A Prologue Fit For Royalty

Rowyn's "The First of Many"

She had always been a soft, quiet girl. 
A girl who crossed her ankles, knit socks, and rarely got dirty. 

After all, it was expected of her. Princesses didn't fuss. They were obedient and kind, always smiling and serving others. Rowynthia did not mind, though. She had no desire to ascend. She fit well into her role, and her twin brother Ruehnar, the Crown Prince, fit well into his. He loathed to admit it though, and he certainly didn't accept it. The two siblings were close, but not oddly so. Though they were often busy with their various studies, -- Ruehnar's being diplomacy and war tactics, and Rowynthia's being etiquette, music, and how to run a household -- they always found time to have fun together. Ruehnar's idea of fun was a little different than Rowynthia's, but she would follow her brother anywhere. This meant that the princess spent a lot of time in the vast forests surrounding the palace. Her tutors would call it a disgraceful waste of time, and her mother would scold her when she came home filthy, but it didn't stop her. 

Ruehnar, or Rune, as she affectionately called him, was a mere twenty minutes older than her. This was a big deal, he claimed. It made no difference in the line of succession, however. Even if the princess had been born first, the male would still hold claim to the throne before her. Rune would forever protest against that tradition, but he made no progress against the pompous old men that served as the King's advisors. He had tried hundreds of times to find a way for his sister to take the throne instead of him. For elves, children were a rarity. Despite centuries of trying, King Theron and Queen Adrienne had only managed to conceive once, resulting only in the twins. Rowynthia knew that he prayed every day for just one more sibling, a brother, so he wouldn't be the only heir. 

Her brother took very few of his duties seriously. Instead of focusing, he preferred to sneak off. And so she would follow. He loved the forests, so much so that he had helped introduce laws to further protect the land in their country. Rune also loved to hunt. He was a skilled archer, and though he tried his best to teach Rowynthia, they both feared that she was a lost cause. Hours had been spent in the forest, shooting targets that Rune had painted or carved into trees. Rowyn had hit the target several times, but she had never hit the center. Rowyn held the bow as steady as she could despite her nerves. Her brother sat a few feet away, his watchful eyes on her even as he carved intricate designs into the limb of his favorite bow. From her distance away, it was hard to tell what it was... but it looked like a flower. Periwinkle, perhaps? 

"Rowyn!" Rune called. He never used her full name, no matter how angry he was. "You're doing it wrong." He scolded, leaves crunching under his boots as he marched over to her. Rowyn glowered down at her offending hands, willing them to follow his directions. Rune patiently repositioned her hands, letting the nocked arrow fall where it was supposed to. She stabilized it with her index finger and took a deep breath to also stabilize herself. He took a step back, just behind her. "Good," He praised. "Now take another deep breath..." She did. "Settle yourself. Listen for your heartbeat. Now hold your breath.... aim, and fire." 

Rowyn's heart fluttered in her chest, but she urged it to settle. The bow was heavy in her hands, made from thick wood. It was her brother's, and perhaps a bit too big for her, but he claimed that she just needed to gain strength. She lifted the bow to aim at the makeshift target carved into the side of a tree. Rowyn pulled the bowstring back until it was flush with her cheek, eyes locked on the target. She took one last deep breath in, held it, and when she was satisfied with her aim, she released the bowstring. The arrow sliced through the air. Rowyn released her breath, her eyes squeezed shut for a moment after she heard the arrow thunk into the bark of the tree. She didn't want to see how badly she had missed. 

It wasn't until she heard a sharp intake of breath and a loud whoop from beside her that her eyes shot open. A body crashed into her, and arms wrapped so tightly around her that the bow fell from her grip. 
"Ru- " She started to protest, but then her eyes focused on the target, and the arrow stuck right in the middle of it.

"You did it!" Ruehnar shouted, squeezing her around the middle. The strength of his proud embrace lifted her off of her feet. "I must admit, little sister, I had already lost hope." He let go of her abruptly, and the air left her lungs as she was dropped to the ground. She could hardly believe it herself, even as she double-checked to make sure that the arrow truly was in the center of the target. It was.

"I did it?" Rowyn repeated, her face frozen in disbelief. Rune laughed at her confusion and thrust the bow she had dropped back into her shaking hands. "Would you like to try again?" Her fingers closed around the bow's grip. She took a deep breath, a smile slowly growing on her face. The princess just nodded, and Rune clapped his hand on her shoulder. "Here we go, little sister. I'll make an archer of you yet."