Author Note
I just watched Divergent so if this chapter seems familiar MIND YOUR BUSINESS.

Anna

"ANNA!" Catherine frowns, calling from the sliver of space in the kitchen. I look at her and nodded before staring back at Henry.

"I must go. Duty calls" I smile, looking timidly in Henry's eyes. He grabbed my jaw, forcing me to face his piercing blue orbs.

"What do you think about him"

"Who" I was a lousy liar and he knew it.

"My brother who so graciously charmed you"

"He didn't charm me Henry" I laughed, trying my hardest to resist his gaze. Thayne was a handsome specimen but I barely knew him. How could he charm me when I barely knew him.

"He didn't?" Henry asked, more skeptical of my answer.

"Of course not. He is not you, therefore, I do not care for him"

"Is that so?"

I nodded rather unconvincingly.

"Hmm... last time someone lifted a finger to your cheek you begged me to kill them. Yet Thayne grabbed your whole jaw and you said nothing?"

"He is your brother....I knew your dynamics are different" I lied, pulling away from him and twiddling my thumbs.

"If you tell me to kill him, I will"

"Will you?" I snapped, snapping my head around to face him.

"Have I not proven to you in the past?"

"Funny...I asked for you to kill Lady Seymour....yet she still lives" I murmured, loud enough for him to hear. He stormed over, invading my space.

"Things like that take time"

"I am sure it does it my king" I fumed, storming over to leave. He grabbed the nape of my neck, forcing my whole body around so that I could face him. "Do you doubt me, Anna?" he says beneath an icy whisper. I only shook my head no, carefully examining his eyes.

"Anna, Catherine needs you" Thomas pops his head out now. It must have been urgent.

"I have to go" I mumbled, turning away from him. He still refused to let me go, pushing his lips against mine and kissing me fondly. We smacked with a fervent intensity before finally breaking away.

"When will I see you?" he asks, impatient to feel me beneath him. I was still irked at his slow progression to kill Lady Seymour.

"I don't know...I am busy tonight..." I lied, trying to avoid his presence. I don't know why his excuse of killing Lady Seymour irked my soul, but the more I thought of it, the more it annoyed me. Henry could command for a soldier to drop dead at the command of his voice and he would do it.

"Fine" he huffed, letting me go and storming out the room. I knew he was mad at me but I didn't care....he shouldn't have asked me for what I wished for if he wasn't willing to fulfill it.

Thayne

I threw my knives against a partition in a busy hallway as a few of my friends and dignitaries laughed and smiled. Philip watches me at a distance, still resentful about his freshly severed arm. Any man should have felt pity for him but even the poorest man in the kingdom knew better than to touch what belonged to the king.

"Come on Philip. It's no fun without you"

"I have one hand thanks to your brother" he sneers, throwing a dart in the air before catching it again.

"But you still have the other." I chided, throwing another knife to the wall. "Bullseyes" I whispered pridefully. I was the best knife thrower in the kingdom. The best in the family. Better than the others. Even better than Henry. I was better than him in everything.

Education

Smartness

Skill.

He only appeared to better than me because he was king. He had yes-men hyping even his mundanest activities.

"I suppose you have met the king's new whore" Philip chimes, standing from his corner where he wallowed.

"No, I don't think I have?" I lied.

"I mean..you are throwing those knives in a rage." He smirked suspiciously as another one splints through the wood. Philip finishes chuckling before pushing an arm to my shoulder. "The king told her you can't have her, I suppose?"

"Something like that" I muttered thinking of her striking features. I smiled, still savoring in her scent; it was addictive.  I knew Henry would never let me get away with holding her as I did in the dining room. My punishment would soon come.

But Anna.

She was the woman who made me humble. Whose eyes lit up my very essence. When I stared into her eyes, I was alive. Awake.

I was finally breathing.

It was strange? She was the spitting image of Anne but different in every way. Her eyes were more brown and curved into an almond shape while her skin was richer in hue. My romps with Anne Boleyn were one-sided on my part, but with Anna, there was a spark. An innocent yet daring girl was tucked beneath her candor? She possessed a defiance that was as charming as the sea.

"That whore has Henry wrapped around his finger" one dignitary kidded, making the other men laugh.

"Henry will get rid of her soon" Another chimed.

"Henry is like an innocent babe sucking on his mother's breast. He will tire" Philip boldly proclaimed. The men roared even louder. I couldn't help but snicker at their truth. Henry was a bonafide playboy; everyone in the kingdom knew it and after 3 wives, it was more apparent than ever.

"You still throw as bad as you aim!" Henry's voice boomed behind me. The men's laughter was now as placid as Henry's expression. There was no mistaking that Henry had overheard the conversation. I forced a smile before refocusing on the target, throwing the blade to the wall.

"I should kill you for touching her you know" Henry bends to take a knife from the floor.

"So why don't you?" I challenged, impatient with his empty threat. He was quiet, throwing his knife to the wall.

"Do it now?" I pushed the knife into his hand, waiting for his strike. He looked into my eyes before nodding and throwing it to the wall.

