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The Imperial Astrologer was renowned across Dachen for his wisdom. He was uniquely privy to the messages of the stars, taught their secrets since he was a young boy; and he guided the emperor through the fate he divined from these heavens with a calm, steady hand. Nothing could ruffle him.
Almost nothing.
Prince Xiao Jinming, younger brother to the Emperor, lived to be the exception. A whirlwind of energy, he took every opportunity to bring that energy to the Astrologer's tower and make himself a nuisance; he and his dragon familiar were responsible for endless disrupted readings and abandoned prayers.
Yet Luo Hanying didn't mind. Having known the prince since childhood, he'd grown used to his antics. In fact, he found joy in them himself, and sometimes even played tricks of his own in return. Jinming brought out the softest parts of Luo Hanying, made him laugh in a way that few others could, and in return he got to see the sharpest parts of the prince.
While the kingdom as a whole saw Xiao Jinming as nothing more than Prince Happy-Go-Lucky, who could frolic through life without a care, the Imperial Astrologer was lucky enough to know that behind that carefree, positive exterior was a mind like a knife. Jinming could pretend to be a spoiled child all he wanted; it meant that no one ever suspected him when the emperor sent him out to gather information or spy on potential threats. They could overlook him even as he uncovered their secrets.
His familiar, Chiwen, was part of the ruse too. Outwardly, the little dragon was nothing special. Unlike most of his kind, who struggled to fit in buildings, he was small enough to ride upon Jinming's shoulder, and this earned scorn from many. Surely a prince's familiar should be strong and imposing, able to serve the country, rather than struggling to bite anything larger than a finger. So, much like his human, Chiwen was dismissed as nothing more than a plaything. No one looked close enough to discover that the dragon had abilities of his own- namely, like a chameleon, he could change his scale colours and blend into his surroundings, all but invisible. It made him perfect for spying, an extra set of eyes and ears for the prince, and it also made him perfect for his favourite game: hide and seek.
Tonight was a night for playing. Luo Hanying was in his tower, studying a celestial globe, when a pair of hands suddenly clasped his shoulders. Not having heard the prince come up behind him, he almost jumped, but mercifully, his hands remained steady and the reading wasn't affected.
“Your Highness,” he greeted, voice calm and level as always. “If you interrupt a reading, the results will be inaccurate.”
Then, without warning, Jinming’s face was next to his, squished cheek-to-cheek. This was another thing Luo Hanying was used to- the prince had never cared much for personal space. If he wasn't draping himself over him, he was clutching at his older brother; and if he wasn't clutching at his older brother, he was being fussed over and doted on by his mother, the Empress Dowager.
*‘Just like a puppy,’* he thought fondly, before the prince spoke.
“Guoshi, please help us!” Xiao Jinming pleaded, practically whining. “Chiwen wants to play hide and seek, but it's no fun when it's just the two of us. We need your help!” Nudging at the Imperial Astrologer's leg, Chiwen stared up at him with the biggest puppy eyes he could muster.
Hanying raised an eyebrow, and the corners of his eyes wrinkled with a smile.
“Oh? And why is it *my* help you need?” He asked, teasing.
“Because you're the best at finding Chiwen,” the prince replied, voice sincere and something unknown flashing in his eyes. “He’s cunning, and sometimes even *I* can't figure out where he is. But you always know exactly where to look. It's the most fun when it's with you.”
There was a long pause while the Imperial Astrologer pretended to consider it. He'd decided to join them the second Jinming had asked, but neither prince nor dragon needed to know that.
“Well, I think I can join you both for a round,” he finally said, smiling. “But don't expect me to do all the work, your highness.”
“I wouldn't dream of it.” His tone was light, but his words were sincere, like it was more than just hide-and-seek. “We're in this together.”
-
Their first stop was the courtyard, mercifully deserted at this time of night. It would be embarrassing to get caught again by the emperor- or worse, one of the consorts- playing hide-and-seek like a child.
Jinming and Chiwen didn't share his self-consciousness. Sometimes Luo Hanying wondered whether the prince was capable of feeling embarrassment at all. If the way he was shouting across the courtyard served as any indication, he was not.
“It's time for Chiwen to hide!” He called out loudly, like both Hanying and Chiwen weren't right next to him. “Guoshi, you need to close your eyes and count to thirty, okay? No cheating!”
“I wouldn't-” the Imperial Astrologer started, but it was no use; the next second, there were hands on his face, covering his eyes and sending the courtyard into darkness.
Jinming's hands were soft and smooth, like they were made of silk. They'd be more suited to one of the consorts than to a prince, who was expected to have mastered the bow and the blade. But Prince Happy-Go-Lucky had paid those subjects even less attention than his brother had, and as a result his skin were soft and unmarred. Delicate like a flower.
“...Seven, eight…” The prince's voice faded back into his perception, and with a flush of shame Hanying realised that he'd completely zoned out, too focused on the feeling of Xiao Jinming's hands on him to pay the game any attention. Hoping his period of silence went unnoticed, he joined in the counting and desperately tried to dispel those thoughts.
After what felt like an eternity, those hands left him, and he could see again. As far as he could tell, the courtyard was exactly the same. But he knew that there was one very important difference: somewhere, Chiwen was hiding. And it was their job to find him.
The prince was all business. This was a game, but there was a steely glint in his eye that suggested he was taking this deadly seriously.
“He's here somewhere.” Xiao Jinming crouched next to the lotus pond, hands trailing in the water. Hanying hoped that Chiwen hadn't decided to hide under one of the lotus blossoms again. The little dragon loved to swim, and often hid in the pond for hide-and-seek; it was a lot of fun for him, but not so fun for Jinming and Hanying, who always ended up soaked in the process of fishing him out.
