chapter one/uno/ek

The crowd was going wild, caught up in the excitement and suspense that hung like a dense fog. Three figures stood a few metres apart from each other in the middle of the grand stadium. Circular stone benches surrounded the battleground, filled to the brim with spectators of all ages. The games were part of the week long Carnivale and was indisputably the highlight of the Carnivale. Among the spectator stands, a raised platform had also been erected for King William, his Queen Catherine and of course his only daughter, Sophia. Sophia was seated on a throne and wore a bright yellow gown. Sparkles of diamond and gold jewellery along with the magnificent crown of Casablanca festooned her. Sitting with her right leg crossed over the left, she was observing the ongoing match  with the same excitement as the rest.

When the emcee's voice boomed, everyone's eyes fixated on the three solitary figures. When King William gave the signal, the first contestant stepped up to face the target. Prince Henry,Casablanca's one and only prince, was greeted with hoots and cries of the ladies when he stretched his bow. Flashing his usual million-watt smile which resulted in more awws from the women, he released the arrow. In a split second, the arrow pierced the target board and had hit the border of the bull's eye. After waving to his female fans, Prince Henry sauntered off to resume his original position.

A tall lean mass of brown tousled hair then stepped up to take the bow. The crowd craned its neck to catch their first glimpse of Prince Peter, the betrothed of their beloved princess Sophia. Prince Peter, who hailed from the far east, seemed fully comfortable with the bow. With a solemn look, his strong arms stretched the bow, showing off his muscular ams. There was an air of superiority and power that emanated from him. His arrow hit the middle of the bull's eye. Peter then strode off with a blaze attitude.

Finally, the last contestant stepped up to a quiet crowd. Wearing a hood which concealed the entire body from view, the mysterious challenger took the bow in his hands. And with that, the arrow was launched. The arrow, too, hit the center of the bull's eye, millimetres apart from Prince Peter's arrow. A collective gasp rose from the spectator stands. Murmurs spread throughout the crowd like a wild fire of this sudden predicament. After a matter of minutes, the classic tiebreaker was decied to choose the winner.

In a matter of moments, a rope was hung between the sides of the grand stadium. Two apples hung from it on a thin string, swaying with the wind. Peter stepped up front and stretched his bow. Standing rigid, his entire concentration was focused on the crimson apple. His eyes followed its gentle swaying until it found the resemblance of some sort of pattern. And then, the arrow was released. It hit the apple, lodging itself into its juicy flesh. Loud cheers erupted at the result.

The hooded figure then took the bow and aimed. Unexpectedly, the arrow hit the string, releasing the apple from the rope. A thud echoed in the silent stadium. Peter smirked at the incompetency of the hooded figure. After all, no one has managed to beat him before. However, the hooded figure did not put down the bow. Instead, the unknown figure reached for another arrow to the surprise of all, especially Prince Peter.