Percy didn't need a knight, okay? He didn't.

But his father thought differently - the attacks on the crown prince had become too frequent. The guards couldn't cope. А personal knight was needed.

Percy always participated in all the tournaments held in the palace, and he would have participated now. Well, if it hadn't been for the tournament in his honor, the winner of which would have become his personal knight.

He feels like a small child who is being chosen for a nanny. A small, stupid child who, without anyone's help, reassembles all the corners of the room with his forehead. He doesn't need a knight, he trained himself — trained a lot of.

But he's here. In the stupid stands, hung with flowers and ribbons. He always looked at these stands from below, from the field. Percy feels his father's gaze on him and cringes, wanting to disappear. The horn is blowing. The competition for the place of his knight began.

Fight after fight, sword blow after sword blow, loud exclamations of the participants and cheers of the crowd. He didn't want to look. He didn't want to until his gaze caught the person who won time and time again.

Strong, fast movements. Grace. Maybe even Percy couldn't win... Oh. No, hell, no. He could. Yeah, definitely. Percy doesn't need anyone to protect him.

No wonder — several hours of fighting, and the winner stood in the middle of the field. In front of everyone, holding the sword high. That man. Amazing.

The man takes off his knight-helmet. And stop, stop, stop. No way. No. It's... A woman?!