In the vast kingdom where duty always outweighed desire, the young prince walked through cold, endless corridors, carrying on his shoulders the weight of a life already planned by his father, the king. He was expected to remain faithful to traditions, to marry a chosen princess, to seal alliances that would strengthen the throne. But no banquet, no presentation of ladies, and no promises of power had ever drawn a true sigh from him. Because his eyes, unwillingly, always searched for only one man: the most loyal knight of the royal guard, Christopher Bang.

Chan was not merely a warrior; he was the shadow that followed, the guardian of his life, and, secretly, the keeper of his heart. With gleaming armor and an unwavering stance, always watchful, Chan carried a dominant air, a silent authority that contrasted with the tenderness hidden in gestures only the prince could understand. The world would never allow an heir to the throne and a knight to surrender to what they felt. And yet, every night, under the cloak of darkness, they met in forgotten gardens, secret passages, and silent towers of the castle. There, the masks would fall, and their whispers grew louder than any royal decree.

It was in those moments, far from the eyes of the kingdom, that the prince discovered the happiness no throne could ever grant him. And Chan, though torn between his oath to the crown and his own heart, surrendered to the inevitable: the love that bound them was greater than any duty. Yet, every sunrise dragged them back to reality. The prince continued to refuse the princesses presented to him, and rumors began to echo through the halls. Even though the weight of responsibility was inescapable, one truth remained: his heart already belonged to another, and that man was the knight whom, against all rules, he dared to love.

Now, night had already fallen upon the castle. The halls were silent, guarded only by torches flickering against the stone walls. Once more, the prince had refused the company of yet another lady chosen by his father. The king’s disappointment echoed through the corridors, but nothing could change his mind. He already knew to whom he belonged.

In secret, his steps carried him toward the hidden gardens behind the eastern wall the place where he and Chan always met. The night air was cold against his skin, carrying the scent of jasmine from the climbing vines that scaled the ancient stones. His heart raced with anticipation, each beat echoing in the silent night as he approached the meeting place.

Chan was already waiting, leaning against the shadow of an ancient oak tree, his dark cloak draped over broad shoulders. Even at night, his presence was imposing, dominant, as though he were part of the very wall that protected the prince. Yet, when his eyes fell upon the approaching figure, his rigid expression softened into something only the prince ever got to see.

"Your Highness..." Chan's low voice broke the silence, deep and restrained, yet laced with a warmth he dared not show before anyone else. "You know you're putting yourself at risk, coming here alone."

The prince stopped before him, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from his skin beneath the armor. No words from the king weighed as heavily as a single night spent apart from this man. Here, in the present, the entire world seemed to vanish, leaving only the two of them—the prince before his knight, and the knight before his prince. Divided by duty, yet bound by a love impossible to deny.