Chapter Text
Chapter 1
If dreams were (as they say) a truce, a pure rest for the mind,
why then, when suddenly awakened, does it feel as if your fortune has been stolen?
Why is it so sad to wake up?
The hour strips us of an inconceivable gift, so intimate that it can only be translated into a stupor
that waking turns into dreams, perhaps broken reflections
of the treasures of the shadow, of a timeless world with no name
that the daylight distorts in its mirrors.
—Jorge Luis Borges
A kingdom shrouded in darkness and economic blindness had begun another day of production. The inhabitants of this beautiful kingdom were well aware that their lands were not prospering: the crops were spoiling, and the lack of rain prevented the fields from yielding a timely harvest.
The Titicharoenrak family found themselves in a desperate situation, with only two options: marry off their son and heir, or forge an alliance with a neighboring kingdom. As expected, they chose the latter, as their heir wanted nothing to do with marriage and preferred to remain a single king. This, of course, sparked the first family scandal.
But the real uproar came when the townspeople — nobles, merchants, and peasants alike — learned who the new allies would be. Rather than calming them, the news caused unease. None other than the Jirochtikul family.
"My lord, do you truly believe this is a wise decision at a time like this for our kingdom?"
King Dean, without offering any response, pressed his royal seal onto the official alliance declaration.
"Call my son. Tell him to present himself before me."
King Dean summoned his heir and eldest son, Gemini Norawit.
Soon after, Gemini arrived, offering a respectful bow and stepping forward to listen to his father’s words.
"Gemini, since you refuse to marry, I have a different task for you: one that will take time, but that requires your determination and sense of duty to complete."
The young man nodded slightly and waited for further instructions.
"You will travel to the kingdom of Jirochtikul as our ambassador. You will live there, learn about their customs, their diplomacy, and their people. You will speak on behalf of our kingdom and strengthen the bond between us. And, above all, you will protect the heir of that kingdom. Do I make myself clear?"
Gemini nodded, even though he didn’t like the idea at all. Diplomacy wasn't his strong suit, and he wasn’t exactly thrilled about having to babysit some noble brat.
"Yes, Father," he answered with a steady voice.
"Good. You leave at sunrise. Pack lightly, you won't need much. I want you focused and present. This is not a pleasure trip."
The young heir bowed once again and left the throne room with a heavy sigh. Just what kind of heir would he be forced to deal with?
Meanwhile, in the opposing kingdom, Queen Pearl was chasing her son throughout the palace, desperately trying to get him to stop.
"Fourth Nattawat!"
The boy hid behind one of the columns in the main hall, laughing loudly.
"Enough, child!"
Fourth peeked out from his hiding place and hugged his mother from behind, smiling widely.
"Okay, okay. What did you want to tell me?"
Queen Pearl sighed, turning to adjust her dress.
"We have a new ally, and this family has a son your age. We've made a deal with them to help restore their economy."
Fourth, still confused, raised an eyebrow but nodded as if he understood. He then left the hall and headed to the stables to take a ride on his horse.
"Pearl?"
King Teem asked as he entered, having witnessed the exchange.
"There’s nothing more painful than forcing my son to be something he is not."
The man, noticing the sadness in his wife, moved closer and gently stroked her shoulders.
"It’s time for Fourth to begin taking responsibilities."
However, this boy loved enjoying his freedom and believed that life could be more beautiful with a bit of fun. It was true that he had caused some controversies in recent months, and all of it was because his coronation was approaching, but Fourth just wanted to live his life without such responsibilities. He didn’t want to wake up at six in the morning and spend his days going around the kingdom to check if everything was working properly.
As he rode his horse, he could feel the spring breeze hitting his face. The villagers were happy; it was a kingdom without problems, except for its reputation.
"Fourth!"
A girl’s voice called out.
"Ow! Love!"
It was Love, a close friend of his. They had known each other since they were kids. Her family owned a fruit shop, so every morning, Fourth would stop by to get an apple, an apple that Love had set aside the night before so it wouldn’t be sold.
"Is it true what the neighbors are saying?"
Fourth, still on his horse, nodded and took a bite of his apple while looking at his friend.
"Wait, so you’re going to learn etiquette? You? Fourth Nattawat?"
The moment the girl burst into laughter, Fourth looked puzzled. His mother hadn’t mentioned anything about this.
"What?"
"That’s right, the alliance means the world’s most upright man, and the most sought-after by single women, Gemini Norawit, is going to teach you etiquette and royal rules."
The idea didn’t appeal to him at all. Etiquette? Rules? He had never followed them and had no intention of doing so.
Taking another bite of his apple, he hurried back to the palace, noticing a carriage parked at the entrance. He paid no attention to who had arrived and walked straight into the main hall.
"Mom."
Queen Pearl looked at her son and asked him to greet their royal guests.
"That can wait. Can you explain to me why you didn’t tell me that the deal was for me to learn from a straight-laced man?"
"Fourth Nattawat!" the King, Teem, exclaimed.
The boy who had been trailing behind the royal couple stepped forward and extended his hand, bowing as he did so.
"It’s a pleasure, Prince Fourth Nattawat. I am Gemini Norawit, heir to the throne, and... the straight-laced phenomenon."
Fourth didn’t know what to say and simply shook his hand, nodding slightly.
"Fourth Nattawat... prince and everything else."
Gemini smiled slightly and released the handshake soon after.
"I apologize for my son’s behavior. I think we’ve spoiled him too much," King Teem said.
