The Forgotten Princess (Forgotten Royals)

Chapter Seven

The arrow sailed through the air, hitting its mark with rapid precision, as fast and efficient as the way Prince Hal ruined my life. My fingers burned to loose another, but with one of the wretched Lancasters as the target.

I scowled, imagining striking King Henry. A terrible thought and I would have to pray for forgiveness, but right now I allowed my sinful wrath to have free rein. Any hope of a future had been destroyed. If I extinguished my anger, I would only have fear and shame for failing my siblings.

My mood wasn't helped by the young men who abandoned their archery when I showed up. If I were any other lady, they would have stayed to demonstrate their adequate skills and bask in my admiration if they managed to hit the target. Instead, these brave soldiers fled as if I were Medusa.

"Are you finished, my lady?" Catrin folded her arms, aware that she could be as insolent as she liked to a mistress who couldn't afford to retain her. "I'm fairly certain you could hit the target blindfolded at this point."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not the one being ridiculous." She rubbed her hands together in a futile attempt to fight the January cold. "Shouldn't we be leaving this house of murderers?"

My mouth twitched at her disrespect for Windsor Castle. "Where am I to go? I am out of options."

"You're very pretty, my lady. Aim for a gentleman as your protector." She took the bow from me and pretended to let an arrow fly, though with her stance she would only hit a gentleman's bottom. "You never miss your target."

I snatched it back from her. "I cannot hit a target when it flees from me as if being pursued by the hounds of hell."

Not that I wanted to pledge my troth to a stranger and spend the rest of my life acting grateful to a man for rescuing me. The very thought made me shudder.

Catrin frowned. "Then what are you to do, my lady? Blindfolded archery in the streets for coins?"

I set the bow down. "I'll have no choice. I must swallow my pride and plead with my stepfather. Perhaps the promise of any money will be enough for him to house us."

It wasn't a much better option than marriage. But at least I wouldn't have to bed him.

"I cannot say I'd hate being closer to home," Catrin said. "But I know you don't want to return."

Not without Mama. Not without some hope for stability and future. Despite the tense circumstances, I still felt more at home in the shadowy royal court than I ever did with my stepfather.

Too frustrated to continue archery, we walked through the frigid courtyard, my thoughts as bleak as the iron sky. Catrin chattered a bit about some of the gossip she learned, but I cared little for news of the Queen's relationship with the King or about how she missed her homeland.

Catrin sighed. "Nothing will cheer you up, my lady?"

"Not unless King Arthur returns and restores justice to this land," I jested in a sour tone.

She nudged me. "Not even a certain rogue approaching?"

I turned as Richard strode forward in our direction. The cold day melted away at Richard's sunny smile. Another young man accompanied him, but he was only a shadow to me.

"Good day, Lady Anne," he said. "How do you fare on this fine day?"

The cold dug into me and all I wanted was to sleep away this day and all those that followed. But I forced a pleasant face, not wanting to drag Richard down into my purgatory. "Quite well, my lord."