“Loosen up,” Fredricks taps my hand. “You’re shooting an arrow, not trying to keep a girl from running away from you.”
“Fredri-” I turn my head to complain.
That turns out to be a mistake.
My face grows hot as I accidently release the arrow and send it to the very edge of the target.
“Oof!” groan several of the servants, stopping their daily routines to watch me humiliate myself. Their exclamations and guffaws echo off the walls and towers surrounding the courtyard. I hang my head and move to fetch the arrow. A step is as far as I get before Fredricks grabs me by the scruff of my shirt.
“Ah, ah, ah. That was in the white!” he says as he jerks me back. “Drop and give me 15.”
“That was an accident!” I protest.
“Drop!”
I groan as I drop to my knees, glaring at my trainer. Fredricks simply crosses his arms, eyes narrower than usual, his mouth set in a tight, firm line behind his graying mustache. Stapo lets out a purr that sounds very similar to a chuckle from behind his holder, his long, curved tail clicking behind him.
“Oh, good. Even the manticore is laughing at me!” I exclaim. “Can we go back to swordplay now? I think my dignity has been bruised enough.”
“Not until you get twenty bullseyes, we’ve already discussed this,” Fredricks says firmly as he crosses his arms.
“You know I’m not good at archery!”
“No. You don’t like archery, there’s a difference.”
“And making me do push-ups is going to make me like it more?” I huff as I lean forward onto my hands.
“It’ll make you try harder. I’ve seen you shoot twenty bullseyes in a row before. You can do it. You just don’t want to. Now give me fifteen.”
I groan as I begin doing push-ups.
“One, two, three, four-” Fredricks begins counting as Stapo prances off. He returns with my arrow in his mouth, dropping it at his holder’s feet. Fredricks bends down and picks it up as he continues counting.
“Seven, eight-”
Pew!
Both Fredricks and I turn to find a small, brightly painted arrow stuck in the bullseye.
“Are you kidding me?” I groan as I look up and find my three sisters plus their nursemaid and lady-in-waiting watching me. Vilda standing right behind Fredricks and me, holding her small, child’s bow, grinning ear to ear.
“Did you see that, Cai? Did you see that?” she asks as she hops up and down in excitement.
“Oh, I saw it alright,” I grumble as Stapo prances over to Vilda and licks her on the face, making her giggle.
A soft round of applause breaks out behind me as Tempest, Axellia, Bebin, and Seana all clapping for Vilda.
“Afternoon, Princess,” Fredricks says as he bows to Axellia who curtseys back.
“Afternoon, Princess,” Fredricks repeats for Tempest who merely giggles in response.
“Lady-in-Waiting,” Fredricks bows to Seana who ducks her head in return.
“Nursemaid,” Bebin also ducks her head respectively to the general.
“Littlest Princess,” Fredricks bows in an overdramatic fashion, making Vilda laugh before motioning to her with his finger. “C’mere.”
She skips over to him and he sets his hand on the top of Vilda’s bonnet.
“How is it that your six-year-old sister is better at archery than you?” he asks.
“She was closer than I was! And I’m sure she had help.” I glare at my other two sisters and Seana, who all shrug with feigned ignorance.
Not that it matters. Of course, the one weapon the girls are allowed to use has to be the one I’m bad at!
“Vilda, sit on your brother’s back,” Fredricks says. Vilda chuckles as she plops down in between my shoulders. I huff at the additional weight, trying not to let my arms buckle. The crowd of servants still watching break out into laughter at my distress.
“You’ve got nine more to do, Cai, get to it,” Fredricks tells me. I begin pumping my burning arms again as he counts. “Seven-”
“I already did seven!”
“Six…”
“Oh, for the love of-”
I let out a groan of strain as I try to push up both my and Vilda’s weight, earning more laughter.
“Come, come, now. When you think of it, I’m doing you a favor,” Fredricks says before continuing to count. “Seven-”
“How is this helping me?” I wheeze.
“I’m making sure you’re in tip-top shape so you can impress all the eligible ladies that will be at Cristabel Academy.”
“Oh!” Vilda giggles.
“Stop torturing the boy, Fredricks,” Bebin scolds.
“Torturing? Wouldn’t dream of it, dear nursemaid! Eight-I’m simply having a little fun with him is all-Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen. Alright, Vilda up. Cai, drink something and get the shakiness out of you before trying again.”
I don’t even stand up; I just fall onto my stomach and groan, earning another round of laughter from the observing crowd.
“Alright, Princesses, let’s see what you’ve got while the Prince takes a snooze,” Fredricks says.
“You won’t make us do push-ups, will you?” Tempest asks in a soft voice.
“No, of course not,” Fredricks laughs. “I wouldn’t dream of inflicting such an absurd punishment on a lady.”
"Hey, that’s not-” I protest, jerking my head up before Fredricks grins evilly and states:
“You’ll do sit-ups. Much more practical when you’re wearing a skirt.”
I can’t help but chuckle at my sisters’ horrified faces.
