For centuries, the royal family of Aridia has hosted The Choice, the competition where the eligible daughters of the Nobles of Aridia, come together to vie for the hand of the heir to the throne. This year, Prince Carlos is the heir to the throne a...
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"Each Lady will be giving a coloured flag and 10 minutes to hide the flag in strategic positions in the forest. The Ladies will then have to get the flags of the others while protecting their flag. But, keep in mind that physical contact is prohibited in this game as it is purely a game about tactics and strategy. The Lady with the most flags will win the challenge and get the 20 points allocated. Please note that the 2 previous challenges were each worth 10 points and the Lady with the most total points will win the tournament," The herald explained.
I had 18 points so far, for coming 2nd in archery and the obstacle course. Fiona also had 18 and Esme had 17. If I wanted to win the tournament, I would need to win the Battle for the Flag.
Soon, we were handed our flags. I'd gotten a dark black flag though I would have preferred if my flag was green, so it would be able to serve as a suitable camouflage to hide the flag.
But, I was certain I knew the forest more than any of the other Ladies and would be able to hide my flag so it wouldn't be seen. And I had a perfect plan.
"The Ladies now have 10 minutes to hide their flags. Their 10 minutes start...now!" The heralds announcement was synchronized with the gunshot.
Upon hearing the gunshot, I ran full speed into the forest, taking note of the direction the other Ladies were running in. My plan was to hide my flag where no one would see, but still manage to see where the Ladies were hiding theirs.
"Stop following me Katherine!" Ashley's high-pitched voice pierced the air and I couldn't help but giggle.
I had lost the other Ladies and I didn't even know where Fiona was.
Once I was a suitable distance away, I found a sturdy tree and began to climb. Climbing trees was something I'd been doing ever since I was a child- though my mother, father and sister strongly disapproved. I had once fell off a tree in my family's forest and gotten a minor concussion but that never stopped me. With my flag tucked beneath my arm, I climbed until I was at an appropriate height where I could easily see what was going on in the forest. I tucked my flag into one of the more leafy branches, making sure it was hidden properly.
When I was sure my flag was hidden, I climbed higher and peered around the forest. I could make out a Lady burying her flag in the soil. I couldn't see the rest of the Ladies but I know no one went further than me.
Not long after, the gunshot was heard, signifying the end of the 10 minutes. I clambered down from the tree, making my way back to the field.
***
"The Ladies have now hidden their flags and in a few moments, they will venture into the forest to take as many flags as they can," The herald explained. "The Lady with the most flags will win the challenge and earn 20 points. And the Lady with the most points altogether will win the tournament."
I looked at each of the Ladies. Lady Katherine looked fairly confident but I noticed that her hands were dusty, her shoes muddy. So she was the one who buried her flag. Lady Isadora's face was expressionless, as usual. But, I could make out what looked like a twig in her hair and assumed she had hidden her flag in a tree, but not too high. Ashley had no indicating factors but her normal irritated expression resided on her face. Fiona, as well, didn't have any clues but even if she did, I wasn't planning on stealing any flags from her.
