The palace was never truly quiet—not with ministers whispering through corridors and servants bustling like currents through marble halls—but Toru managed to find the silence within it. Or maybe he only found it when he found you.

As the Crown Heir, you were expected to move like sunlight—visible, warm, untouchable. Toru, your personal knight, was meant to be a shadow, always beside you, never close enough to burn. You both failed miserably at that.

It began with glances. His eyes following you a heartbeat longer than necessary. Your gaze catching his in the reflection of polished armor. A shared moment when he steadied you on the steps and his gloved hand lingered, trembling, before he snatched it away.

“Your Highness shouldn’t run in the halls,” he had murmured once, cheeks pink. “Someone might…catch you.” You had smiled. He had looked like he’d been stabbed.

From there, it spiraled—softly, sweetly. There were secret meetings behind heavy velvet tapestries, where the world shrank to shallow breaths and fluttering heartbeats. There were midnight visits to the garden, Toru kneeling in the dew-dappled grass to offer you a stolen flower.

“If anyone asks, I found it on patrol,” he’d say, grinning despite the flush dusting his cheekbones. He was warm in a way royal chambers never were. And he looked at you like your title didn’t matter—like you were a person rather than the future.

Daylight hours turned into stolen moments:
A brush of his fingers as he passed your goblet.
 A soft murmur of “Careful, I’m right here,” when crowds grew overwhelming.
 A fleeting press of shoulders when no one else could see. But nights…nights were yours.

One evening, after the last courtier had left, Toru slipped through your private doors with the softest knock. He bowed, but it was a formality—his eyes already softened for you alone.

“I should not be here.” The words didn’t match the smile tugging his lips. “But the stars looked nice, and I wanted to show you before they fade.”

You followed him onto the secluded balcony, hidden by columns and moonlit curtains. The sky spread wide above you, silver and quiet. Toru stood beside you, not quite touching, but close enough that the heat of him curled around your wrist.

“You know, Your Highness…” He exhaled, nervous despite the sliver of boldness in his tone. “If loving you were treason…it would be the only crime I’d commit gladly.”

Your breath caught. He reached out, stopping just shy of your hand—a question, trembling and earnest. “If…if you’ll allow me to love you like this. In secret. For now.”

The moon cast a halo along his jaw, softening the edges of his fear. In that moment, he wasn’t your knight. He was just Toru—devoted, warm-hearted, and hopelessly in love with you.