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Prince Xiao Jinming was bored.
Well, not bored exactly. He was having a lovely evening at his favorite pleasure house. The wine was flowing freely, the music was lively, and the dancers were graceful. Indeed, the choreography tonight was new, incorporating elements from traditional Tatar dances, presumably influenced by the ongoing visit from Queen Huna.
Jinming had the impulse to share that observation… except he was alone.
So he wasn’t bored, really. He was lonely.
It’s only because he’s been used to companionship lately. In the year since his uncle’s plot, he’d gotten into the habit of bringing Luo Hanying. At first, Jinming had had to wheedle and cajole him but lately the imperial astrologer had become increasingly easy to coax out of his tower. Because of his upbringing, Luo Hanying was sheltered in some ways. It meant there were so many different things to introduce him to, and it was a particular treat to see his reactions. Luo Hanying was reserved by nature but Jinming was more observant than people realized. And he had always been fascinated by Luo Hanying, even when they were children. Jinming could make a whole afternoon out of carefully watching the particular shifts in face and posture that meant Luo Hanying was enjoying this poetry recital, or impressed by these gardens. It was so much fun to introduce him to all of Jinming’s favorite parts of the capital!
Well, it had been. Until the Tatar delegation had arrived and Luo Hanying had practically gone into seclusion with the sorcerer that Queen Huna had brought along.
The very attractive sorcerer that Queen Huna had brought along.
But Jinming was determined not to think about that. He drained his cup and gestured to the attendant for more wine.
In the last month, Jinming had been diligently doing his part in state diplomacy. His part being, of course, the fun part.
It wasn’t the same as spending time with Luo Hanying but Jinming did enjoy sharing the delights of the capital with Queen Huna. In a way she was like a combination of his brother and sister-in-law: Huna was witty and well-educated like Jinyun, having also been raised to rule, but she was less uptight and more fun-loving like Xu Yu. And now that they knew each other better she was more than willing to come to some of the more risque entertainment venues, laughing off the hand-wringing of the more conservative elements at court.
Plus, through years of diligent practice, Jinming could hold his drink better than his brother. He wasn’t as good at it as Xu Yu, but he was smart enough not to try to keep up with Huna, and to dodge her attempts to get him to do so.
Well, usually.
He had to admit, there was one time towards the beginning of the visit when he might have had just a bit too much to drink. It was after he’d been turned away from the astrologer’s tower for the second time, and told that Luo Hanying was likely to be too busy to see him for the rest of the month.
So he might have overindulged out of self-pity. Nothing scandalous, but he thinks he might have… overshared. He really hoped he was misremembering Huna’s pitying look.
But today Jinming was alone because Huna was in a meeting with Jinyun and his various ministers about state business. Jinming had narrowly avoided getting roped into attending himself. He could play politics with the best of them–it was even fun sometimes to outwit the duller ministers. But he’d learned that the vast majority of the work of governing was terribly boring. With Tatar and Dachen being past the earliest stages of negotiation and well into what was shaping up to be a strong alliance, it wouldn’t even be the fun kind of politics.
Probably trade discussions. Jinming shuddered and poured himself another drink.
When he’d succeeded in weaseling his way out of the conference, Jinming’s first thought had been to go see Luo Hanying. He might have tried to persuade him to come out into the city but honestly, Jinming would have been happy to stay in and chat over drinks, or even just to watch Luo Hanying at work.
He missed him.
Jinming was roused from his distraction by the flourish of the dancers and musicians concluding their performance. He clapped, trying to show more enthusiasm than he felt. It wasn’t the entertainers’ fault he felt lonely. If Luo Hanying were with him he’d probably have leaned over to ask his opinion on the music. If he’d been with Queen Huna, they would probably have exchanged banter about how the skills and beauty of the dancers compared to the dancers in her own capital.
Jinming was struck with a sudden, vivid memory of drunkenly explaining to Huna how very skilled and beautiful he found Luo Hanying, with his arcane knowledge and pretty purple eyes.
Explaining in detail. Very earnestly.
He really hoped that he was misremembering that. He especially hoped he was misremembering how Huna’s look had gone from initially pitying, to considering, to calculating.
***
The court had turned out in state to see off the departing Tatar delegation. Queen Huna and the members of her entourage were saying their final farewells as their horses waited, restless and eager for travel after a month of easy living in the palace stables.
