Chapter Text
The official proclamation of a ceasefire arrived in Haixing with two Dixing envoys and a hundred soldiers; it was an unexpectedly large protection squad for the delivery of a scroll declaring a peace that had been settled in all but name. The Court of Censors reported that most of the guards were soldiers that had been newly released from the army for this mission. Perhaps His Imperial Majesty Gui Mian was being overly cautious, but given how long the war had lasted and the need now for peace, it wasn’t too out of the ordinary. The report did caution that there was a carriage that no eyes and ears had been able to gain access to. Emperor Kun Lun had dismissed it as interesting but unimportant until it became a problem.
The delegation had been housed in the Spring Palace as was the tradition for visiting emissaries. It was just that no one had thought that they would ever host envoys from Dixing, an enemy to Haixing for nearly fifty years. The previous Emperor, the spirits protect His great name, would have had an apoplexy if this had happened under his rule. It was also agreed that the Dowager Empress, the spirits protect Her great name, would ensure that all the porcelain in the Spring Palace would be removed and the centuries of spring floral artwork be covered up because no Dixing person would ever lay their eyes on the beauty of Haixing. Emperor Kun Lun had apologised to his ancestors for his sigh of relief at their absence. He was sure it was a forgivable offence since the war was finally going to end.
On the first evening following the arrival of the Dixing representatives, an official banquet was held in Cloud Hall of the Sun Palace, which was where His Imperial Majesty Emperor Kun Lun hosted social events of great import.
A feast of sixteen delicacies was laid out: the bear claw with sturgeon, beancurd simmered in chicken broth, duck and cuckoo brains, and egg tarts were especially succulent that night. Salutations and greetings were exchanged, and the Emperor looked pleased at the gifts.
Throughout the evening, His Imperial Majesty Emperor Kun Lun sat on his raised seat with his Empress at his side, a relaxed smile on his face. The Empress was beautiful in her midnight robes of embroidered silver and gold phoenixes caught in mid-flight. Her large dark eyes took in every little gesture, and her red lips remained pressed together, though they would tilt slightly upward as the Emperor whispered in her ear.
His Imperial Majesty was relaxed in his golden robes, woven dragons rising from the hem to his shoulders. His beard was trimmed and his long hair was pulled back by complicated braids, held together on the top of his head with a gold headpiece mounted with rubies; he was a far cry from the bloodthirsty war Emperor dressed all in black on the battlefield.
Together, they looked like a fated, harmonious couple, blessed by the Heavens.
The night passed with good cheer.
…
On the second day, in the first hour of the Royal Court, His Imperial Majesty Emperor Kun Lun sat on his Golden Throne wearing his headdress with its curtain of black beads and his official black Imperial robes, the collar and sleeves edged with gold brocade. Two embroidered gold dragons twisted upon the black silk, five claws wrapped around each of his shoulders.
This morning, his court was crammed with nobility and officials, lined up in eight rows that stretched all the way down from the entrance to just beneath his raised throne.
He was ready to sign the official ceasefire treaty.
“Your Radiant Highness, Emperor Kun Lun. His Imperial Majesty Gui Mian, Emperor of Great Dixing, presents the Holy Covenant of Peace.”
Kun Lun lifted one corner of his mouth at the snub to his title. The Emperor of Dixing could be a petty little shit. Nevertheless, Kun Lun could be the Radiant Highness to His Imperial Majesty as long as the correct titles were clearly stated in the treaty scroll.
Eunuch Sun moved to accept the scroll from the envoy and then carried it to him on a gold platter, still sprightly despite his age. Picking up the decree, Kun Lun carefully unrolled the gold scroll and read every word attentively even though he knew the entire thing by heart by now. Twenty of the top officials and ambassadors from both nations had gone through it with a fine-toothed comb. Every word had needed to be carefully considered and weighed in order to avoid either nation gaining power over the other.
