Damn it!
Derek thought to himself. He knew had to fix this slip up. Immediately.
He let out a yelp. He stumbled, turning the graceful dodge into a clumsy trip. He grabbed the back of a chair to steady himself, looking breathless and terrified.
"Whoa!" Derek shouted, his voice high. "Your Highness! Please!"
He panted, putting a hand over his heart.
"You almost skewered me!" Derek cried. "I... I just tripped! I got lucky!"
He stood up, brushing off his shirt, trying to look like a man who had accidentally avoided death by stumbling over his own feet.
He looked at Liam, forcing a shaky smile onto his face.
"Calm yourself down, Your Highness," Derek said, trying to diffuse the tension with humor. "If you kill me, who will pay your taxes?"
He walked to the table where the wine sat. He needed to occupy his hands. He needed to change the subject.
"You seem tense," Derek said. "Is the burden of the state weighing on you?"
