Archive of Our Own

“Fight in the name of the kingdom!”

The general’s guttural voice was loud and clear in the muddy battlefield and the collective cheers from the soldiers followed, deafening the quiet one’s ears. One wondered why the soldiers in this platoon still had the energy to waste screaming. Years of endless battle and shedding of blood, uncomfortable sleeping or nothing at all, and treading through the battlefield every single day.

It was tiring, as if the world was on their shoulders. They were mere soldiers, what more of the young king that ruled their kingdom?

“Doesn’t matter if you’ll lose your life in this. It’s for the good of the kingdom!”

Wu Ming ignored the general’s screaming; moral support bullshit that he didn’t care about. He chose to become a soldier not because he wanted to fight for the kingdom, the only person that he was fighting for, that he was willing to die for, was King Xie Lian.

He was the current king of the kingdom after his father died due to an unforeseeable illness. Some said that he was too young to rule, some say he was too spoiled to know a thing or two about the harsh reality of the world. Either way, Wu Ming never listened. He simply listened to the king.

If His Majesty wanted him to fight until his last breath, he would. Anything for him and only him.

To Wu Ming, Xie Lian was the only person who showed him true, unwavering kindness. He was sure that the older man would never remember their encounter all those years ago. Who was he to leave an impression on someone like him? That didn’t matter to the young soldier, of course.

He honed his skills of the saber, something that Xie Lian said that it suited him more, and did his best to build his body that would be best suited in a war. He wasn’t the bony, dirty small kid that he was before.

Well, he was still dirty. All because of the environment he was in right now.

When the screaming was finally over, they had to pack quickly and follow the routes and tactics that were given to them. Simply kill the group of the enemies that were slowly heading towards them. Easy, but it would be brutal.

Wu Ming took his surroundings after he did his share, enough that the general or the higher ups wouldn’t scold him. It was a forest, the trees already dead and the grass had withered. It wasn’t a pretty sight compared to the years before the war. The west side of the kingdom of Xian Le was beautiful, but it didn’t last that long.

Someone soon approached him, an older man that was nicer compared to the others. It still wasn’t someone that he trusted, but he knew that this person wouldn’t kill him out of hatred.

“Hey,” the man said, voice light. His expression was kind, “We’re about to set out. You’re in my group.”

Wu Ming nodded wordlessly, he wasn’t opposed to the idea that this guy was the leader. It was natural. Honestly, he was surprised that he wasn’t kicked out because he barely listened to any leaders in the past years.

The war was almost over. After this mission, if they were successful, the king had ordered them to return and they weren’t allowed to leave the dead behind when they did. It was honorable, a little bit daunting of a task, but doable.

When the sun was beginning to set, they began to move. It was eerily silent, hoping to catch their enemies off guard to give them a head start. They didn’t have any fires lit up, relying on their instincts and the people who knew the area quite well.

Their footsteps were muddled by the soft ground, dirtying the soles of their already dirt-encrusted boots. Everyone was on high alert, keeping an eye out on everything around them.

Wu Ming was looking directly at the back of their leader, broad and strong. It was surprising and eerie how the man didn’t care that he had bandages right over the right side of his face despite having it absent of injuries. He would always fight anyone who asked and spat at him when he gave them no reason.

He let his thoughts wander for a moment while still being alert. He wanted to see the king one more time if he were to really die in this damned war. He just had to survive tonight. If he did, he would return. He could die afterwards for all he cared.

After what seemed like hours, they could see a group with torches in the front and the sides. Some were walking and some were riding on horses. They looked unprepared, bored out of their mind while they still kept a stoic look on their faces. It was how their bodies were slack and how their responses were slow.

As much as he did respect the man before him, Wu Ming ignored his shouts as he charged for the group. His saber was unsheathed halfway through, killing intent glinting on the blade as he ran. The cool was hitting the bare part of his face, his gaze focused on the closest person that he could kill.

Before any of the enemies detected his presence, a blood curdling scream alerted everyone as Wu Ming’s target slowly dropped to the ground, lifeless. The horses went out of control when the group dispersed their tight formation as they got ready to fight the intruder, creating more chaos in the formerly silent night.

From there, he could hear the harsh command of the leader followed by the rushing footsteps of his… comrades. Wu Ming didn’t pay any mind as he continued to slaughter and defend his way through, heading straight on to whoever looked like the leader.

“You have to go through me first.”

