the others. Katherine pulls away only to peck him repeatedly, as if she cannot believe he's back.

Their breaths run short, and they must push the other away before Henry leans his head back to hers, mouth open while his lips surely redden from the sudden and intense use.

"Couldn't wait until nightfall, could you..." She teases, amusement in her eyes, her mouth twisted in a smirk.

Henry puffs out a chuckle, rubbing their noses together before pushing away, at a safe and reasonable distance, although none of the warriors around them would care about it.