Before kingdoms, before wars, before crowns—
There were two teenage boys standing in the garden of the Spring Summit Palace, their robes still too large for their young frames, eyes burning with a hunger that could never be sated.
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Years Ago
The Prince of Skiiri, barely fifteen, had arrived with his father for diplomatic talks. Among the young royals gathered, he met Prince Lù Xiǎng, a year older, taller, with a charming smile and sharp eyes that missed nothing.
They were polite for exactly one day.
The second day, they fought over the last jade chess piece gifted by a visiting artisan. Lù Xiǎng took it first.
> "It's just a piece of jade," Lù Xiǎng said, twirling it in his hand, smirking.
> "It was mine first," the Prince of Skiiri hissed, grabbing for it.
They scuffled in the hallway, robes torn, hair pulled, until guards separated them.
The next day, they fought over the rare golden koi in the garden pond, both wanting to feed it and claim it as a sign of good luck.
Lù Xiǎng fed it first.
> "You're always too slow," he teased, flicking water at the other boy's face.
The Prince of Skiiri glared at him, vowing he would one day win.
---
This pattern never changed.
A rare horse brought from the Western Isles? Lù Xiǎng claimed it first.
A beautifully bound poetry scroll? Lù Xiǎng accepted it as a gift before the Prince of Skiiri could open his mouth.
Every time, Lù Xiǎng's smile was victorious, his eyes glinting with amusement as if saying:
> "You will always be second to me."
And every time, the Prince of Skiiri's hands clenched, his pride wounded, but his resolve burning stronger.
---
Now
Years had passed, crowns rested heavier, responsibilities darker.
But that rivalry never died.
And now, they were fighting over something far more precious than koi fish or jade—
Shèng Lín.
---
The Prince of Skiiri stood by the balcony, fingers digging into the railing as he recalled Lù Xiǎng's calm words from the letter:
> "I wish to discuss the matter of Shèng Lín with you in person."
Lù Xiǎng's words were polite, diplomatic. But the Prince knew what it truly meant.
A challenge.
A declaration.
> "You always took everything first," the Prince whispered to himself, his eyes burning, "but not this time."
He turned, his robe sweeping behind him, as the memory of Shèng Lín's warmth, his quiet strength, and the softness in his eyes replayed in his mind.
> "I will not lose him."
---
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Kingdom, Prince Lù Xiǎng sat in his study, fingers brushing over a faded silk ribbon tucked inside his robe—a ribbon Shèng Lín had tied around a gift box years ago, back when Lù Xiǎng was just a prince who trained knights, and Shèng Lín was just a young soldier with bright, determined eyes.
> "You said you owed me everything," Lù Xiǎng murmured, looking out over his kingdom. "I will not let him take you."
A small, tired smile touched his lips.
> "For once, I want something… for myself."
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And so, the stage was set:
Two princes who had fought over everything since youth,
Now ready to fight for the love of one man who had become the center of their worlds.
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