The Crown cannot Help You

Chapter 27: The Tantrum

"Tabs, please come and see," Audelia begged, pouting her lip as she did.

Tabitha rolled her eyes and turned over in her bed. "It's too early, go away."

Audelia let out a small laugh. "But I'm so good now."

"I'm happy for you. Now leave me alone."

"Tabssss."

Tabitha didn't respond. Her breathing just grew heavier as she fell back to sleep.

"I'll get you out of your bed one day." Audelia hissed quietly, narrowing her eyes at Tabitha's sleeping body to see if she'd move.

Once she started hearing Tabitha snoring, she left with a huff. Her disappointment was in good nature, as she wasn't truly annoyed, she just wanted Tabitha to see how much she'd improved at archery.

It was a childish notion, Audelia admitted to herself as she started her routinely run, but she'd decided not to care. Tabitha's opinion was one of the only opinions she cared about, and she wasn't afraid for her to know that.

~

"Alright, Princess, those three targets." Flynn started handing Audelia her bow. "I want you to get a bullseye on all of them bu-"

Audelia didn't have to listen to the rest as she quickly notched her first arrow and fired it into the first target. Her hands moved fast as she repeated that another two times, landing the arrow as perfectly against the targets as the first had.

She grinned wildly at her success and turned to face Flynn who didn't seem impressed at all. "If you'd let me finish, I would have told you to get the bullseyes but at the same time you'd have to fend me off."

"You should have spoken faster then." Audelia shrugged, walking over to the arrows to pluck them back out the trees.

Flynn scoffed loudly, growing annoyed at her insolence. "No, you should have just waited and listened to me."

Audelia didn't bother to turn to look at him as she received the last arrow. "Okay...we can just try now."

"That's beside the point! You should have listened; you won't be the best you can be if you don't listen to me." Flynn began to hiss back, stomping towards Audelia.

Flynn then grabbed Audelia arm and whipped her around to face him.

Audelia scowled as her eyes dropped to his hold on her and back to his face. "What is your problem?"

Flynn's fingers started to dig into Audelia's skin, hard enough that she knew he would leave bruises upon her skin. "My problem is you don't listen."

"I don't...listen?"

"Yes! You don't listen, you'd make a terrible assassin." Flynn spat.

Audelia looked at him in confusion. "Well, it's a good job I'm not learning to be an assassin then." She bit back, tugging her arm free of his grip. "Now, is there a reason you're being a bigger prick than usual?"

Flynn clenched his jaw tightly and gave her an answer in the form of pulling out his knife.

Audelia had no time to ask what was happening as he instantly lunged at her, slashing at her wildly.

She swiftly pulled her bow into her chest and flipped backwards in an attempt to create some space between them. Upon landing, she dragged an arrow out of the bag on her back and aimed it at him all in one fluid movement.

However, as she shot the arrow, Flynn rolled to the side and out of the way. He let out a small grunt as he then launched himself up from the ground and charged towards her.