AN: After much consideration and planning, I've managed to come up with a proper plot since my previous one derailed. It took some doing but this apple is very proud of herself.

*****

"What do you mean 'you're booked'?!" Qin Rong snapped, glaring daggers at the poor receptionist. In all honesty, it was good that he was only being glared at. Had it not been for Arthdal holding him back, the drunk fae might very well have jumped the desk.

"Shinei-san, please stop this." The towering man behind him pleaded, looking more exasperated than annoyed. This was the fifth brothel that'd come to that was fully booked and every time, he had to hold this guy back.

For someone so much smaller than me, this guy was surprisingly strong.

(AN: To those confused, Artie is referring to Qin Rong when he says Shinei. The characters for Qin Rong translate to Shinei apparently.)

Qin Rong, ignoring his good friend's words, continued to rage. "How is it that every damn place we go to if fucking booked!? There can't be that many lonely men in this city all of a sudden!"

Aren't you one of those lonely men? Both Arthdal and that receptionist thought, briefly making eye contact before glancing back at the blunette.

The receptionist could only sigh at his misfortune. He'd been forced to turn away dozens of customers already but what could he do? A very important person had reserved most of the surrounding brothels.

The money they were making was too good to pass up, even for regulars.

"My apologies, sir." He tried again, hoping for some understanding. "His highness has reserved most of the brothels for his men. If you like, I-"

"His highness?" Qin Rong interrupted, his voice rising as he grew more frustrated. "You mean I can't get laid cause some pussy ass prince can't just jerk off and-"

A hand slapped over the mercenary mouth as Arthdal cut in.

"And that's our cue to leave!" Arthdal pulled Qin Rong away, fearful of what the man might say. The fae had quite the mouth on him when sober but drunk, he dared to call prince 'a pussy'.

Ah, why must he suffer such a fate?

Some distance away, watching from afar, Xander leaned against the overhanging balcony. While the room was fairly noisy, how could he not hear his darling Fae's words towards him?

"He's still as candid as ever." He muttered, smiling softly as he watched the two.

The two men looked very familiar, the towering man holding Qin Rong like a sack as the latter sulked. It was clear they were comfortable with one another.

This dampened the prince's mood, disliking how casually this other person touched Qin Rong.

"Nik." He called out, his eyes remaining on the departing men as they traveled to the bar. The place was filled with his men and could be easily cleared out.

"Yes, brother?" Nik, ever the obedient, was never really far from his brother. Ever since he spotted something in the crowd, the younger of the two could see a tangible shift in his brother's mood.

He had to see what had caused it.

"Do me a favor. Do you see that tall man over there?" He pointed to Qin Rong's companion, who had placed the smaller man in one of the booths. "You know what to do, right?"

"Distract him?"

"En." He replied, not taking his eyes off the two. The taller man sat the fae down, leaving him by the bar as he said something. The drunk blunette waved him off, seemingly dismissing him.

Nik saw his chance, rushing down to intercept Arthdal.

This left Xander as he watched his faery sit at the bar and lay his head down on the table. Even from afar, it was clear the man was downcast.

Who could leave such a person to wallow like that alone?

***

Qin Rong was disappointed. Greatly so. Monumentally so! Astronomically so!!

Why? Because he was now stuck with blue balls and a questionable temptation that threatened to take hold.

That guy, the prince of shades or whatever, had actually kissed him. Worse yet, Qin Rong responded. Had his hands been free, he was sure he would have pulled that bastard closer and fucked him.

Knowing this and accepting it was, so far, the hardest part. It was mortifying to know that he had actually been attracted to some guy whose face he hadn't even seen.

He once again cursed his eyes, apparently not meant to see in the dark even as they glowed in shadows.

Useless genes.

He then briefly wondered if his fae blood had anything to do with his reaction. While he couldn't find a lot of information on the Fae, the one thing he'd learned through trial and error was that they loved magic.

While most people had average magic flowing through them, Qin Rong often found himself drawn to those with deep wells of magic flowing through them. Before he could even think, he'd be drawn to that person, which always made things difficult.

Heck, that attraction to powerful magic users was how he'd been roped in by Arthdal and Ghost, to begin with.

Ah, being in this world has been nothing but trouble. He thought with a sigh.

He thought he could just sit there, waiting for his designated escort to take him home when he sensed someone drawing closer.

Someones with a damnably attractive level of magic.

Before he could think better of it, Qin Rong peeked from his wallowing to see a dark skin man staring down at him with a deep look.

"May I buy you a drink?" He offered, taking the seat beside Qin Rong. His tone was smooth and even, slipping into his ears so gently, he might have never noticed how much he would be looking forward to hearing it again.

Yet Qin Rong was stronger than that.

"Do I look like someone you can use such lame pick-up lines on?" He snapped back, glowering at the hatefully attractive guy. Damn, he had a lot of magic~ Still, Qin Rong kept his resolve. "Just cause I'm drunk, doesn't mean I'm stupid."