Kun Lun accepted the Royal Emblem from Eunuch Sun and carefully pressed it down on the scroll. Eunuch Sun then offered him a brush which he used to write his name in precise strokes. When he laid down the brush, the court let out a silent sigh: they finally had peace, and no longer had to send their children to their deaths.
“All the conditions have been met, signed and witnessed. His Imperial Majesty Emperor Kun Lun blesses this day with His Divine Favour.”
The officials bowed in unison.
“There is, um, another matter.” The voice came from one of the Dixing envoys, and Kun Lun looked straight at the man. He was old and round, and obviously a person who was not used to travelling outside of his nation, perhaps not even outside his own manor.
“Your Imperial Majesty, His Imperial Majesty Gui Mian presents an addition to the required tributes.” Interesting but also highly inappropriate, especially when they had spent four months finalising the smallest details of the peace treaty so that there wouldn’t be any surprises just like this. They had gotten Chu Shu Zhi, Marquise of Southern Dixing, for the next ten years, and Kun Lun had had to let go of Prince Guo the older for the same period of time, because the two of them were the least likely to do anything to jeopardize the peace. If Gui Mian fucked this up, Kun Lun was going to personally lead an assassination squad to Dixing and gut him, consequences be damned.
“Not a tribute, more of an additional gift, as a show of good faith.” The envoy seemed to have realised his misstep, and hastily tried to recover from his mistake.
Kin Lun looked at the man calmly and dropped the signed decree on the platter. “Oh.” Amusement coloured his voice. “A show of good faith?” Kun Lun bared his teeth in a grin. “We, of course, always welcome a show of good will from our distant Royal Cousin.” Kun Lun lifted a hand as if expecting said gift to magically appear in his hand. “What is this gift?”
The envoy now was noticeably sweating, which was ridiculous; a thick layer of ice lay beneath the Sun Court’s marble floors, ice carried from the north to keep the temperature perfect for the six layers of robes the Emperor wore during court.
“His Imperial Majesty, uh,” – the stumble was noticeable as the envoy seemed lost for words – “he has presented, uh, graced you with his dearest Royal Brother, Prince Shen Wei, to be your – your beloved concubine. All he asks is for you to treat him well and keep him safe.”
The court descended into a sharp silence as every single person turned to stare at the man.
Kun Lun nearly broke a hundred protocols by standing up. Only years of etiquette training kept him still.
“Do you mean to say that the Great General of the West, Lord Soul Eater, has been given to Us as a royal concubine by decree of our Royal Cousin?”
“Yes, your Imperial Majesty.” The envoy stuttered, becoming more and more uneasy as the silence dragged and the court stared at him in disbelief and horror.
Huh. Well, at least he was mostly certain what was in the carriage his spies hadn’t been able to access.
Kun Lun smiled.
…
“He is here to murder you and kill all of us,” Da Qing snapped as he followed three steps behind Kun Lun. “Your Majesty, you are going to wake up one morning with his Black sword through your chest, and we will all die when Dixing comes to attack us.”
Kun Lun moved as fast as his robes would allow him. He had sat through the full court after the Dixing envoy’s announcement, pretending like his mind hadn’t been fully occupied with the guest that was residing in the Spring Palace. The envoys had delivered their excuses and goodbyes, stating how His Imperial Majesty Gui Mian wanted their speedy return. They had offered him the marriage contract and had left as fast as possible, taking with them forty of the guards and leaving sixty behind. The Dixing guards were all currently stationed at the Spring Palace.
He was tempted to prevent them from leaving, but he had thought of the signed peace treaty, and had grinned through their farewells and his own dark thoughts.
After everything else was over, Kun Lun had gotten the servants to change him out of his court regalia. If things were going to go wrong, he needed to be in something he could move in.