Wu Ming sneered when he was stopped by a man that was twice his size that easily stopped his saber, blocking it with his sword. The man looked arrogant as he pushed the former way and Wu Ming wasted no time charging again.

His attacks were getting more brutal and faster that the man barely kept up with him. He managed to stab the enemy through the heart as soon as the man let his guard down out of fatigue.

The man’s lifeless body dropped to the ground with a loud thump, Wu Ming’s goal was now in clear sight. The leader was defending himself from one of his comrades and he took the opportunity to move.

He didn't know how, probably because they were coming from his blind side, but he didn’t notice that someone was charging at him and managed to slash his side, leaving a huge gash enough to make him grit his teeth out in pain. Fuck.

Wu Ming swung blindly as he staggered, managing to hit the other somehow. Most of the enemies were dead by now, but Wu Ming hated how just a single injury was enough to make him catch his breath. It was deeper than he thought.

His vision was blurring as he looked around. They lost some men, but the enemies clearly lost. Good. He stabbed his saber on the ground to give himself support. His side was getting sticky with blood, his robes sticking uncomfortably to his skin. It was a pain, it was even more a pain when people kept shouting. He could barely hear his leader.

“Kid, kid!”

Was he calling for him? He wasn’t too sure. He was the youngest, so perhaps it was him. His view was slowly tilting and the corner of his eye was staring to blacken. He groaned when the man approached him to catch him midfall.

He hated how he was about to pass out in his arms, but he couldn’t keep his consciousness any longer. He hated that the man was shouting for more orders and soon turned back to him, whispering that everything would be alright.

Everything soon turned black.

The next time he woke up, Wu Ming was eyeing a gray, dull ceiling. It was familiar and cold at the same time. He then realized that it was the barracks back at the kingdom. Were they finally back? He couldn’t recall trekking back to the kingdom.

He tried to slowly sit up and he hissed in pain in his side. Oh, right. He got injured and he was probably carried back with the rest of the injured men. It was pretty humiliating that he had to be carried back.

He was back in his own small room, everything was kept minimal aside from his spare clothes and weapons cluttered around. It wasn’t like the other soldiers’ rooms that had a personal touch to it. Besides, it wasn’t big enough to be considered comfortable.

Wu Ming, he noticed, was wearing his black pants and his upper body was bare, although it was being covered by firmly wrapped bandages.

Just when he was successful as he leaned on the headboard of the rather stiff bed, the door to his room opened. Wu Ming’s hand instinctively shot up to the right side of his face, relieved that it was also covered in bandages. He was stiff as a board, but he relaxed slightly when he saw it was his leader.

“Oh,” the man was holding something. Was it food? His eyes brightened when it landed on Wu Ming. “You’re awake! Good, good.”

As the man entered the room, closing the door shut, Wu Ming couldn’t help but observe him. He looked a bit tired but better compared to their times on the battlefield. His clothes were worn and clean, his face was sporting a small smile.

“How long..?” Wu Ming croaked out before coughing harshly

“Ah?” The older man quickly set the food down on a nearby desk and grabbed the prepared glass of water. He immediately went to Wu Ming’s side and handed the water. “I think it’s been three days since we arrived.”

Wu Ming greedily gulped down the water to soothe his dry throat. He had been knocked out for three days? That seemed too long.

“We were told to rest, considering that the west side is done,” the man said, taking the cup from Wu Ming. “All that’s left is the north, I think? General Pei is handling that.”

Wu Ming nodded, absorbing the information. The war was almost done and they could finally rest and be at ease. While they may be used for labor to repair the kingdom, that was better than being in the battlefield. 

“We don’t have further missions?”

“His Majesty told us to rest,” the man said and that made Wu Ming relaxed a bit. If it was Xie Lian’s orders, then so be it. “Oh, that reminds me. I should inform His Majesty that you have woken up.”

Wu Ming almost tumbled out of bed in shock, “Excuse me?”

“Oh, yeah. His Majesty wanted to talk to all of us, but a lot were injured. He wanted to talk to you guys one by one. Probably to thank you or something.”

The young man casted his gaze down as he gripped onto the ratty sheets. He was sure that His Majesty wouldn’t remember him, but thinking that he would get to talk to Xie Lian soon was nerve wracking. He wasn’t sure what he would do if the day came.

The man then handed the food. It was some type of sandwich that seemed heavy enough to fill Wu Ming’s stomach. “Here. I’ll check up on you later, alright?”

