June 23rd

Thwack. Another arrow from the prince's bow hit the center of the wooden target. To his right side Rogers golf clapped at the perfect shot.

"Another bull's-eye, sir," he announced as if he had made the shot. "Perfect shooting today, Derek."

"Thank you, Rogers," the price replied. He glanced over at Bromley falling asleep on his bow. In Bromley's mind it was just another afternoon wasted on the same old things they did.

"Brom, you'll break your bow if you lean on it," Derek told him. It was a daily routine; shooting until the day passed and Bromley nearly falling asleep. Bromley stood up rubbing his eyes letting his bow fall ungracefully to the ground.

"Can't we do anything else besides shooting? We shoot every day," Bromley asked with childish complaint. Derek nodded in agreement feeling a bit of the boredom himself.

"What do you suggest we do, Brom?" Derek asked handing his bow and quiver to Rodgers to be put away. Bromley stroked his chin and stared at the ground while he thought of something for the two to do.

"We could go into town," Bromley hopefully suggested. Derek's face lit up at the idea, he hadn't been into to town for a long time. A moment later he realized why and his face fell as irritation washed over him.

"We can't go without Odette. Mother would kill us if we went without at least inviting her and you know she loves going into town," Derek solemnly reminded Bromley. Brom's shoulders sagged forward in defeat and now he was at a loss of what to do.

"Why do we have to do everything with her?" Bromley spit out with anger. He always got frustrated that him and Derek couldn't do anything by themselves in the summer.

"You know why, Brom. I hate it just as much as you do," Derek sighed as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

"It didn't seem like it when we went swimming," Bromley commented teasingly with a hint of jealousy. Derek's head snapped up and with wide eyes looked at his best friend as if he uncovered a deep secret and in the process had grown two heads. Before Derek could come up with a half wit reply the rhythm of a horse's trot could be heard on the field coming towards them.

"Speak of the devil," Bromley mutter when he saw who was on top of the white, royal grade stallion. Odette was in a flattering purple dress that was riding up her legs because she was riding like a man. She slowed the horse to a walk as she got closer to the boys and promptly stopped in front of them.

"You ride so ladylike," Derek commented sarcastically when the princess stopped.

"Hello to you, too," Odette replied with the same level of royal sass. "You know I hate riding sidesaddle and Father wouldn't let me bring any of my pants this trip."

"What brings you over here?" Derek asked changing the subject before one of their famous arguments started.

Odette sighed at looked at the two men fully having to shield the sun from her eyes with one hand. Bromley yawned openly when she replied, "Boredom and I see you've caught it too."

Bromley nodded in confirmation that he was bored. Derek looked at the horse then back at the princess.

"What are you suggesting we do?" Derek asked knowing that she had an idea or else she would have never come up to them. Odette gave him a toothy smile and tilted her head replying, "Ride into town and skip tea by going to the beach."

Derek nodded contemplating going with her. He looked around before saying, "You're lucky Rogers isn't here anymore or he would throw a fit at even the thought of skipping tea."

Odette raised an eyebrow at the prince's comment. "Are you saying that you're in?"

"I'm in," Bromley eagerly responded. Derek slowly looked at him surprised before looking back at the waiting Odette.

"We'll meet you at the stables in five," informed Derek. Odette was just about to turn around when Derek inquired, "What's our excuse for missing tea?"

"Derek, darling, we've missed tea so many times that I'm sure we can formulate some half-assed response when we get back that they will buy," Odette stated matter-of-factly before trotting off to the stables.

Derek turned to Bromley with a sigh, "She's pleasant up until her sass kicks in."

The two started walking after the princess when Bromley replied with, "When does her sass not kick in?"

Derek let out a hearty laugh and swung his arm over Brom's shoulders.

"You keep me sane, Brom. You keep me sane."

Seeing the royals put everyone in a happy mood in the town. The two only had minor quarrels; mostly on where to eat or where to shop, but they quickly died down with compromise for the townspeople's sake. The cheery mood infected the prince and princess as well as their friend.

When tea time neared the trio headed out to the beach in order to stay away from the royal guards and Rogers that were surely trying to find and drag them back to the castle.

The salty mist refreshed the young adults and their horses whom were tied to a post yards up the beach with shoes hazardously tossed nearby. Derek, Odette, and Brom stood at the edge where the sand greeted the ocean hesitantly looking out to the future.

"I'm going to miss this," Odette softly spoke snapping the men's attention to her. She could feel their questions washing over her.

"No responsibility, wild, free, erratic, lively, our own sense of anarchy. To think that all of this, all that we do, could be gone in an instant. I'm not ready. I'm not ready to grow up," Odette finished in a broken whisper. Derek and Bromley's eyes were watching her carefully before looking at the horizon letting her words seep into every crevice of themselves. A mourning silence fell over the three as the water periodically grazed their toes. Derek closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the wet air.

"You can't live in the past or the future, Odette." Derek looked at the beauty until she turned and met his gaze. "There is and only will be the present."

"You're wrong," she shook her head. "The past gets you to where you are in the present. The future is what decides what you do with the present."

The royals held each other's eyes in a battle of ideals.

"None of it matters as longs as you are content," Bromley startled the couple. He stepped into the water walking into it until he was knee deep. He turned to the two watching him crouched down and a hand in the water. He swung his hand in their direction effectively spraying Derek and Odette.

"Live a little."

Derek grinned and walked into the water kicking water at his best friend. Odette reached behind her to loosen her corset before wading in the water with the men. Splashing and laughing; living.

Hours later Derek, Odette, and Bromley were running along the edge of the ocean back to where they were before drifting. Odette took the head of the pack arms open wide letting the wind wash away all it needed to as she ran with a smile. Derek in the middle laughing when Odette spun before running again. He hair recklessly blown every which way. Bromley took up the caboose with a large grin and a skip in his run. Odette stopped parallel with the post keeping their horses happily winded. Derek never slowed down when he grabbed her hand and spun her around starting a sloppy swing dance with the princess. Shortly after Bromley stopped close by to watch the two before Odette was spun from Derek to his arms. As the three hazardously danced to laughter Odette switch constantly between the two men.

Another exchange of the maiden was in the process when the legendary clearing of a throat rang out. Odette fell into Derek's chest with dying laughter, but forever a lively smile on her lips.

"You missed tea," Rogers stated standing next to the lone stallions at the post and mounted guard horses.

The three in question exchanged looks with heavy chests searching for the one whom had the half-assed excuse today. Blank stares passed back and forth. Odette, hands still braced against Derek's chest and his arms wrapped around her waist, brightly looked up at Rogers.

"We were living."