“I doubt Gui Mian wants to destroy all possibility of peace,” Kun Lun said, moving as rapidly as he could without causing mass panic among the servants or breaking palace etiquette. “We’ve been at war for over fifty years; both our treasuries can’t handle more of this. And he can’t afford to march directly on Haixing without losing power or having somebody in his court stab him in the back. They just went through a five-year inheritance war, I doubt he has the energy for Haixing.” Kun Lun ignored the servants bowing as he passed, moving towards the Spring Palace where the envoys had apparently left behind a foreign prince, and also possibly the most dangerous man in two nations. Haixing had let the Soul Eater into their midst, and Da Qing had every right to be panicking.
“Your Majesty, think about this. Why would he present you Shen Wei, of all people? By all accounts, Emperor Gui Mian loves his brother. Furthermore, Shen Wei is one of their greatest Generals. It doesn’t make sense.” Da Qing’s eyebrows were drawn in fierce concentration.
“We don’t know what the exact situation is in the Dixing court, but we do need to know if it really is Shen Wei staying in the Spring Palace. I don't want to die anymore than you do,” Kun Lun said, moving just a little bit faster.
Da Qing stayed quiet for the rest of their speedy walk, eunuchs and servants trailing further behind. The distance from the Sun Court to the Spring Palace was three thousand steps; it was no surprise that the eunuchs and servants couldn't keep up.
Their arrival at the Spring Palace was greeted by servants and guards in the main courtyard who bowed and prostrated themselves, and the Dixing guards followed Haixing’s protocol, bowed and prostrated themselves.
Kun Lun ignored them all, marching straight towards the central wing where their most honored guests stayed. Two Dixing guards flanked the main doors, and when they realised that it was the Emperor of Haixing who was making his way towards them, they stepped to the side of the doors and bowed.
“Your Imperial Majesty.” Both looked to be in their twenties, sturdy in frame and ready in stance for possible threats, soldiers who had seen war.
“Is his Royal Highness inside?” Kun Lun asked.
The guard on the right continued to stare at the ground, and the one on the left turned his head to look at the closed door before gazing back down at the floor. “Yes, your Imperial Majesty. The Gen– Prince Shen is inside.”
Kun Lun raised one eyebrow at the near slip. “Are you part of His Highness’ guards?”
The man continued to look at the ground. “I served with the Prince, and I was sent as part of his entourage.”
Interesting; not bodyguards, but loyal and obviously ready to protect their prince. But protection from whom? Kun Lun looked at the host of servants and guards. “Dismissed.” The servants and guards dispersed to resume their duties.
“Is His Highness ready to meet me?” Kun Lun was being extremely polite. He didn’t want their first official meeting to get off on the wrong foot, but he was also mildly angry. Gui Mian always liked to play games, but he didn't think Shen Wei was the sort to do the same.
The guard who had been silent so far seemed to shudder, skin turning red as he continued to stare at the ground. The one who had done most of the speaking so far coughed lightly. “His Highness is…” a long pause, “…is ready for your Imperial Majesty at any time.” The line was delivered carefully, as if each word was being pulled out of the guard with great difficulty.
Kun Lun was now very curious. The guards didn’t declare his presence, merely opened the doors and stepped aside, both of them flushing red.
Moving swiftly beyond curiosity, Kun Lun was more than a little concerned. If this had been an official meeting, Shen Wei would have presented himself at court either as Prince of Dixing or as the Great General of the West. Instead, he had been sent here as a ‘gift’, a ‘concubine’. The thought of General Shen being anybody’s concubine was ridiculous. Without further comment, Kun Lun walked through the open doors.
The curtains were drawn, and the only light in the room was the glow from the candles and lanterns, while sweet incense permeated the air. Before he could go any further, Da Qing shifted next to him. “Your Imperial Majesty, please stay back while I greet His Highness first.”
Kun Lun flicked an annoyed glance at Da Qing, which the damn cat ignored. If Shen Wei wanted to kill him, he could have done so at least three times in battle. But Da Qing had his duty, and Kun Lun would never punish him for it.