Wu Ming took the sandwich with a slow nod. It was probably uncharacteristic of him to talk to a fellow soldier without cursing at them, his reputation being the wild kid that never listened to any superiors and hated everyone. He thought that his attitude was a fair trade, considering how cruel they were to him.

“Thank you, sir.”

He was taken by surprise when the man snorted, “Zhuwei is fine, kid. I’ll take my leave now.”

When the man left, Wu Ming stared at the sandwich blankly. He was hungry, sure, but all he could think about right now was that Xie Lian would talk to him soon.

It wasn’t until a few days later that Xie Lian was searching for him.

Wu Ming was able to be on his feet on the second day that he woke up despite Zhuwei’s protests. He was still banned from doing heavy labor, but he still did some errands here and there. The wound didn’t hurt as much and he could bear with it even if his movements were slower than usual.

Zhuwei called for him in one of the tents that were treating the injured. The soldiers who just returned from the north were slowly filing in the courtyard and there were a lot of casualties, making a lot of people run around to treat them as best as they could.

According to Zhuwei, Xie Lian stubbornly accompanied them to the north. He still wanted to help fighting despite being the king of the kingdom already. It was a dangerous move since if he were to die, someone else would lead them and it was unknown whether such a person would be capable of doing that properly.

Zhuwei was outside a large tent that was being guarded by two heavily armed guards. That was unusual. Wu Ming jogged towards him, ignoring the nasty glares he was getting. He still wasn’t well-liked in the army despite saving some of their asses in the past, their pride wouldn’t give in for that.

The man glanced in his direction and he was waving for Wu Ming to come faster.

“Good, you’re here,” Zhuwei said once Wu Ming was in range. “Took you a while.”

“I had to deliver the scrolls,” Wu Ming said, eyeing the guards. “Tight security.”

Zhuwei nodded, “Yeah, you’ll see why. Come on.”

Wu Ming then followed Zhuwei cautiously. The latter parted the tent, ducking in as he entered. Wu Ming followed suit, not knowing what he would see the moment he entered but he didn’t expect to see these people.

Especially him.

There were only two beds that were far apart that had one person each. One was lying down, complaining as the doctor talked to them while the other was sitting up with a gentle smile on his face as he tried to calm two other men down.

“You were being reckless -”

“I know, Feng Xin. I made it in one piece, didn’t I?”

“That’s not the point. You could’ve been killed.”

“Mu Qing… I only have a small injury, don’t worry.”

Wu Ming’s breath hitched as he watched the love of his life- (he meant, the man he admired) talk to his two most trusted friends. But, it did bother him that there were bandages peeking out of the king’s robes. Did he get injured during the confrontation in the north? He should’ve protected him.

Although, that was impossible with him being stationed in the west and was out of commission for a few days.

“Your Majesty,” Zhuwei said as he pulled Wu Ming to stand beside him, getting the attention of everyone in the tent. Wu Ming casted his eye quickly and tried to not squirm under the heavy gazes of everyone. “I have brought him as requested. This is…”

Wu Ming felt that the older man nudged his side, just shy away from his injury. Fuck him.

He immediately knelt down in front of Xie Lian’s bed, head hung low, “My name is Wu Ming, Your Majesty.”

“Please, don’t kneel,” Xie Lian said hurriedly. If he wasn’t in bed, he’d help the young man stand up. “I don’t want anyone to kneel before me.”

“...As you wish.” Slowly, Wu Ming stood up. He still didn’t look at the king in the eye, afraid that he might do something stupid under Xie Lian’s watch. Although, he didn’t like the way Feng Xin and Mu Qing were glaring at him. He didn’t remember doing anything to them or was his memory getting bad? 

Xie Lian took a moment before he spoke again, “Words are not enough, Wu Ming, but I would like to thank you for risking your life for the kingdom. I gave my thanks to your group before but you were recovering.”

“It’s… It’s alright, Your Majesty.” Wu Ming managed to raise his gaze, locking eyes with the king. “I would do anything for you.” A slip of his tongue. It was fine.

He didn’t miss the way the king’s cheeks turned a bit red and faked a cough. In a closer view, Wu Ming could see the dark circles under the king’s eyes. He looked tired and it was as if the whole world was on his shoulders. Yet, that didn’t deter his beauty one bit.

