Choi Yoon Gi was the adopted heir of Captain Choi Seunghyun, Royal Guard of the Valley’s Royal Household since the ruling period of the previous Yang King and the posterior regime of the Consort Regent. The Royal Guard had never been married, which frankly intrigued Yoon Gi. His parent was devastatingly handsome. Tall, strong, powerful dark eyes that could pierce your soul, elegant white hairs peppering his dark locks and a perfect, manly profile. Watching him fight and train always gathered several fans of the deadly swordsman.

It was true that the man was broody, disciplined to a fault, obsessed with his duties, and rarely smiled or showed any candid emotion. It was also true that he was a dedicated parent, a patient tutor ready to proudly recognise his son’s achievement and the man that had spent many nights telling him the name of the stars and constellations. How his adoptive parent had learnt all that was always responded with a tight smile and a change of subject.

As the son of the Valley’s Royal Guard, he spent a lot of time near the Yang Royals. They seemed to not care much about hierarchy and titles when they welcomed him into their lives.

“Captain Choi has been with us for so long that he is part of the family. It is only natural for us to consider you like family too.” Had been Princess Jisoo’s explanation.

It made sense to Yoon Gi, so he did not question the casual relationship he had with the Royal Household any further.

The Heiress of the East Empire, Crown Princess Seulgi, was going to marry.

Obviously, the Valley Kingdom was invited as one of its more prominent lieges. What was not that obvious was why Yoon Gi had been allowed to join the Royal convoy.

“You are old enough to see and learn about the world beyond the Valley, my son.” Had answered Seunghyun, closing the letter on his hands and hiding it under a lock in his working desk.

Yoon Gi did not ask anything more. He was a thirteen-year-old boy excited by the idea of travelling to a far land, to the East Empire Palace of all the places, and be part of the illustrious celebration. He did not want to annoy his stoic parent and be left behind.

He did not pay more than a fleeting thought to the name Lee Jongin written at the bottom of the letter in his parent’s drawer.

The magnificence of the wedding celebration left the young Yoon Gi in a permanent state of bewilderment. The pretty clothes, the shiny jewels, the refined food, the handsome and regal Imperial family, the expensive presents, and the delicious sweets from the far and famed Vast Lands Empire.

But what impressed the boy the most was the ethereal and beautiful Scared Dancer that blessed the new couple’s union at the Temple.

The man moved like a spirit. His delicate feet did not touch the ground. His soft brown hair, his long neck and his tanned wrists were adorned with the prettiest sacred ornaments he had ever seen. Every spin was precise and held controlled power and fragile beauty. 

The metallic mask hiding haft of his handsome face only made him more amazing in the eyes of the impressionable boy.

“Who is he?” Had muttered the young boy in awe.

“The Noble Consort Lee Jongin, spouse of the youngest Kim Prince, Prince Kim Sehun. He is the younger brother of King Lee Taemin, King of the Southern Mountains.” Quietly replied his parent, his dark eyes fixed on the tanned dancer. “We will probably see him later after the toasts.” Offered Seunghyun casually, observing his son’s excited reactions to the Sacred Dancer’s dramatic final sequence from the corner of his eye.

The side of the Royal Guard’s lips switched in a smirk.

Jiyong would have found amusing their son’s innocent infatuation with the Noble Consort Jongin.

“Captain Choi, a pleasure to see you again and well.” Had smiled the Noble Consort Jongin when the Valley’s Royal Guard saluted him with a firm reverence and a respectful hand over his heart. “And who is this handsome young man by your side?”

Said handsome young man’s cheeks immediately burned with a furious blush.

“My adoptive son and heir Choi Yoon Gi, Your Highness.” Responded the giver, ending his bow and waiting for his son to remember his manners.

“Choi Yoon Gi respectfully salute you, Your Highness.” Stammered the boy, intimidated by being so close to the man that had accelerated his pulse while keeping him frozen in place. “It is a great honour to meet you.”

“Have you heard of me before?” Playfully inquired the masked man, turning slightly to give the blushing boy all his attention.

