Chapter Text
Shen Yuan is the first prince of his country. As such, he has the duty of becoming a formidable asset to the kingdom.
Since he was small, he was taught to be poised, elegant, to restrain himself in a (frankly huge) number of commodities and temptations only commoners and low nobles could wallow in.
However, his parents know full well that despite being the oldest son, he is not going to be the heir to the throne. He is far too frail, sickly at times, too soft, too kind, too everything a king doesn’t need.
There used to be whispers among the unwanted guests of the palace, that his younger brother took away all his health and strength in the womb, that he is a victim of a vicious vaticinated creature. That the oracle’s warnings of demise came with the birth of the two princes. Shen Yuan found the rumors to be as ridiculous as his brother’s tendency to believe them. Surely a 500 year old oracle was bored as heck and wanted to spice things up.
Well, that’s what he would do in their place if he was stuck in the same room for 500 years.
He digresses, regardless of all that, both of them grew up as princes of their country. Shen Yuan’s health became better and better, and Shen Jiu’s behavior less caustic with time.
He has no doubt who exactly is more fit to rule their country, though.
But he worries, because their parents decided to keep fighting a war with demons instead of looking for better options, tried to make their children hate them enough to walk the same path. And now Shen Yuan is paying the price for it, sneezing at a bit of dust in a cell, groaning internally at the temperature of the air, hearing his best friend in the world despair at their fate.
Because, for some stupid reason like war, a young adult like Shen Yuan is not being forced to court overly make-up-ed noble ladies but is currently in the hands of the demon lord, failing utterly at thinking about anything but how hungry he is and how damn coarse the sheets of his bed are.
It’s even funny, he would have thought that prisoners didn’t even get bed or sheets for that matter. But well…
“Broooooooooo,” whines his best friend, stuck in the floor, “we are so dead in here! I won’t ever get to know the ending of that novel! Or finish writing my own! I want to know what ramen tastes like!”
“Our novel,” Shen Yuan remarks, he is the one that edits and puts some semblance of order to the whole thing, aside from writing (after all, his friend possesses no hands for the time being). He also misses his novels, but you won’t catch him saying it! He is a distinguished prince of Cang Qiong! Even while being a prisoner! He doesn’t miss anything!
“Also, you are being too whiny for an immortal sword, again. If anything, the prisoner here is me.”
He can feel Shang Qinghua’s indignation across the room.
“Excuse me! I’m in this cell too! And you know full well that my living time is even less than yours, your highness,” the sarcasm drips from the last sentence, but Shen Yuan is quite used to it to know it lacks any animosity, “not everyone can be a resplendent Xiu Ya you know! I don’t even have a human form yet!”
“You are literally a carbon copy of Xiu Ya, shut up your inexistent mouth.”
“Bro. Rude.”
Shen Yuan will deny to his dying breath that when there’s nobody around, he will engage in mindless bickering with his own sword and roll his eyes or make stupid faces at it.
He shifts and it reminds him of one of his problems. The bed is so damn hard.
His inner insomniac is crying. Shang Qinghua knows this and tries to distract him, so they engage in verbal sparring instead of the usual physical one.
Shen Yuan misses his tsundere of a brother. It’s only been a day, he wonders what he had so urgently to do that made Shen Yuan take his place. Well, now he is here, and his brother is safe somewhere else, so at least that was worth something.
Shen Jiu would probably skin him alive if he knew what he was thinking though.
The reminder makes him smile softly, pleasantly.
That is, until his cell is opened and a smirking demon (with a way too open shirt, please do something about that sir, your abs are impressive and everything but Shen Yuan doesn’t want to see) enters. Another demon at his side, pushing what seems like an iron maiden with wheels.
Well, shit. Shen Yuan is so so screwed.
His eyes have not met the demons’ yet, as busy as he is with his head held down, watching his pale hands. Shang Qinghua is completely silent next to him, most probably scared out of his wits.
His best friend has always been a coward, crying out and complaining when he clashes with Shen Jiu’s Xiu Ya. It’s so embarrassing to witness, seriously.
“Well, hello captive Shen Qingqiu. Oh! I mean prince,” the demon backtracks, not sounding very sorry about it, “my name is Luo Binghe you see, and I come here to torture you!”
His tone is professional, but way too cheery for such cruel words. Shen Yuan raises his head, even if only to look at a demon capable of a demeanor like that.
