Dominic removed the first test piece from his storage ring, and handed it to the Prince.

"What do you think of that one? It’s level fifteen, has a nearly maximum strength bonus on it from the Minotaur Core it was made with, and it has a [Flaming Blade] spell, instead of the frost.

But if it doesn’t go with your armour, I can make a personalized one in the next few days." Dominic suggested.

Prince Fahad gripped the shield a little tighter. "Oh, I don’t think that will be necessary. I’m not one who likes to advertise my identity in combat, so a shield without any customization is just fine by me."

"Your knuckles are turning white." Crown Prince Claudius noted.

Fahad relaxed his grip a little, while the other Royals tried not to laugh. Dominic wasn’t going to force him to give it back, the item was intended to be a gift for someone anyhow. So, while it might only be at the level that Dominic was going to make for the Royal Guards, Prince Fahad was overjoyed to have it in his possession.

He wasn’t much of a combatant. While he had trained his whole life in various combat arts, that was just part of the essential skills of a Prince in Axbridge.

He had never put the time and effort into building up combat spell gems.

So, this shield was actually stronger than his own combat power, and he could make it a central part of his fighting style, to leverage the improved skills and make himself look better to his siblings.

"Then consider it yours, a gift from the Duchy of Wistover." Dominic announced.

"Wonderful. My brothers will be so jealous when they see it at our next mandatory training day."

Alexis smiled at him, and Fahad felt a chill run up his spine.

"Why don’t we test them out now, just a little sparring match in the training area outside? It would be good to get the practice in, so you’re not rusty when you get home to spar with your brothers?" She suggested.

"Why do I feel like I somehow volunteered for this?" Fahad asked nobody in particular.

"I believe that you did. You do have one of the two custom shields, after all. We all need to see how well they work so that we can confirm that they’re suitable for use by the Royal Guard." Prince Claudius countered.

That was permission enough for Alexis, and she stuffed the shield on Fahad’s arm before dragging him out of the room and into the side yard, where the Royal Guards trained, now that their old training ground was taken up by the courtyards for the visiting delegations.

"You might as well change into armour now. There is a room for it, if you don’t have a clothing orb." Alexis suggested.

Fahad smiled, and a suit of gold and black armour appeared on his body, moments before a large broadsword appeared in his hand.

"I might not be the best funded of the King’s sons, but I am well-equipped." He joked.

The thought that he could call himself anything but fabulously wealthy was enough to make Amie roll her eyes in exasperation.

He was the Crown Prince of Axbridge. Even if he didn’t currently have the largest business holdings of any of the Axbridge Royals, which he might, depending on whether you could persuade him to admit to some of his hidden affiliations, he was still heir to the throne, and soon the entire national treasury would be at his disposal.

Alexis changed into her armour with a flourish, and checked the straps on her new shield, to ensure that the fit was perfect over her armour.

Her blade glowed white as it was surrounded by frost fog, and covered in ice, just as Dominic had remembered. But what really startled him was the way that Fahad’s blade roared to life with red and yellow flames, flickering black at the tips, as if it were burning coal or dirty oil.

That was surprising. But the [Area Barrier] that he put up looked completely normal, so it might be an aesthetic response to the person who activated it.

Large flames looked cool, and it would leave an arc through the air as he swung the blade. Far different from the condensed flame that Dominic had produced when he tested the weapon.

Alexis raised her [Area Barrier], using her new shield as a channelling method, and her body was coated in a faint mist, barely visible in the bright light.

Now that they were both ready, Fahad didn’t hesitate to attack, his sword cleaving a glorious arc through the air before colliding with Alexis’ blade in a shower of sparks.

The Frost Blade didn’t appear to give off any extra visual cues when it parried, but that might be due to its increased level.

Either that, or Fahad’s flair for the dramatic was in play.

The twirling of his blade made it difficult to see his body from the front, now mostly hidden behind a wall of flames. But Alexis didn’t need to see him clearly to know where he was, and she drove him back with a flurry of strikes.

Fahad cursed, and the flames contracted halfway. The Princess smiled behind her visor as her opponent silently admitted the fact that the cool effect blinded both of them, and gave up on the dramatics so he didn’t lose the fight so easily.

Technically, Fahad was the better fighter. But only from a technical perspective. Alexis was faster, stronger, and she had far more practical experience to counter his brilliantly executed moves.

Both were elegant in their own way, but the Paladin’s movements were graceful in the way of an expert, while Fahad looked more like a dancer, his movements almost choreographed in style.

"He needs more than just practice. He’s studied the books too long, and she’s going to tear him apart." Prince George noted.

Prince Russel shrugged. His sister beat him to a pulp on a regular basis. That was why he didn’t train with her anymore. The only ones confident to beat her in a sword fight were Claudius and her twin sister, though who would actually win between the sisters was a toss up.