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CHAPTER 41

"Do not cry, my love. It would be okay, Dawn would finally come to realize that all we do, we do because we love her."

"I hope so too. I miss my baby," Amelia cried, letting the tears she was fighting back flow freely down her cheeks.

King Louis turned her around so she was now facing him. With his free hand, he took out a clean handkerchief from his pocket and used it to wipe her tears away gently. "It would be. I know so. Now, let's go back in and relax, okay?"

"Okay."

Together, the king and queen both went inside their palace, with hopes intertwined with each other.

*******

Back at the forest, Dawn and Nick got set to start out their challenge. Their target, which was currently five trees with a target mark carved at their centre, was set as well with their only audience and witness being White Lotus, her lovely horse.

Of course, before the challenge they had plucked some more apples to entertain their guest before hand.

While Nick thought Dawn did this as her bribe for her horse, he still didn't kick against it after voicing out his opinion and joined her in plucking more.

"If this is your way of bribing my love, I would also join in as well." That was his response when Dawn smirked and told him if he thought it was easy bribing her horse that he clearly sol her heart from her, then he should try.

By the time all was set and done, Dawn took her position in front of the first target mark.

"Hey, princess. Are you ready?" Nick called out to her. His eyes narrowed at her, trying to prevent much sun rays from getting into his eyes due to where he stood to watch her.

"More ready than ever before," Dawn replied Nick as she strung her arrow on her bow, getting ready her aim.

"Hmm, then on my signal. One, two… Begin."

She steadied her hands and narrowed her eyes on her target. 'One, two…' she released her hand on the arrow and it went straight to hit the centre mark carved by Nick. 'Bullseye.' She said in her mind and lowered her bow.

Taking some steps to her side, she moved to the next target. She shocked Nick with what she did next. He definitely was not expecting her to take out two arrows and string it on her bow the next second.

'Hmm, interesting, she knows how to do the double arrow shoot? I'd say impressive if she can.' Nick thought inwardly, moving closer to her to get a better view of what she was going to do.

From the corners of her eyes, she saw him inch closer, with his eyes set on the target in front of them and her lips curved up into a smirk.

'Watch and learn, Nick. Take a closer look.'

SWOOSH!

The two arrows she released, hit two different target marks right at their centre, earning her a round of applause from Nick.

"Impressive, but can you do that again?" Nick teased, intentionally riling her up to see how well she could work in a negative atmosphere.

Rather than reply him, Dawn took several steps till she was now standing in between the last two target trees.

Right before his eyes, she took two arrows from her quiver, ran some distance back and half knelt, stringing them on her bow the next second and …

SWOOSH!

BANG!

She nailed it. All five arrows, particularly displayed on the target board and at the centre. Her movement just now was quite fast and if Nick wasn't a good archer as well, he would have missed some of the things she did.

"Nice speed and accuracy you got there, Diane. I must say, I am impressed." Nick complimented her, walking towards where she was.

By the time he got to her side, she had gotten up and her sharp gaze stared at her flawless job. "No thank you?"

Nick felt as though his compliment wasn't even cherished by her and feigned being hurt when she stared blankly at him. "Hey, I just complimented you, you know."

"I know. It is nothing to be so happy about. My goal is to get three arrows shot."

He arched his brow at her statement. Just who was this girl anyway? Was she preparing for a battle or what? Or did she plan on joining the army in her kingdom?

Those were the questions that plagued his mind as she stared at her with his raised brow. Dawn didn't fail to catch this and smiled at him.

My father was a great man when it came to battles. I just simply inherited his love for archery and the likes."

No matter how he looked at it, he just couldn't understand this girl, but she became all the more interesting than before.

"I see, that is good. Your mother did not object to your learning?" His curiosity got the better of him and he asked her.

For a girl to shoot an arrow and hit the target mark without fail she was doing a great job and it took practice and training.

Unfortunately, in the era they were in, ladies were to be more concerned with cooking, etiquette and other stuffs, definitely not the art of archery or swordsmanship.

So he would be shocked if her mother just simply allowed that or she didn't have one?

The art of weaponry was almost like a forbidden thing for the ladies, and now she didn't just master it, she was good at shooting two arrows at once and now wants to learn the third.

Really, just who was this girl anyway?

"Unfortunately, mother opposed the idea greatly. She'd prefer I'd take my dancing classes more seriously as I took my weaponry trainings," Dawn informed him. "Then again, I had my father to support me. As his only child, I got all I wanted, well not all."

At the last sentence, her face dropped.