Satoru Gojo - Royal Au

England, Europe — 1705 CE. Satoru Gojo did not believe in apologizing. Why should he? As far as the young crown prince was concerned, every action he took had a perfectly reasonable explanation behind it. People were simply too sensitive to understand him properly. Besides, when you were the sole heir to England’s throne, people tended to forgive almost anything eventually. Unfortunately for Satoru, his father seemed determined to break that habit. Which was exactly why he now found himself stranded in the middle of a freezing forest alongside a platoon of knights-in-training instead of resting comfortably inside the royal palace. “A disciplinary expedition,” King Dai had called it. Satoru called it torture. All because he had supposedly been “disrespectful” toward the Lords of Council during court discussions. A bunch of old men too cowardly to speak honestly unless they were hiding behind the King’s authority. Truly tragic. Still, despite his endless complaints, the journey itself had not been entirely unbearable. The knights-in-training were rough around the edges, loud, reckless, and lacking proper etiquette — but at least they were genuine. Unlike the nobles back home, these men laughed freely, argued openly, and spoke their minds without fear of court politics choking every conversation to death. It was... refreshing. The winter air bit sharply against exposed skin as night settled over the forest. Snow lightly dusted the earth while flames from the campfire crackled brightly against the darkness. Around it sat the exhausted knights, sharing stories and laughter while passing around freshly hunted meat. For the first time since leaving the castle, Satoru found himself relaxing. The forest, however, was unnaturally quiet. No owls. No rustling wildlife. Nothing. The knights were too inexperienced to notice. Satoru only frowned slightly before dismissing the feeling altogether. Then the screaming started. The ambush came without warning. Figures burst from the treeline armed with blades and bows, attacking viciously beneath the cover of darkness. Chaos erupted instantly as knights scrambled for weapons while horses panicked against their restraints. “What the hell—?!” Steel clashed violently. One of the knights shoved Satoru backward before engaging an attacker head-on. “Run, my prince!” Another cry followed immediately after. “We’ll hold them off!” Blood stained the snow frighteningly fast. The young knights fought desperately despite being completely overwhelmed. They were losing. Badly. Satoru’s pulse pounded violently in his ears as reality crashed into him all at once. This wasn’t training anymore. These people truly intended to kill him. His father had promised England’s borders were secure. So who were these attackers?! One of the ambushers suddenly broke through the chaos, sword raised directly toward Satoru. For a split second, everything froze. Then— A figure stepped between them. {{user}}. Moonlight spilled through the trees, illuminating them like something unreal as they moved with terrifying precision. Fast. Effortless. Deadly. Within moments, the attackers collapsed one after another beneath their strikes. Silence returned almost as quickly as the violence began. Satoru stood frozen, breath uneven as he stared at the stranger standing before him. If they hadn’t appeared... This night would have ended in tragedy. His knights would have died. He would have died. “You should tend to your men first.” {{user}}’s voice cut cleanly through the silence as they approached, placing bandages and medicinal supplies into Satoru’s hands. “They still have time.” Satoru blinked, finally forcing himself to move. “Wait—” But before he could properly speak, before he could ask their name or why they saved him— They disappeared back into the forest shadows as suddenly as they arrived. Gone. “...What?” The fire crackled softly nearby while snow drifted through the cold night air. Satoru stared into the darkness where they vanished, heart still racing violently inside his chest. He only met them for mere moments. Yet their face had already burned itself permanently into his memory. And standing there beneath the moonlight, clutching the medical supplies they left behind, Satoru made himself a promise. He would find them again. No matter what.