"Maybe another day brother." A few servants pass by in haste. They were quick to avoid the blunt ends of our throws.

Henry took a few more knives and joined in. It would now be a competition. It was always a competition between us. If I threw one, he would throw four. It always had to be a battle with him.

My heart races as I see Anna walking with two servants. She was smiling and whispering in calmness.  I throw another knife to the wall and it falls to the ground, sliding against the marble right near her feet. I was purposeful in my quest.

Anna and her friends walk just beyond the path, staring onward as to not meet our gaze. We were royals and they knew better not to interact.

"You" Henry piped. He was one step ahead of me, knowing already what I was trying to do. "Pick up these knives"

The boy who stood tallest amongst them looked down. It was the smallest woman who looked a little bit older than the bunch that stepped toward the knives. Henry and a few others were still throwing the knives.

Anna

Catherine steps towards the flying darts but I pull her back, looking at Henry. Was he crazy?

"I said get them." He repeats, impatient at her defiance. I break from the troop and step toward him. It was a death match looking at the flying blades.

"We will die your majesty," I spoke. Henry smirked, rage flowing into his eyes.

"Will you?" He shrugged his shoulders.

"Yes, your majesty..." I say unmistakably.

Henry

Thayne stood between us and held me back. "Are you are scared of dying Anna?" Thayne mocked her.

"No... I am not" She returns his skepticism.

"I think you can trust your fellow royals? I mean, you do trust us running the kingdom." Thayne smiles a little wider, but his eyes stay cruel.

"Maybe it is you I don't trust?" She smiles, enticement lacing her eyes. They meet each other's gaze, conversing in sport.

I for one was impatient with their unrestricted flirting and was enthusiastic to shatter their bond before it flourished.

"Anna. You retrieve the knife." I ordered, stepping to throw another knife to the wall.

"No," she says plainly.

"No?" I repeated after her. Anna didn't usually object to anything but I knew she had reached the limits of her compliance. "Why not?"

Thayne's eyes fix on her face. Her defiance was turning him on. "Are you afraid?" He chimed curiously.

"Of getting stabbed by an airborne knife?" says Anna. "No?"Her sarcasm was dauntless. Honesty was her mistake. Not her refusal, which I might have accepted. After the men taunting my leniency towards her, I had to correct her and help her understand her place.

She was not fearful of a lot, nor was she fearful of me.

That would change soon.

"Everyone stop!" I shout. The knives stop, and so does all conversation. I hold my small dagger tightly, tossing it lazily in the air.

"Clear out. All of you." I drop the dagger to the floor and it hits it with a thud. The other men make haste and scatter out the hallway, leaving Anna and I alone. Het two friends stand near the exit while Thayne lingers in the corner.

"Stand in front of the target," I say. She looked into my eyes before walking to the middle of the partition and pushing her head against the wall. There was a prideful grin that separated her lips. She knew I was obsessed with her and that she was the thorn at my side. I would never hurt her and that made her smile.

"Thayne?" I call out for him, my gaze still focused on Anna. This would be his punishment.

Thayne

I knew Henry wanted me to do it. I had started the whole thing. This was my punishment for touching her in front of him. Henry scratches one of his eyebrows with a knifepoint and approaches Anna. "You're going to stand there as Thayne throws those knives," Henry says to her, "until you learn not to flinch."

"Is this really necessary Henry?" I curse beneath a breath. I sound bored, making sure to not look leery. My face and body are tense, alert.
I didn't want to harm her.

At first, Henry stares at me in silence. "I have the authority here, remember brother? A perk of obtaining the throne?" Henry says, so quietly I can barely hear him.

My grip tightens around the three blades before I walk closer to Anna's figure. Before I could even approach her, he pulls my shoulder back in haste,

"Harm her? And you die. Touch her with the knife? And you die" he whispered.

"Seems as if you leave me with no options brother?"

"Hmmm....there is always an option." he teased, knowing the invalidity of the statement. Henry was wise. He knew he couldn't hurt her, no matter his tough exterior.

If Henry did it, it would be a useless show of his authority and if I didn't comply, Henry would know I cherished her. I would kill myself before I hurt her but if I didn't scar her, Henry would see my feelings for her and end me.

It was a lose-lose situation.

Anna

"Stand in front of the target," Henry commands.

The last thing I want to do is stand in front of that target, but I couldn't back down now. Cautiously, I walk to the center of the wall, making sure my head rested against its surface. It doesn't even reach the center of the target, but it doesn't matter.

Henry came beside me, snatching my jaw before turning my cheek each way. "There goes your pretty face," hisses Henry, "shame"

I snatched it away and look toward Thayne as he stood in front of the wall. His grip on the knives tightens and his knuckles turn white as he turns to face me. Thayne's composure did not put my fears at ease.

I look from Henry's wide, dark eyes to the unyielding bone of Thayne's jaw. Thayne brandished his knives; one in his right hand, two in his left hand. He caresses the knife in his hand, his fingers moving painstakingly over the metal edge. He gives me such a hard look that I feel like he's turning me to stone.

