Chapter Text
“Your Highness!” The two Generals shouted together as Xie Lian was hit square in the chest. He was blasted back behind a fallen log.
“FUCK!” Feng Xin strung an arrow in his bow. His eyes narrowed at the creature and he let the arrow fly right when Mu Qing swung down hard with his saber. The beast exploded beneath the power of the two.
“Your Highness are you alright?” Immediately Feng Xin jogged over to where Xie Lian fell. Mu Qing rolled his eyes.
“He’s fine.” But he also made his way over. “The fact that you got hit at all was--”
“F-F-F-F....F-F-F-F-F-F.”
“What are you doing?” Mu Qing squinted as Feng Xin stared down behind the log. It seemed like he wanted to burst out in a string of expletives, but couldn’t get it out.
“What is he actually hurt?” Mu Qing felt an itch of worry as he picked up speed. He looked down expecting a bloody wound and a headache when Crimson Rain saw but--
“WHAT THE HELL!” He yelled.
A little boy lay on the ground with far too big white clothing. His little face squeezed at the loud noises and his eyes slowly opened. Mu Qing jumped back. What-what-what--
“Y-your Highness?” Feng Xin asked, his voice squeaky.
The little boy looked up at him and smiled, his eyes happy crescents. He looked around and realized he was on the ground. He stood up and brushed himself off, frowning at the too big clothing a thoughtful little look on his face. Then he looked back up at Feng Xin and held up his arms.
“Ah--” Feng Xin was still trying very hard not to burst into curses. His little Highness pouted at him and gave a little jump as if to emphasise his desires.
“Up!” He explained.
Feng Xin almost tripped over himself as he scooped up his little Highness securely wrapping him in his oversized clothing.
Xie Lian grinned and patted Feng Xin’s cheek with his tiny hand.
“The… last hit must have done it,” Mu Qing looked like he was going to be ill. Xie Lian shifted to look over at who spoke and then started crying.
“AHHHH!!” He buried his head in Feng Xin’s shoulder, clinging to him.
“What?” Mu Qing twitched. “What’s wrong?”
“Shh, shh it’s okay, Your Highness. Shh. I know he’s scary,” Feng Xin cooed trying his best not to laugh.
“I’m not scary!” Mu Qing growled.
“Ogre!” Xie Lian cried.
“Your face is frightening him! Go over there, Ogre.” Feng Xin grinned still bouncing Xie Lian up and down trying to calm him.
“Mu Qing looked down at himself. “It’s the blood. The blood!”
“No, it’s definitely your face.” Feng Xin petted Xie Lian’s hair. “It’s alright your Highness, the mean man isn’t an ogre.”
“This is ridiculous.” Mu Qing took a few steps away.
“Baba!” Xie Lian cried.
“Ah, no, no, it’s okay. Your uh. His Majesty is… uh…”
“Away,” Mu Qing added unhelpfully.
“Away,” Feng Xin repeated. “Xin-ge and Qing-ge are going to look after you. We’re going to have lots of fun, okay?”
“Qing-ge?” Mu Qing whispered furiously.
Feng Xin shook his head in a ‘go with it’ gesture.
Xie Lian slowly started to calm down. He sniffed and carefully peeked at Mu Qing again.
“Smile,” Feng Xin said between gritted teeth. “See? Qing-ge isn’t so scary right?”
“I hate you,” Mu Qing mouthed and then forced his face into a smile.
Xie Lian ducked his head back into Feng Xin’s shoulder.
“You brat--!”
“Your Highness!” Feng Xin said loudly. “It’s okay. He won’t do that again. You’re right, he’s even worse with a smile.”
Mu Qing wanted to punch the fucker, but he couldn’t stand losing to him even more. He calmed his expression and brushed the blood off his face. He came closer. Thought for a moment:
“Hey, want to see my saber?” He asked.
“You can’t just bribe His--”
Immediately Xie Lian’s little face was turned toward Mu Qing, the tears gone, an eager look on his face.
Mu Qing smirked.
“You can’t show a little kid a sword!” Feng Xin protested.
Xie Lian was already leaning out with grabby hands.
“What to see my bow?” Feng Xin wasn’t above changing tactics.
Suddenly Xie Lian stopped. He looked around questioningly.
“Hi?” He said, but seemed even more confused. “I’m right here!” He said as if responding to something.
“What are you…” Feng Xin said.
“Oh no,” Mu Qing winced. “Crimson Rain,” he said.
“Sh---ugar.”
“Xie--A-Lian, can you hear a voice in your head?” Mu Qing asked. Despite Feng Xin’s smack talk Mu Qing was surprisingly good at communicating with children.