Kun Lun lifted his hand in acceptance, while Da Qing’s own hand moved to the pommel of his sword as he walked into the inner chamber.
Seconds ticked by as Kun Lun surveyed the room in more detail. There was an absence of any form of personal accessories. Shen Wei was not known for his want of worldly things, but there wasn't even a book or a meal lying around. By all accounts, they had carried a large wooden box into this room, and after leaving, no one had left or entered the room since then. The only way Shen Wei could have arrived was in the damn box.
“Your Majesty!” Da Qing’s loud exclamation drew Kun Lun’s attention. His face was flushed red and his eyes wide as he rushed towards Kun Lun.
“What is it?” Kun Lun asked; if he had a dead prince on his hands that would jeopardise the peace, Kun Lun was going to kill every single person that had arrived with the envoys.
Da Qing’s eyes widened even further, and he looked away from Kun Lun’s gaze. “Prince Shen Wei is inside.” A nervous gulp. “He’s indisposed.”
Kun Lun looked at Da Qing in exasperation. “Then call for the Imperial Doctor.”
“No!” Da Qing realised his breach in protocol, and hurriedly bowed. “Your Majesty, I think it would be best if you were to see His Highness in private as he is to be your royal concubine. I – I’ll wait outside.” With that, Da Qing departed the room.
Kun Lun stared after Da Qing in bewilderment. Well, at least he now knew that the situation wasn't dangerous; Da Qing would never have left him alone if Shen Wei had been waiting in the bedroom to kill him. Kun Lun made his way deeper into the palace, passing the general attendance hall with its pillared flowers, carved by hand over the centuries, and walked into the private quarters.
The sweet smell of incense suddenly disappeared, and something new invaded Kun Lun’s senses. He knew this scent, had smelt it as he lay upon the battlefield waiting to die. Shen Wei had lost control then as he had let go of his scent to flow over the dead and dying. It was lightning-scorched earth and the beginning of a storm, the taste of ozone overlaying the ground.
Kun Lun braced himself with one hand on the table, taking a long breath through his mouth. His suppressants would not fail. It would also be an absolute farce if Gui Mian was trying to invalidate Kun Lun’s claim to the throne by exposing the truth of his sex. Kun Lun has been in power for too long, his base too strong and his allies all too willing to kill and die for him, for something like this to depose him. Just because it might have been a problem when he had been fifteen didn’t mean it was a problem now, and the court was going to find out about it soon anyway, since he had planned to birth an heir once peace had been guaranteed.
Kun Lun felt a quick flash of anger and disappointment. He could imagine Gui Mian trying to destabilise him like this, but for Shen Wei to be involved felt like betrayal. Despite his reputation, Shen Wei was upfront and kept his promises, and hated the intrigue of court. The General he thought he knew would have challenged him in public rather than try to entrap him like this.
He pushed himself away from the table, took a deep breath, and stalked towards Shen Wei’s bed. Heavy drapes hung from the ceilings and surrounded the bed. The smell was overwhelming and Kun Lun could hear tiny gasps and whimpers. His hands curled involuntarily into fists, before he slowly relaxed them and stretched out his fingers.
He reached out and pulled the drapes aside.
Shen Wei’s scent saturated the air, and it took a few seconds for Kun Lun to register the man on the bed. Shen Wei wasn’t dressed as the Great General of the West; instead of armour, he was clothed in a deep red silk robe embroidered with gold peonies and lilies. A phoenix coronet made out of gold and pearls had been secured in his hair. The robe was in disarray, half falling off his shoulders, and his long hair had mostly escaped the coronet.
Shen Wei was looking directly at him, his eyes lined with pink kohl and his pupils blown wide. His face was flushed pink, and his lips, painted a vibrant red, glistened.
“Your Majesty.” A heavy gulp. “Please.” Shen Wei’s voice was low and husky, and Kun Lun had wanted him since he was fifteen and had seen the Great General of the West for the first time across a field of death.
