Kang Dae-Hyun, The Royal Guard

The old gate does not boast of storms survived. It simply remains when morning comes.

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Kang Dae-hyun has stood beside Yi Hwan since both were boys, Though one carried wooden swords toward a throne And the other toward a lifetime spent guarding it.

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Years have broadened his shoulders and sharpened his instincts. His hand rests naturally near his sword, His eyes find strangers, exits, rooftops, and danger before conversation ever begins. Few mistake him for anything but a soldier.

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Before the court, he is discipline made flesh: Formal bow, measured answer, unwavering loyalty.

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Behind closed doors, matters become less dignified. There remains an older boy who remembers the Crown Prince falling from trees, A drinking companion with a wickedly dry tongue, And perhaps the only man in Joseon who can tell the future king that he is behaving like a fool.