Xie Lian nodded. “He sounds very worried.”
The two Generals winced.
“Put your finger to your forehead like this and then tell him everything’s fine.” Mu Qing showed him how to activate the communication array.
“You want him to li--?”
“Do you want to deal with Crimson Rain right now?” Mu Qing cut Feng Xin off.
Feng Xin thought for a moment and then carefully guided Xie Lian’s hand to his forehead.
“Oh!” Xie Lian smiled. After a few moments his face squished.
“What’s wrong?” Mu Qing asked.
“He asked where I was. I said I dunno. And then I said everything’s fine, I’m with Xin-ge and Qing-ge and he made a really weird sound.”
“Oh no,” The two Generals moaned.
“We could take him to Heaven,” Feng Xin suggested.
“Take who to Heaven?” a frosty voice asked.
“Fuck!--Fudge. Shit.” Feng Xin startled.
Crimson Rain Sought Flower stood behind them. His arms crossed. “Where’s His Highness?” He demanded.
Reluctantly Feng Xin turned around.
The hard glare slowly softened into confusion. “Gege?”
“Red!” Xie Lian pointed.
Before anything else could be said Hua Cheng had scooped Xie Lian away from Feng Xin holding him under the arms and looking him over. “You’re small!”
Xie Lian giggled.
“A-Lian isn’t small!” He argued as he was jerked around by Hua Cheng.
Mu Qing couldn’t stand it. “He’s not a sack of rice, hold him properly.” He scolded.
Feng Xin tried to take the little crown prince back.
Hua Cheng quickly pulled him away holding him to his chest. His expression grew cold again.
“And how exactly did he get like this?”
“The demon we were hunting,” Mu Qing said, crossing his arms. “It sucks out energy. His Highness got hit by the blast. It must turn its prey to things more… bite sized.”
“And you let him get hit?” Hua Cheng asked angrily. There was no pleasing him. Mu Qing and Hua Cheng glared at each other for awhile.
Xie Lian was grabbing at the red earring dangling by Hua Cheng’s cheek.
“Your Highness…” Hua Cheng didn’t move. He allowed Xie Lian to tug at the coral earring wincing at the giant tug.
“A-Lian likes red,” Xie Lian explained.
Hua Cheng looked completely out of his depth, but smiled affectionately at little A-Lian. “Why don’t we leave these two, okay Your Highness?”
Xie Lian frowned. He reached out for Feng Xin. “Xin-ge and Qing-ge are looking after A-Lian.”
“I-is that so?” Hua Cheng forced a bright look, but had murderous intentions when he looked towards the two Generals.
“Mn.” Xie Lian nodded, not noticing the tension. “While Baba is away,” He explained.
“I see, but Xin-ge and Qing-ge need to look for a way to make you taller.”
“That’s silly!”
“Very silly Your Highness,” Hua Cheng agreed.
“Do you know how to look after kids?” Feng Xin asked him uncertainly. Hua Cheng still wasn’t really holding him properly. Xie Lian was half hanging off his neck.
“I can take care of His Highness,” Hua Cheng said frostily. “You two need to find a way to fix this.”
Xie Lian started wriggling in his arms. He held out his arms toward Feng Xin.
“Want Xin-ge,” He whined.
Hua Cheng looked like he was shot through the heart with one of Feng Xin’s arrows.
“You’re not holding him right,” Feng Xin said while taking Xie Lian out of Hua Cheng’s arms. There was a bit of a tug-a-war, but Hua Cheng lost in the end, still weakened by the little boy’s words.
Feng Xin couldn’t help the smug grin at being the favourite.
“Can I see?” Xie Lian looked over Feng Xin’s shoulder at Mu Qing.
“Hm?” Mu Qing raised an eyebrow.
“Saber.” Xie Lian said a little gleam in his eye.
“Ah--”
Before Mu Qing could move Hua Cheng was in front of him. “You want to see a saber Your Highness?” Hua Cheng brought out his sword holding it out for Xie Lian.
“Don’t actually give it to him!” Feng Xin protested. Crimson Rain and Mu Qing really were similar…
Xie Lian ran his tiny fingers over the hilt of E-Ming. E-Ming made happy eyes at the boy.
“Oh!” Xie Lian gasped as E-Ming floated in front of him trying to get in close.
“Nicely,” Hua Cheng scolded. He swatted the saber’s hilt.
“His Highness does not need to play with your cursed sword.” Feng Xin turned around so that Xie Lian was facing away again.
“Saber!”
“Your Highness...” Feng Xin protested. Apparently his love of swords started at a young age.
