Chapter Text
The atmosphere was stiff. Despite it being August, cold wind was moving the branches of the pines growing all over the pack’s territory. Heavy clouds slowly glided across the sky, threatening everyone with a rain that could simply destroy all the preparations for the event planned for the evening. The air smelled refreshing, a lingering scent of wet dirt still present after morning dew, filling up lungs of the villagers working on decorating the settlement.
Some wolves were up high, on ladders leaning against buildings, tying up strings of red lanterns across the streets to fend off bad luck, chatting about the upcoming engagement. Pups were playing in the puddles that the rain left, their laughter carried by the wind, a pleasant melody when mixed with quiet trills of flutes and rumbling sounds of drums coming from the building where the musicians were rehearsing their evening performance.
And lost in all of this was a white-clad man, rushing through the side pathways, avoiding the most crowded places. His feet were moving fast, and from the direction he came, it was obvious he was coming back from the main temple. In his white robes and fair skin, he resembled a wild spirit dancing through the trees, seemingly with a destination in mind. Dark hair framed his small face, tangled, going with the flow of his quick movements up the slippery stairs.
“Xie Lian.” The man gasped at the voice of his father, just noticing the tall figure standing next to the Blue Palace. He almost slipped at the stairs leading to the courtyard, but he managed to keep his balance thanks to his tail. “You’re late.” The woman stated, stepping out of the shadows.
Xie Shu was the lead alpha of Silver Leaf Pack for the last twenty four years. The village under her rule had grown significantly, thanks to a peace pact with humans. Wolves gained new technologies and opportunities for development at the small price of allowing humans to document the life within the pack. Despite telephones, cars and TVs villagers never abandoned their culture and Xie Shu’s authority was never challenged once. You could feel the honour and pride radiating off her. She was tall, with a big frame, standing out because of her size in the crowd. Her hair was the same colour as his, a little lighter than black, resembling pine cones which matched her spiky, dominant forest scent, that would go soft only for her son or her luna.
“Ah, dad. I just went out to pray, but I saw that the wind knocked over one of the ceramics with incense outside the temple so I had to-“ Xie Lian’s explanations quickly got cut off but the arrival of his servant, Mu Qing, through the palace door. Seeing Xie Shu, the young man stopped in his tracks before bowing respectfully.
“Your Highness, we were looking for you everywhere. Your bath is ready,” he stated, his gaze fixated on the younger wolf standing in front of the lead alpha. Mu Qing’s cotton scent slowly making his way to Xie Lian finally helped him overcome his fear.
“Thank you. Dad, I have to go. Like you said, we can’t be late.” The Prince lowered his head, before turning away from his father, not expecting a large hand tenderly grabbing his shoulder.
“Lili. You’re doing this for your people. Don’t forget it.” Her voice was soft, somewhat comforting. They already talked about this a lot for the past couple of weeks. He wasn’t forced to do it. His mother and father were against this decision but he… He wanted to do it. For his people. He was supposed to be someone better than a commoner. That meant he had to make better decisions. Especially when it came to his future pack.
Xie Lian felt his shoulders relax as he nodded weakly, before Mu Qing took his hand, leading him inside the Blue Palace and up the stairs, to the bathroom. Blue Palace was his home. It’s where he grew up, the walls holding in his laughter, his tears, and some crayon smears behind the fridge. That’s also where his dad’s family were living. He could still remember his grandma’s smile, or how she was caring for all the blue vases scattered around the main hall. She was a really big lover of this colour. It was under her rule as a Luna that a previously Silver Palace became a Blue Palace, after she decided to paint all the roof tiles light blue.
“Xie Lian. Don’t slack off and help me, I won’t be taking your underwear off.” Mu Qing’s voice brought him to reality. He was already half naked, standing on the cold, bathroom floor, next to a big bathtub filled with warm water with flower petals and a bunch of nourishing oils that gave the water a more pleasant smell, the citrus scents mixing with his own, cherry blossom scent and elder’s cotton one.
“Sorry, Mu Qing. I got lost in my thoughts.” He sighed, pulling down his boxers and with Mu Qing’s help entering the bathtub. At the warm sensation filling his body as he sat down, he let out a pleasurable hum.
“I know. I still don’t understand why you agreed to such an… odd proposition?” The beta asked, positioning himself behind Xie Lian, rolling up his sleeves before gently starting to massage oils in his scalp and wash his hair with warm water. “Didn’t you hear that he killed his own sibling? I also heard that he dug out his own eye. He’s mental and disabled.”