Kun Lun stopped worrying, stopped being concerned about Gui Mian’s plans. He walked towards the bed and reached out to touch Shen Wei’s face. Shen Wei was burning up and he pushed his face into Kun Lun’s hand, sighing in bliss.
Kun Lun crawled onto the bed, sliding himself next to Shen Wei, whose body heat was overwhelming. He looked like everything a young Kun Lun had ever dreamed of. Kun Lun pushed his hands inside of Shen Wei’s open robe, the belt already loose, and brushed one of them up his chest towards his neck. Shen Wei gasped at the contact and moaned as he felt Kun Lun’s hand slide across his chest to the side of his neck.
Kun Lun grinned and slowly slid his hand back down past his waist and in between Shen Wei’s thighs. Shen Wei was already hard and wet, pre-come making a mess, and his chest rose with every stuttered breath. Then a sharp, pained gasp escaped his lips.
Kun Lun froze. Pulling his hand back, he sat up to look at Shen Wei more carefully. Shen Wei whined at the lack of skin contact, trying to push upward into Kun Lun but failing, hindered by his tangled robe and something else. Kun Lun moved his face close to Shen Wei’s neck and inhaled. His scent was there, but underlying it was the smell of burnt coal and sweet honey.
They had drugged him. They had drugged the General of the West with an aphrodisiac and weakened him drastically. Kun Lun pulled back completely, his breaths escaping him in rapid succession.
Sitting next to a struggling Shen Wei, Kun Lun rubbed his face roughly and looked back down at the other man. He had been so distracted earlier that he hadn’t noticed that Shen Wei’s arms had been under him all this time. Kun Lun drew closer and carefully lifted Shen Wei up, one arm supporting his neck and the other going around his waist. Shen Wei’s breath picked up at the contact, and he groaned deeply as his head fell onto Kun Lun’s shoulder.
Kun Lun shifted the arm he had around Shen Wei’s waist and found what he had suspected. Hard metal bands bound Shen Wei's wrists together behind his back, which caused great strain on his shoulders. Following the chain down with his hands, Kun Lun pulled aside the blankets that Shen Wei’s legs were tangled in to reveal gold bands around his ankles. The chain connecting the bands together would only offer enough leeway for a single step.
They had drugged and bound the Great General of the West to be delivered as a prize to be used by their former enemy. However they presented it, Shen Wei hadn’t chosen this, hadn’t agreed to it. Kun Lun knew that Dixing’s court was full of snakes, and that while Gui Mian was close to his older brother Shen Wei, he was also ruthless in maintaining power. With the war coming to an end, Shen Wei’s battle prowess and royal blood would have been considered a threat.
That little viper.
Shen Wei’s teeth sunk into Kun Lun’s neck, derailing all other thoughts except for how, if he wanted, he could push Shen Wei face first into the bed and fuck him. He could fuck him slow, take his time and break Shen Wei apart, or he could fuck him hard until Shen Wei’s world was nothing but Kun Lun. He could do anything and no one would blame him, not when Shen Wei had been gifted to him like a pretty jewel.
But that wasn't what he wanted. Kun Lun had wanted Shen Wei for over a decade now. He wanted Shen Wei the brilliant military strategist, the man who could single-handedly take down a battalion; he wanted the Shen Wei that had grinned fiercely when Kun Lun had finally managed to draw blood against the General on the banks of the Black Pearl River. He wanted that Shen Wei to let him fuck him in his Royal bed.Not this mindless creature, drugged and delirious, a person who only wanted release.
He looked down at the man breathing heavily in his arms, sweat soaking through his robe. Shen Wei protested softly when Kun Lun pulled away. But he couldn't leave Shen Wei like this, the ancestors knew how long he has been like this. The aphrodisiac used was known to Kun Lun; without release, it would cause the victim great harm.