Once again Xie Lian was scooped up by Hua Cheng. “I got it this time.” He held Xie Lian more securely.
“I have a whole collection I can show you Your Highness. Let’s let them take care of things okay?”
“Xie Lian tilted his head and thought about it. He looked up at Hua Cheng’s face.
“Mn.” He smiled.
Feng Xin felt a little depressed being beaten by a bunch of swords.
Mu Qing shrugged. Kids are fickle, and… as secretly adorable as Xie Lian was as a child, Mu Qing really didn’t want babysitting duty. Xie Lian was hard enough to resist fully grown. He glanced at Crimson Rain Sought Flowers. If they don’t hurry up and fix this His Highness would be spoiled by the end of the week.
“Bye bye!” Xie Lian waved as he was carried off by the Ghost King. Mu Qing was certain Crimson Rain was out of his depth.
“I feel like I’m watching a kidnapping,” Feng Xin muttered gloomily.
-
Hua Cheng was watching the little crown prince in fascination. He was… so adorable.
“I got what you asked for.” Yin Yu stepped into the room. He scratched the back of his head. “Is this… really alright?” Yin Yu was pretty experienced with young children and as the head disciple in his sect he had tutored and looked after a lot of his little shidis. Letting an over excited little prince into a room of magical weapons was not what he would call wise…
Xie Lian was staring with huge eyes at a silver sword with sapphire gems embedded. The clothing that he had been wrapped in was in a puddle on the floor. Ruoye wrapped all around him covering him up.
Yin Yu handed over his master’s request.
“Your Highness,” Hua Cheng called.
Xie Lian reluctantly turned. “Mm?
“Come here for a moment.”
“Oh…” Xie Lian looked over at Yin Yu. “Who’re you?” He smiled a charming smile.
“Ah…”
“That’s Yin Yu, he can get you whatever you like, alright?” Hua Cheng asked.
Xie Lian nodded. “Yu-ge.”
Hua Cheng’s face darkened.
Yin Yu bowed quickly. “I should … go do something…”
“You do that.”
Yin Yu made his escape.
Xie Lian padded over to Hua Cheng.
“Here I got you something to wear Your Highness,” Hua Cheng brought out the little white clothes.
Xie Lian tilted his head.
Hua Cheng smiled.
Xie Lian smiled. “No!”
“Huh?”
Xie Lian scampered off back to the wall of swords. He went on his tip toes trying to reach for one.
“Your Highness!” Hua Cheng protested. He ran over just as the sword fell. E-Ming surged forward and parried the sword before it could land on the little crown prince. Hua Cheng quickly pulled him into his arms covering him as another sword fell off its display and embedded itself in the floor a few centimeters from Hua Cheng’s foot.
“You could hurt yourself!” Hua Cheng exclaimed. He held the child tightly to his chest.
Xie Lian’s eyes went wide and started tearing up. “A-A-A-Lian was wrong.”
“Y-Your Highness don’t cry!”
Xie Lian sniffed loudly rubbing his eyes with his arm. “I’m not.”
“It’s alright.” Hua Cheng petted his head. 800 years flashed before his eyes seeing the sword fall almost slicing Xie Lian in half. “Let’s not play with the sword for now, okay?”
Xie Lian buried his head against his shoulder. Hua Cheng rubbed his back comfortingly.
“It’s alright, I’m not mad.” He promised. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“But you almost got hurt!” Xie Lian’s voice was muffled against his robes. So that was it. Hua Cheng hugged Xie Lian a little tighter. Even as a little boy always worrying about others before himself.
“You don’t need to worry about San Lang, Your Highness. I’m not hurt at all.” He brought Xie Lian to the bedroom and helped Xie Lian pull on the new clothes. Ruoye, once its master was properly covered slowly poked itself out of a sleeve.
“Oh!” Xie Lian tilted his head and held up his arm. “Hello!”
Ruoye curled itself affectionately. Xie Lian carefully petted the silk rope calming down a little.
Hua Cheng wasn’t surprised at how utterly adorable his Gege was as a little boy, but seeing it in person was so delightful.
“What’s your name?” Xie Lian asked.
“That’s Ruoye.”
“Hi!” Xie Lian started playing with it. E-Ming shook in his scabbard, but Hua Cheng hit its pommel.
“No.”
Xie Lian looked up curiously. “It wants to play too?”
“Don’t mind E-Ming. Come on, I’ll make you dinner.”
“Okay!” Xie Lian trailed behind him every so often patting E-Ming’s scabbard with his little hand when he thought Hua Cheng wasn’t looking. E-Ming shook in happiness.
