"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.
Arnold grinned at Eldon and narrowed his eyes. "Because he has competition now. Poor Booker couldn't get the girl this time."
Eldon almost snarled at him until he noticed Booker shaking.
Annaliese, on the other hand, growled under her breath. She stepped up to Arnold and gestured to her bow. "Would you kindly silence yourself before I shoot an arrow through your skull?"
Arnold gaped at her. Before he could say anything, the captain made his way over.
Looking directly at Eldon, he said, "You're in luck—"
"Good morning, Your Highness!" Booker blurted, waving his right hand.
Many groaned while others just shook their heads. Annaliese and David exchanged glances. Elouise, of course, wasn't bothered by this. She gave Booker a small smile and greeted him in return.
"You look amazing today, Your Highness," Booker continued, ignoring the subtle nudging from Annaliese. "N-Not that you don't always look—"
"Booker!" the captain bellowed. And Booker bowed his head, pouting.
The captain apologized to Elouise before continuing his original statement to Eldon. "As I was saying, you are in luck today, trainee. Your break begins now. Half an hour early. Thanks to Her Highness who would like to speak with you."
Booker sighed, and Arnold snickered. Annaliese raised her fist as if to punch Arnold. But she probably thought better about it because she then moved her fist behind her back and grumbled to herself.
Eldon quickly organized the bow and quiver back with the others while Elouise walked forward. When he walked past the line of trainees again, he heard Arnold mumble under his breath, "And that's how you get the girl."
This time, since the captain wasn't looking, Annaliese did throw her punch.
Once Eldon reached Elouise, he asked, "Somethin' wrong?"
Elouise didn't say anything until they reached the ash tree at the top of the hill. There, she took a deep breath, looking everywhere but at him. "Well, I have merely been wondering how you are?" Then her troubled gaze finally met his. "And I never... I never thanked you. For what you did to my father."
Eldon raised his eyebrows, stunned by how much that last part seemed to mean to her. "You don't gotta thank me."
"No, Eldon, I must. Because my father is alive, but he will never know that it was you who healed him." She turned away, her lip curling in disgust. "He believes what he was told by Dr. Rolfe... that Godwin saved him."
"Better that than him knowin' 'bout magic. And it ain't like we're gonna see that Godwin again."
Elouise glanced back at him and sighed. "I told Fayre a while ago. So, at least someone else knows the truth."
It didn't matter to Eldon either way. He nodded anyway, though.
Elouise opened her mouth, inhaling softly like she was preparing herself to say more. Maybe it was what she really came here to talk to him about. Then she paused, dropping her attention to the ground.
Eldon took a step closer. "I'm doin' just fine," he answered the first question she'd asked him. "But what 'bout you?"
The faint creases in her forehead straightened as she looked him in the eyes once more. Gently, she placed a hand on his arm, and she said, "If you are alright, then I am as well." With that, she stepped back and turned to leave.
And she stopped suddenly. Without looking in his direction, she added, "Perhaps you could meet me in the field this evening... right where we first met."
Eldon blinked, unsure what she wanted to say to him there that she couldn't just say to him now. But he agreed. Then she only further added to his confusion by asking him to make sure he brought his sword, bow, and plenty of arrows. And she left without giving him time to question her. Maybe that was the point, though.
The trainees noticed her walking away and called out goodbyes to her. Elouise smiled at them and gracefully waved in return.
Eldon moved closer to the tree and leaned against it, thinking over their brief conversation. There was supposed to be more to it, he knew. And it unnerved him how desperately she was trying—and failing—to keep things from him. He figured she would explain it all to him later, away from any possible eavesdroppers.
So, he returned to the others.
According to the captain, because Eldon was already granted the title as Elouise's personal knight by the king, his training wouldn't last as long.
Just a few months of agony.
Just enough to prove to the captain that Eldon really was worthy of the title.
Eldon yanked on the high collar of his black undershirt. Then he picked at the thick burgundy tunic, feeling suffocated. Just a few more months of having to train in this uniform.
Although, from what he'd seen, the official knight's uniform wasn't much more comfortable.
"Trainee!" the captain shouted, waving his arm to capture his already fully gained attention.
Eldon bit down on his tongue, resisting a groan as he faced him.
"If you are done dawdling, get back here!"
He bit down harder as he dragged himself back. The evening couldn't come fast enough.