The soldiers banged on the drums as Changling made his way up the steps to the palace. Dressed in all white with gold embellishments and a gold crown on his head, he held the white robes up, minding his step so that he wouldn’t fall and make a fool out of himself.
Looking up at Emperor Wu Yong, Changling felt himself walk towards a never ending doomsday.
Making it to the last step, where Wu Yong stood proudly. He fixed his robe, then walked to Emperor Wu Yong, who stood proudly with his hands out.
Placing his hands in his, Wu Yong asked, amused, “Nervous?”
Changling nodded his head.
“Don’t be. You’ve done well so far in managing the tasks. All you have to do is make public appearances now, then you’ll be on your way to sitting on the throne,” he reassured his son.
Turning to face the crowd of people who gathered at his coronation, he said, “You make it sound so easy.”
“Welcome his Highness, Crown Prince Hwang Seonu Da,” eunuch Song announced.
Everyone bowed as they welcomed him in unison.
Changling performed a few rituals, then everyone gathered in a courtyard where a banquet was held.
Chushan was pardoned with the notion that she wanted to protect the Crown Prince from dangers in the palace and Yifan was pardoned to as her husband.
*
Drink after drink, toast after toast. The officials lined up to welcome him with drinks and, to their surprise, Changling held his liquor well.
Qiang Wu looked at Youxian beside him, who was smelling everything on the table before putting it in his mouth.
Raising a brow, he asked, “Whats wrong with you? Did the physician give you an answer yet?”
Placing the chopsticks down, he looked at his friend and panicked. “Qiang, I’m hungry, but I don’t think I can swallow this.”
Looking down at the chicken on the table, he frowned. “Should I ask the kitchen to prepare something else for you?”
He didn’t hear an answer and looked at Youxian. Youxian was looking at Changling, who was sharing a drink with Haeun.
Turning to his friend, he said, “Sorry about all of this. I know you are in love with him.”
Youxian sighed as he turned to Qiang Wu and asked, “Do you think the kitchen will prepare noodles for me or?”
“I don’t see why not,” Qiang Wu said and stood up. He left the courtyard, rushing to the kitchen.
Sighing. Youxian picked up a drumstick and ate it while he watched Changling smile with everyone except him.
He felt a tear fall down his cheek and quickly wiped it away, but not soon enough to be noticed by Qinghe.
Qinghe looked at Mei Yuan and asked, “Don’t you want to keep Youxian company? I’m sure he isn’t feeling well with seeing Changling and his wife together.”
Mei Yuan looked over and saw that there seemed to be nothing wrong, and shook her head. “If I leave you, who will keep you company?”
Smiling, Qinghe turned to look in Youxian’s direction and saw him leaving. Soon Qiang Wu returned with a bowl in his hand, but he was confused and looking for something or someone.
Everyone was asked to have a seat and speeches were made and gifts were given to the new Crown Prince.
*
Sitting down with a sigh, Changling looked for Qinghe only to find him staring off in a direction.
Looking that way, he saw a seat empty and wondered if it was just a coincidence.
Suddenly, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as he last remembered seeing Youxian when he sat down in that seat.
His heart started to race. Youxian had been acting strangely for the past week and he had been so busy that they barely got to share a bed together in recent days.
He drank from the cup and stood up as he placed it down.
“Your highness?” Haeun called.
Changling looked down at her, almost telling her to mind her business, but he smiled, saying, “I’m going to relieve myself.”
That’s what he said, but everyone saw Changling dart out of the courtyard.
It was dark outside and the lamps lighting up the pathway were dying.
Running up to one of the soldiers, he asked, “Did you see Hwan Youxian?”
The soldier shook his head. “About two hours ago.”
“He didn’t return?” He questioned.
The man shook his head helplessly. He didn’t think anything of it.
Changling ran a frustrated hand over his face, then darted off to his palace.
His things had been moved out before Wu Yong wanted him closer to him as he was mentoring him and also because Changling’s palace was far and in what you call a danger zone.
Changling was panting heavily when he made it to the palace.
“Youxian?!” he yelled as he pushed the doors open, but there wasn’t an answer.
He ran around like crazy, calling him until he arrived in the kitchen where the stove was going and Youxian was handling a knife.
Youxian looked over at him and raised a brow at his panicked expression.
Relieved to see him, Changling walked over to him and pulled him in for a hug.
“Did something happen?” Youxian asked as he tried to get out of the hug.
Changling held him tighter as he looked around at the messy kitchen and asked, “Why did you leave?”
“I’m hungry,” he answered as he finally managed to get free.
Changling watched as he cooked, saying, “There’s plenty of food at the banquet.”
“I felt like vomiting after eating it,” he answered absentmindedly.
Changling hummed and hugged him from behind and ran his hands under Youxian’s robes, placing them on his stomach.
Youxian’s eyes widened as Changling started feeling him around.
Changling chuckled, “You sure have been eating a lot.”
Sighing, relieved, he said, “Well, there’s nothing else for me to do since you’ve been so busy.”
Changling couldn’t hear a word coming out of his mouth. The feeling of having his hands run over Youxian’s skin was enough to send him into overdrive.
He waited for Youxian’s to close the wok with a lid, then picked him up and placed him on the table.
Looking down at him, Youxian could see that Changling had other plans right now. Giving into him. He wrapped his hands around his neck and said, “You better make it quick. Your father will send the guards here soon.”
Changling didn’t need Youxian to remind him, but just because he’d make it quick, doesn’t mean he wasn’t going to give it to him good.