“I wish you safe travels, Your Majesty,” Jinming said as Huna reached his place in the procession. He smiled as he rose out of his bow. “I’ll be sorry to lose your company sharing the delights of the city.”
Queen Huna laughed fondly, bowing in return. “Thank you, Your Highness. I hope that I can return the favor in my own capital someday. We are perhaps less refined than what you have here, of course, but I think you would still enjoy it. Our own wine and music and beauties.” She looked at him mischievously. “Even aloof, purple-eyed ones.”
Jinming choked on air and checked to make sure that Luo Hanying wasn’t standing within earshot. He wasn’t, thank heavens, but Xu Yu gave an unladylike snort that she turned into a sneeze. Jinyun just rolled his eyes at all of them.
Looking behind his brother and sister-in-law, Jinming caught sight of the Tatar sorcerer and Luo Hanying making their own farewells. The sorcerer handed Luo Hanying a small pouch, clasping his hands and leaning in close to whisper something in his ear as he did so. Luo Hanying stiffened and looked just the slightest bit wild about the eyes, before disengaging with a graceful twist of the wrists and stepping back and bowing, saying something Jinming was too far away to hear.
On anyone else that would have been a flailing scramble away and Jinming was stepping towards them before he realized. Luo Hanying caught the movement, blinking at Jinming with wide eyes for a moment before waving him off with a small shake of the head.
Was Luo Hanying… blushing? No, it must just be the sun. Jinming really should get him a parasol, he’s so fair, and he spends too much time indoors.
Beside him, Huna laughed fondly. “Ah, Jinming. Some sisterly advice: You really have to do something about your astrologer. Be brave, little prince! I believe it will work out better than you think.”
Jinming wasn’t sure what his face was doing so he quickly plastered a melodramatic pout over his actual feelings. “It’s not nice for you to bully a mere Prince, oh powerful and heroic Queen of the Tatars,” he said, pressing his wrist to his forehead. He turned to Jinyun and Xu Yu, looking as pleading and pathetic as he could.
Luckily, Jinyun took pity on him and only shook his head a little as he stepped forward to give the final, formal farewells. Jinming stepped back into the line of courtiers and unfurled his fan, resolutely turning his attention to looking as ornamental as possible. He ignored Xu Yu’s pitying glance.
He also missed the nod the sorcerer exchanged with Queen Huna as they mounted up to leave.
***
When Jinming arrived at the imperial astrologer’s tower the next afternoon he found himself oddly nervous. He clutched the purple parasol he’d brought with him tightly as he followed the attendant to Luo Hanying’s study. The attendant left him to wait with some tea and Jinming was alone with his thoughts.
He’d spent the last night thinking, horror of horrors. About what Huna had said. About his jealousy of the Tatar sorcerer and his hurt at being turned away from the tower again and again. About how much he’d missed Luo Hanying in the last month, and how he’d come to depend on spending time with Luo Hanying, either coaxing him out into the city or keeping him company while he worked here in his tower. It didn’t matter how they spent the time, he had realized, just that they spent it together.
He would at least be honest with himself, he had decided, even if he wasn’t quite ready to be honest with Luo Hanying yet. He was in love with Luo Hanying and he never wanted to be parted from him.
Jinming found himself pacing and fidgeting with the parasol. He fumbled and nearly dropped it when Luo Hanying shimmered up beside him, seemingly out of nowhere.
“Ahh, I’ve told you to make noise when you walk,” he whined, recovering and sweeping the parasol behind his back to belatedly hide it.
Luo Hanying gave him a small smile as he took a seat across the table, “Apologies, your Highness.”
Some of Jinming’s nerves eased. That was Luo Hanying’s fond smile, specifically the one that means he’s laughing on the inside at Jinming’s silly antics. It’s always a blow to his dignity but Jinming had long ago reconciled himself to the fact that he was willing to make that sacrifice over and over if he could get a smile from Luo Hanying.
So, silly antics, then! Jinming drew the parasol from behind his back with a flourish, bowing and presenting it to Luo Hanying across his palms. “I noticed you looked a bit pink from the sun yesterday, so I brought this for you. I should have put some bells on it, so you can’t sneak up on me!” Jinming lifted up out of the bow to waggle the parasol at Luo Hanying before unfurling it and using it to gesture dramatically. “But I kept it very plain, you see, I thought you might be able to put a talisman on it to bespell it as a shield or something…”
Jinming trailed off. Luo Hanying had gone very expressionless–the kind of expressionless that meant he was hiding a significant reaction.
