"You're stronger than you look," Alaric admitted, landing a sharp kick to Heappal's side.
"And you're angrier than you think," Heappal shot back, countering with an uppercut that made Alaric's teeth clack together.
The prince stumbled but quickly regained his footing. He lunged at Heappal, tackling him to the ground. They rolled in the dirt, each trying to gain the upper hand.
"Is this about last night?" Heappal asked, grunting as he pushed Alaric off him.
Alaric froze for a split second, caught off guard by the question.
"I heard about what happened to the princess," Heappal continued, getting to his feet. "You're not going to fix it by breaking your knuckles on me."
Alaric's eyes darkened. "You don't know anything about it."
"I know enough," Heappal said, brushing the dirt off his tunic. "You're angry. You're scared. And you think if you hit something hard enough, it'll make the fear go away."
