"Lower your bows!" the captain barked.
All at once, the trainees relaxed their shoulders and brought their weapons down to their sides. Except for Booker who not only dropped his bow but also himself. He kept panting, his face turning a shade of red that Eldon had never seen.
"Hang in there, B," Annaliese told him, smiling down at him.
"I- I can't. Too... too much. I'm, I'm going to be sick." Booker covered his mouth with his hands.
"You say that every time," David teased, earning a laugh from Annaliese.
Booker removed his hands long enough to say, "This time... I mean it. I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have eaten that second helping." Then he gagged.
Eldon wrinkled his nose and looked away. But David and Annaliese were right—Booker's complaints and exaggerations were an endless cycle. Especially at night. Eldon knew too well since they were roommates. Booker's room in the barracks was the only one with an extra empty bed. Or so the captain said.
Leanne had lucked out.
Eldon eyed her over at the training grounds in front of the barracks. She complained enough about not needing archery lessons that the captain sent her off to spar with Sir Aaron instead.
"Booker, get up," the captain demanded, regaining Eldon's attention.
Booker whined softly. "But sir—"
"Up."
"Yes, sir!" Booker scrambled to his feet and gulped.
The captain raised an eyebrow at him, but he quickly turned his attention to Annaliese. He stepped in front of her, studying her. She didn't flinch at all. Satisfied, the old man moved back down the line and paused in front of Eldon.
Eldon blinked, unfazed by this show of intimidation. The captain never took his eyes off Eldon as he pointed to the target Eldon had been practicing on.
"You never once missed the center," he said. "Are you proud of yourself?"
Eldon tilted his head and blinked. "No, sir."
The captain chuckled dryly. "Oh, he's modest." Then his expression turned grim. "I despise that."
"Why?" Booker asked, sincere curiosity and concern intertwined in his tone. Nobody answered.
Instead, gasps echoed down the line of trainees, followed by rapid whispers.
"Her Highness is coming this way!"
"It's Her Highness!"
"Princess Elouise!"
"Do I look alright?"
"Great Holy Deity! I can't have her seeing me this way."
The captain snapped his fingers, hushing everyone, and then he hurried to meet with Elouise halfway. Eldon turned his body to get a better look at her. He noticed how pale she was, and he felt his stomach sink. Something had to be wrong. She wouldn't have come rushing out here like this otherwise.
"Now I'm truly going to be sick," Booker murmured behind his hands.
The oldest trainee—a young man by the name of Arnold—pointed to Booker. "What's the matter? Why are you so nervous? I thought you were such good friends with the princess."
Eldon rolled his eyes when he heard some trainees laugh at that.
"He's scared out of his wits!" one of them teased.
YOU ARE READING
A Guardian's Fate (Book #2)
Fantasy(BOOK #2 in the Secrets of Aristol series.) It's almost been three months since Elouise's birthday. Although she's kept herself distracted by Beatrice's past, she's left with more questions. Perhaps she isn't concentrating hard enough. After all, sh...
