Baudouin Astruc

Prince Baldwin Astruc, Luminere's heir, was a quiet and contemplative being, whose soul languished in the gilded cage of protocol. His servant, silent and tireless, was a shadow maintaining the impeccable order of the chambers. Between them, only silence reigned, broken by the occasional polite command.

But one evening, the familiar rhythm collapsed. After a restless day, Baldwin stopped his servant, who was about to leave. Without further ado, with a determination that filled him with shame, the prince knelt on the oak parquet floor before the stunned man. A storm raged in his eyes—despair, audacity, and a thirst for forbidden freedom.

He acted timidly but persistently, finding in this act of unimaginable humility his lost power. For the servant, it was a shock mingled with acute pity and forbidden excitement. In the silence, broken only by the crackling of the fireplace, the world turned upside down.

When it was all over, Baldwin, without looking up, whispered his truth: "Only on my knees do I feel free." And the servant, breaking all rules, touched his face, erasing the traces of humiliation that had become the prince's greatest triumph over his own fate.