He stares then, because how can such handsome men become torturers is a mystery to him, he is by now, trying to think of anything but the fate that awaits him. The demon stumbles for a second, mouth opening and closing like a fish. A flush high on his cheekbones, probably because of losing composure like that, maybe this is his first job? His hair is fluffy, which makes the pink on his cheeks look adorable and flattering instead of ridiculous…not that the guy couldn’t pull off any other look, he is, objectively speaking of course, beautiful, his red demon sigil makes him look dangerous but gives a flattering light to his face, his eyes reflect the red light and give them a depth that probably draws in unsuspecting victims with the long tendrils that are his lashes; his lips are thin and delicate, his eyebrows arched gracefully, his face framed by fluffy curls.
Pardon the language, but goddamn.
Even if the guy is like, unfairly attractive, Shen Yuan frowns, challenging. All while internally screaming he shouldn’t even be here.
“The demon lord wants the human empire’s secrets! And at the end of this session, this-er, I! Just know you will be dying to tell us all you know!”
Yes sure, that is if he doesn’t actually die first.
Shen Yuan wants to bristle like an offended cat, but he can’t quite manage to pull off the look with the demon behind his torturer having that bored expression, like at the same time he wants to be everywhere else but also truly has nothing else to do and was dragged here against his will.
“Well,” Shang Qinghua whispers to him, “at least you’ll be tortured by handsome men right?”
Shen Yuan wants to smack him but that would give him away.
He raises his head completely, his chest puffed out with a bravery he only half feels.
“I am a prince of my kingdom, a symbol to the people and their spirit. No matter what you do to me, I’ll hold strong, I had long been prepared for any kind of torture you could bring. Please, esteemed torturer, do your worst.”
It’s not completely a lie.
He is a prince of his country, their symbol and everything about that rot he just spouted. But…he was supposed to stay at the castle like the good decoration he is! Not fighting out in the field because his twin disappeared!
Nobody ever realized when they switched places, obviously thinking Shen Yuan sequestered in his room like a frail young maiden that could barely defend herself. But his twin was usually busy trying to have some glimpse of a life and god forbid, one friend or two, while Shen Yuan did his part of having one cool adventure or two, and god forbid, people actually treating him like a person and not a very expensive and frail vase.
Where was he going with that? Ah yes…Shen Yuan is in no way prepared to deal with any kind of torture, ha ha.
Shang Qinghua knows it too, but doesn’t say anything. Bro solidarity maybe.
“That’s right! My owner is the proud prince of the human empire! He will never succumb to you demons!”
Shen Yuan wants to facepalm. Way to lay it on thick, the pair of them probably made their captors angry. He sneaks a peek to Shang Qinghua and the stupid sword was even shining with glee, Shen Yuan’s deadpan makes him relent a bit though.
The demon holding the iron maiden seems a tad more interested, and the fluffy one has a meaner smirk, like Shang Qinghua interested and annoyed them correspondingly.
“Hahaha! We will see Shen Qingqiu!”
Haha indeed, he is technically not even the one to usually hold that title in the first place, even if their parents had seemed fit to bestow it to both of them. Shen Yuan is 99,9999999% sure this Luo Binghe person thinks he has the rumored ruthless and flawless Shen Qingqiu. Obviously he has no idea that there are two Shen Qingqius, and that he had caught the frail and shut-in Shen Qingqiu who is (obviously) not as famous as his younger brother.
But! Shen Yuan has a reputation to mantain! So, he stares directly in the demon’s eyes.
Luo Binghe, if anything, looks even more excited, fidgeting in place and motioning for the other to finally present the “torture”.
Shen Yuan blinks. He barely registers the urge to rub his eyes and discreetly pinches his own hand instead. Not dreaming, huh, that would have explained what he is seeing, but well…
Inside the giant statue of metal isn’t a torture instrument, or millions of thorns like he expected. There are some levels dividing the contraption, and only two of them have items at the moment, in one of them, a simple plate of congee rests innocently, steaming, white and gleaming. There is a basket in another level, it fills the room with the soft aroma of freshly baked bread.
The demon that opened the door has a much more relaxed expression despite himself.
“Erm, what the actual fuck?”
Shen Yuan turns his head to glare at his sword.
