LOVE AMONG THE RUINS OF KINGS
CHAPTER 1: THE HAND THAT BINDS
The dust of the Sun-Temple's stone paths rose in golden clouds beneath Kael's bare feet, warm as the breath of the ancestors said to sleep in the walls around him. At eighteen, he had walked these halls a hundred times—studying the carvings of kings who had come before, memorizing the oaths they'd sworn to unite the realm. But today, the air tasted different: sharp with incense, heavy with the weight of a promise he had not chosen to make.
"Prince Kael of the Eastern Marches." The voice carried across the courtyard, low and steady as the beat of a war drum. Kael turned to find him standing at the archway that framed the rising sun—Emperor Ryū of the Unified West, his robes of deep crimson and gold catching the light like dragon scales. They were the same age, but Ryū moved with the gravity of a man who had worn a crown since he could walk.
Kael's hands folded at his waist, fingers brushing the embroidered hem of his own robes. "Emperor Ryū."
The distance between them felt vast, even though it was no more than twenty paces. Ryū stepped forward, his eyes never leaving Kael's face—dark as polished obsidian, with flecks of gold that matched the sun's glow. "The ancient law says we are to join hands here," he said, his voice softer now, as if he did not want the stones to overhear. "To bind East and West, so that war never touches our lands again."
Kael nodded, his throat tight. He had been told this day would come since he was a child—told that his life was not his own, but the realm's. He took a step forward, then another, until their hands were inches apart. Ryū's fingers were calloused from training with swords, his palm broad and warm as it closed around Kael's. For a moment, nothing else existed: not the temple, not the laws, not the courtiers watching from the shadows. Only the press of skin against skin, the way Ryū's thumb traced a small circle on the back of Kael's hand.
"I do not wish to be a stranger to you," Ryū said, his gaze holding Kael's so fiercely it made his chest ache. "Even if this is duty, I want… more than duty."
Kael's heart fluttered like a bird against his ribs. He had imagined this moment a thousand times—had pictured the emperor as cold, distant, a man made of stone and crowns. But here, with their hands bound together under the eyes of the ancestors, he saw only a boy like himself, afraid of the weight he carried.
"I want that too," Kael whispered, and when Ryū's fingers tightened around his own, he knew that whatever came next, this moment would be theirs alone.
The ceremony that followed was short—words spoken in the old tongue, oil poured over their joined hands, a prayer to the sun that it would shine on their union forever. But as they walked out of the temple together, hands still clasped, Kael felt something shift in the air around them. The stones seemed to hum with a new kind of magic, and he knew that duty had just become the least important part of their bond.
CHAPTER 2: STOLEN LIGHT
Three days had passed since the binding ceremony, and Kael still found himself staring at his hand when he was alone—at the faint mark left by Ryū's grip, as if their touch had seared itself into his skin. He had moved into the Western Palace, a place of high ceilings and cold stone, where every corridor echoed with the footsteps of emperors past. It was beautiful, but it was not home.
He was sitting by the window of his chambers, tracing patterns in the dust that had settled on the glass, when the door opened without warning. Ryū stepped inside, his robes unfastened at the throat, his hair slightly tousled as if he had been running.
"You weren't at the council meeting," Ryū said, closing the door behind him. He did not sound angry—only curious.
Kael shrugged, turning back to the window. "They were talking about grain taxes and border patrols. I thought you'd want me to stay out of it."
Ryū crossed the room in three long strides, stopping beside him. "I want you in everything," he said, his breath warm against Kael's ear. "You are my partner now—not just in name."
Kael leaned into the touch, closing his eyes as Ryū's hand rested on his shoulder. "My father always said the East and West could never truly understand each other," he murmured. "That our ways are too different."
"Then we'll make new ways." Ryū's fingers traced the line of Kael's jaw, turning his face so their eyes met. "Come with me."
He led Kael through a maze of corridors Kael had never seen before—narrow passages hidden behind tapestries, stairs that wound up into the palace's highest towers. When they reached the top, Ryū pushed open a heavy wooden door to reveal a small terrace, hidden from view by ivy and stone carvings. The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple, and below them lay the city—roofs of red tile, streets filled with people going about their lives.
"I come here when I need to remember why I rule," Ryū said, sitting on the edge of the terrace and patting the spot beside him. "Not for crowns or power—but for them. For us."
Kael sat down, their shoulders brushing. The air was cool, but Ryū's presence was warm enough to chase away the chill. They sat in silence for a long time, watching the light fade from the sky, and when Ryū took Kael's hand again, it felt less like a duty and more like a choice.
"This is ours," Ryū said, squeezing his fingers. "No one else knows about this place. Just you and me."
Kael looked at him, at the way the last of the sun caught in his eyes, and felt a warmth spread through his chest that had nothing to do with the weather. "Just us," he repeated, and for the first time in his life, he felt like he was exactly where he was meant to be.
CHAPTER 3: THE TASTE OF HONEY
The morning air in the palace gardens was thick with the scent of jasmine and honey. Kael was kneeling by a bed of white flowers, his fingers buried in the soft earth, when he heard footsteps on the stone path behind him.
"Are you trying to steal my gardeners' jobs?"
Kael smiled without turning around. "They say the flowers grow better when you talk to them. I thought I'd give it a try."
Ryū knelt beside him, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing forearms dusted with golden