“For someone so young, you have your way with words,” Xie Lian commented, a shy smile on his face.

Wu Ming wanted to crumble down in embarrassment as he looked away. He simply muttered an apology, not wanting to say anything more.

Mu Qing was eyeing the both of them with a questioning look. Xie Lian didn’t respond to him, only smiling a bit wider than earlier.

“I heard you were doing errands,” the king said again, noticing how stiff Wu Ming was. “I’m sorry that I took your time. You… can return to your duties.”

“It’s nothing, Your Majesty.” Wu Ming mumbled. “You can call me anytime.”

There was a brief pause until the king said, “Thank you, Wu Ming.”

Wu Ming stiffly nodded and bowed at him once again before he swiftly left the tent. Zhuwei smiled apologetically before chasing after the young man. It was only them again, the doctor still checking on them.

There was movement on the other bed. General Pei Ming was injured as well.

“You scared the boy, Your Majesty.” Pei Ming said, snickering.

Xie Lian sighed, “He was already scared before I talked to him.”

Mu Qing folded his arms, his brow raising, “I don’t think he’s scared.”

“Oh?” the general asked. “How so? Care to tell us?”

The king was looking at him expectantly, but Mu Qing only shook his head.

“Doesn’t matter. You probably won’t see him again, anyways.”

The next time Wu Ming saw Xie Lian, the latter was overseeing some of the repairs within the palace. Some of the areas got destroyed when their defences were breached, but it wasn’t as bad as their walls and outermost areas of the kingdom.

Since the king was still recovering and neither of his friends would let him set foot outside the palace, he opted to just look around and try to help. That wasn’t as successful since the soldiers told him that it was alright.

He was very well-liked and well-respected. Xie Lian’s skills spoke for itself and his kindness was genuine, so the soldiers on duty didn’t mind his presence one bit. One of them was Wu Ming, of course.

The young man had recovered at that point and was carrying wood on his shoulder for the others. He was also tasked to paint, but that was a bit on hold until everything was in its place. There was a small part of the area that was finished, though, so he could start with that after it.

He had to admit that he didn’t notice Xie Lian at first. With the scorching heat, the heavy weight of the wood, and the stickiness of his robes, he was too focused on getting his job done that he simply passed by him.

“I see you’re working very hard, Wu Ming.”

“Fuck-” Wu Ming was startled enough to make him drop a few pieces of wood on the ground, luckily not hitting his foot. He looked at Xie Lian who was just as startled. “Your Majesty-”

“I’m sorry,” Xie Lian easily cut him off as he tried to help picking up the wood, kneeling down on the ground. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

The king still had his pristine white robes on, the bandages still visible somewhat. If the soldier could remember, Xie Lian looked weary the last time he saw him so seeing him up and about with a less stressed face was somehow comforting.

Wu Ming knelt beside him and gently stopped the king from picking up the wood, “Your Majesty, it’s fine. I can do it.”

The young man couldn’t believe his eyes when the other was pouting, “It’s my fault. I should help.”

Wu Ming quickly shook his head and made himself move faster, “You’re still injured. I can handle it.”

The king huffed but relented as they both slowly stood up. “I’m not delicate, Wu Ming.”

“I never said you were,” Wu Ming tilted his head. “Isn’t it better to fully recover before doing heavy tasks?”

Xie Lian pressed his lips to a thin line, knowing that the young man was right but was still too stubborn to admit so. Wu Ming found it amusing to the point that the corner of his lips were threatening to twitch upwards. He schooled his expression before slightly bowing towards the king.

“If His Majesty would like, you could paint with me?”

That seemed to brighten the king’s mood as he nodded eagerly, “That doesn’t sound too hard. I’ll do my best.”

Wu Ming nodded slowly before nudging his head to a direction, silently telling the other to follow him. Xie Lian did so without a fuss, trying to strike up a conversation here and there but Wu Ming was still stumbling with his words as he did so. He still couldn’t look Xie Lian in the eye, after all.

He dropped off the wood in a nearby pile. Someone offhandedly thanked him, not even sounding that sincere. Maybe they even thanked him due to the king being in their presence. Wu Ming grunted in response, picking up the paint and brush before walking in a different direction.

When they were far enough, Xie Lian commented, “You’re pretty hostile with the other soldiers.”

Wu Ming stiffened at that but continued walking, “I don’t trust them.”

“But you’ll fight with them?”

