Yes, he liked men! He wanted to be fucked by a man. He wanted to be loved by a man who he’d equally love. He wanted to share his heart, body, and soul with a man.

Changling was a possibility, but what will everyone say? He had been hiding it for so long and now…

The crown prince was his best friend and what would he do if he found out the boy who slept in his bed, who he trained with, who he trusted and became friends with, was interested in men?

What would the emperor say?

What would the father who he despised say?

Will his father finally stop showing his affections towards him?

Changling saw panic spreading on Youxian’s face but said nothing. He knew for a fact that Youxian was interested in men just like his father. It was clear in the way he walked, spoke and held himself but as he saw it, others couldn’t—could Dong Woo see it?

Youxian started crying into his hands the more he thought about it.

Rucheng and Yuhua, who was about to bring out the dishes, stopped when they saw him crying.

Changling looked over at Rucheng, who sent him a questioning brow. He shook his head for them to hold on. They went back into the palace and started cleaning.

Changling wasn’t someone who comforted others, but since he wanted to make Youxian his, he comforted him.

He got up and sat next to Youxian. Picking him up, he hugged him and held him tightly.

Youxian fought him at first but couldn’t win. He was too exhausted and stopped and cried into Changling chest like a baby, forgetting that he was naked.

After he calmed down, he looked at the hems of Changling’s robes that were hanging loosely. Sitting up, he fixed them, closing his chest as well. He leaned his forehead against Changling’s chest and took a deep breath in of the rose scent that they both had on them from the bath they took.

“Feeling better?” Changling asked.

He shook his head.

Changling chuckled, “Do you have my answer?”

Youxian forced himself up and said while looking into his eyes, “I dislike you, Your Highness.”

Changling chuckled, nodding his head he said, “I’m not liked by many, I know that.”

Sighing, Youxian rested his head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, and said, “I don’t want to be named a disgrace, Your Highness.”

Changling nodded his head asking, “So I am considered a disgrace?”

He scoffed, “They will call you one, especially the Hwabake (Hwa-ba-kei). They probably will not accept you as a prince and ask the emperor to disown you.”

Changling scoffed, “Let them try. They’ll be dead within the hour.”

Youxian frowned. Sitting up on Changling, he looked at his bored expression. “Are you serious, Your Highness?” He asked, confused.

Changling nodded his head. “Now answer my question.”

Sighing, he nodded his head. “Yes, I’m interested in men.”

Changling smiled smugly. “Is there anyone you are interested in?”

He shook his head, “No.”

“And Qiang Wu?” Changling asked, unconvinced.

Youxian looked at him surprised, could he have been jealous? “The Crown Prince and I are best friends, brothers. Master and servant. I’m not interested in him,” he said with a roll of his eyes.

Changling smiled relieved, “What about me?”

“What do you mean, what about you?” Youxian asked with a frown.

Changling rolled his eyes. “What are your thoughts about me?”

“Oh…” Youxian trailed.

Without a second thought, he answered, “You’re crazy, abusive, and a lecherous person. I can’t believe you are related to the other princes and princesses.”

Changling looked at him unamused, “I can’t believe I’m related to these people too.”

Youxian burst out laughing at this simple remark. Changling was an oddball.

Changling smiled and asked, “What do you think of being my consort?”

Youxian’s laughter stopped midway. He looked into Changling’s eyes to see if he was joking, but couldn’t see anything.

“Are you serious?” He asked after a while.

“Do I look like I’m joking?” Changling asked and pushed the Youxian off him.

Youxian glared at Changling, who got up and sat back opposite to him.

Grinning Changling stated, “You’ll be my consort no matter if you accept it or not. I’ve decided!”

“You can’t just decide something like that! I’m a man!” He said, almost screeching.

Changling rolled his eyes, “And I’m a prince.”

“That doesn’t mean you get everything you want,” he said.

Changling shook his head, “I do.”

Youxian gritted his teeth. There was no way he would give in so easily.

Rucheng walked over with the food and placed it on the table when she saw her brother was laughing. The girls went back to cleaning the room and after some time passed while they were eating, Youxian’s stomach started cramping.

He pinched his butt cheeks as he felt something try to fall out of him. When he realized he needed to take a dump, he excused himself from the table and scurried over to the toilet.

He rushed past Rucheng, who stared at him as he ran into the toilet chamber and closed the door behind him.

Turning on her heels, she hung the dirty sheets she just washed on the line to dry.

Youxian’s stomach started cramping as he emptied it. Changling, who was still in the pavilion, stood up and walked over to the kitchen lazily.

When he arrived there, he saw no one was around. With the teapot in hand, he stood outside the kitchen and yelled, “Rucheng, Yuhua, where’s the tea? I need more tea in my life!”

Yuhua came from around the corner, “Oraboni, why must you make a noise?”

Changling rolled his eyes and flicked his sister’s forehead, “You little shit! Who taught you how to speak?”

Yuhua grinned. Cheekily she answered, “Wasn’t it you who raised me?”

She took the pot from him and started preparing a second one.

*

Youxian came out of the toilet feeling light-headed. Just as he was about to faint, Rucheng caught him and knocked him unconscious by hitting him on the side of his neck.

She dragged his body to the bath that she had Yuhua prepare and got into the water with him.

Mei Yuan came into the bathing chamber and undressed herself. Before, they informed her she had to help them clean Youxian as it was difficult for two young females to clean a well-maintained body of a soldier.

Getting into the water, she helped lift Youxian’s body into the water and cushioned him for Rucheng to climb in behind.

She supported Yuhua in washing him and saw that it did not faze her even though she was younger and was cleaning his penis and making sure that it was clean.

They soon turned him over and she gasped when Yuhua’s finger easily entered Youxian’s swollen entrance with the cloth.

“Why?” She asked in a high-pitched voice earning her glares from the two girls.

She recoiled, lowering her head, and scrubbed his back. The sisters looked at each other and sighed knowingly. The things they were doing were normal to the entire Rong clan but to outsiders, like Mei Yuan, a pampered princess of the kingdom, having to witness this and to be treated like a slave in her brother-in-law’s home.

It would take time getting used to, but it was necessary. She didn’t know who her future-husband is, nor does she know who her eldest brother is. No one knows the activities of the Rong clan and this way she would slowly get to know of their capabilities.

“Princess, what do you think of our brother?” Rucheng asked, looking at her.

Her movements halted. She looked at Rucheng, then continued washing, Youxian. Thinking it over, she thought it best not to tell the truth. “Brother Changling has the same aura as my father. I think he’d be a perfect candidate to rule this kingdom.”

Rucheng scoffed, “If Changling was made the emperor, he’d kill all the officials, ministers and maybe all of your siblings. Do you still feel that he would be a great ruler?”

Mei Yuan’s eyes widened as she looked at Rucheng, “What makes you say so?”

“It is in his nature that is another reason Yuhua and I are here. Both Qinghe and Changling have terrible tempers and I’m sure you will only see your beloved’s temper after marriage. Those two rely on each other for a reason not even our parents are aware of, and that is why we couldn’t let Qinghe die just for you. If he did, Changling would have massacred everyone who attended the execution, royal family and officials… I understand brother might be hard on you but it’s because you lied and in our family, there are no liars. What he is also doing by having you work like this is for you to become independent and be a support for our brother and not be a hindrance. Orabonim also understands this but can’t bear to see you fall from your pedestal and become a slave in his brother’s palace so he won’t visit you and the reason behind him not speaking to you is that you have yet to apologize to him whole heartily for putting our family in this position.”