Kun Lun took a deep breath. “I want you, but not like this.” Shen Wei looked up, eyes unfocused, lips parted. “I want you,” Shen Wei echoed him, enunciating each word before he pushed his head back into Kun Lun’s neck, breath stuttering.
Kun Lun silently swore. He had been hard since smelling Shen Wei, and his control was close to breaking. He could leave, but that wouldn't solve anything; left like this, Shen Wei could go mad, needing another’s hand to touch him, to bring him release. And Kun Lun would kill anyone else who would dare.
He looked at Shen Wei, desperate and needy, in pain and unable to touch himself, but even then it wouldn't have helped. Shen Wei turned his head towards him, tears filling his eyes. “Please. Kun Lun.”
He would deal with the damn consequences tomorrow.
Decision made, Kun Lun pushed his hand into Shen Wei’s open robe to grasp his cock. He was so wet and hard. Kun Lun pulled hard, hand pushing and smoothing down the tip. Shen Wei grunted into his neck, tongue licking Kun Lun’s skin before he started sucking on it.
Growling, Kun Lun pushed Shen Wei back onto the bed, pulling the red robe completely aside to take his prize. Shen Wei’s chest heaved rapidly as his breath hitched. A deep red flush covered his skin, broken only by the thick knot of scar tissue on his left hip, a memento from an arrow that had been loosed from Kun Lun’s bow. His cock jutted out from between his thighs, hard and dripping. Tears hung on his eyelashes, and the red paint on his lips was smeared. Shen Wei looked wrecked.
Kun Lun crawled on top of Shen Wei, tearing open his own belt and pushing his own robes off, uncaring of the damage he caused them. Shen Wei made a guttural sound and licked his lips as his eyes raked over Kun Lun’s naked chest. Kun Lun smirked. “We’ll take our time when you’re in your right mind again.” He leaned down, hand grabbing Shen Wei’s chin to tilt it up, and he kissed Shen Wei with hunger and frustration.
He pushed down into Shen Wei, bringing their cocks together with his hand as he pulled and pushed. Shen Wei sobbed into his neck, unable to use his bound hands or legs for leverage. He could only push back into Kun Lun with his hips and bite his neck.
Kun Lun controlled their movements, rocking back and forth, hard slide against soft flesh. He nipped at Shen Wei’s ears, mouthed the tendon of his neck, sucked a line of red kisses down towards his collarbone. His right hand continued to pull on their cocks while his left hand pushed into Shen Wei’s hair, ignoring the phoenix coronet.
Shen Wei’s breath hitched, hips stuttering, and a deep groan left his lungs as he released into Kun Lun’s hand. Kun Lun swallowed the sound as he kept on pulling, milking Shen Wei dry and causing him to make hurt noises as he shuddered at each pull. It was Shen Wei’s pained gasps that finally pushed Kun Lun over the edge. He came silently, head in Shen Wei’s neck and hips pushing into him, his release mixed with Shen Wei’s.
He lay on top of Shen Wei, the only sound in the room his gasps for breath as his racing heart calmed down.
Shen Wei’s scent was softer now, like ozone dispersing to leave behind the smell of freshly cut grass. His breathing was even, and when Kun Lun looked up, his eyes was closed and his expression slack; he had fallen unconscious sometime between his own release and Kun Lun’s.
Kun Lun pulled back and rolled over to lie beside Shen Wei. His hands and stomach were covered in their mixed release, and his own wetness was leaking between his thighs, the idea of being bred sending sparks down his spine; he could birth Shen Wei’s child. This might have been one of the worst mistakes he had ever made. He had a royal prince and ex-general, who was the most dangerous man he knew, in his bed, someone whom upon waking tomorrow might take offence at what had occurred tonight. Someone who could kill Kun Lun and half of his guards before taking any sort of damage that could put him down.
Kun Lun closed his eyes and let out a groan of frustration.
He was going to kill Gui Mian.
…
TBC