“Why?” Axellia argues. “It’s not like we’ll use archery in a life or death situation or on a battlefield, only in tournaments and hunting parties.”
“And if you shoot at a bear and miss?” Fredricks asks.
“Isn’t that what the guards are for?” Axellia asks haughtily.
“Oh, I’m sure they’d appreciate that!” I shout, before setting a hand to my chest, trying to mimic Axellia’s mannerism. “Hello, Mr. Guard sir, I’m Princess Axellia and I’m a terrible archer, so you’ll have to die by bear today! Thank you!”
“Cai, shut up and take a break. Axellia, get your bow,” Fredricks sighs.
I roll my eyes and let myself collapse onto the ground again.
“You make me seem heartless,” Axellia snaps, though there’s a hint of fun behind her eyes.
“You are heartless!”
“Am not!”
“Yes you are, you may be able to fool everyone else with your charm, but not me!”
“So you admit I’m charming?”
“Your little tricks still aren’t going to work.”
“And why do you say that?”
“Because I’ve known you since the womb, that’s why!”
“Cai, Axellia! I’ve given you tasks to do, would you please hop to it!” Fredricks snaps. “Honestly, do you two always have to bicker?”
“Well, you would too if you’d been stuck with him your whole life!” Axellia insists as she stomps off to get her bow.
Fredricks just shakes his head as he follows after Axellia. “Twins. Why’d it have to be twins?!”
I chuckle as I watch them walk to the storage shed our practice weapons are kept in at the edge of the courtyard.
“Here,” A gentle voice calls. I look up to see Seana standing next to me with a canteen in her hand.
“Thank you,” I reply as I take it, roll onto my back, and chug the water down. Seana spreads out the orange skirt and black cape of her uniform before sitting next to me, tucking a strand of platinum blond hair back into her cap. While in full uniform her ears are covered. One could almost mistake her for being a full-blooded human.
“...half-elf thinks she’s better than the rest of us…”
I prop myself up onto my elbows to search for the offending voice. Two scullery maids are gossiping behind their hands as they frown at Seana.
“Hey, don’t you two have some laundry to wash or something?” I snap, pointing at them.
“Yes, your highness!” They both squeak with rushed curtseys before taking off to who knows where. As long as it’s not here tormenting Seana I don’t care.
“That wasn’t necessary,” Seana whispers.
“Neither is what they said about you,” I reply as I lie back down and tuck my hands behind my head, enjoying the sun that, for once, is actually allowed to shine through the usual Durcardian haze.
Seana chooses to say nothing as she reaches into one of the pockets of her cape and pulls out a bit of silk, some thread, and a needle. No doubt she’s working on some sort of needlework to go on one of Axellia’s gowns, or maybe she’s making a new handkerchief for her? I’m not sure but I can already see traces of pulling and tearing. Seems Seana’s already done the work over several times. She purses her lips together, brow furrowing before she holds the needlework up.
“Cai-”
“It looks fine,” I answer without lifting my head from where I’ve let it fall into the already browning grass.
“You didn’t even look.”
I turn my head and glance at the needlework. “It’s fine.”
“Are you sure? Sure I shouldn’t get someone else to look at it?”
“If you’re not going to take my word why ask for it?” I lift my head again to frown at her. “Besides, it’s fine.”
“Cai’s the best artist I’ve ever seen,” Tempest says as she walks by us, her bow in hand. “I’d believe him if he said it was alright.”
“Thank you!” I exclaim. “Besides, the silk looks like it’ll fall apart if you do it over one more time.”
Seana sighs. “I know, I know. I just... never mind,” she goes back to work.
Before I can say anything else a loud voice booms from behind me.
“Is everything going well, Fredricks?”
The servants, who had been enjoying watching us train, scatter and disappear into the halls of the palace. A small shudder races down my spine as I sit up and look behind me. Father and his entire entourage of guards and advisors have arrived to check in on us. Mother is in tow with her pack of ladies-in-waiting, dressed identical to Seana, holding a canopy over her head. I gulp as Father’s eyes slowly fall on me, his eyes narrowing. Of all times for him to randomly decide to take a stroll...
“Why is he sitting down?” Father points to me.
“He’s just taking a break, Your Majesty,” Fredricks answers with a bow.
“Kings don’t take breaks,” Father glares at me and I hop to my feet. I pick up my bow and arrow and shoot, missing the target entirely. I duck my head, too embarrassed to look at where my arrow has planted itself in the ground.
“Try again,” Fredricks calls as he draws closer, foregoing the push-ups and setting a hand on my shoulder. “After you calm yourself, that is,” he advises in a hushed voice so that Father can’t hear.
I take a deep breath, drawback, release, and land a bullseye.
“Still much room for improvement,” Father comments, before he and his entourage waltz away. I allow myself a tiny bit of relief, but Mother is still behind, watching me as I fire another bullseye with a cold, observant face. I try to ignore her as I fire one, two, three more.
“Oh, ho, ho, ho,” Fredricks comments. “Maybe I should get your parents to come to watch you more often.”
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