The Hero's Forsaken Princess
Chapter 103: The Royal Hunt V

Chapter 103: The Royal Hunt V

’How did she find out? Don’t tell me she was there when it happened?’ Aliyah glanced at Eve with disbelief.

She clenched her fists tightly. "Do you think they will believe you?"

Aliyah put on a brave front. She wouldn’t allow Eve to intimidate her.

But Eve was very persistent. She grabbed her by her collar, pinning her against the tree trunk.

Aliyah couldn’t believe this. Eve was acting like a different person. Where was the weak and timid girl they always bullied?

"Let go of me! What are you doing?" Aliyah tried her best to free herself from Eve’s grip.

"Aliyah, you are the princess of this kingdom. How could you kill someone so easily? Even though you are a member of the royal family, you should be punished for your crime," Eve said sternly.

"You were the one who drugged my husband! You set that up, forcing me to kill someone. How dare you?!" Aliyah raised her hand to slap Eve.

But Eve captured her wrist, stopping her from slapping her.

"I will no longer allow you to lay a hand on me," Eve said, gripping Aliyah’s hand tightly.

"You became brave just because of your husband. You even seduced Crown Prince Cassian. You are a disgrace to the royal family!" Aliyah insulted her.

"How could you treat me like this? You are just a daughter of a servant. The whore! Like mother like–"

Aliyah wasn’t able to finish her words as Eve slapped her hard on her right cheek.

Slap!

"Don’t insult my mother! You don’t know her at all!" Eve spat back at Aliyah who was still shocked from being slapped by her.

With all her might, Aliyah pushed her away. "Evelina! I won’t forget this humiliation! I’ll tell Mother what you did. Be prepared to be punished after this royal hunt!"

Eve hesitated for a moment, assessing herself if she had finally conquered her fear of Queen Amara.

Would she still tremble in front of her? Could she defy the Queen without being afraid of her?

’Yes. I think I can do this. I am no longer alone. I have Alaric by my side... including Gideon. I find my strength with them to defy the queen. I won’t allow my mother to abuse me again using her power.’ Eve thought to herself.

She wanted to conquer and face her fear. That was one of the reasons why Eve chose Queen Amara to grant her wish if ever she won this competition.

’I let the queen control my life for nineteen years. This is my first step for my freedom.’ With a determined look on her face, Eve put on a smile.

"Aliyah, If you try to get me in trouble, I’m going to fight you," Eve said with confidence. "Remember... I can disclose your crime in front of our parents and the royal court. Don’t challenge me."

Eve learned from Gideon how to threaten her enemy. His tips had come in handy for her.

Meanwhile, Aliyah cursed her before running away. As Princess Aliyah left, Julius approached Eve anxiously.

"Your Highness, am I going to die? Princess Aliyah said I would be beheaded after this. I didn’t mean to point my sword at her." Julius knelt before her, crying nervously.

Eve held his shoulders and said, "Don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you. It was not your fault. You just did your duty. Princess Aliyah is the one who attacked me first. I will stand by you if she tries to bring this incident up."

Julius felt so grateful and touched by Eve’s words. His anxiousness disappeared as he put his trust in Eve.

"I’m so grateful, Your Highness! I owe you this. I will surely protect you with my life." Julius pledged loyalty.

"Stand up, Julius. We have some work to do. I have to win this competition no matter what." Eve’s expression became serious.

"What are you planning to do now, Your Highness? Our cart is still empty," Julius asked her curiously. He also wished for Eve to win.

Eve smiled meaningfully before sharing her plan with Julius. The knight gasped in surprise after listening to her. Then his giggle bubbled up in the forest.

"Your Highness! You are the best! You will give them a big surprise!" Julius blurted out with admiration.

"We only have one hour left. Let’s go to the border. I must help Alaric win." Eve said, her eyes glinting with excitement.

"I’ll follow your every command, Your Highness!" Julius responded.

After sharing her plan with her guard, the two of them proceeded to the border between the two hunting grounds.

An hour later...

The sound of the gong echoed, signifying the end of the royal hunt.

The participating hunters started to return one by one. The gentlemen finished their hunts earlier than the princesses.

The first person who arrived at the hunting stage was Crown Prince Stefan. He was followed by Crown Prince Cassian and General Alaric.

To surprise the spectators, their respective carts were covered by a large woolen cloth to conceal the number of animals they captured. The number of hunted animals would only be revealed later in front of the king and queen and all the spectators.