"It’s alright, there’s no problem at all. He’s only twenty years old; it’s understandable. Please also excuse Gemini, though he is a very upright young man, he’s very logical and quiet. He doesn’t have many friends other than Mark."
The two kings exchanged smiles and nodded before continuing their conversation in the common room.
"I see I have a lot of work ahead of me with you."
Gemini said as he approached Fourth, his hands behind his back.
"Listen, white handkerchief, I’m not going to study etiquette at twenty. That would be a waste of time and fun."
Unlike Gemini, Fourth had his hands in his pockets as he studied the features of the young man in front of him. A tall heir to the throne... sharp eyes... full lips... broad shoulders... was he... handsome?
"How about we start with your first lesson?"
Gemini let out a sigh and threw his handkerchief on the ground.
"Do you know what this means?"
Gemini shook his head in confusion and walked to the library to grab two books about the basics of formal communication.
"It means 'I give up.' A lot of etiquette... but you don’t even know one basic thing?"
Gemini chuckled and placed the books on the table in the room, then approached Fourth, picking up the handkerchief to shake it in the air.
"This means 'I give up.' What you did was just throw your handkerchief, although waving it with your left hand, like you did before you threw it, can also mean a declaration of love."
Fourth froze for a moment, then took his handkerchief and put it back in his pocket.
"And that could mean you accept the love."
Gemini smiled as he watched Fourth’s nervousness and sat down to open the book.
"Come on, sit down. Today, we’ll learn the formalities of speaking and royal titles."
The hour felt endless to the "rebellious" boy who just wanted to go for chocolate milk and some pastries he used to steal from the baker, Meen, every day.
"How much longer until snack time?"
"Fourth, it’s only been ten minutes, and the only thing you’ve learned to say is 'I’m hungry, heir.'"
Fourth lowered his gaze and stared at his book, completely uninterested.
"Okay, let’s go over the positions when receiving guests. Who should you receive first?"
Gemini asked, holding the book in one hand and a pen to mark each correct answer that Fourth would give.
"Duke... Marquis... Count... Viscount... Baron... Lord... and... and..."
Gemini noticed how Fourth’s eyes were slowly closing, which he found both adorable and funny at the same time.
"And Your Grace."
"Oh, yeah... that... Your Grace." At this, Fourth dropped his head onto the table, completely asleep from boredom.
"If I knew you were going to get so bored, I would’ve brought a stick to wake you up every time you tried to sleep."
The boy suddenly opened his eyes and pulled back a bit, shaking his head.
"Alright... calm down, etiquette boy."
Gemini stood up, closing his book and taking a deep breath.
"What are you good at?"
"Huh?"
Confused, Fourth lowered his guard and watched as Gemini finished organizing the books.
"There must be something you’re good at. It’s clear etiquette and formalities aren’t your thing."
The other prince nodded and looked at the swords behind Gemini with a smile.
"I’m good at fencing."
He walked directly toward the swords and handed one to Gemini.
"How about a round?"
Gemini nodded and followed Fourth out of the room, heading toward the palace gardens. After all, it was just one round, and it wouldn’t hurt anyone.
A warm spring breeze blew through the garden, and the sun shone on the flowers and bushes. Fourth stood at the left corner, staring intently at a slightly disoriented boy.
"Are you sure you know how to?"
The boy on the left asked.
"Of course, but just one round. Then we need to go back to studying."
Gemini grabbed the sword, eyeing his opponent... if he were honest... he was terrible at fencing.
The duel began with a strike from Fourth. The sound of their swords clashing echoed, along with Fourth’s laughter as he saw Gemini completely lost, trying to dodge each blow. When the sword pointed directly at Gemini’s neck, the round ended, and both boys locked eyes.
"I thought you knew how to."
"I’m not good at fencing. My father never had time to teach me. He believed royalty was all about intellect and logic when it came to decision-making."
Fourth lowered his sword and looked at Gemini with a bit of sympathy.
"Listen, intellectual boy, let’s make a deal. I don’t want to learn etiquette, and you don’t want to learn fencing. How about we make it a two-for-one?"
Gemini frowned, confused by the prince’s words, and walked over, leaving his sword on the ground.
"You’ll teach me etiquette so my parents stop bothering me, and I’ll teach you fencing so you can improve your title."
It was an enticing deal. Both families would benefit from it, but there was something they hadn’t yet discussed, something both families absolutely wanted for their children.
"Who’s your fiancée?"
Gemini asked as he gathered his sword.
"Honestly, I don’t know. I was supposed to meet her soon, but after the latest scandal, I think it broke off the marriage contract."
"And... do you want to get married?"
Fourth shook his head, taking a deep breath and letting one hand rest on his waist.
"It’s not something I care about, and it’s not something I want to get into. I’m just waiting for the day of my coronation so all of this is over with."
Gemini nodded, nervously biting his lower lip.
"I don’t want to get married either."
He pulled out a white handkerchief and waved it in front of Fourth, offering it with his left hand.
"What are you doing? If I understood correctly, that means a declaration of love."
Fourth stepped back.
"If our kingdoms are going to ally... but neither of us wants to marry... maybe we could..."
The handkerchief remained in Gemini’s hand, waiting for Fourth to take it.
"Are you saying you want to marry me?"
"It doesn’t have to be real... let’s form an alliance. You need me, and I need you."
"Both... we need each other."
welcome to the first chapter.