“Mu Qing.. In this age we can't fight forever with the Crimson Flower Pack. Do you know how many wolves lost their lives? I’m doing this for them. And for my grandma.” He stated, slumping more into the water.
“For the previous Luna? What does she have to do with that? From what I remember we had this conflict for generations.”
“You’re right. But we fought because of the resources. You probably don’t remember the history lessons, but right now, we and the Crimson Flower Pack are the biggest wolf packs in the China territory. We don’t need to fight for resources anymore, because humans supply us. But we still do, just because of old conflicts. It’s eye for an eye but it’s a never ending cycle. My grandma detested it. She wrote several letters to their Luna, but never got a response.” Xie Lian sighed. “I’m doing this for my people, their families and for her. If that’s the only way it can be stopped, I can do it.”
The silence fell between them. The only sounds Xie Lian could hear were water splashes, beta’s soft breath and footsteps on the corridor, probably his mom’s. He laid down his ears so the water won't get to them. He could feel Mu Qing’s fingers massaging his wolf ears, cleaning them up.
“I just… I don't understand why marriage. Wouldn’t it be easier to just sign a peace deal?” Mu Qing’s quiet voice echoed through the big room.
“It would be. But Hua Cheng’s decision was marriage. We have no say in this. He’s the gamemaster.”
There were no more words necessary. After finishing the bathing, Xie Lian tucked himself in a warm towel, before moving on to his bedroom, to sit at the dressing table. He stared at his own image, while the beta was combing through his long hair. His own silver eyes were staring at him. Empty, soulless. This deal was not only extravagant, but risky. A deep buried fear was scratching his mind from the depths of lost thoughts. What will happen to him? Crimson Flower’s lead alpha could do anything with him after the engagement ceremony. His gaze fell down on his own torso decorated with pale scars scattered around his body, a painful memory of his seventeenth birthday.
“Your Highness.” Mu Qing’s own hand slipped down, slowly cupping the younger one. He knew what was happening in Xie Lian’s mind. His voice was warm and reassuring. “We won't leave your side. After your every step, me and Feng Xin will be two steps behind you.”
The prince closed his eyes, hiding his tears.
The next time he opened them, he was under a darkening sky. The smell of lit up candle knots was strong, and the retinue slowly moved forward. Between his legs he could feel a warm saddle. His head felt heavy, just like Feng Xin’s supporting hand on his knee.
“Your Highness, is everything alright? You look pale” the Alpha whispered up towards him, slowly walking next to a black horse that the Omega was seated on. In response he got a slight nod, before Xie Lian’s silver eyes studied the retinue.
At the beginning of it, his parents walked side by side. Xie Shu and Xie Youngwoo, the Lead Alpha and her Luna, holding hands, their heads down and expressions stiff. He could feel their grief even from a few meters away, his heart shaking. He wasn’t leaving them forever. Or was he? He felt dizzy, averting his gaze. The retinue was long, surrounded by guards. His parents were followed by Mu Qing leading Xie Lian’s horse by the reins, his ears up, alerted, listening attentively to his surroundings. Then there was Feng Xin, in a state similar to the beta, his warm hand laying stiffly on Xie Lian’s left knee. When the prince gazed back, all he could see were people. His people. Silver Leaf’s civilians wearing white, with smiles on their faces chatting happily with their families, joyful that the era of hostility is finally ending. There were squabbling pups pushing through the crowd and elder wolves with red lampions on long sticks with pinyins engraved on them to bring good luck.
The air was filled with various sounds. Someone laughed, someone was counting their money, Feng Xin’s breath was heavy, and the horse snorted, breathing out white steam. Xie Lian felt overwhelmed. In expensive robes, filled with gold lining, white satin, with an official hairstyle clasped by a big golden hair clip with jade and opal gemstones he felt… weak.
Just after a few minute walk through more military oriented streets, they all could finally see the pack’s large brickstone defensive walls and a big metal gate separating two villages. For every wolf, no matter from which pack – it was a historical place. Two packs, so close but so hostile, fighting for more territory, murdering civilians and breaching this exact gate. And now, it was going to be open for the first time in years.
