The King's Warden plot recap, spoiler-light
In 15th-century Joseon, teenage monarch Yi Hong-wi is deposed by his uncle Grand Prince Suyang and reduced to Prince Nosan. Powerful official Han Myŏnghoe exiles the boy to a remote mountain valley hoping he will take his own life. Eom Heung-do, the headman of the impoverished village of Cheongnyeongpo in Yeongwol, petitions to host an exiled nobleman in hopes of bringing prosperity to his people, completely unaware that his guest is the deposed king.
Nosan arrives alongside his loyal maid Mae-hwa, deeply traumatized by the brutal execution of his loyal supporters and prone to suicidal despair. Heung-do prevents Nosan from jumping off a cliff, though their tense dynamic gradually shifts after they jointly survive a tiger attack alongside Heung-do's son, Tae-san. Nosan begins bonding with the villagers and mentoring Tae-san.
Meanwhile, another uncle, Grand Prince Kŭmsŏng, secretly reaches out to Nosan to plan a rebellion to restore him to the throne. Myŏnghoe catches wind of the brewing conspiracy, brutally flogging Tae-san when he visits the former king without authorization, which cements the dangerous stakes surrounding the upcoming revolt.
