Archery
CARL’S POV
“Where is she, I asked Aiden curiously.
” you don’t expect me to just tell you without getting anything in return,” Aiden muttered, smirking.
I can’t believe he wants something in return for giving me information. I’m not surprised though, because that’s what he always does.
“What do you want,” I asked him, getting impatient.
“Why don’t we leave mother’s chamber first, then we can talk man to man,” Aiden said, making scoff. Man to man, he’s just five years old, I wonder what makes him think that he’s a man.
“Fine, let’s go,” I told him, walking out.
“Bye kids,” mother yelled, after us and I rolled my eyes.© NôvelDrama.Org - All rights reserved.
“I want three pieces of gold,” Aiden, blurted out, immediately we left mother’s chamber and I scoffed.
“And what do you intend to do with it?” I questioned.
“If you really want information, you won’t be asking me questions,” Aiden retorted, and I felt like spanking him on his little butt.
I looked at the little man in front of me, his face held mischief, and I began to wonder whether he hid the princess in his room.
“Aiden did you hide the princess in your room?”
“And why would I do that?” he asked, staring at his nails with a bored look. Signing I decided to just give in to his demands.
I gave him the three pieces of gold that he asked for, after all that was nothing to me.
“Now tell me,” I muttered, staring at him.
“I changed my mind,” Aiden blurted out, making me glare angrily at him.
“What did you say?” I asked, to be sure I was not hearing things.
“I said, I changed my mind. If you had given me the gold immediately I asked for it, I would have given you the information you wanted, but you wasted time, asking questions, so I won’t tell you anything,” Aiden mumbled, and I felt like strangling his little neck.
I’m so foolish for listening to him, maybe he didn’t even know where the princess was. I sighed, ruffling my hair in frustration.
Everyone seemed to be getting on my nerve today. First, it was that annoying princess, then my mother, and now Aiden.
“Aiden, can I have my gold back, after all, you’re not telling me where the princess is hiding,”
“Don’t be greedy brother, you already gave me the gold so why take it back, after all, three pieces of gold is nothing to you,” Aiden muttered, running away, and I stood there speechless. I just got duped by a kid.
ZARA’S POV
“Look it’s the Princess,” someone yelled, making my heart skip. I was too afraid to look at the person, could it be that the king’s men found me already?
“Princess, it’s Theon and Jamie,” Lia said, and I immediately turned to see Theon and Jamie walking toward me.
“Your highness,” they greeted, with a bow.
It’s been a while since I last saw them. After the feast held to welcome us, I had not seen either of them or even the other soldiers I came with.
“Your highness, what are you doing outside the palace,” Jamie asked.
“I came out for a walk,” I lied”
“Without any guards,” Theon blurted out, looking at me with suspicion.
“Well, I have Lia with me,” I said, pulling Lia to me.
“Your highness, Lia is your personal maid, not a guard, if something bad happens to you, I’m sure the king won’t like it,” Jamie muttered, and I scoffed.
I’m safer outside than in the palace, I thought, but didn’t say it out.
Jamie was still looking worried, and suspicious. In all my father’s army, Jamie was the one I was closer to, maybe because he was a general and the head of the personal soldiers assign to me by my father.
“You don’t have to worry Jamie, no one will even know I’m the princess.
He sighed, looking like he wanted saying something, but kept quiet.
” I think it’s best if we both guard the princess Theon,” mumbled and Jamie agreed.
“What brings you two outside the palace,” Lia asked, and I also became curious.
“We just wanted to take a tour around Everton,” Jamie replied, and we also heard that there will be an archery competition in the market square,” Theon added.
My eyes lit up, immediately I heard the word archery competition. At least I found something to do.
“Let’s go, I will also participate,” I muttered, excited.
“Sorry, princess, only men can take part in the competition,” Theon said.
What do they mean by only men can take part, why do they think those kinds of things are not meant for women, I was really angry thinking about it.
“The princess can take part in the competition, but she will have to be in disguise,” Lia said, and my anger vanished. she was right, I could disguise myself as a man, why didn’t I think of that. but I was still a little mad because women didn’t get to take part in such things.
****
All the men who took part in the competition, looked big, and some even looked scary, I was the only one who looked different, small and girly looking.
The competition started, and each person would compete with another until there were only two people left. The prize for winning was twenty-piece of gold, ten-piece of bronze, and a bag of salt.
Salt was very expensive and valuable in all the nations. I wasn’t competing for the price, but for fun.
Jamie and Theon didn’t take part anymore because I was competing, Even though I tried persuading them to.
After along a while of competing, all the other opponents had been eliminated leaving me and a scary-looking man.
He pulled out his arrow, firing shot after shot, and each hit the target. I also did the same and did not miss my target.
I was thinking about just letting him win, when he started blurting out rubbish.
“Girly-looking boy thinks he could win against a strong man like me. You should not try such things, it’s meant for people like us.
What he said made me really angry. I hated men like him who look down on people.
We kept shooting arrows, with none of us missing the target, if there was anything I was good at, it was archery. I practiced from when I was a kid.
It was getting dark, and the weather looked like it was about to rain, but I was not willing to let the man win. I needed to put him in his place.
I glanced over to where Lia, Jamie, and Theon stood watching, and they had a worried expression on their faces, but they knew I was not going to back out until I won.
My opponent was getting angry and impatient, not liking the fact that I didn’t lose or back out.
It was his turn to take a shot and this time, he didn’t aim at the target but aimed at me instead.