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Without acknowledging him, I pick up another arrow, picturing Tristan’s handsomely cruel face on the bullseye.
Why does every guard have to be so eye pleasing? Why can’t they all look like ogres?I think to myself, striking the target dead center.
“It seems we’ve found the princess’s motivation. Just insult her, and she’ll come for your head,” Tristan chuckles, letting out a playful sound. I quickly shoot another, splitting the first arrow in two, and they all laugh.
Dominic walks over, taking the bow from my shaking hands. “You did good today, Princess,” he whispers for only my ears to hear. There’s a softness in his voice that has never been there before, almost as if he’s proud of me.
Before I have a chance to respond, he leaves my side, collecting the weapons from the ground in the open clearing behind the castle we use for training.
“Tomorrow, you learn how to ride,” Greyson says as if I haven’t been riding a horse since birth.
“I thought you were supposed to be teaching me things I didn’t know how to do? I’m one of the fastest riders in all the lands. I could outride you with my eyes closed, Grey.”
“Maybe so, but can you shoot a bow or wield a sword from horseback?”
The pride that filled me only moments ago deflates instantly. My brother was thrust into training at a young age, but I was told never to touch a weapon. My father held the same archaic beliefs as the entire realm until recently. I had to learn to be a proper lady, refined and elegant, and leave the fighting to the men and the knights.
I’m grateful my father changed his views, but it also makes me curious as to why he’s had a sudden change of heart.
My body is still filled with adrenaline and drenched with sweat from our session, so I take off in a sprint, yelling behind me, “Last one to the castle has to sleep with the swine.”
Glancing over my shoulder, I see the four of them dropping their weapons and racing after me. Willing my legs to move faster, I burst through the castle doors first, laughing breathlessly as I crash directly into my grandmother, almost knocking her off her feet.
Her guards spring into action, catching her before she topples over, but I’m not as lucky. My hands break my fall just as the others fly through the door with a screeching halt.
They try to conceal their amusement, but it’s quite hilarious watching their bodies stiffen and demeanor change in the blink of an eye.
“Your Grace,” they greet her in unison. Her face turns down with disgust as she turns to address me.
“A lady should not be running. It’s of poor taste,” she bellows. “And what is that wretched smell?” she asks, scrunching her nose up with disdain.
“That would be me,” I reply, embarrassed to be called out in front of everyone.
“Leave us!” she shouts at the guards surrounding us, who disperse at the sound of her angry tone.Cowards.
I lazily stand up, dusting myself off, knowing that I’m in for another one of her lectures on how to be a proper lady.
She grabs me by the arm, tightly dragging me behind her through the halls of Windemere until we’re behind closed doors.
My bed chambers are my safe space. My mother designed this room before she passed so I could be myself without prying eyes or the laws of the land. “Every young woman needs a place of her own,” she had said. My grandmother must not have received that message because this is also her favorite place to scold me.
“Robyn, sometimes I think you are a lost cause. No matter what I say or do to try and sway your actions to those of a lady, you still continue behaving like a fool,” she spouts, untying my dress and pushing it from my shoulders. Her words are true. I’ve fought against my duties for as long as I can remember.
I step away from the torn garment and into my icy cold bath water.
Cyra, my lady-in-waiting, must have drawn it hours ago because the heat is all but gone. My grandmother begins undoing the braid from my hair, then proceeds to pour the frigid water over my head, causing me to holler out from the sensation.
“How do you expect to find a suitor when you act like a child? You must stop this nonsense, Robyn. If you plan on catching the eye of a king someday, you must change your ways at once.”
“Queen Dowager, my father will find me a suitor the same way your father did when you were my age. I have no intention of catching anyone’s eye. I just want to enjoy the little time I have left to be a free woman.”
We’ve had this same conversation several times over the past week. She might be alright with undermining the king and going against his orders, but the knights in our guard take their vows seriously.
“Oh, cut the formalities, Princess. You were born into royalty. You have never been a free woman. Whoever encouraged that mindset of yours only hindered your progression into greatness.” Her hands sweep roughly through my hair, washing it clean. “Now hurry along and wash yourself. Your brother will be waiting.”
“Yes, Grandmother. Wouldn’t want him to worry, now would we?” I mock. She lets out a disgruntled huff, stomping out of the room as if I offended her.
The water has turned bitter, my body shivering from a mix of the cold and fatigue that I have been trying to fight off for thebetter half of the day. I throw my head against the tub, shutting my eyes and drowning out the rest of the world.
