Tale of Two Queens

[026] Telescope

She could only hear her breathing with the sound of the horn blown as Mera flipped her crop, giving her horse a sudden shock along with the other riders as she almost fell back from how fast her dornish stead sprinted forward through the thundering sound of the hooves.

Mera fisted her reins as she squinted her eyes at the wind blowing in her face before she looked up to see the first flag as she pull out her bow and arrow, pulling back and letting go as she hit the bullseye, dropping the stone as it set the mechanism off before the flag of House Targaryen was raised.

Mera smirked as she saw the flag flap in the wind while the sound of cheers grew louder. She looked over her shoulder to see Gwayne releasing his arrow as she then looked to the water jump.

Mera grabbed onto her reins as her stead jumped over the small pond. She cringed at the impact as she closed her eyes, wincing before sitting straight and pulling out another arrow, releasing it as her mare made a sharp turn.

She raced across the field with Gwayne trailing closely behind her as Mera looked down at her uncomfortable saddle.

Mera soothed out her breathing as she raced across the field. From the stands, Rhaenyra had stood alongside the rest of the royal family as she watched black and green dart across the field.

As another Targaryen flag was raised, Rhaenyra cheered again with Daemon as they applauded. She could never read her daughter but a bit of her could see how much she hadn't cared for her life. How much she could just throw herself away and not care.

She looked to Aemond who sat in his chair, glaring at the scene as he clenched his fist while his brother cheered with Helaena as she laughed.

Mera grunted as her stead jumped over another gate. They ran faster and closer to the finish line as Mera sat straight again, raising another arrow before feeling a punch in her shoulder as the arena gasped while Gwayne shouted inaudible words behind her.

Mera dropped her arrow as she looked to her shoulder. She widened her eyes at the presence of an arrow as blood dripped from it before she grabbed her reins by instinct, only for her stead to stop, becoming unbalanced as they fell onto the wooden rails, breaking them as Mera fell, still sitting on her horse.

"Fuck!" Mera roared as she heard Gwayne shout for her while the nobles stood, gasping.

Rhaenyra stood as she screamed for her daughter while Viserys and Daemon stood, glaring and frowning at the odd place the arrow struck.

Jace looked to Aemond running to the railing as he fisted his hand while Helaena gasped, covering her mouth in shock. She felt an odd feeling of guilt wash over her as she watched Mera lay on the ground, her leg stuck under her horse as she saw the crowds quiet down.

Viserys flinched with Daemon becoming serious. No, no arrow went that far from the target. This wasn't an accident.

Mera bit back a scream as she groaned loudly, she crawled, dragging her leg from under her horse as she cursed under her breath with the rest of the riders storming past as she caught their astounded gazes.

Her breath shuddered as she laid on the ground, feeling her blood run down her suit before she sat up, wincing as she took deep breaths. Her knee throbbed while her shoulder felt as if a thousand needles had been pricking her repeatedly.

Mera took out her vial of poppy, popping the cork off before drowning it as she grabbed the arrow, wincing before she took a deep breath.

"Okay, just breathe. It's alright girl, breath."

Mera roared as she tried to pull the blood covered arrow out while squelching sounds came from her shoulder as the standing nobles winced in pain. 

She groaned as her blood poured out from her shoulder, the smell of iron filling her nose as she took deep breaths.