The archery range was a long stretch of open space with pulverized white stone drawn down each fire lane; the archery butts were masses of straw and leather painted with targets. They fired from an elevated platform similar to the stage she had seen when her mother had showed her the main ballroom.
The evening sun was starting to slide down towards the horizon, and Andrea seemed to be wearing a perpetual scowl; no doubt she didn’t want to be here.
“I know a little of archery, but I don’t think I’ll be able to give a proper showing.” Angelo offered before firing three shots, and his claim was true; out of his three arrows, only one hit the archery butt itself, high on the outside.
Sheilah kept adjusting her quiver on her waist; it felt weird against her body while she was in a dress. It chafed against the bottom edge of her corset, and didn’t rest easily on her hips because of the silk when she lowered it.
Finally she took the quiver off and drew a few arrows out of the quiver and held them in her fist.
She raised her bow and fired off three shots quickly, much faster than Angelo. All of them landed on the edge of the bull’s eye. However, all three arrows penetrated deeply into the butt.
She wore a frustrated look as the curious onlookers raced out to check her shots, and Fialla gave her a curious look.
“What is it, sister?” she asked curiously.
“I can’t shoot.” She replied irritably, and raised her elbows and stretched out her arms. “This dress restricts my movement.”
Fialla lifted her own arms, and then assumed a firing posture. “Ugh. You’re right. I hadn’t thought of that. This is terrible.”
Sheilah nodded as the men struggled with pulling out her arrows. “I’d have to wear my armor, or perhaps a casual dress without a corset-”
“Absolutely forbidden, my lady.” Andrea interrupted. “I’ve been tolerant up to this point, but it’s important to comport yourself as befitting a woman of your station.”
Sheilah frowned irritably at this, but Andrea would not be dissuaded. “You are the princess of Stormheim, and the sole heir of Her Majesty Magdalene and Toril. I can be flexible, but not that flexible.”
She took a couple of steps closer to Sheilah and leaned down. “Anyone could assassinate you here, My Lady.” She whispered. “You’re exposed and vulnerable.”
“Even considering my gifts?” Sheilah whispered back.
“Have you tried healing yourself with an arrow through your skull?” Andrea replied.
Sheilah shuddered. “Fair. You win this one.”
“This was a contest?” Andrea asked curiously.
“Hush.” Sheilah replied as she straightened and leaned forward to receive the arrows from one of the soldiers. She froze suddenly, and took the arrows, struggling to continue smiling.
After she straightened, she gestured to Andrea and, covering her mouth with her hand, whispered to Andrea urgently, “I heard something rip just now. I think it best we leave.”
Andrea gave her an alarmed look, but nodded.
“Fialla, I know you were looking to demonstrate your skill, but it’s important we leave quickly.” Andrea suggested.
Fialla looked to Sheilah, who nodded minutely.
“Very well. Let’s set this aside for another time.” She managed smoothly, picked up her bow and the two quivers.
She looked to Sheilah. “Should I get your bow?” She asked, and Sheilah nodded.
Fialla picked it up and then grimaced. “I think we should return to our apartments.” She agreed.
After they returned to the castle, and were safely ensconced back in Sheilah’s apartments, both girls let out a sigh.
“Something ripped.” Sheilah told Fialla as she gratefully took a drink of cold tea handed to her by a maid.
“Same for me, when I was picking up your bow.” Fialla replied, wondering if her own drink was coming.
“Well, let’s go to the dressing room, and find out what ripped.” Andrea urged fussily. “No point in talking about it here in the entryway.”
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
They changed their clothes; Sheilah had torn her dress at the armpit and ripped part of her corset; Fialla had torn one of the straps on her slip and some of the fasteners on her corset.
“The troubles you two put me through.” Andrea complained, but without a hint of malice. “I think it might be necessary to have some clothes tailored for you that allow you to move as you like.”
Sheilah nodded absently, and then clutched at her chest and dropped to one knee, gasping as a bolt of pain ripped through her chest, searing hot. Liquid fire seemed to boil through her veins.
“I- I don’t-” Sheilah gasped, and then screamed as another blast of fiery agony ripped through her guts, forcing her to her knees. She retched, blood splattered on the carpeted dressing room floor.
