Reborn at the Royal Banquet I Let My Arrow Miss on Purpose

Augusta immediately dropped to her knees. "Your Majesty, the white fox was indeed felled by my arrow."

The moment our words landed, the Crown Prince's expression shifted. He stared at me, his voice sharp with disbelief. "Camila, there's no way you missed that shot."

"Your archery, your horsemanship. You don't miss. What kind of game are you playing?"

The Queen's face changed the instant she heard the fox had been Augusta's kill.

Augusta caught the Crown Prince's tone and turned to him, eyes reddening with wounded hurt. "Does Your Highness not believe I made the shot either?"

The Crown Prince realized his blunder and quickly helped her to her feet. "Of course I do. I was simply so stunned I couldn't believe it at first. Your archery has truly improved, my dear."

The Queen studied Augusta, still kneeling, then turned her gaze to me with a thin smile. "Camila, you are the trueborn daughter of the Duke of Ironhold. No noblewoman in the capital can match your skill on horseback. How could you possibly lose?"

This bride-selection banquet was dressed up as a fox hunt, but every great house had received word beforehand. It was nothing more than a grand performance to crown me as the Crown Princess.

In all the capital, who could outride or outshoot me? But this time, I had no intention of winning.

I lifted my head and let out a regretful sigh. "I beg Your Majesty's pardon. My horse grew temperamental for reasons I cannot explain and threw me from the saddle. I injured my left shoulder and could not draw my bow with any force."

"But my elder sister's marksmanship was superb. I accept my defeat without reservation."

Augusta stood beside the Crown Prince, tilting her delicate face up at him. "Your Highness, are you not pleased that I brought down the white fox?"

The Crown Prince smiled and took her hand. "Don't be silly. I'm delighted."

The Queen beckoned her head attendant forward. "How did Camila take such a fall? Go at once and see whether she's been hurt."

"If anything has happened to her, her parents will hold me responsible for not looking after her properly."

The Queen's personal attendant helped me to my feet and led me away to be treated. She lifted the edge of my sleeve gently; my left shoulder was scraped raw and swollen red.

The attendant gasped. "What a terrible fall."

When the salve had been applied and I returned, the attendant gave the Queen a confirming nod. The Queen exhaled at last, but she was far from ready to let the matter rest. "Camila is the Duke of Ironhold's trueborn daughter, unmatched in archery and horsemanship. Today's loss came only because she was injured. The contest was hardly fair to her. Why not wait until she has recovered and hold a second match?"

The words had barely left her lips before Augusta's eyes turned red again. She bit her lower lip and looked to the Crown Prince. "Your Highness, my sister is the Duke's trueborn daughter. The title of Crown Princess was always meant to be hers."

"Does it even matter that I shot the fox? In the end, the position will go to Camila regardless."

Tears rolled down her cheeks like pearls slipping from a broken string.

Her little speech had the opposite of its intended effect on the assembled noblewomen. Resentment rippled through the crowd. The competition was supposed to be fair. Why was the Queen so blatantly favoring me?

Discontented murmurs swelled. "This isn't right. Augusta was the one who made the kill."

"Exactly. Camila got hurt. That's just how it goes. A loss is a loss."

Their reasoning was simple: losing to any other noblewoman would sting, but letting Augusta take the crown was a different calculation entirely. A lesser-born daughter no one respected becoming Crown Princess posed no real threat.

The Crown Prince wiped Augusta's tears with a tender hand, clasped her fingers tightly, and stepped forward to face the Queen. "Mother, the rules of this selection were set well in advance. Everyone in the capital knows them. Augusta brought down the white fox. She is the Crown Princess."

"His Majesty's word is law. It cannot be undone."

"I care for Augusta, and I wish to take her as my principal wife."

Augusta flushed scarlet, her face tilted up toward the Crown Prince. "I would gladly remain by Your Highness's side, never to part."