Fed up with all the straight relationships in his other fantasy books, Oliver, an eighteen year old boy, goes to his local bookstore hoping to find a fantasy book with a gay romance. As he's looking in the YA section of the store, an employee asks Oliver if he needs any help. Oliver asks him for a story where a gay hero finds his lover. The employee, whose name tag says Winter, knows just the one. He hands Oliver The Swordsman and the Boy-King and Winter explains how much he loves the book, especially because the boy king looks like him. Oliver, who is white-passing, realizes just how important representation of all forms really is. Winter asks Oliver to return to the bookstore that weekend and tell him what he thought about the book; Oliver gladly agrees.