“Luck won’t save you this time.” Sig raised his blade so the hilt was near his right ear and the point aimed at Damien’s chest. Why didn’t he just put a sign around his neck saying he was going to thrust the instant Master Sagan gave the signal?

“Begin!”

Sig thrust, just as Damien expected. He spun and parried, pushing the huge blade to the left. Sig staggered past and Damien slashed him across the back of the neck.

“Second point to Damien.”

Sig regained his balance, spun and snarled at Damien. Such a scary face. Damien smiled. “I don’t imagine this is how you expected our match to go.”

“My master said I was his finest student, the best in the Northlands. I can’t lose to a skinny runt like you.”

“Did your father pay him to train you?”

Sig’s snarl turned to a look of confusion. “Of course.”

“You don’t think his continued employment might have depended on him telling you and the duke what you wanted to hear?”

“He lied to me?”

“Either that or the Northlands are in serious trouble the next time the Ice Queen sends her army south.”

“No! I will beat you.” Sig took his stance, sword held in a two-handed grip on his right side. This one was a little harder to read at least.

Damien raised his sword and nodded once.

“Begin!”

Sig roared and swung his blade in a horizontal slash that would have cut Damien in two if the blade was real. Damien leapt straight into the air, pulling his legs up tight. The sword passed under him with inches to spare. He landed and thrust his weapon through the side of Sig’s head.

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“Match to Damien.”

And that was that. He tossed his fake sword to Master Sagan who let it fade away. “Thanks for overseeing the match, Master.”

Master Sagan inclined his head. “An impressive performance, young man. Your father would be proud.”

Damien smiled. His father would be disgusted that he’d wasted his time fighting someone as unskilled as Sig in the first place. He could hear Dad now. Find someone worth your effort. Getting praise for defeating that boy is worthless.

The crowd stood, getting ready to leave the arena and cry over their lost money. How much would he and John collect for his trouble? Damien started for the doors.

“Stop!” Sig faced him, his face red and furious. “This isn’t over. I’ll pound you with my bare hands. Your tricks won’t help you then.”

A murmur ran through the crowd and they turned back to the arena.

“You fought a fair duel and lost,” Master Sagan said. “Don’t dishonor yourself with this tantrum.”

“Stay out of this, old man. I’m going to teach this snot you can’t insult the heir to the North and get away with it.”

Sig ran toward him, arms out wide. It appeared he planned to crush Damien like a great bear.

Damien waited, perfectly at ease, until the last second when he dodged left, grabbed Sig’s outstretched arm and dropped his full bodyweight to the sand. He dragged Sig down with him, twisted his arm and wrenched it up, stretching the shoulder joint just short of dislocation.

He planted his knee in his opponent’s back. Under him Sig groaned.

“It’s not fair,” the giant boy whimpered. “I’m the strongest.”

“Strongest?” Damien stood up and pulled his tunic off. A gasp from behind him said Ann saw the scars crisscrossing his back from his failure to master iron skin. His chest sported a matching set. “You dare claim to be strong yet you haven’t got a single scar. Your master didn’t train you, he let you play with a sword and told you you were a soldier. We’re done here. Leave me and my friends alone or so help me I’ll send you to the healer for a month.”

Sig buried his face in the sand and his body shook. Damien slipped his tunic back on and walked away. The last thing he wanted was to sit and listen to the boy cry.

Ann came over to him and put her hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay? Your back…”

“I’m fine and the scars are old.” He looked at his feet, embarrassed that he’d lost control. “Thanks for standing with me.”

“You didn’t need much help. I feared I might have to carry you out of the arena.”

Damien smiled and held out his arm. “Your confidence in my skills warms my heart.”

She linked arms with him and they walked out of the arena together.