The royal hunt assigned a hunting steward per hunter to count and tally the scores of the hunter animals to determine the final winners.

Below is the pointing system based on the type of animals and the level of difficulty in catching them.

Wolf – 50 points (highly dangerous, intelligent, and difficult to track and catch. Sharp claws and teeth can severely injure hunters)

Boar – 40 points (aggressive and strong; with their large figure, they will not hesitate to attack a person once they spot them.)

Fox – 30 points (cunning and elusive; challenging to catch because of their speed and agility in running.)

Deer – 25 points (fast and alert; requires skill to bring down. It rarely attacks the hunter. Once disturbed and sensed danger, they will run away as fast as they can.)

Pheasant – 15 points (fast-flying; requires excellent aim. The branches of trees in the forest will be a challenge and hindrance in hitting them)

Hare or Rabbit– 10 points (quick and agile; tricky to catch. They can conceal themselves in grass areas and tree roots)

"For the male category, we can start counting the captured animals!" The Huntmaster declared.

"Since Crown Prince Stefan arrived first, we will remove the cover of his cart and start tallying his score! Record keepers get ready! The hunting steward will count the hunted animals!"

Everyone clapped their hands as soon as the woolen cloth was removed. Crown Prince Cassian captured a lot. His cart was almost full.

King Solomon and Queen Amara couldn’t hide their happiness as they felt proud of their son.

"Crown Prince Stefan captured three wolves, four boars, six deers, five foxes, twenty pheasants, and ten hares! The total point he gained is One Thousand Ten," the hunting steward announced.

The nobles and the generals cheered for Crown Prince Stefan. That was a great score.

Meanwhile, Crown Prince Cassian looked unfazed. He was confident he was going to win this.

"Now, let’s count Crown Prince Cassian’s hunted animals. Hunting steward please proceed. Record keepers don’t forget to take note and tally the points," the Huntmaster said, reminding them to be careful in tallying the score.

This event was made to satisfy Crown Prince Cassian. King Solomon and Queen Amara were rooting for Crown Prince Cassian to win. This was a way of flaunting Prince Cassian’s hunting skills.

"Crown Prince Cassian won this competition." General Ravenmoor said, informing King Solomon and Queen Amara.

"How sure are you?" King Solomon asked him intriguely.

"General Ironwood and I monitored General Alaric and Crown Prince Cassian during the hunt. We counted the number of prey they hunted fifteen minutes before the end of the royal hunt. Ironwood and I compared the numbers. Crown Prince Cassian’s score is very far from Alaric and Crown Prince Stefan." General Ravenmoor explained to King Solomon, showing him his personal scoresheet.

"Good! Through this, we can satisfy Crown Prince Cassian," Queen Amara chimed in, smiling triumphantly.

In a brief moment, the hunting steward announced the result.

"Crown Prince Cassian captured twelve wolves, ten boars, ten deers, and nine foxes. The total point he gained is One Thousand Three Hundred Five."

Everyone gasped upon hearing that. Crown Prince Cassian focused only on hunting large and dangerous animals. He ignored the hares and pheasants. He just showed his prowess in hunting!

’I win, Alaric.’ Crown Prince Cassian smirked triumphantly upon seeing Alaric’s expression. He could tell that Alaric was unhappy with the result.

Meanwhile, Alaric clenched his fists, lowering his gaze. He slammed his eyes shut while gritting his teeth.

’Damn it! I made a mistake. I miscalculated it. Prince Cassian hunted more wolves and boars than me. I failed Eve... I’m useless...’

Alaric stood frozen in his spot, regretting and blaming himself for his defeat. He was no longer paying attention to his surroundings.

Soon, the Huntmaster announced the winner in the male category.

"Congratulations! You win first place in this royal hunt... Please give him a round of applause!"

"General Alaric, My Lord? Are you okay?" Alaric’s knight tapped his shoulder, catching his attention.

"Yes... I’m fine." Alaric replied with a disheartened look on his face.

His knight looked at him, puzzled. "General Alaric, the Huntmaster called your name. Go and climb up the stage."

Alaric frowned. "Why?"

"Didn’t you hear the announcement? You won the royal hunt competition! Congratulations, My Lord!" The knight greeted him cheerfully.

"Huh?" Alaric glanced at him confusedly.