"If you flinch," Henry says, carefully, "That boy takes your place. Understand?" he pointed at Thomas. Thomas's cheeks were red with rage as Catherine buried her face against his arm. If given the opportunity, he would beat the king to a pulp, but he knew he was powerless. I look over at Thomas, meeting his eyes before nodding.

Henry's eyes are still on mine when Thayne lifts his hand, pulls his elbow back, and throws the knife. It is just a flash in the air, and then I hear a thud. The knife is buried in the wall, half a foot away from my cheek.

I close my eyes in relief. Thank God.

"Eyes open," Henry says, dragging the sharp knife between his eyebrows. I stare at him, pressing my hands to my sides so no one can see them shake.

Thayne passes a knife from his left hand to his right hand, and I see nothing but his eyes as the second knife hits the target above my head. This one is closer than the last one—I feel it hovering over my skull.

I look at Thayne as he keeps my gaze. We were dangerously eye fucking at this point. He looked at me and I at him, communicating with our eyes.

"Come on, Thayne ," he says. "You can do better than that" Henry goaded, "You brag about being the best knife thrower in the kingdom! Prove it!" He taunts him.

I hold my breath as he turns the last knife in his hand. I see a glint in his eyes as he pulls his arm back and lets the knife fly. It comes straight at me, spinning, blade over the handle. My body goes rigid. This time, when it hits the board, my ear stings, and blood tickles my skin. I touch my ear. He nicked it.

And judging by the look he gives me, he did it on purpose.

Henry comes over to me and frowns, dropping his eyes to my open wound. He lifts a finger to touch my blood and smiles. "I expect you in my room tonight" he whispered anamalistically. He wasn't done with whatever punishment he thought I deserved.

"I would love to stay and see if the rest of you are as daring as she is," says Henry, his voice content, "but I have some prior obligations" The look he gives me claims me, like he's taking ownership of what I did. I should have stabbed him at the moment.

----

I wait until the room is empty and the door is shut before looking at him. He walks toward me. "Is your ear—" he begins.

"You did that on purpose!" I shout.

"Yes, I did," he says composedly. "And you should thank me for helping you."

I grit my teeth. "Thank you? You almost cut my ear off. Why should I thank you?"

"You know, I'm getting a little tired of waiting for you to catch on!" He glares at me, and even when he glares, his eyes look thoughtful. Their shade of blue is addictive...one could get lost in its hues.

"Catch on? Catch on to what? That you wanted to prove to Henry how tough you are? That you're vicious, just like he is?"

"I am not sadistic." He doesn't yell even though I wished he would. It would scare me less. He leans his face close to mine. "If I wanted to hurt you, and I mean, truly hurt you, don't you think I would have done so already?"

"You barely know me. We haven't even had a conversation over tea about our favorite colors. Who am I to you?"

He looked into my eyes, snatching my jaw into his. He runs an incautious finger against my mouth before taking his lips and pressing them against mine. We smack intensely, our tounges lapping with passion. I didn't know what to make of what we were doing.
I was scared?
Happy?
Content maybe?

His hands caressed me deeper and further down my spine, each finger was so calculated but addictive. It was hungry but not overbearingly assertive. I in turn, pressed my palm against his chest, feeling each ridge and muscle. He was every bit of man. Strong forearms, broad shoulders.

His hand crept all the way down to my ass, gripping it again with zealous intensity. I couldn't help the gasp that slipped from my throat before biting his mouth deeper, goading him to continue.

He finally pulled away before looking into my eyes. I couldn't find my words or any other for the matter.

"...you kissed me." I try to frown. What he did was far more than kissing.

"I did," he said as if it was normal.

"His best friend of 20 years simply touched me and he cut off his arm"

"Is that supposed to scare me Anna?" He chuckled, picking the rest of the knives off the ground.

I was quiet.

"Henry won't kill me" he bragged.

"And how are you so sure?" My lips still throbbed viciously from his contact.

"Because... that would require you telling him"

"And how do you know I won't?" I rejected. He looked over his shoulder, walking over to me. His stature was invasive as he towered over me, staring into my eyes. He snatched my jaw, turning my head slowly to each side before centering it again.

"Because you enjoyed it." He lifted his finger to my ear, smirking before pressing his palm against the blood.

He wasn't wrong, but I loathed him for revealing it.
He crosses the room and slams the point of a knife so hard into the table that it sticks there.

I didn't know what I wanted to do.

Should I go to Henry's room? Or run after Thayne?

I start to open my mouth, but he's already gone. I scream, frustrated and tired, and wipe some of the blood from my ear before running to the garden.

I needed to think...and be alone.

Author Note
Me making a love triangle even though y'all hate them

I don't even know what the plot of thsi  book is anymore 💀💀
Are we team Thayne or Henry ? Catherine kinda annoying me

Also! Fun fact:
The reason I bleep out curse words is because I don't want them saved on my phone's text dictionary. If you see them typed out, fully, I edited the chapter on my laptop!

Works Cited Page to the OG
Veronica Roth! Chapter 13 of Divergent
I don't wanna get sued for snatching most of the text from her chapter 💀🤧