The Ghost of a Prince

Chapter 22

Philip made archery look simple.

Even that movie with Jennifer Lawrence or the way Jeremy Renner pulled arrow after arrow after arrow made archery look like an easy thing. It couldn't be very complicated, you look at the target pull the string and release the arrow. It didn't seem like something that would require a lot of effort on her part like the warhammer or the flail.

Apparently, Valerie's assumption was horribly misled.

More arrows than what her pride allowed her to count had fallen to the grass before she even got a chance to shoot them and those she had been able to shoot missed the target by far. One passed so dangerously close to a fairy who stopped what they were doing to berate Valerie for her recklessness. Arthur had done little but apologize to the fairy only to laugh at Valerie the moment the fairy wasn't in a distance where they could hear anymore.

"You have to even your breath." Arthur instructed, putting a hand on her shoulder. "If you are as tense as your bow it won't work out." he tried. Valerie took a deep breath and lowered her bow. "And before you ask, I already told you, knights have to know the different kinds of weapons, your position changes according to need and skill."

"I've never seen you shoot an arrow." Valerie complained. Arthur took the bow from her hands and shot the arrow. It landed close enough to the center of the target for Valerie to puff her cheeks in discontent.

"You were saying?"

There was a teasing tone in his voice as Valerie hastily took the bow from his hands. "You still didn't hit the center." she mumbled, and Arthur laughed.

"I'm a more skilled swordsman than archer." he shrugged. "Did you expect archery would be easy?" He lifted an eyebrow; Valerie's cheeks turned a bright shade of pink.

"No..."

"Of course." he nodded, a smile still on his lips. "Shoot then."

"How long will we be doing this?" Valerie pressed, Arthur put a finger over his lips.

"Until you hit three arrows on the center." he instructed. Valerie's shoulders dropped and she lowered the bow and the arrow she was holding

"Why three?"

"One might be luck, two is for good measure and with three I know for certain you learnt."

"Fine." Valerie surrendered, aiming at the target.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Valerie walked back and forth in her bedroom floor. Jonathan had his entire attention on the small stack of papers in front of him. Gabriel and Audrey had found themselves a place to sit and were chatting amongst themselves, their hands together while the oldest graded their mock-up exams.

Her heart was jumping in her chest. It wasn't the first time they did such practice. As the date for her to apply her entrance exam for the college where she wanted to study her A-levels approached, her nervousness only grew.

"Is there much left?" she tried. Jonathan barely lifted his eyes from the paper as he shook his head.

"I'm sure you'll get in." Gabriel spoke, a soft, dismissive laughter in his tone. Valerie turned to him, to see Audrey nodding by his side.

It would be months before they would truly have to worry about any entrance exam or GSCEs. Audrey had to put most of her focus on her upcoming audition. Gabriel had to put most of his in his current grades and making the required video of him practicing football that his school required of any potential student. They were mostly there in moral support and for the fun of hanging out.