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Adrika
Brianna placed her hand on my arm as we meandered through the mazelike garden beside the castle. “Just wait until you see what is planned for tomorrow night for the adults.”
We had been in Aisling for almost a week. It seemed the queen had plans for the entire family for every minute of every day. I was not used to so much activity, nor being around other people for every waking hour. It was exhausting.
In a few quick steps, Deidre caught up to us. “Oh Momma, please allow me come this time. I am almost sixteen. Is that not close enough to being an adult? If Rika is going, then I want to be there too.”
“This is for the married couples. It is wonderful that you are so fond of Adrika, but trust me, she will want to spend some time with her new husband. You need to stop trying to monopolize her time.”
Deidre’s bottom lip pushed out into a pout, and she fell back to walk beside Gwen. There was nothing for me to say. Honestly, time with just me and Rian seemed like a wonderful dream at this point, but it did not sound as if we would be alone in these plans Brianna had for the adults.
We came around the final hedge that brought us to our destination—the archery range. Deidre had invited me to practice in years past, but my parents would never allow me to participate. It felt daring to attempt it even now. Rian’s encouragement had prompted me to accept Gwen’s offer to give me lessons, but now that I was here, I felt shaken and unsure. My sisters-in-law were known for their prowess. If rumor could be trusted, both had marched into battle while I had rarely even left the grounds of the castle.
A small table sat between the two ranges with a stand on each side holding arrows. As we drew closer, I noticed the row of intimidating, thin-bladed knives lining the table’s surface. I did not even want to think about what those were used for. Sweat trickled down my back, causing a shiver.
Gwen took up one of the bows and an arrow from the stand. She stood in line with one of the targets. “Here, I will go first to show you how it is done. You stand with your body angled to the target like this.”
I turned my body to mimic hers. Another target was set up for Brianna and Deidre, but they were both watching our lesson, which only made it more uncomfortable for me.
“Make sure you hold your arm level. Take your time, aim, take a deep breath and release it along with the arrow.” Her arrow flew straight to the dark center of the board with a thump. Why could she have not hit one of the outside rings? It was doubtful I would ever be able to hit the center.
“Now you try.” Gwen handed the bow to me. It felt awkward in my hands.
I held it up the way I had seen her do it and pulled back on the bowstring, trying to get a feel for the weapon. I chose an arrow while a young servant pulled Gwen’s arrow from the center of the target—as if I needed that space to land my own. I would be lucky to hit one of the outer rings.
I placed the arrow against the bowstring and pulled it back, expecting any minute for Gwen to tell me I was doing it wrong. My arms quivered with the effort. My muscles were giving out as I tried to aim, leaving me no choice but to release it. The arrow did not even make it to the target. It was not even in line with the target.
No one said anything. The two women beside us finally began concentrating on their own practice. I hoped to be relieved of the bow for a moment as Gwen took her turn, but she continued to instruct me.
“Hold your elbow higher. For now, you need to release the arrow as quickly as you can before your muscles give out. You will gain more strength with practice.”
After three more shots, I was able to hit the target. It grazed the edge just before landing in the grass where the others had gone. There was no sense of accomplishment. I wanted to scream in frustration. Here I was, not measuring up again. I would never make it up to the skills of these women, and at the same time, I could not quit.
As I reached for an arrow, the gleam from one of the knife blades caught my eye. I grabbed one of those instead and slung it with all my might toward the target. Time seemed to slow down as the knife flipped through the air, giving me time to think about what I had just done. My temper was on display for the women in Rian’s family to see. I had made a fool of myself and my actions would be amplified once the knife hit the ground like the arrows I had sent before it.
All sound faded except for the vibrating thud of the knife point hitting the bulls-eye. There was a moment more of silence before Deidre’s cheers split the air. Brianna reached across the table to grab my arm with a big grin on her face, and Gwen slapped me on the shoulder.
“Who needs a bow and arrow? Give this girl a knife, and watch your back.” Gwen was actually laughing, as if I had accomplished a great wonder. Surely these women were just as efficient at throwing a knife. Besides, I probably would not be able to do it again if my life depended on it.
Brianna leaned in toward me. “Had you trained with a knife before?”
Her question was a foreign one. It was certainly something I never thought I would hear. “No, my parents only allowed a staff.”
Gwen rubbed her hands together in front of her, a silly grin lighting her face. “Oh, I have always wanted to learn to use one of those. I bet I could use it on Reagan without causing too much damage.”
I laughed at the remark without revealing the fact that I had indeed used it on Rian once. These two queens were turning out to be nothing like I had imagined. I promised to teach them how to use a staff, and then we practiced some more. I threw three more knives, hitting the target in various places every time. Before we left, I had also managed to land an arrow as well.
A table was set with dishes in the garden closest to the castle when we got back. It was evident that we would be dining outside for the noon meal. I had worked up the biggest appetite. Our dinner could not come soon enough.
August came running out the back door and flew into her mother’s arms. “Mom, make Dallas stop calling me Gussie. He has Tomas calling me that now as well.”
Gwen pushed flaming red hair back from the girl’s face. “He has been calling you that for his entire life, and you have never minded before.”
Her freckled nose wrinkled as her green eyes looked up into her mother’s blue ones. “Yes, but I will be a teenager later this year. Gussie is a baby name.”
The two named boys came running out just ahead of their father, who carried Caitlin. She and Nic favored Reagan, the younger two boys had blond hair and blue eyes just like Gwen, making August the odd one out. The girl instinctively moved to the side when her father got there. Reagan drew his wife in with his free arm and placed a lingering kiss on her lips. I could not help but envy the picture they made. He whispered in Gwen’s ear, bringing a smile to her lips and a blush to her cheeks.
Gwen took the toddler from him. “Hello, Sunshine, are you hungry? I bet you are.” She swayed back and forth smiling at the girl as Reagan stood transfixed by the scene. Would I ever have that with Rian? I ended my staring, hopefully before anyone had noticed, and looked out over the Moya Ocean instead.
“Dallas, Tomas, come with me. The men are eating inside today.” Reagan held the door long enough for them to scoot through before entering behind them.
I had been around these two royal couples all my life. I had watched their families grow. But I never thought I might have the same for myself. Here were two confident mothers that were so unlike my own. They had a relationship with their children and husbands that I had never experienced before. How different my life would have been if I had come from such a family.
For the first time, I knew without a doubt—this was what I wanted for my future. I wanted a loving relationship with my husband. I wanted our children to have the freedom of familiarity with their parents. Was there even a remote possibility of me having that with Rian?