"You're not supposed to be here," Bruce said sternly, wiping the blood from his nose. "I told you to stay at the castle where it's safe."

His younger twin was far too stubborn, always following him into danger. Knighthood was Bruce's burden. The pair had always known they were illegitimate children, that their father, late King Thomas, wasn't their flesh and blood. They'd both accepted their fates, relinquishing any claim to the throne upon their parents' deaths. Bruce had taken it upon himself to be a knight, to prove his allegiance to the new royal couple, to show the nobility and the people that he was loyal to the throne.

In a world rife with magic, knighthood was a dangerous endeavor. If one of the two illegitimate children had to take risks in order to keep the kingdom stable, then let it be him. He'd been too young, too weak, to protect their parents; now he would do everything in his power to keep his twin out of danger. But no, his sibling had to want to be a knight too. Had to defy him at every turn, had to go on and on about being capable and not needing to be coddled.

"You're not cut out for knighthood." It wasn't true. His sibling was skilled, and he knew that. Hell, his twin had knocked him flat on his rear more than once. Bruce just couldn't bear the thought of losing the only family he had left, and was determined to continue his crusade against magic on his own. "Go home. You don't belong out in the field."