There's that true hatred he wants to see. Once the Armiger is fully opened, Ardyn knows he's really gotten under the boy's skin. Good.

What he has in aggression though, he lacks for precision. Ardyn isn't completely unscathed by the blows but he does manage to avoid a decent number of them. The sharp end of a blade manages to scratch his face, for example, as he narrowly avoids it taking out an eye. Through it all, something that can be caught is he doesn't flinch or seem all that deterred by any pain.

In fact, even as he bleeds, he hardly seems to register it at all. "Don't tire yourself out, Your Majesty," he taunts. "The day is still young, isn't it? And I've got all the time in the world to take on you and your friend here. Why not give him a chance to dance too?"