“This, is the torture for today,” Luo Binghe puffs up his chest, looking proud, and gesturing to the two levels, “not only we have a plate of freshly homemade congee, but also!” At this he smiles, his expression warm and happy, almost childlike, Shen Yuan wills his body to stand straight and unmoved no matter the smell or the gorgeous happy face, not even the strongest of storms would sway him, not a single piece of the…
Shen Yuan swallows, cursing his stomach when it reminds him how hungry he is.
Luo Binghe, probably not realizing, goes on, “we have baked pastries at the style of the west, a bit unconventional, but they are still warm from the oven, and if we do this-“
Shen Yuan watches, filled with horror and longing in equal parts as the demon tears a piece of croissant and dips it in the fluffy white substance and brings it close to his lips. A pink tongue goes out, everything but shy as it licks, then the soft lips are around the crunchy texture of the bread and Luo Binghe’s face of pure bliss.
Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.
Shen Yuan’s eyes are fixed in the motions, the time stretching to something near frozen as he cries in his heart.
He would never have dared combine different types of cuisines like that.
But the temptation of the forbidden makes the whole thing even stronger.
Shit. Demons were truly devious!
His whole body heats up, his nose torturing him by reminding him how good everything smells.
Luo Binghe makes a small sound that is not a moan, and it doesn’t make his body go even warmer, of course not.
Fuck fuck fuck fuck .
Shang Qinghua is speaking, but Shen Yuan can’t concentrate on it, his whole attention on Luo Binghe.
“-and as the representative of the country obviously he won’t ever reveal any single sec-“
“What do you want to know?” He blurts out suddenly. He flushed right after, embarrassment filling his face despite himself.
“Bro?”
Shen Yuan turns eyes full of suffering and longing - maybe even tears - towards his flabbergasted sword.
“Ah,” Shang Qinghua only says.
The sound of another crunchy bite almost makes Shen Yuan truly cry, he can’t even dare to look up at this point.
“One secret, my prince, that’s all I ask.”
Shen Yuan would have done anything for just one bite. Of what, he isn’t sure. But he would give Luo Binghe the world.
“The army captain screams at the sight of worms.”
He can barely hear a whispered ‘oh shit’ coming from his best friend. A face comes closer to his, a whispered ‘thank you’, far too seductive for a torturer, but Shen Yuan can't care less. Because fingers with clean and round nails are coming close to his face, a piece of croissant bathed in white awaiting him.
Shen Yuan at least has the remaining decorum of not attacking like a beast. He couldn’t help being eager though, his tongue giving kitten licks to what he finds is the best congee in existence, his lips close around the fingers holding the bread.
He will be embarrassed later about leaving his torturer’s fingers full of spit, but he can’t care less at the moment. Shen Yuan is in heaven.
“Im in love,” he thinks, his gaze unfocused somewhere in front of him.
“Bro…” Shang Qinghua says, shock and horror fighting for first place in his voice.
Shen Yuan returns to reality with a cough.
“My apologies, since you have your information however, the…'' he pauses, the words just, aren’t coming out.
Aaaaaaahhhhh, he can't say it! He just can’t ask for one more bite…!
“This one means…if you wouldn’t be opposed to it…it’s…”
“I know what you mean, Shen Qingqiu,” Luo Binghe says, nodding seriously and gesturing to the demon behind him, the gesture elegant and sure, “it’s clearly obvious that a soft lemon tea with honey in it would pair perfectly with this meal, I’m already aware of it.”
A small table with the heavenly thing - that surely can’t be called something as simple as congee, a basket of warm fresh croissants and a teapot with its matching cup (already filled) are placed in front of him.
Shen Yuan is not teary eyed dammit. He isn’t. It’s just dust in his eye!
“I- what?” He says, lacking any elegance.
Luo Binghe smiles something big and bright and happy that brings warmth and light to the whole room. Damn, if the demon lord has any power close to this smile he would fucking crush the human side in the war.
“Enjoy your meal! Torture is over for today, some lesser demons will come by later to gather the dishes and stuff!”
Shen Yuan watches, completely flabbergasted as the two demons go out of his cell and disappear from sight.
“Well,” Shang Qinghua says, making the equivalent of a shrug with his sword body, “that was…interesting.”
Shen Yuan nods mutely, unable to speak, he and his sword watch each other for several uncomfortable seconds before the prince takes a spoon, and with trembling hands, starts to eat the best meal he’s had since he remembered being alive.