They soon arrived at the area where it’s fully repaired and the only thing that was missing from it was the paint. People surprisingly worked fast. Wu Ming set down the paint and brushes enough for the both of them before inspecting the walls.

Wu Ming shrugged in response, “It’s a war. I’m bound to.”

Xie Lian hummed, “Do you not trust anyone, then?”

‘I trust you,’ was what Wu Ming wanted to say but he thought it would be too weird for the king to hear that. “Zhuwei is alright.”

The king nodded, “He is a trustworthy man.”

Wu Ming shrugged again after he was finally done checking the walls. Everything seemed to be in place and there weren’t any rough areas. By himself, he could probably finish half of the wall before dinner. Maybe it could be a bit faster with the king helping him.

Naturally, he didn’t want Xie Lian to work but the latter was very insistent. He was already holding a brush and told Wu Ming to show him how to do it correctly and as usual, he easily followed.

“Isn’t His Majesty supposed to be resting?” They were painting side by side once Xie Lian got used to it.

“I was until I got bored,” the king casually said. “Feng Xin banned me from doing any official duties and forced me to be bedridden the whole time. I only got to escape my room since he disappeared somewhere.”

“...I see.”

They continued on with Xie Lian mostly filling the quiet space. The area was a bit far away from where the other soldiers were repairing so it was just the two of them. Like that, the king was able to talk about different things like his childhood and the small pieces about what happened in the north.

Wu Ming never expected to get a chance like this where he could talk to Xie Lian so casually, but he was grateful to experience such a thing. He wanted to treasure and imprint this moment in his mind since it may never happen to him again once the kingdom returned to normal.

They were already halfway through when heavy footsteps could be heard from behind. Wu Ming went instinctively protective of the king, dropping the brush and stepped in front of the king defensively before narrowing his eye at the newly arrived figure.

He should’ve been surprised but he wasn’t when he saw Feng Xin standing before him, his face contorted with frustration and worry. Xie Lian only turned when Feng Xin was shouting.

“Why the hell did you let him work?! Couldn’t you see he’s injured? Are you trying to take advantage of his kindness?”

Wu Ming clenched his fists as he forced himself to not lunge at the other. He wanted to spat out sharp words at his face until Xie Lian stepped in front of him, catching him off guard.

“Feng Xin,” the king’s voice was like steel. “Don’t you dare shout at him.”

He couldn’t see Xie Lian’s face but Wu Ming felt a shiver down his spine at the king’s tone. It was already enough to see Feng Xin paling by the second as he tried to explain himself.

“But, Your Majesty. You shouldn’t work-”

“Who are you to tell me?” Xie Lian asked. “I stayed in bed like you asked for a few days now and I’m tired of feeling useless , Feng Xin. I am the one who asked him to let me work with him, so do not dare shout at him.”

“I…”

“And I am starting my duties tomorrow whether you and Mu Qing like it or not.”

“But…” Feng Xin dropped his head in defeat. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Wu Ming was silent the whole time, not knowing what to say. Xie Lian turned around and his hard gaze softened by a fraction and his smile was small.

“I apologize that you have to witness this, Wu Ming.”

The young man shook his head. How many times did he say that everything was alright?

Xie Lian sighed rather fondly, as if hearing the soldier’s thoughts, “I… should take my leave. Thank you for letting me stay, Wu Ming.”

Before the young man could even say his reply, the king turned around and probably glared at his guard based on Feng Xin’s gulp and the guilty look on his face. Xie Lian walked past him, not even looking back to see if the guard was actually following him.

Oddly enough, Feng Xin stared at Wu Ming gloomily before bowing slightly. A half-assed apology. He simply watched the guard turn around and jogged to catch up with the king.

Wu Ming already missed Xie Lian.

He knew that he wasn’t lucky. He was born to be unlucky. Or so people said.

Wu Ming wondered if he ever used up years worth of luck to see Xie Lian a few months later. The war had finally ended and most of the repairs were already done. The king had been busy with meetings and papers while Wu Ming was busy training himself in case something would happen.

It didn’t bother the young man that he never saw his king in months, knowing that he was an important person with multiple and heavy responsibilities while he was only a mere soldier that survived their biggest crisis yet. Wu Ming didn’t mind the monotonous days of training, eating, and working everyday. It kept him busy enough to not think of anything too much.

Yet, the king would always creep up in his mind at some point.

