Introductions
"Quickly now, Sam." Pappa rushes me. He sounds almost scared; maybe he's just worried that I'll embarrass him. King Genn Greymane is coming and it would be real bad if we aren't ready before he gets to us. Pappa kneels and bows his head; I just do what he does. Maybe not as well as he does, but Pappa doesn't correct me so it must be okay. We put our bows on the ground in front of us. Pappa says we aren't to have any weapons in our hands or we look like we want to hurt the King.
We look a lot alike right now; both of us have short black hair and blue eyes. Momma called them cornflower blue. Pappa has gray in his hair, some say he is seasoned. As for me, I've heard them call me green as the day is young. I can't argue with that, I don't even know what it means.
"Wyman, if I may have a moment of your time." The King's voice is deep and scary. It's like he asks but not asks, he tells Pappa, ordering him. He stands tall, strong with wide shoulders. I steal a peak at him and I'm glad he's only looking at Pappa.
"My time is yours to command, your majesty." While Pappa's voice is as deep as the King's it doesn't have the same affect. Not that I'd ever tell Pappa that. He'd box my ears!
The King nods, "Good man. Come and walk with me. I have an appointment that I cannot circumvent much longer." Without waiting, he turns on his heel and walks back to the castle. I stare at his hands that are folded behind him. I'm not sure what circumventing is but Pappa better hurry up before something bad happens.
"Yes, your majesty." Pappa shoots a warning glance at me. I tried to grin but he frowns. I know that look, it means I am supposed to behave. We're at the shooting range; I'm alwayssupposed to behave out here. If I'm not, people can get hurt! Pappa says range manners are very important.
The King walks with his head held high, I tried mimicking his walk, it feels weird and I almost fell over a rock. I'm not the most graceful kid but walking like that isn't natural. I can hear him talking to Pappa but his words are drifting away with them. So I do what any smart 9-year-old would do. I follow in the shadows. "I have been informed that you are my best marksman." Pappa is the best shot in all of Gilneas. "I have need of your service. My son is coming of age and needs to be instructed." The King's son… Liam? Prince Liam? Ha, he can't shoot? "Trouble is his previous instructors coddle him." Coddling is bad. I ran out of boxes to hide behind. They're walking farther away. I see another I can hide behind if they'd just walk a few more steps. "He is a prince, one that must learn to defend and lead his people. Liam is our future king and it will not do Gilneas any favors by having a weak king."
The King looks behind them, but I'm hiding. He can't see me. "The child you were instructing…" Child? Oh me!
"Aye, your majesty, the child is mine, Sam by name." Pappa looks behind them, too. Right at me! My stomach jumps, how did he see me? How does Pappa alwaysknow?
The King nods again, "Excellent, they appear to be about the same age. Perhaps some competition is what my son needs. Training alone will not do him good." He stops at the castle door and turns to Pappa, "See that it is done."
Pappa bows, "Aye, your majesty, I will train the Prince as I have my own. No preferential treatment will be given."
The King looks back again. "As for you, Sam," I squeaked, I didn't mean to but being caught by the King scared me. "While I expect you to remember that he is the prince, don't go too easy on him."
"Y-yes, your majesty." Aw, my voice was shaking. Now they know he scared me. Oh like that squeak wasn't clue enough?
The King gives Pappa a wink and a pat on the shoulder before walking into the castle. I have to pee. "Sam." Pappa sounds disappointed. I guess because the King saw me. I really do need to pee.
"Yes, Pappa?" I'm not coming out of these shadows until he stops being mad at me. Oh that look, that's the get over here now or else look. "Do I really have to train with the prince? Really?"
Pappa frowns. Oh that's the you're not making this better look, "Samantha."
"But boys are so icky." I give him my best puppy dog eyes, please, please, please don't make me look.
Pappa puts his arm around me and walks us back to the shooting range. "Aye, you brought that upon yourself. Had you only listened-"
"I did listen, Pappa. I stayed close enough to hear-" Ow, his grip on my shoulder just got tighter. "I'm sorry, Pappa."