Hua Cheng put a cushion on Xie Lian’s usual chair and put him up at the table while he started cooking.
“Gege?” Xie Lian asked.
Hua Cheng stood perfectly still pushing down the urge to shake in joy like his saber.
“Yes Your Highness?”
“Don’t like it.”
“Hm?”
Xie Lian pointed to the vegetable he was chopping. “Don’t like it.”
Hua Cheng immediately threw the vegetable in the bin.
“Mama says you shouldn’t waste food.” Xie Lian frowned.
“If His Highness doesn’t like it it was already a waste of space,” Hua Cheng said wisely.
Xie Lian tilted his head, but didn’t really understand. He continued playing with Ruoye while Hua Cheng finished cooking. He placed the food in front of Xie Lian and sat across from him. Xie Lian propped up his face, one elbow on the table and picked at his food.
“You need to eat Your Highness.”
“Mn,” Xie Lian seemed unenthused by his offerings. This was very different from the man he knew. His Gege could eat anything without complaint and with even a compliment to add. His Little Highness did more pushing around the food than actually putting it in his mouth.
“Gege?”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“When is Baba and Mama coming?”
“If they could be here with you right now, they would be,” Hua Cheng said gently.
Xie Lian nodded. He pushed around more of his food.
“Did you want me to make you something else?” Hua Cheng asked. If it wasn’t good enough he would do better.
Xie Lian shook his head. “Done.”
Hua Cheng frowned. “You didn’t eat a lot.”
Xie Lian shrugged.
Ruoye climbed out and rubbed against the boy’s cheek, finally putting a smile back on his face.
“Okay, but if you’re hungry later you’ll tell me right?”
“Okay.”
“What did you want to do now?”
Xie Lian thought about it. “Book!” He decided. He hopped off the chair and ran into the sitting room. He went over to the books lining the shelves and went on his tiptoes to slowly sound out titles.
“You like to read Your Highness?” Hua Cheng followed after leaving the dishes for Yin Yu to see to.
“Mn,” Xie Lian nodded. He pulled one up and went back over to Hua Cheng handing it to him.
Hua Cheng sat down on the couch and Xie Lian snuggled beside him peering down at the book.
“Deconstructing Dialogue in Divine Discourse… you really want me to read this for you?” He didn’t even remember having this book.
Xie Lian nodded putting his chin on Hua Cheng’s arm.
“Alright…” Hua Cheng cracked open the book. It was a dry read to put it kindly, but Xie Lian seemed to be enjoying himself. Into the fifth chapter Hua Cheng was holding back yawns. Whoever wrote this was really full of themselves.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer…” He looked down. Little Xie Lian was fast asleep using his arm as a pillow.
“And they lived happily ever after,” Hua Cheng tossed the book carelessly to one side and carefully shifted the crown prince into his arms. He carried him to the guest bedroom. He sighed and brushed the boy’s hair out of his face. Hopefully they could fix this soon. As sweet as his little Highness was he missed his beautiful husband.
“Sweet dreams.” He kissed Xie Lian’s forehead and headed out to do some research, maybe yell at the useless Generals to see if they’ve found anything.
The little crown prince woke up in darkness.
“Mama? Baba?” He asked. He rolled over and realized his parents weren’t there. He frowned and carefully rolled out of the bed his bare foot padding on the stone floor. Ruoye tried to tug him back to bed. He nervously stroked the silk as he wandered the darkened hall of Paradise Manor. He knew Mama and Baba weren’t here, but he couldn’t help but hope maybe they actually were. Instinctively he opened one of the many doors. It was a bedroom with a big red bed.
Xie Lian climbed up the side.
“Baba?”
Hua Cheng blinked sleepily. He had gotten into the habit since Gege had moved in. He looked in the darkness at the little figure in white who was slipping under his covers.
“Highness?” He asked. “Are you alright?” As a child he had never sought out comfort from his parents learning quickly that there would be no help from them. Xie Lian as a child slept with his parents nightly and whined when he wasn’t allowed. Waking up alone had disoriented and made him feel scared and lonely.
“Gege, A-Lian is going to sleep here,” He told him. He snuggled up against Hua Cheng’s chest curling into a small ball. Hua Cheng automatically started stroking his hair.
“Did you have a bad dream?” In stories usually children had a bad dream when they went to their parents like this.
“Mn,” Xie Lian said noncommittally.
“Do you want to talk about it?” He tried.
“‘M tired Gege, it’s bedtime.”
“Oh, sorry.”
Xie Lian settled against his chest and soon fell asleep curled in his arms.