But more importantly he was slightly pink again.
Jinming narrowed his eyes and did some rapid recalculation as he refurled the parasol.
Instead of returning to his own seat across the table, he dropped down next to Luo Hanying and leaned into him to hand over the parasol, looking closely at Luo Hanying. He wasn’t wrong, he was blushing. Jinming stifled a coo at how adorable he was, although he was sure some of it showed on his face.
Luo Hanying took the parasol and turned away to set it aside. “Thank you, your Highness. I’ll see what I can do with shield talismans.” He started to look thoughtful, starting to get up and move towards his desk. “I think I have a note about one that would work…”
Oh no you don’t, Jinming thought. “Oh, did you learn some from the Tatar sorcerer?” he said, innocently. “The one who made you blush yesterday?”
Jinming has never seen Luo Hanying anything less than graceful. He’s seen the man levitate, practically fly, even. In this moment, though, he tripped over nothing and almost wound up sprawling into Jinming’s lap. Jinming leaned in again, bringing their faces close together. “Whatever did he give you? What did he say?” he asked slyly, teasing. He could make it a joke, still, if he needed to.
To his credit, Luo Hanying recovered his dignity quickly although not completely. “Nothing Your Highness needs to concern yourself with.” He tried for his usual aloofness but he was still blushing.
“So you don’t deny that he made you blush!” Jinming crowed, triumphant for a moment before a disturbing thought occurred to him. “Wait, wait, he wasn’t being… inappropriate with you?” He gasped and started to scramble to his feet, feeling a climbing flame of rage and getting ready to cause a diplomatic incident.
“No!” Luo Hanying grabbed his arm and pulled him back down. Jinming let him but remained tense. Luo Hanying examined his face and sighed. “No, he was just giving me some… friendly advice.”
“Advice.” Jinming repeated, skeptically.
Luo Hanying took his hand off Jinming’s arm, folding both hands together in his lap and looking down at them. “I… may have been distracted. A few times. While we were working this month.” He reached out to sketch a seal in the air, before waving his hand through it so it dissolved in a shower of sparks. “I was thinking about you. I… missed you.”
“Me too!” Jinming blurted before slapping a hand over his mouth. Luo Hanying looked back at him, startled. “I mean… I missed you, too.” Jinming lowered his hand and reached out to clasp Luo Hanying’s. “I may have extolled your virtues to Queen Huna. She also had some sisterly advice.” He could be brave, he could. “This last month was awful, let’s never do that again. I need to see you every day. I… I love you.”
Luo Hanying was very definitely smiling now, still small but bigger than Jinming had ever seen. He was helpless to do anything but lean in to kiss him.
***
Some time later Jinming reluctantly pulled back from another kiss. “But Hanying, what was in that pouch he gave you?”
Luo Hanying’s voice was gratifyingly unsteady and his pretty purple eyes were dark. “Aphrodisiac powder,” he says, very straightforwardly.
“Oh, really,” Jinming smiled wolfishly and leaned back in.
***
Two days later Jinyun and Xu Yu came to see Jinming and Luo Hanying in the tower. Jinyun looked mildly embarrassed and Xu Yu looked smug.
Xu Yu walked up to Jinming and patted him on the head, “I knew you could do it!” Jinming wasn’t sure what he’d done but gladly accepted his headpats. He looked questioningly at Jinyun.
Jinyun rolled his eyes at them both. “She’s just excited to have won her bet with Huna.”
Xu Yu paused and cleared her throat meaningfully. Jinyun sighed at her but smiled, “Fine, our bet with Huna.”
Jinming froze in mortification as Xu Yu’s head pats became knuckles scrubbing against his scalp with aggressive affection. He looked up at Jinyun, who was laughing as he reached out to pull his wife away from bullying his little brother.
“You had a… bet?”
Jinyun looked at him pityingly. “Jinming, you made him drink cross-cupped wine with you as children, and you have been attached at the hip for over a year now. I’m just embarrassed it’s taken you this long.”
As Jinming collapsed in dramatics over these slights to his dignity–and also at being left out of the bet—he looked over at Luo Hanying. Luo Hanying smiled beatifically back at him, looking very content with the state of the world.