“Perhaps we should search some… drier areas first,” the Imperial Astrologer suggested, and Jinming's gaze snapped to him.
“Let's,” he agreed, getting up and wiping his robe. “Even Chiwen can only hide underwater so many times before he gets bored of it. We should split up to search.”
Hanying hummed in agreement.
“Where do you suggest we look?” He asked. He had some ideas of his own, but he preferred to watch the prince in his element, showing off some of that brilliance so few people got to see. Even now, Jinming was planning something, and he was quiet and deep in thought.
“The thing about Chiwen,” the prince finally said, careful and deliberate in his words, “is that he likes to use his powers. He's naturally inclined to places where he can turn invisible and blend in. Guoshi, check the bridges and decorations. He might have disguised himself. I'll search through the flowers.”
That was a wise decision. Almost everything in the palace was embellished with dragons, the symbol of the emperor- it would be a no-brainer for Chiwen to blend in with one of these dragons. Even without using his power, a casual observer's eyes would slide right over him, dismissing him as just another decoration. Nodding, Luo Hanying strode away to do exactly as Jinming asked, running his hands over the bridge’s engravings to check that none of them could be the real dragon. Meanwhile, the prince occupied himself with searching through the courtyard's abundance of flowers, one plant at a time.
Luo Hanying moved methodically along the bridge, fingers tracing the intricate dragon carvings. His touch was gentle, as though he might accidentally brush against Chiwen’s delicate scales if he wasn’t careful. He listened to the quiet night, the soft rustle of Jinming searching through the leaves, and the distant croak of frogs near the lotus pond. But there was no telltale sound of scales brushing against wood, no glimmer of movement out of the corner of his eye.
Chiwen was clever. The little dragon had a knack for hiding in plain sight, using his chameleon-like abilities to blend perfectly with his surroundings. But the Imperial Astrologer had found him many times before, and he was confident he could do it again. Still, this game wasn’t just about finding Chiwen; it was also about the prince.
Xiao Jinming's strategy was sound. Of course it was. The prince's sharp mind was more than capable of outwitting others and unearthing political secrets. But instead, that cunning and focus was being used in a game of hide-and-seek like a child, and it was ridiculously endearing.
Chiwen, of course, was nowhere to be found among the bridge's carvings, at least at first glance. He knew better than to assume that the playful little dragon would let himself be discovered so easily. But still, he played along, squinting at every wooden dragon and running his hands over them with an exaggeratedly serious look on his face (which was basically the same as the regular serious look on his face, but Luo Hanying tended to overestimate his own expressions.)
His fingers paused over a particularly detailed dragon carved into the side of the bridge. The wood was smooth, but something about the texture felt… wrong. He leaned in closer, narrowing his eyes- and then leaned back again.
“Ah, it appears Chiwen isn't on the bridge after all,” he said to ‘no one,’ eyes wrinkling in a secret smile. “So I would be perfectly fine to lean here…”
He'd barely moved, about to pretend to lean on the suspicious part of the bridge, when the small dragon sprang to life, dislodging himself from his hiding place. Chiwen’s scales shimmered, catching the moonlight as he jumped, and for a moment he was a streak of silver against the dark sky.
“Found you!” Luo Hanying called out, a smile breaking across his usually composed face.
But the game wasn’t over yet. Chiwen wasn’t one to give up easily, and as soon as he realized he’d been discovered, he dove back toward the ground, aiming for the dense patch of flowers where his Jinming was searching.
The prince looked up just in time to see the little dragon barrelling toward him. He let out a delighted laugh and tried to catch Chiwen, but the dragon twisted in midair, evading him with a delighted chirp. The two of them danced around the courtyard like this, Jinming reaching out to grab his familiar and Chiwen slipping through his fingers, and Luo Hanying openly laughed at their antics. He couldn't help it- the prince's joy was infectious, and man and dragon made for a slightly ridiculous pair.
Still, after several minutes of horsing around, Jinming did manage to catch Chiwen by his tail. The little dragon squirmed, twisting himself to nip at his fingers, but it was barely an effort- he knew the game was up. When Jinming let go, he made his way back to his usual place, draped across the prince's shoulders like a cape.
“I knew you'd find him,” said Xiao Jinming, breathless from the exertion but smile bright as jade. Hanying’s heart caught in his chest at the pure, unfiltered adoration in the prince's look, and he met his gaze with steady eyes of his own, blinking at him slowly in the same manner as a cat.
“So you did, Your Highness,” he agreed evenly, humming. “But you're the one who caught him.”
This connection, the closeness they shared, was dangerous- Jinming was a prince, royalty that couldn't afford to be a cut-sleeve, and the Royal Astrologer was a servant of both the court and the heavens. Their roles, their lives, were bound by duty and tradition, and they had to be very careful not to send everything crashing down around them both.
Yet neither of them could bring themselves to pull away. Under the moonlight, two hands tangled together. Prince and servant, who had drank from crossed cups together and whom the stars had declared fated lovers, stood together in silence.
And then Chiwen chirped, jumping off Jinming's shoulder and ending the moment. Luo Hanying chuckled, bending down to pet the dragon's scales, and Jinming cleared his throat.
“Ah- thank you for playing with us,” he said, cheeks tinged pink. “Shall we head back inside…?”
The Imperial Astrologer nodded, heart still pounding in his chest, and finally let go of the prince's hand. Some day, they'd speak about the bond between them. Some day, they'd defy the laws and the heavens to be together. But tonight was just about playing hide-and-seek with a silly little dragon. It was a small, simple joy they'd shared tonight, and Luo Hanying wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.