I wondered why no one had fetched me before the time I woke up. I rubbed my eyes and glanced out my window. I saw servants running around carrying on their daily affairs. I looked around at my bedroom. There was a certain stillness that made me suspicious. I got dressed in my archery outfit. I was supposed to be dancing, but I knew enough dances to last me four lifetimes.
I walked downstairs and through the courtyard without anyone stopping me. I walked down to the training grounds and grabbed a bow ad a quiver of arrows. I found a target next to some knights who were training for who-knows-what; probably an exam or test.
“Do you need any help Your Highness?” One asked politely.
“I can manage just fine,” I answered and notched in an arrow. The one man seemed to be watching my every move. I took two deep breaths and on the third release of my breath, the arrow went flying and hit the center of the target perfectly. He seemed shocked and went back to his own work.
“I would be careful, Miss Tara! Arrows aren’t toys,” I heard a familiar voice that I hadn’t heard in ages.
“OH TERENCE YOU’RE HOME!” I shouted with joy, abandoning my arrows, as I ran and nearly tackled my old friend. He left to train with his father about six years ago when he turned ten.
“I see you’ve missed me,” He laughed. He was very, very muscular now after long years of training. He had light brown, feathery hair and beautiful green eyes. I almost found myself blushing.
“I haven’t seen you in six years! Of course I’ve missed you!” I said.
“You have amazing form!” He commented and I returned to retrieve the arrows and bow I had abandoned.
“I sneak away from being a boring princess to train every now and then,” I winked.
“What else do are you skilled in?” He asked.
“Don’t let her ask you to a swordfight. She’ll beat you without sweating,” I heard a deep voice say.
I often challenged the knights to duels to challenge myself and they don’t expect me to be so skilled. After a while, they all began to challenge me all the more. We created our own little system that worked out perfectly.
“I’m sorry to say she won’t be participating in any swordfights today. Princess Tara Anne is needed immediately inside,” A squire walked up.
“Well, there’s my queue!” I took a dramatic bow and added to Terence, “Meet me out on the roof tonight.” He nodded and I followed the squire back to the castle.
“What’s on my torture agenda today?” I asked cheerily.
“Your father wanted a word with you Your Highness,” He said. He was short and was nearly bald with patchy dark hair and a thick black mustache. He had small beady eyes.
“Well I won’t keep him waiting then,” I said and walked into the castle. I walked up several flights of stairs to the study. I found my father working studiously there.
“Hello Tara,” He looked up and took off his glasses.
“Good day father,” I smiled.
“Can I ask of your sudden interest in wizards?” He asked.
“I beg your pardon?” I asked, trying to keep as calm as possible.
“I know you were reading the book. Answer my question please?” My father stared me down. I learned to look that stare in the eye and lie to it without flinching.
“I was interested after the wizard healed me. You know me father- I have sudden flares of passions,” I said.
“I suppose,” He seemed satisfied with my answer for now.
“Where is mother? She hasn’t doted on me all day,” I asked.
“She is in town greeting the commoners. She decided not to wake you today. I would take advantage of that. Go fight with swords or go for a ride,” My father mused.
“You are the only parent who will allow me to play with sharp objects,” I laughed.
“A young woman needs to know how to fight and be a lady. Do not make me regret allowing you to blatantly disregard your mother’s rules,” My father dismissed me. I left his study with a spring in my step.
I had not completely lied to my father, but I would search further for my answers.
“She returns!” The knight with a deep voice said.
“I’m just going for a ride through the mountains,” I said.
“Be careful,” He warned.
“I’ll accompany you, Your Highness,” Terence said, getting on a Pegasus. I giggled at the sight of a knight hopping on such a feminine horse, but Pegasus were crucial to most battle strategies. They were great with sky attacks and they were fast,
“I am honored,” I laughed. I got onto my own Pegasus and galloped through a field. My horse took off and Terence soon followed. I saw Terence opened his mouth in a shout, but the wind snatched it away. I felt Sky duck and I avoided collision with a swarm of geese.
“That was attractive!” Terence flew in closer.
“You can shut up!” I yelled back. We flew with no more conversation as we got nearer to the mountains. I landed Sky gracefully and Terence landed soon after.
“Are we allowed here?” Terence asked warily.
“We are still on Venus territory. If we did stray onto Mountain Tribe land, we have no quarrels with them. They wouldn’t likely attack,” I answered.
“How do you mark the border?” Terence asked.
Surrounding my castle were large, rolling meadows that collided with a circle of mountain around the kingdom. The Mountain Tribe thrived there, and seven years ago, we ended longtime rivalries. It was a brutal battle the burned one long line down this side of the mountain. We called that our border and our border with the River Tribe was the river.
“The final battle,” I whispered as we walked into a thin clearing of charred tree stumps and gray ash for soil. It was desolate and not an animal dared to dash by in fear of catching the disease of death which inhabited this one strip of trees. Nothing moved in the burnt remains of the trees.
“When they grow back, we will have to mark where the line was,” Terence tried to chuckle.
“It’ll be a while before these trees grow back. I sometimes think they won’t grow back because there is a greater storm coming our way, and then I go home and everything is okay,” I said. I thought back to last night and my raid of my father’s study. His hidden books and papers made me a bit uneasy.
“If we are in danger, no one will dare touch a hair on the heads of the citizens of Venus,” He said.
“It’s funny; you said that last time I saw you, and you are just now strong enough to stand behind your words,” I laughed.
“We should get back,” Terence lightly laughed and regained his composure. I nodded and shivered as I turned my back on the barren forest.