Fialla grabbed her, but Sheilah screamed again, struggling forward, one hand digging into her abdomen, blood seeping through her fingers.
“Sister, what’s wrong!” Fialla yelled frantically.
Sheilah looked up, eyes bloodshot, thin streams of blood leaking like tears, runners of blood dripping from her nose, she opened her mouth and vomited blood.
Andrea was agitated, but she moved in a composed fashion. “Fialla you see to the Mistress. I will have faith in her ... ability... to survive things like this.”
“Things like what?!” Fialla shrieked fearfully at Andrea.
“Poison.” was Andrea’s parting words as she strode out of the dressing room, long knife in hand.
“Poison!” Fialla gasped, and wrapped her arms around Sheilah. “Oh, sister, oh my dearest, my sister, it’s poison, you have to use the Dragon, oh sister please don’t die-” She rambled as she pulled Sheilah close into an awkward embrace while Sheilah made choked, gurgling sounds.
Sheilah was burning hot to the touch; Fialla was almost surprised she didn’t burst into flame.
She coughed out more blood, and then a gassy cloud of fire that seared off the carpeting and set the clothing armoires ablaze.
Sheilah shuddered and went limp; Fialla planted her hand over Sheilah’s breast; Sheilah’s heart throbbed rapidly.
Fialla dragged Sheilah out of the room awkwardly and then dashed into the bathing room where she splashed water into a bucket and then heaved it onto the fire. She repeated the process until the fire had been doused, and then dropped the bucket and returned to the bedroom and dragged the unconscious Sheilah onto the bed.
Poison. The thought tolled like the human’s bells in her head; she snatched her own knife and marched out of the bedroom ready for war.
Maids hurried out of her way as she moved, hand so tight on her knife that her arm trembled, fury hot, dragon seething inside, urging release.
“No, you don’t.” Andrea intercepted her.
“Yes I do!” Fialla argued. “All you humans,” she filled the word with as much scathing contempt as she could, “demanded Sheilah return to you, else you would turn your armies against our people- our people! And what do you do?! You feed her poison at the first opportunity!” She screamed. “I can see where your value lies! I am taking my sister out of here and you can’t stop me!”
“You can’t!” Andrea yelled back, spreading her arms as wide as she could.
“Like fuck I can’t!” She shrieked, and then pivoted towards a maid that was sneaking up behind her, bringing her leg up and around, feeling cloth ripping, not caring as her heel slammed into the side of the woman’s head.
She let the momentum of the kick carry her around and as she did she let her dragon’s flame course up from her belly and out through her jaws, a deadly stream of furiously boiling flame. Two women in maid’s attire caught alight and screamed, even as Andrea artfully dodged, throwing herself into a graceful dive.
“I can do whatever I want.” Fialla shrieked at Andrea, who was rising to her feet, “and we are leaving, I don’t care how many people you bring! I will burn this fucking castle to the fucking ground if I have to!”
She really couldn’t, she’d spent all her fire on that blast, everything after that was sound and fury, but she’d sacrifice her own body to at least try.
“Please don’t!” Andrea screamed, falling to her knees.
“Why not?!” Fialla screeched, her throat raw.
“Please.” Sheilah croaked from behind her. “Please, sister.”
Fialla turned to Sheilah, who was leaning naked against the doorway to their shared bedroom.
“Sister...” Fialla pleaded in a trembling voice. “Please, sister. This place is bad. We shouldn’t be here. Let’s leave them and just go home, sister!”
Tears streamed down her face as she begged.
Sheilah held out her arms, and Fialla flew to her, dropping her knife.
“I’ve never seen you so emotional, sister.” Sheilah murmured as she hugged Fialla tight.
“These people are stupid, sister.” Fialla complained.
“You used your Calamity, didn’t you?” Sheilah asked. Fialla nodded.
“You did it for me, right?” Sheilah asked. Fialla nodded again.
“You beautiful girl, I can’t believe you set a fire in my rooms.” Sheilah mock-complained in a low voice.
“Of course I’d do it. They poisoned you.” Fialla complained.
Sheilah took a breath, held it, and then let it out.
“All right. Let’s hear them out... and if they can’t convince us... let’s go home. Let’s go back to the Redstone. I miss the sun too, you know.” Sheilah replied quietly.
Fialla nodded.