Heart Of Courage

Chapter 4

Standing out on the stone steps waiting for them to bring Shadow around felt like an eternity. Every second that ticked by meant I was wasting precious time which could cost Xavier his life. My father couldn't have sent a message down to the square to stop the execution- it would take too long. The usually warming sun that bathed me in yellow light felt nothing but cold and dim. The hushed whisper of the trees surrounding the palace grounds forced me onto the balls of my feet, feeling the urgency to get down to the town square. If they took any longer getting my horse, I swore I could have just ran down the hill and made it there sooner. Just as I was about to dart down the steps and to the front gates, Julius appeared around the side of the palace, with my horse saddled up. I straightened my cloak around my shoulders as I descended the steps.

"Your Highness, please be careful," Julius said as he approached.

"I shall be no more careful than usual. My best friend is out there, facing his death. I do not matter right now," I huffed, pulling my skirt up and climbing up onto the saddle. Julius stared at me as if I had completely stripped naked, and I was about to question him, when I remembered that a lady should not sit on a horse how I was when wearing a dress- it was very graceless and uncivil. I rolled my eyes, and without a glace back to the palace doors to see if my parents where there, I whipped Shadow's reigns, and he hurtled off to the front gates.

I rocketed through the gates, the wind pulling at my hairdo. I felt strands begin to loosen as myself and Shadow raced down the hill. I didn't care about my appearance. I didn't care about anything but Xavier. Xavier. Xavier.

As we raced to the town square, my mind wandered back in time. Back to a time when I had less responsibilities. Back when I first met Xavier. I was eleven years old- just about to turn twelve- and I had grown bored of spending all of my time at the palace. I had to have lessons almost every day (more than I do now) and it was growing very tedious. Of course, I would spend as much time outside in the palace grounds as possible, but I wanted to venture further. One not so special day, whilst I was playing jump rope on the lawns in front of the Palace Gardens, I came across some new guards in training. I remember watching in amazement as one guard with greying hair picked up a bow and quiver of arrows, and in a matter of seconds had shot arrows straight through the middle of seven targets. I became insanely jealous of his talent, and right then I knew exactly what new hobby I wanted to pick up. That night at dinner, I asked my father for a bow and arrow, and some training lessons. Both of my parents looked at me in shock, my father muttering something about a princess not using weapons. My mother shook her head at him and told him that it would be harmless, just a bit of fun for me. He reluctantly agreed, and two days later I was presented with my own small bow and beautiful quiver of arrows. I marvelled at them and was eager to become as skilled as that guard was. For about a week, I had two-hour-long lessons each day with a skilled archer, out on the back lawns with those targets. He showed me the basics, but I could never get my posture right. I always used to face the target straight on and try to aim that way- which of course was wrong. The archer kept getting frustrated with me, so much so until I had snapped and burst into tears. I ran inside the palace, demanding to my mother that I wanted to practice by myself, away from anyone who could put me off.

After plenty of pestering, she had allowed me to go into the forest surrounding the kingdom, as long as some guards accompanied me. In no time at all, myself and two other guards were trekking through the forest, until I could find a suitable tree to aim at. When I did, I forced the guards away and drew a rough target on the trunk with chalk. I shot arrow after arrow, missing the target each time. I got more and more angry at myself- it wasn't that hard to hit, I wasn't stood very far away.

I nocked my last arrow into my bow, and tried to correct my posture. Slowly, I pulled back the string and aimed. My glare could have set the tree on fire because I was so frustrated but focused. I breathed a couple of times to steady my racing heart, and never took my eyes away from the centre of the target.