Elias slowly turned his head toward the guard.
And the temperature in the training yard suddenly dropped.
Every soldier present seemed to feel it. The easy noise of the courtyard vanished, replaced by a heavy silence that pressed down on everyone.
The guard who had spoken stiffened slightly when he noticed the Crown Prince looking at him.
Elias did not raise his voice.
He did not step forward.
Yet the air around him felt sharp.
"Explain," Elias said calmly.
The single word carried enough weight to make several of the guards shift uncomfortably.
The man swallowed but tried to keep his composure.
"I meant no disrespect, Your Highness," he said quickly. "But combat training is not something one simply learns by watching."
Nero immediately commented.
[Host he is digging his own grave.]
I tilted my head slightly, studying the guard again.
He was proud. Too proud.
The kind of man who would rather embarrass himself than accept advice from a woman.
Especially a noble one.
