Is that allowed?

It did not take Malrik long to understand that the First Royal Prince was also keeping a secret. And it took him even less time to figure out exactly what that secret was. 

The man who had summoned Malrik was not, in fact, the First Prince. He may look exactly like the First Prince, but the man sitting before him was an imposter. He remembered standing in that small cell and seeing two men with the same face.

Malrik couldn't help but feel intrigued. 

"My sincerest apologies for my lateness," a smooth voice Malrik had not yet heard, called out. "I was delayed."

The human king smiled at the newcomer and Malrik half-turned his head to see a man in deep purple robes and an unnecessarily long beard walk toward them. The fake prince tensed and his aura shifted from a soft red to a pale yellow. Fear. 

The newcomer bowed deeply to the human king and queen and ran his gaze over the table in a practiced casualness. 

"Your Highness." He bowed to the prince and then his gaze zeroed in on Malrik. "I am afraid we have not yet been introduced."

"We have not," Malrik said, answering his unspoken question. 

The man's features remained impassive, but Malrik could almost feel the irritation emanating from him. It tasted sour. 

"This is the prince's bodyguard," the queen interjected. "The First Prince himself appointed him."

The man with the long beard and the unpleasant irritation shared a look with the queen. Malrik almost sighed.

He could recognize scheming when he saw it. After all, he had not survived centuries rulling over his own court by being completely blind to it. Then again, that last one had slipped right by his defenses and ended with him locked away in a box for whomever knew how long. 

Which was probably something he should work on figuring out as soon as possible. He had no idea how long he had been trapped or what had become of his court. But, first things first. 

"I see," the newcomer said and turned calculating eyes on Malrik. "How fortunate, then, that I came to announce the competitions will be starting soon."

"Competition?" Malrik's fake prince squeaked. The sound was somewhat endearing. 

Like a small, furry animal, accidentally being held too tightly. 

"For your celebration, Your Highness. The nobles are assembling in the arena as we speak, eager to show you how their fighting abilities have improved over the past summer." The man inclined his head in Malrik's direction. "How fortunate that your new bodyguard has arrived in time to partake in the festivities."

Ah, so he wanted to get rid of Malrik by 'accidentally' harming or killing him during the competition. Malrik was, after all, an unknown variable in whatever he and the queen were plotting behind the king's back. 

"Is that allowed?" The prince asked. 

"Very much so, Your Highness. It is, in fact, encouraged. We must make sure you are protected by the most capable of hands, after all." The man's eyes practically gleamed with the prospect of killing Malrik and removing an unwanted obstacle.

"Of course," Malrik said. "No life is more important to me than that of the prince's. I look forward to seeing how I measure up against your best."

Fighting untrained humans was not one of his priorities, but he would not allow himself to be so easily removed from the side of the man who had freed him from his prison. Even if that meant he had to 'accidentally' get rid of a few obstacles himself.