Hopeless at hunting, Prince Albert has been sent into the woods by his impulsively cruel father, required to kill a stag before he can return. Luckily he has Manning, a quiet and overly competent bodyguard, to rely on. But the familiarity and evident desire growing between prince and bodyguard shame Manning into revealing a secret: the king is using Albert as bait in a political game with a neighboring power, and it's Manning's job to lead him into danger.
Angry and betrayed, but unwilling to endanger Manning, Albert insists that his bodyguard go through with the plan. To save Albert and win back his trust, Manning will have to disobey two sets of orders and prove he has the canniness to survive in the royal court.