They stopped under it, and Zhenren came out of the crowd joining the royal family at the start of retinue. It was an older man who devoted his whole life to cultivation, Meng Wu. He lifted up his hand before starting to chant. His tone sounded ominous to the Prince, as he shuffled in the saddle. Feng Xin’s reassuring hand gently patted his knee. Xie Lian watched in suspense as the gate unlocked with a light blue glow. There was a click from the other side meaning that the Crimson Flower Pack was just behind it, opening it as well. The crowd froze as the door creaked open.
The first thing Xie Lian saw were people. A mass of people, all dressed in black, with lampions similar to Silver Leaf’s ones. And then, on the front, he noticed a tall figure dressed in red, mounting a massive, white horse. His heart skipped a beat, as he gasped from an unknown sensation, quickly looking down, like the sight of Crimson Flower’s leader burned him. His inner omega whined. What was going on? Why did he feel so dizzy?
“Your Highness. It’s time.” The alpha beside him whispered, before reaching out to help Xie Lian dismount, so he wouldn’t tear up his robes. When the prince got down, he patted the horse’s neck. “Thank you, friend.” He hummed to the animal, before slowly making his way closer to the red clad man and the Zhenren.
“We have gathered here to say goodbye forever to the era of war between our packs!” The Taoist lifted his hands up, all eyes on him, his voice loud and sturdy. The crowd went silent, listening to his words. “This is the start of a new epoch! Lord Chengzhu, Prince Xianle, please come forward.”
Xie Lian flinched when he heard his official title. He could feel his body going stiff, the stress in his veins taking over, as he glanced back at his parents. Xie Shu was embracing Xie Youngwoo. The Luna looked back at him, her silver eyes the same as his. Her expression slightly changed seeing her only child’s fear.
“It’s okay.” She mouthed to him, her eyes full of warmth. “Go.”
She was the only one always by his side. She supported him through everything. From kissing his scraped knee in his childhood, to listening to him cry when he couldn’t understand why other wolves didn’t want to play with him, to holding his bloody body after his seventeenth birthdays.
He clenched his fists, looking back at the Taoist, that was patiently waiting for him, just like the black haired alpha dressed in red. Step by step he joined Crimson Flower’s Leader’s side, his fists slightly shaking, his breath uneven.
“Let the engagement ceremony begin. Let the Majesty Chang’e be the judge.” Zhenren stated, before taking the ritual dagger handed to him by some lower ranked Daoshi. The blade was forged from pure silver, short but sharp, a little crooked, fixed on a thick hilt of shining gold with a smooth grip covered with moonstone. “Prince Xianle. Your hand.”
He didn’t hesitate, giving the older man his hand, palm up, his long fingers stiff. Tensed up, he watched the Zhenren lift up the dagger, before stabbing him right in the centre of his palm.
It was dark. The only light coming from the torches and lanterns held up by citizens and guards. In this setting the blood that started pooling on his hand turned bright scarlet red, glistening, some left on the blade. His breath hitched. He could hear the big figure next to him shuffle.
“Lord Chengzhu.”
In silence Xie Lian watched the hand of the mysterious alpha be slit just like his own, before slowly turning to face him. They both knew what was about to come. The omega sniffed the air, trying to grasp the alpha’s smell.
A serene smell of old books and alcohol made his shoulders slump before their hands met. Why did he feel like he smelt it before? The Alpha’s hand was cold against Xie Lian’s hot one, his fingers thicker, embracing the Prince’s palm tenderly, his skin rough in contrast to omega’s softness.
The Prince hissed when their wounds brushed against one another, the sensation of burning going up his arm to his shoulder. Meng Wu rested the bloodied dagger on a special cushion held by the Daoshi on his right, before taking a decorated flacon and holding it under their intertwined hands, collecting their mixed blood.
With distress the prince watched as the Taoists gathered around them in a circle, candles and incense sticks in their palms, chanting blessings and protection spells under their breaths, making an eldritch melody buzzing in his ears. He could feel how the alpha's hand tightened it's hold, almost comforting, leaving a weird sensation in Xie Lian's heart. But then, something else grabbed his attention. The little bottle with their blood started glowing bright, white light. Zhenren sealed it with wax, before lifting the glistening flacon up.
“The engagement was accepted by her Majesty Chang’e!” The crowd went wild. Both pack’s started cheering, laughter and joyful howling filling the dark evening.
He let go of the alphas hand, looking back at his people. They were happy, rushing over to get to know the new pack, to tell them exciting stories and to share their food with them. They were happy. Only that mattered. But before the celebrations could begin, a rumbling growl cut through the air, making everyone stop in their tracks.