So, he was surprised yet again. He finished off the last fellow soldier that he had to spar with for the idea and took a swig of water on the side, away from the crowd watching the next pair that were sparring started clashing their training swords. Zhuwei was observing, not needing to participate in the training.

“Good job out there,” Zhuwei said, folding his arms to his chest. “You’re getting better.”

“Thanks,” Wu Ming replied, still awkward. He tried to focus on his drinking instead when a voice he hadn’t heard in so long piped in.

“You really are talented with the saber, Wu Ming.”

Wu Ming almost spat out the water he was drinking, but he stopped himself and he ended up coughing instead, pounding his chest to help himself. He stiffened when a soft, warm hand was gently rubbing his back to assist him.

“I’m sorry,” Xie Lian said with worry. “I scared you again.”

Zhuwei snorted but was easily ignored by the two. When Wu Ming recovered, he turned around to see Xie Lian smiling at him. It was small, tired and only then the young man noticed that the king looked more worn out compared to the last time he saw him. The stress must’ve piled up on him lately.

The other thing he noticed was that Xie Lian was… shorter than him. He was broad and he looked both delicate and strong, but Wu Ming was sure that he was almost a head taller than the king. He never took note of it until now since he always thought that Xie Lian’s presence was huge whenever he walked into any battlefield or room. One would always take notice of him.

“Your Majesty,” Wu Ming said with reverence, still in awe that the king was there.

Xie Lian laughed awkwardly, most likely sensing the young man’s awe, “It’s been awhile, Wu Ming. I hope you’ve been doing well?”

The soldier nodded, “I have. What about His Majesty?”

“Well,” Xie Lian slowly trailed off, noticing Zhuwei’s silent curious eyes on him. He finally remembered that they weren’t alone. He then coughed, asking Zhuwei, “Can I…”

The older man nodded in understanding, a grin present on his face, “He’s all yours, Your Majesty. He just finished training, so don’t worry.”

Both Xie Lian and Wu Ming’s faces were slowly heating up at the older man’s words. Neither dared to look at each other as Zhuwei quietly cackled at their mere suffering. Maybe he could get away with this teasing just this once.

“Go on, Your Majesty. Before they sense your presence.”

“R-Right.” Xie Lian cleared his throat, motioning the young man to trail after him. “Wu Ming, follow me.”

Zhuwei waved them goodbye, neither of them looking back in case they would see each other’s faces. Wu Ming was tempted to strangle the older man, but maybe he was just teasing and it meant nothing to the king. On the other hand, he wondered how Xie Lian reacted to it?

Wu Ming easily followed the king, the latter’s steps were now calm and easy. He had no idea where they were going since he never explored the palace. He was either in the barracks or the training ground lately especially after the repairs. Everything was slowly going back to normal, the people and the palace now being busy over different things.

He stared at the king’s broad back. It was slumping a bit, exhausted from whatever events that a mere footsoldier wouldn’t hear about until it passed.

“I’m on break,” Xie Lian said, not looking back. “I wanted to take a breather for once.”

Wu Ming wasn’t sure what he should say. It took a moment for him to reply, “Do… they overwork you, Your Majesty?”

“Yes and no,” the king let out a soft laugh. “I did this to myself. I want to get everything done before it gets out of hand.”

“Out of hand?”

“The officials can be finicky,” Xie Lian looked over his shoulder with a small grin. “I guess that’s also why I wanted to take a break. The meeting hall has been stuffy lately.”

Wu Ming slowly nodded, “Understandable. Maybe you should deal with them quickly, Your Majesty.”

“I wish I could.”

They soon arrived at an empty garden, the area silent. There wasn't anyone by the open corridor to the left and there wasn’t a single soul in the garden itself, saving the two of them. It was relaxing in a way, the sun wasn’t harsh and it was simply them walking around.

Despite being tired, Xie Lian was rather talkative.

“When did you join the war?”

“I was fifteen,” Wu Ming replied easily. “I had nothing to lose.” And I wanted to serve you in any way that I can.

“Hm,” the young man could hear the king’s frown. “That’s so young, Wu Ming.” Even without asking, the soldier could hear the question why would he join at such a young age at Xie Lian’s tone.

“My mother died and my father is a good-for-nothing. It’s better to do something before dying than rotting in the streets.”

Perhaps it was the way Wu Ming roughly said it that made Xie Lian flinch ever so slightly. He didn’t know how to say it in any other way since it was the truth. He would rather be put to the use of the king than stay with his drunkard father and mourn for his mother the whole time.

