Nock, aim, release.
The sound of the arrow whistling through the air right before it hit was rhythmic, soothing, as natural to me as breathing.
Nock, aim—twang.
The sound was entirely wrong, and I grimaced as the bowstring snapped, lashing out, although fortunately only glancing off my chest. It stung, but my jacket had mostly absorbed the blow, and I could ignore the minor pain. Instead, I stared at the bow in my hands, the string hanging in half off either side, and resisted the urge to break it over my knee.
“Son of Zinos!”
Captain Rowan jogged up to me. “I was called?”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re funny.”
“I do try. How long has it been since you’ve restrung your bow?”
“For the life of me, I can’t remember. But clearly I haven’t replaced the string in a while.” Target practice bows needed their strings replaced at least once a year, just from the wear and tear.Hunting bows could go up to three years, sometimes, but my bows? I always replaced the strings once a year.
Until this year. Apparently, I’d had too much on my mind to remember.
His tone turned gentle. “Are you all right?”
“I’m not hurt,” I said with a sigh. “Just pissed off. I ran into the queen in the hallway, and she said something she really shouldn’t have.”
“Sounds on par for her,” Captain Rowan surprised me by saying.
Ho, what was this? Had he finally started to lower his guard around me to be the very frank man I knew him to be? Well, well, well, perhaps today wasn’t a complete shitshow after all.
I rewarded the candor with, “Yes, unfortunately, it is. She had the audacity to say training all of you was beneath me.”
“Ah, I can see how that would upset you. You do not believe any life is above another’s.”
“That I do not.”
Captain Rowan took the bow from my hand. “I’ll have the string replaced for you. Why don’t you and I spar while waiting on Collins?”
In all honesty, I wasn’t in the mood for people today. I wanted my Edwin. That’s all, just Edwin.
But I couldn’t go to Edwin and vent like I normally would. I couldn’t pour my heart out to him and have him listen, advise, and soothe me. I had no one to turn to for comfort, and the loneliness ached like an open wound.
So, while I didn’t really want people, I chose to accept Captain Rowan’s offer. Someone was better than no one, and I’d promised my help to Sir Collins. I wasn’t in the habit of breaking promises just because I was no longer in the mood to keep them.
Captain Rowan and I squared off, swords in hand, and he barely let me settle into a stance before launching the first foray.
Now, I was good with a sword.
Captain Rowan was very, very good.
He let me know it in short order, too.
I had no room to think of Beatrice, Edwin, or anything other than trying to keep my footwork together and Captain Rowan’s sword from hitting me. I scrambled to respond to his attacks, barely defending, and tried in vain to find some way to counterattack. Shit, I knew him to be excellent with the sword, but he was better than I remembered.
If only he’d lived to see the end of the war, I would have madehimfight the Demon King. He’d have finished off the fight in three moves!
Captain Rowan caught my sword hilt with his, grinning at me. “How you doing over there, Your Highness?”
“Might I remind you,” I panted out, “that you’re not supposed to hurt me.”
“I don’t know what to say to you. Defend better.”