“No, Your Highness. But I saw you dance, and I have never seen anyone dance like you. You were incredible and awesome.” Admitted Yoon Gi firmly.

“Thank you for your kind words. Mastering my art was not easy.” The older men glimpsed at each other in the blink of an eye. “Are you interested in becoming a Sacred Dancer?”

“Not really…” It was cute the way Yoon Gi tried to not offend the carrier. “I am interested in the stars and planets. I want to be a Sky Reader, Your Highness.”

The pretty brown eyes of the Consort became even softer, and his smile only grew wider and fonder. The young boy could not divert his unpolite stare away from the carrier’s beautiful features and gentle expression.

“Being a Sky Reader is a noble but difficult profession. I studied the Sky Arts a little bit, as a pastime. I have some books and materials that I can lend you if you ever need some help. The person that taught me how to read a Sky Map was an exceptionally good teacher and left me detailed notebooks. I think I can give you some pieces of advice from a beginner’s perspective. Ask your parent permission and write me back if you are interested. Nevertheless, do not feel pressure to do it, young man.” Chuckled casually Jongin, offering his hand to the boy.

“Thank you, Your Highness! I will absolutely write you back!” Promised the thrilled kid, holding the tanned hand as if it were a treasure, skipping the part about asking for permission in his excitement.

“I have to go back but it was a pleasure meeting you. Enjoy the party. Junmyeon really outdid himself with those pastries.”

“Your Highness.” Replied the dark man, deepening his bow even more than what was required by the protocols.

“Good luck, Choi Yoon Gi. I am sure I will hear great things about you soon.”

The sensation of the kiss the pretty older man left on Yoon Gi’s crimson cheek made the kid smile until his face hurt.

The Noble Consort Jongin gained a new admirer that night. Even after many years, Yoon Gi always treasured his first love, the Noble Consort Jongin from the icy Southern Mountains.

The King sponsored Yoon Gi’s wish to become a Sky Reader. His own carrier parent had been a famous one. The boy had heard the rumours about the Dragon of the Valley, the heartless and devious carrier that had ruled the Kingdom with absolute power for twenty years, but the stories clashed with the warm-hearted anecdotes the Yang Royals had shared about him.

The Dragon of the Valley was a legend. The story of the obscure carrier that unexpectedly became the formidable Consort Regent of his foster Kingdom was certainly appealing. The man had changed the inefficient structure of the Kingdom with a firm hand and radical ideas. He had been the force behind the Valley’s current wellbeing, and his children cherished his memory until this day.

His adoptive parent lowered his voice in utter reverence every time the late Consort Dowager was mentioned. Although he had shared his own positive and interesting stories about him, Seunghyun did not like to talk too much about him. Yoon Gi had assumed that it was because it was improper to be gossiping around about the man he had served for so long.

Yoon Gi had concluded that the Dragon of the Valley could not have been that bad if his beloved parent had him in such high esteem. Choi Seunghyun was an excellent judge of character.

“King Minho has permitted you to use the Consort Dowager’s old study room to prepare for your incoming entrance exam. You would be allowed to use this place and all the books on it from now on freely.” Had informed him Seunghyun one day, opening the rusty locks on the door to let him in and explore the place.

“Really? But this is the Consort Dowager’s private study room. It has been close since forever.” Exclaimed Yoon Gi confused, looking at the rows of books and study material.

“That is why you need to use this place and its items respectfully. Show your gratefulness to your Majesty by becoming a Sky Reader apprentice in the Lake Temple.”

“I will work ridiculously hard to get my title, Father.” Happily smiled the boy, clapping his hands with enthusiasm. “I cannot wait to do my first Sky Map.”

“I find Birth Charts more intriguing.” Nonchalantly mentioned Seunghyun, taking some rolls from the shelves and opening them on the working desk. He called his son to come forward with a silent gesture. “These are mine and the Yang Royal Birth Charts, made by the distinguish Consort Dowager himself.”

He then produced an additional roll, which he placed right next to the others.  

“And this is yours, Yoon Gi.”