“I’m sorry.”

“No need, Your Majesty. I am happy to serve you.” For the rest of my life .

Xie Lian paused in his steps, making Wu Ming stop as well. The latter simply waited as the older man turned his head slightly, a sad smile on his face.

“You should be happy living your life instead.”

I am happy with you. Wu Ming wanted to say that but it got stuck in his throat. Instead, he said, “I have no regrets.”

Xie Lian’s smile slowly dropped, making his face unreadable. His sharp eyes were slowly examining the other, making Wu Ming squirm in his place. He couldn’t understand why the king was scanning him that made him feel bare but he remained silent.

They locked eyes after a few moments and the smile returned, “Follow me.”

His word is law and Wu Ming started moving again. Xie Lian’s shoulders were a bit more relaxed now as they were more than halfway through the garden and were now passing by the flowers that the gardener took care of all these years.

Wu Ming then noticed that Xie Lian wasn’t even looking around and was simply facing ahead. As if reading his mind, the king spoke up.

“I only look at the flowers when I’m feeling down,” the king said as if that explained everything.

“I… I see. Does that mean you’re alright now, Your Majesty?”

Xie Lian hummed, “Now that I’m talking to you, yes.”

Wu Ming almost tripped on air, hearing the words in disbelief. Did that mean that he made the king happy somehow? How was that possible? He was sure that he wasn’t pleasant company at all.

He gulped, “How..?”

Xie Lian tilted his head upwards, looking at the sky. “You’re real. Different. I mean, I do sense your strong loyalty but I can feel that I can still be myself around you despite being king and you’ll still prove your loyalty to me.”

He stopped again and the young man followed suit.

“People say that’s blind faith,” Wu Ming said.

“They’re not wrong,” the king laughed softly. “But is it like that for you?”

Wu Ming took a beat or two to reply, “I… do believe in you. I believe that you can do great things for this kingdom and for the people. But, I do think you shouldn’t push yourself too much. You’re overworking yourself.”

Xie Lian hummed, “And that’s exactly why I said you’re different, Wu Ming. You don’t think I’m some perfect being that can work all the time.”

Well, why Wu Ming did think the other was perfect, he didn’t want Xie Lian to push himself too far to please everyone. In reality, there wasn’t a perfect world where everyone could be happy and there was at least one person who wouldn’t even be satisfied that it was Xie Lian leading them.

When Wu Ming was taking a while to even make a sound reply, Xie Lian turned around and took a few strides to stop in front of Wu Ming. That started him a bit, making him look the king in the eye.

Xie Lian was smiling, “Would you like to have a cup of tea with me, Wu Ming?” Then, his smile became a tad shy. “As a friend.”

Wu Ming blinked rapidly, taken aback. “Friend?”

“En,” the king nodded slowly. “I feel bad that you had to entertain my questions and think you are obliged to answer since I’m the king. I was.. wondering if we could chat over tea like good friends.”

How did people say his luck was bad when Xie Lian asked him to be his friend ?

“Oh,” Wu Ming blinked. “Of course, Your Majesty.”

“You don’t have to if you don’t like the idea,” Xie Lian said hurriedly. “I don’t want to force you.”

“You’re not forcing me,” Wu Ming said softly. “I’m very willing, Your Majesty.”

“Oh,” it was Xie Lian’s turn to blink. “I see. That’s… good.” He was smiling now, not even bothering to hide that he was elated at the fact that Wu Ming agreed.

“Let’s go, then,” the king took him by the hand, wrapping his hand around the soldier’s wrist. “I want to learn more things about you, Wu Ming. Don’t hesitate to ask me questions, too.”

Wu Ming was malfunctioning since Xie Lian was touching him but he managed to croak out, “As you wish, Your Majesty.”

Xie Lian looked over his shoulder, “That sounds too stiff, huh? Maybe we should think of something else that you can call me when we’re alone.”

Alone .

Wu Ming was a weak hearted man, after all.

“....Gege, then?”

The young man could feel the king’s hold on his wrist tightened slightly and his ears were starting to burn. Something clicked in Wu Ming’s mind. So, Xie Lian was in favor of the idea, then?

Xie Lian looked away, faking a cough, “That’s… That’s better.”

Wu Ming could resist a smile, “Good to know, gege.”