"Prince Liam is indeed the same age as you. Though why he would wish his son to train with a young girl is beyond my reasoning." Pappa ruffles my hair. I hate when he does that, it gets all in my eyes. "I'm guessing the King believes you to be a boy," Me? A boy? That's just wrong. Wasn't Pappa listening? Boys are icky. I'm a girl, I'm not icky. "And you are not to tell him otherwise, understand?" Pappa gives his or elselook.
"What if he asks?" I'm sure Pappa won't want me to lie to the King!
"Then you are not to lie, but if he doesn't ask…" Pappa picks up our bows and hands me mine. He's got a weird look on his face. Maybe I shouldn't have followed them.
"Yes, Pappa." Okay so don't tell but don't lie, I can do that. Oh, but… "I think there's gonna be a time they figure it out. I mean, Momma had um…" My face gets hot, I blushed. Well it isn't my fault I'm a girl, girls get boobs and if that happens, I think they're going to figure out I'm not a boy. "Or maybe I won't since I don't exactly look like Momma's pictures…"
"You look more like your Momma than you realize, pup." Pappa musses up my hair again. I just wrinkle my nose at him and he chuckles. Oh, now I really, really need to pee!
My stomach hurts. Pappa says I'm nervous. I guess he's right. Pappa usually is. I check my stance, hold my nocked arrow steady and draw. Taking aim, I can feel the breeze tease at the ends of my hair. It tickles my neck, so I adjust before loosing my arrow. Yes! I hit the target, okay it went wide left, but I hit it.
"Good, Sam." Pappa nods his approval. "Now, your majesty, let's see what you know. Show me your stance."
Prince Liam frowns, picks up his practice bow and turns into his stance. "Why do I have to shoot a bow and not a gun?"
He sounds so whiney. Just like a boy to complain instead of just being happy someone as smart as Pappa is teaching him. He's just lucky Pappa is a patient man.
Pappa takes a knee in front of Prince Liam, adjusting his stance by turning his foot out. "A gun has recoil that a bow does not. A gun will make a ruckus that your parents will not appreciate, where a bow does not. Now you'll want to keep your stance at shoulder width apart for stability." Pappa nods when Prince Liam adjusts. "Good, now watch your arm. If you turn it this way, it may be injured when the string snaps back. It is most unpleasant and the bruise will be a nasty reminder."
Prince Liam concentrates and turns his elbow out, "Like this?"
"Excellent, your majesty, now take this arrow." Pappa lays an arrow on his grip hand and nocks it for him. "Hold the string with these three fingers. Just so, right, now draw the string back and hold it."
Prince Liam draws the string, his eyes widen. A deterimined look crosses his face and he holds like he is told. Hmm, he follows directions at least. I wonder why his eyes got all big like that.
"Look down the point of the arrow towards the target." Pappa points down the range at the target. Prince Liam closes one eye aiming down the length of the arrow. "Now, loose."
Prince Liam frowns, "I…"
"Let the arrow go," I didn't mean to say it, it slipped out.
Prince Liam gives me a mean look. He doesn't like me. That's okay, I don't like him either. This is my time with Pappa and now I have to share it with him. Prince Liam aims again, his arm is shaking now. Must be hard for his weak little arms to hold a draw for so long. Then again, how long have I ever held one? I won't admit anything, that would make him feel better and I don't care to make him feel better. Prince Liam lets the arrow fly towards the target. It comes up short.
"Excellent, that was a decent first try." Prince Liam looks at me. I have to look away so he doesn't see me laugh. "Don't be fooled, Sam's arrow didn't get nearly as far first try." Pappa doesn't mention I was only 5 at the time.
I want to correct him but Pappa is giving me one of his looks. So instead I grab another arrow from the quiver. "Sam, feel the breeze, its shifting."
The wind, right. I take a deep breath and sigh. "I don't feel it."
Pappa grins. "The wind is still, pup."
Prince Liam snorts. This time I don't hide my anger. He thinks he's so much better than me? Okay so he's a prince and I'm a guardsman's daughter, but still at least I can hit the target. Okay ignore him and take aim. The breeze… the wind… I move the tip slightly and loose the arrow. It flies and hits the target far right.
"At least I can hit the target." I mumbled it to myself just loud enough for Prince Liam to hear me, but not Pappa. Pappa would be disappointed if he heard.