Damian rolled his eyes and sighed. Yes, he was a prince now. Yes, all his siblings had their own knights. But he wasn't weak. He didn't need protection. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Sure, his siblings were too, but he was definitely the most capable of them all. There was no way an assassin or anyone could get the drop on him.

But no, his father had insisted, and Damian's protests had fallen on deaf ears. Now he had a knight. And to add insult to injury, a very incompetent-looking knight. One who followed him around like a lost puppy from the moment Damian woke up to the moment he went to bed.

To his knight's credit, no amount of attempting to hide or outrun or outwit had worked. His knight had followed him through every bush, every secret passage, every wall, every trap. Unscathed! How galling.

"Do you mind?" Damian snapped, turning to his knight. "I am trying to concentrate." He was training with his sword, and while usually he could ignore the presence of others, his knight's gaze was bothering him. "You do not need to be here. I know what I am doing, and I do not need your assistance."

The knight didn't reply, which only served to irritate Damian further. "Are you an idiot? I said leave."

Nothing. Damian felt a vein throb in his temple.

"If I am the prince, and I order you to leave, you must obey me, no? That is how these things work." He paused, frowning. "Although I suppose you answer to father first and foremost." Damn it. "Well, if you do not leave, I will be forced to use extreme measures."

The knight's continued silence was maddening, and Damian finally had enough. He charged, his sword flashing. "Fool! Do you not understand? I am warning you—"

He'd been aiming to cut off a few strands of hair, nothing fatal. His knight moved faster than he'd expected, easily avoiding the strike. Next thing Damian knew, he was on the ground, his arm twisted behind his back.

"Hey!" he protested, squirming under the knight's grasp. "You are not supposed to retaliate!"