Morning came pale and unkind.
The door did not open until servants arrived. The knight stepped aside without being dismissed, because protocol demanded it. Because he knew when he was no longer needed.
He did not look back.
The training yard was already alive with steel and shouted orders. The rhythm steadied him. Blades did not lie.
"Sir Knight."
Captain Rhael approached, armor half-fastened, expression sharp. An alpha who did not lower his voice around power.
"You weren't at drills," Rhael said.
"Royal duty."
Rhael's gaze lingered. "All night?"
"Yes."
"You smell like suppressants," Rhael said bluntly.
"That is not your concern."
Rhael's mouth twitched—not amused. "When an omega knight pushes himself past sense, it becomes everyone's concern. Especially when his loyalty is being… tested."
Before the knight could respond, the yard fell silent.
The prince had arrived.
His eyes went straight to the knight. Always did.
"You," the prince said.
The knight knelt. "My lord."
"Walk with me."
Rhael stiffened. "Your Majesty—"
The prince did not look at him. "That wasn't a request."
They moved beneath the colonnade, footsteps echoing. The silence between them tightened.
"You did not leave your post," the prince said.
"No."
"You did not rest."
"No."
The prince stopped abruptly. Turned.
"You heard nothing?"
The knight met his gaze. "Nothing that concerned me."
The prince's control cracked—just enough to show teeth.
"You've been close to Rhael," he said.
"He commands me in the field."
"And outside it?"
"He speaks freely."
"And you allow it?"
The knight hesitated. Just a breath.
"I correct him when necessary."
The prince stepped closer. Too close.
"You are mine," he said quietly. Not as affection. As fact.
The knight did not step back.
"I am sworn," he said.
Something dangerous flared in the prince's eyes.
"Remember where you belong."
"Yes, my lord."
The prince turned away sharply. "Return to your duties."
The knight obeyed.
That night, alone, he removed his armor with hands that did not quite steady. He took his suppressants. More than usual.
Sleep did not come.
And somewhere in the palace, a prince stared at a door he no longer allowed himself to guard—
and wondered when obedience had begun to look so much like defiance.