All the Birth Charts had been undeniably done by the same meticulous hand. The particular shape of the letters, the style of the draws, the matching colour palette, and the small details that each Sky Reader proudly imprinted into their creations to made them unique and recognisable as theirs.

However, Yoon Gi’s birth date was wrong. A different day, a different month, and the weirdest thing of all, two years before his actual birthday, making him fifteen years old. But his adoptive parent had assured him that this was his Birth Chart, and not everybody was granted the privilege to have one. This has to be his real birth date.

How and why did the Dragon of the Valley make a Birth Chart for him if he never met Yoon Gi?

The young boy looked at the date again. It was remarkably close to the date the Consort Dowager, the Sky Reader that definitively designed his Birth Chart, had unexpectedly died in the East Empire Palace. That cannot be just a coincidence.

“The Consort Dowager… was he…. was he my…”?

“Yes, and I am your giver.”

The Dragon of the Valley and my adopted parent are my real parents, the revelation made his head spin. However, in the middle of his confusion, one question rose clear and urgent.

“Were you two in love?”

Captain Choi nodded, and the soft smile on his lips was sincere and melancholic. “He would have been proud of you. He always wished for one of his children to follow his steps.”

“Do they know about this?” Do the Yang Royals know who I am? Do they resent me? Were they ashamed of his illustrious carrier having a secret child?

“They know, and they thought you were mature enough to know the truth too and act accordingly. Show them that they were not wrong. My late marriage with someone with the Consort Dowager’s high rank was unconventional, but Jiyong was an unconventional man. His only regret was to be unable to see you grow and thrive in the Kingdom he worked so hard to transform.”

“Jiyong always did was he had to do to fulfil his duties despite sometimes raising resentments and distrust amongst the Court members and the Valley citizens. Do not be like them and begrudge our silence. As the son of the Consort Regent and the Royal Guard of the Valley Household, you have your own responsibility to help preserve the prosperity of the Kingdom and protect your siblings. Would you be able to do it proudly, Yoon Gi?”

The young man twisted his lips conflicted, with his heart full of contradictory feelings. He was the rightful son of the famous Consort Dowager. He was not a random, orphaned low-rank aristocrat. He should be recognised as a Prince too! Pouted Yoon Gi in blunt disappointment.

But he was not a Prince. Not really. The Yang Royals had royal titles due to their giver parent, the late Yang King. The Consort Dowager Jiyong had gained his higher status due to his marriage. A marriage with a lower-ranking man would have stripped him of his royal status and titles.

As Captain Choi’s son, he had the status he should have if their parent’s marriage was made public. Neither his siblings nor his giver had ever abandoned him, giving him all the opportunities for a great future. He was raised away from the intrigues or the wariness for been the Dragon of the Valley’s descendant.

Would he have received so much love and if his carrier had not loved him? If he was an embarrassment for his siblings? Or a burden to his giver?   

Although he never knew the great Kwon Jiyong, his Birth Chart had been done with the same dedication as the other ones.

“It seems that one Birth Chart is missing.” Yoon Gi’s wink was playful. However, the hand that covered Seunghyun’s was firm. “When I graduate as a Sky Reader, I will make the Consort Dowager’s Birth Chart as a thank you gift to the King and the Royal Household. I promise that I will use those skills to serve the Valley Kingdom with loyalty and dedication, Father.”

Seunghyun said nothing but held his son’s hand tightly.

“Will you be able to tell me more stories about him now?” Timidly asked the younger man, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

The brave Captain Choi Seunghyun subtly bit his lip while caressing the Birth Charts on the work desk. The same work desk where he spent so many nights with the love of his life. The same desk in the same room where they fell in love so many years ago.

He still remembered Jiyong’s scent, the softness of his skin, the touch of his pale fingers, the tenderness of his kisses, and the light sound of his laughing.

He remembered everything.

“Some other day. You have to sort out things here and I have to go back with King Minho. I will meet you at home later.”

That night, Seunghyun allowed himself to cry bittersweet tears after many, many years.

“I miss you, Jiyong. Tonight is a new moon. I will keep you company until you wake up, my Sun.”

The Royal Guard stayed awake the rest of the night, drinking wine and watching the stars.