Chapter 18: Questions during Practice.

There was a field at the back of the palace. The sun wasn't out much today, and Gwenore had asked the maids to get the items ready where there was shade. Raziah was standing by the side, watching as Gwenore practiced her shooting, trying to hit the bullseye.

She seemed to be struggling with this sport, but she wasn't gonna give up. Gwenore knew she wasn't very good at shooting arrows - she was a swords person and even though she's been practicing her Archery skills for a while now, she just couldn't get it. She didn't want to fail this sport, not in front of everyone.

And definitely not in front of His Majesty of Erandell.

Gwenore sighed as the arrow she shot missed again, and she pulled another one out again and aimed. Glancing at Raziah, she saw the woman's uninteresting eyes staring up at the sky. Raziah stood inside the sun, and even though it wasn't very sunny that day, her Golden hair seemed to be glowing, and her skin was just sparkling.

"For how long have you known his Majesty?" Gwenore finally broke the silence.

"Not too long," Raziah replied as Gwenore took another shot, but missed again.

"How long exactly?" She questioned softly.

"A few weeks,"

Gwenore paused. She had already pulled the string of the bow, right before her eyes narrowed slightly and she dropped her hands. Her eyes were on the ever-small circles of the target with different colors, but she was deep in thought. It has been itching her ever since she saw Raziah last night, and she just couldn't take it off her mind - or believe what other people are saying.

"How close are the both of you?" She asked again, aiming for the target once again. She released the arrow, and it didn't even hit any of the circles this time, making her eyes twitch.

"We aren't that close,"

"I find that very hard to believe considering the way he was staring at you Last night,"

"I didn't know about that," Raziah responded. Could it be that this Princess was jealous of her or something? If that was the case, then she needn't do that. It was Raziah's turn to sigh - she really should talk to her husband about this matter on ground before it leads to more confusion. She regretted ever telling him that she won't ask any questions, being the king's guest was a very bad title for her, and it wasn't just right.

Gwenore was about to shoot again when Raziah approached the princess. The breeze swept by at that moment, making Gwenore's long dark hair dance with it. Raziah stopped right beside her and said, "I hope you don't mind what I'm about to do. Take your Archery stance, you're doing many things wrong,"

Puzzled, Gwenore stumbled out, "You know how to use a bow and arrow?"

Raziah nodded, "I've read a lot about it." Raziah placed her hand on the princess's shoulder, "You're a little stiff. You're about to set the arrow free, so if you're not free yourself it won't hit the target." Raziah advised, and arranged the woman's stance. At first, Gwenore thought she was just messing with her, but there was only one look on Raziah's face which never changed.

Raziah told her how she should move, and the best way to aim for the bullseye. Standing behind her, they both aimed for the target, and released the arrow. Gwenore was bewildered when the arrow hit the bullseye this time before she dropped her hands. Her lips were hanging open, then she turned and faced Raziah.

"Where are you from?"

"The kingdom of Naria."

Gwenore bit her lips, "I don't think simply reading would bring this sort of result. I Never hit the bullseye, not even when my father or aunt taught me. Where did you learn all this?"

"I have a friend who helped me practice,"

"Are you sure you're just a commoner? Like I said before, I find it very hard to believe that someone like you is just an ordinary person. I get this itchy feeling that keeps telling me that you're more than just the king's guest. If you're just his guest, I don't see why he would bring you along with him when my father can send him as many women as possible whenever he gets the need,"

"I don't see why too. When he asked me to escort him here, I couldn't say no to him. I hope you understand," Raziah was ashamed right now. Her mother's words kept repeating themselves in her mind, and she took in deep breaths to calm down her nerves. Would it kill his Majesty to tell everyone that she was his bride? She had to know the reason, she won't continue keeping herself in the dark.

"I've been trying to understand," Gwenore followed Raziah's instructions and took her stance perfectly, "I really have, but I have this strong hunch that you're more than just a commoner. Who were your parents and what status did they hold in Naria?"

"I'm a commoner,"

Suddenly, Gwenore threw the bow at Raziah. Instincts kicked in, and Raziah caught it fluidly. Gwenore kept taking note of every movement and action, handing her an arrow too, "How about you shoot? I want to see how good you're,"

They exchanged positions, and Raziah took her stance and aimed for the target. Archery has always been one of the most difficult sports out there, and it takes a lot of training to be able to shoot perfectly. Back at Naria, Malcolm had taught her a lot concerning what she knew today. Malcolm was one of the best warriors she's ever met, and she didn't want to be an idle Princess and had pushed him to teach her all that he knew about offense and defense.

Raziah released the arrow, and it hit the first circle on the target. She would have gone for the red circle in the middle, but that would make Gwenore even more suspicious about her origin. The last thing she wanted right now was someone to go digging into her past and find out the bitter truth about what happened to her.

She would keep that grave secret to her grave.

No one else, Apart from Ms. Ophelia, Malcolm, Maria, and one more person can ever find out that she's the lost and forgotten Princess...

Not of Naria, but another Kingdom that died many years ago.

"Are you kidding me? You just faked that shot, didn't you?" Gwenore was visibly Angry this time. Both of them had just hit the bullseye a minute ago, and now this? How absurd can a person get?

"The first one was luck I guess. I was only trying to help because you looked so determined and serious,"

"Of course," she collected the bow from Raziah. She couldn't even decide what to do with Raziah - she didn't know whether she should be mad. But one thing was for sure - she wasn't gonna believe a word Raziah was saying about her archery skills, and her relationship with his Majesty, "I have to win and impress his Majesty,"

"Good luck then," Raziah said sincerely. From the interactions she had witnessed between his Majesty and Gwenore, it was so damn obvious that she was head over heels for him, and Raziah doesn't mind sharing her husband with another woman. She was that type of person from the start.

After Gwenore dismissed her, Raziah found her way back into the palace again. She was ready to confront her husband and get some explanation on why he was doing all this. She needed answers, and if she has to yell at him then she wouldn't hesitate. Her anger was now overflowing, and controlling herself was taking a toll on her mind.

On her way, she came across someone who looked like Gwenore. Like the King here, he also had short hair but seemed taller. His attire told her that he must be a prince. He was speaking to a guard by the corner and didn't see her at first till her scent invaded his nostrils.