Regal [h.s au]

13. Freedom

AMELIA

I sit on a blanket sprawled on the grass in the vast garden as I watch Prince Harry hold a bow and arrow in his hands, trying to hit the target and failing each time, archery usually being something that frustrates him immensely. I lean back on my palms, listening to Lilly's melodic humming as she lies beside me, her eyes closed, the sunlight shining upon her face.

The scene brings me back to the time we were children. We would often come and play on the meadow near a beautiful lake back in Frontera, spending hours playing there with Silas then lying on a blanket when we grew tired. Zayn would just stand aside and watch over us, always making sure there is no danger.

I haven't forgotten about Frontera and I haven't forgotten about my home. Solis soldiers are roaming around the area often to make sure there are no attacks and in the past few weeks, there have been only a few incidents where their intervention was required. The raiders weren't Darkland soldiers but random outlaws in search of an easy prey and women to rape. There have also been sightings of pirates lurking around, the thought making me anxious because of what it might be connected to. They are more than just rum smugglers, I know it.

"Lilly?" I say, watching as she stops humming and snaps from her sun induced daze, her brown eyes watching me questioningly. "Would you be so kind and help the Prince?"

She sits up and looks at the struggling Prince next to his tutor who is trying to show him the right posture. "All right." She stands up and dusts herself off, fixing her violet flower crown and walking towards them.

She pokes the Prince's shoulder once she reaches him, making him look at her in confusion. She tells him something which makes him smile happily and nod while the tutor scoffs and crosses his arms. Prince Harry hands her the bow and a stack of arrows, stepping aside as everyone watches her quickly tug at the bow string as she fixates the arrow, letting it fly.

It hits the mark directly. And so do the other three arrows she shoots in a row, each time snapping the previous arrow in half, all of them hitting the same spot. I simply grin as everyone's jaws drop, a small crowd of soldiers now gathered around her as she watches them in confusion, a shy expression on her face.

My little sister may be innocent and sweet, but she was trained well to defend herself when needed, I made sure of it. When you're in constant danger of being attacked, raped then killed like an animal, you need to learn how to protect yourself.

Silas suddenly plops down beside me, stretching his legs forward. Long strands of his black hair fall over his face and he blows out his cheeks, making the strands fly up then fall back down.

"Aw, what is it?" I ask, pushing his hair back with my fingers.

"I'm bored out of my mind. How do rich people even spend their free time considering they're not busy with hunting for food or working on the fields or anything remotely physically tiring?" Silas rants, making me smile. "What did little miss sunshine do now?" He nudges his chin towards my sister.

"Oh, just a bit of archery." I shrug, watching as the Prince attempts to shoot another arrow, every soldier surrounding him taking a few steps back in order to avoid getting hit.

"Yay, that was close!" Lilly claps as the arrow hits the branches of the tree where the mark is. "At least it hit the tree this time!"

"I wish I had her enthusiasm for everything in life, she's like a walking feeling of joy," I comment.

"I have some herbs for that-" Silas starts. 

"No. Remember what happened last time?" I shudder and he laughs. "Never trying your mixtures again."