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...
"With all that said, please enjoy the tournament and don't forget to take your Citizen's Vote. All snacks purchased at the Royal Snack Stand are 10% off but only for the first half so don't miss out!" The herald announced, shooting the crowd a wink.
My stomach grumbled at the sound of food. I was extremely hungry and the mixture of hunger and nervousness in my stomach didn't feel good.
"The Tournament will start of with archery. The 6 Ladies will be given bows and arrows and will have to aim at a target board. The Lady with the most points will win this round. Ladies, get into position."
I've done archery before. I can do archery. I can do this, I desperately tried to calm myself.
"I hope all of you are ready to lose," Esme sing-songed as she stepped forward towards the target board.
The crowd went silent as she picked up her box and arrow, her brows furrowed in a pretty concentration.
Everyone watched in a stunned silence as Esme pulled back the string and released, the arrow missing the bullseye by just a few millimetres. The crowd erupted in cheers as Esme was handed another arrow. This time, the arrow landed a few micrometers near the bullseye. Esme's eyes hardened and the determination in them was evident.
On the third round, Esme hit the bullseye and the crowd went wild. Esme turned to the royal family's tent and bowed before giving each Lady a smug, confident look.
"An amazing performance from Lady Esme. Next up, we have Lady Ashley Fulton. Do you think Lady Ashley can beat Lady Esme's top score?" The herald asked and the crowd replied in a mixture of 'yes' and 'no's.
Ashley didn't refrain from rolling her eyes as she took Esme's place a few metres away from the target board. Ashley's performance was not even nearly as good as Esme's though it wasn't all that bad. It was what I could describe as average. The crowd cheered nonetheless but Ashley didn't look impressed, as she shot Esme a murderous glare.
To be honest, the dynamic of their friendship confused me more than Algebra. Ashley seemed to 'worship' Esme but never ceased to bite back or shoot her murderous glares when they were needed. It seemed like they both didn't care for one another in the least bit and only stuck together to keep an eye for the other as they were both the biggest competition.
"Nice try, Ashley," Esme pursed her lips, not hiding the amused expression on her face.
"Wish I'd just pictured you instead of the target board," Ashley muttered in response.
I stifled a giggle as I turned my attention to the next Lady.
The next 2 Ladies, Lady Katherine and Lady Isadora where...not too far from horrible. Lady Katherine fumbled with the bow, dropping it on the grass far too many times. It was obvious the crowd saw her as amusement as they started laughing once she'd started. When she was done, she didn't hide the angry expression that resided on her face, Ashley and Esme giggling as she fumed.
Luckily, Lady Isadora was at least able to hold the bow but whenever she aimed and shot, she missed the target board. She walked back dejectedly, her extremely slender frame looked like it could be blown away in the breeze.
"Lady Fiona Kensley."
"Wish me luck," Fiona sighed.
"I bet you'll ace this," I whispered as she walked further on.
The first time, Fiona missed the bullseye and the second time, her arrow missed the target board altogether. I watched as her slender fingers shook as she took the third arrow. Her brow was furrowed in determination, her eyes narrowed in concentration before she released.
The arrow went right through the bullseye and the crowd blew up in cheers. I couldn't refrain from cheering, gaining disgusted looks from Ashley and Esme.
"She only got the bullseye because she was lucky," Ashley examined her fingernails.
"She got it nonetheless," I retorted.
"Lady Madeline Prowess."
"You're up," Fiona gave me a small smile before I stepped forward, my insides clenching in anticipation and fear.
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I'm in a Zoom meeting right now but I couldn't wait to post this. What do you think of the first Ladies' performance? What do you expect in the chapters to come? What do you think of the characters? Who's your favourite and who's your least?
Don't forget to vote, comment and share. Ly!
And stay safe as well guys. Wear your masks and don't go out unless necessary.
