🌞Adelaide🌹

"Addie!" I turned around to find Will running across the courtyard to where I stood in the gardens with Sterling. "Hold on!"

As he reached me, Will paused to breathe before acknowledging his reason for a hurry.

"I told you to wait for me. You know it's practically tradition that on the day of your birthday I have a surprise waiting for you." He bent down to pet Sterling on his head.

"Well, I wasn't going to stand in the middle of the court waiting. Besides I had to go take a walk with Sterling. But now that your here then show me this surprise of yours."

I acted nonchalantly but as usual I was excited to know what Will has for me this year. He never failed to make me happy with his meaningful gifts. Sterling was proof.

 "Follow me." He smiled as offered his hand towards me as he stood up from greeting the grown dog. "We're going out riding."

I frowned. "Where are we going?"

"Dear Addie, it's called a surprise for a reason!" Will chuckled. "Well, follow me."

Once we were both saddled and ready to go Sterling right at our heels, following. Will clicked his tongue to motion the horse to start in a gallop. However, when I think about riding, I thought about the wind blowing through my hair as I went as fast as I could. Squeezing my thighs gently, my chestnut colored mare named Brandy knew immediately what to do and soon enough I was ahead of Will.

He was stunned for a moment, but eventually smiled and went after me. Just like always. "You don't even know where we're going. There's no point in racing but when we head back I will challenge you, and I will win. As always."

"Well my dear Prince, you are mistaken. I believe it's the other way around, where I win. It's been like that for quite a while and you would've noticed if you hadn't been so busy being a self-proclaimed winner all the time." I said haughtily and smirked at him. We slowed down to a trot in order to talk and I followed him through the woods. "Now please, enlighten me with our destination. You know I hate surprises."

Will rolled his eyes and said, "Addie, you don't even hate surprises, you just hate the fact of not knowing and also you are impatient."

I huffed in annoyance, he made a good point, and in order to keep my pride I stayed silent and surveyed our surroundings.
After a while I suddenly noticed that a few guards trailed behind us. "Will," I said seriously, "Where are we really going? By the looks of things, this is more than a mere ride to the forest."

He sighed, exasperated, but more in a teasing manner. Will looked at me in the eye for a moment and chuckled. "Did I forget to mention you are also very persistent?" He shook his head smiling. "Well don't worry, you'll find out soon enough. We're almost there."

I took a deep breath and smelled a different breeze than the one of the forest. It grew colder and the wind gusts became stronger, not like a whipping madness like a tornado but more of a gentle push. Suddenly, the scenery changed and we galloped through a wide clearing and I looked around to see we were atop a small cliff, overlooking the blue-green sea in contrast to the bright blue cloudless sky.

"It's beautiful. I've only ever been to the sea once." I looked up from admiring the beautiful view and gazed at Will in admiration. "Thank you."

He smiled back. "See? Wasn't the wait worth it? Like I said, it's a surprise for a reason. You're welcome, my Queen."

Ignoring his last comment, I slipped off Brandy and looked closer to the edge of the cliff, looking for a simple passage in order to get down to the sand, Will followed suit. While Sterling followed silently behind me. The guards were now around us, watching for potential danger and also admiring the view like I was.

"Over here, Addie!" Will shouted from the other side of the cliff. He turned towards the guards. "Would you like to go first to search the area?"

"Of course, Your Majesty." Two guards went down the path and safely landed in the sand. Looking around for anything that can harm us. Soon enough they gave a nod, expressing that the area was clear.

Will turned around and held out his hand, "Shall we?"

After a delightful picnic by the shore, we headed back to the castle as soon as the sun was in between the East and the West, indicating the afternoon. Queen Catherine invited us for lunch and according to her we still had much to do and discuss for my coming-of-age ball. Although in my opinion she's handled that situation very well that I had nothing more to do. As a mother figure she already knew of my likes and dislikes, even if she didn't, she had my ladies in waiting as counsel and also William. But she still insisted saying that there were other matters at hand.

Running around the beach had made the bottom of my skirts damp with sand clutching around its seems. I had gotten tired after a playful game of running after Will and him running after me. We had collected numerous shells and decided to give it to a dear friend, a blacksmith, in order to forge a simple necklace, on the way back. The guards offered to carry my satchel with the seashells for they were a little heavy but I had refused, saying that I was alright with such a small burden.

Being so absorbed in my thoughts I failed to notice as the forest seemed to lose the sunlight, and it grew darker, like the sun had been covered by multiple clouds and will never shine again. Sterling had gone silent too and Brandy was acting skittish, pulling on the reigns.

"What's going on?" I asked, and even my voice echoed as though the whole forest had gone silent. No birds, no crickets and insects. The guards became alert, moving in a closer circle around Will and I. Will had drawn his sword and moved in front of me, as if in a fighting stance.

"Your Highness's, we should move quickly." Said one of the guards, "We're like sitting ducks by staying like this."

"It must be some dark magic." Said another.

"Nonsense. We shall go before whatever or whoever it is finds us. We must get the Royal Majesties back to safety."

Wasting no time, we'd all urged our horses to go as fast as they can back home. Brandy's shoe covered hooves pounding on the dirt. I could almost see the side entrance to the castle with the trees aligned symmetrically, we were almost made it. Until I heard a cry of pain behind me. No sooner did I hear a whiz of an arrow right by my ear, missing me by a mere breath of air. I made the mistake of turning around to see who's been injured and another arrow volleyed towards me and this time cutting through the silk of my dress.

Brandy cried out and I saw one of the arrows had scratched her too, but her wound was deeper than mine for she bleeding. I was even more determined to get through the gates.

"Addie, go! Don't look back." Yelled Will, his voice sounding farther than before. Brandy was nimble on her four legs, being distracted by Will's plea, I didn't watch where I was going and when I turned to look back, my head was struck by a massive force.

The last thing I remembered was looking right at thick branch before immense pain came over me and I almost passed out.

With my coat billowing behind by the wind and my speed, I urged myself to hold on tightly to the reigns. The gate loomed closer and I yelled at the gatekeepers to open it wide.

"Open the gates! Open the gates and alert your archers!" Recognizing my fine silks, and the entourage of the guards behind me they immediately opened the gates.

After a breath of relief I slowed down to a trot, and got off my injured horse. A medic had rushed over to me. "No, tend to my horse first, please. She's badly injured."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The man bowed and took the reigns.

"Adelaide!" Queen Catherine came towards me walking briskly with her skirts held up. "I heard about the ambush, are you alright! Is William alright?"

I frowned. "I haven't seen him. He was right behind me earlier."

"My lady!" Cried one of the guards, he carried a hunched body over his shoulders.

Will.

"He was struck by one of the arrows in his shoulder. He claimed he was alright as he was getting off his horse saying it was just to the shoulder, but he collapsed!"

The guard held the arrow that impaled him, and Catherine grabbed it from his hands and examined the tip which was lined with a dark green tinge along the edges. Her eyes widened like saucers.

"He's been poisoned."