Xander chuckled, feeling his heart flutter even as his Fae cursed at him. How could he not when he was so happy?

"I never said you were." He assured, flagging down the bartender. After receiving his order of two glasses of water, he slid it toward the mercenary. "But you do look like you could use a glass of water. Elsewise, you might find that you later bleed 90 proof."

Qin Rong was a boisterous guy in general, though he tried to maintain a cool image in both his lives. But that statement tore a burst of laughter from him. The bartender and the few patrons still nearby jumped at the sound but Xander just smiled serenely.

Rong was too cute.

"Now that would be a way to go. I'd be a living keg." He chuckled, taking the cup. His smile was light and easy, easing the tension Xander didn't even know he felt. "I'll take you up on that water, bro."

"Bro?" He echoed, resting his chin on his palm. "You don't recognize me?"

"Recognize?" Qin Rong narrowed his eyes, trying to identify the alcohol blurred face in front of him. Dark hair, caramel skin, and... dark eyes. Most Luze people had light eyes but this guy had dark ones so... "Ah! Xiao-Xan?!"

Xander felt his heart jump in his chest. That wasn't what he expected or even wanted to be remembered as but how could he not melt when hearing such a nostalgic name.

Only his faerie had ever addressed him so fondly.

"En."

The two spent the next hour talking, though it was mostly just Xander listening as the mercenary spoke. For whatever reason, Qin Rong chose to tell him stories. Even more curiously, despite his rough manner of speaking, all of the stories were romantic.

His Fae was surprisingly soft-hearted, even as he cursed up a storm about idiot 'female leads' and 'plot convenience'.

"-so then Yunyun breaks up with Zhanyu despite the guy telling her how much he loves her. Like, who does that shit?! Worse yet, his bitch of a mom sets him up with some other chick right after and acts like Yunyun is the problem. It ain't! It's all the bitch mom's fault that Zhanyu got hurt yet she always blames Yunyun and that dumbass is too good-natured to tell her fiance cause she knows he'd cut ties with the bitch and-" Mid rant, Qin Rong blinked, looking around.

Xander, who had been listening quite intently, followed his gaze. "Is something wrong?"

Despite all the tangents, the prince was actually enjoying the story. It honestly did sound interesting and he could see what had enraptured Qin Rong so deeply. He also wanted to press him on the 'one love per life' plot point and how the fae felt about such a thing.

If there was one love in his life, Xander knew just where he was just then.

Qin Rong frowned, his eyes darting about the room. There were a few more men in the bar than before but the mercenary paid them little mind.

"Wait a sec. Where is Artie?"

"Artie?" He echoed, clenching his fist. This went unnoticed as Qin Rong continued to search the area.

"Yeah, he and I came together. I haven't seen him in..." Curiously, he looked down at his wrist for some reason. Seeing the bare skin, Qin Rong scowled. "Right, no watches. I swear, if that bastard left without me, I'm spiking his coffee with chili powder tomorrow."

"You and he are close?"

"As close as two guys can be I guess." He hummed, downing his fourth cup of water. "He and I share certain circumstances so we get along well. He gets me, ya know."

"I see."

Qin Rong noticed an odd tone in Xander's response but was too buzzed to determine its meaning. Either way, it didn't matter.

"I should go look for him." He stated, standing up only to wobble slightly. Water definitely helped but Xander catching him helped even more.

Xander's hand clenched, his expression growing more determined. "In your condition?"

"Oi, this isn't my first time getting drunk so don't baby me." The mercenary snapped back, looking annoyed. Despite being shorter and delicate looking, Xander could feel the strength hidden as he was pushed away. "I can still kick ass even with all the beer lacing my blood. Besides, all the water we had helped me."

"Did it now?" He sighed, inwardly chastising himself for aiding in his fae's escape. No matter, though. He'd have more chances. "Well, I hope to see you again."

"Meeting here by coincidence was lucky enough, though I wish I could see Xiao Ni too." He sighed. "I should probably apologize too."

"Apologize?" He echoed, recalling his brother's broken nose before. But there was no need to let his Rong know he knew.

"It's... nothing. Probably." Qin Rong waved it off, feeling a headache coming on. There was something he was forgetting about. Something about Nik and the camp...

Bah, its probably unimportant if he managed to forget it so easily.

Without another word, Qin Rong left the bar area. The once empty room had gained quite a few new faces but none came anywhere near the merc. Despite this, they and their master watched close as the shorter male soon bumped into his companion and dragged him out.

Xander watched his beloved slip into the crowd, his bearings rendering the entire room silent. Even the bartender, who had judged Xander as a fairly chill guy steered clear as his demeanor shifted.

This was not a chill guy.

The shadow guards that had disguised themselves as patrons kept their heads down, waiting for orders. They had been tasked with securing the area and making sure no one came by to interrupt their prince. Yet the target of their master's attention had slipped past them so easily, it was a bit scary.

This mercenary was not a simple man.

Xander was left alone, his mood complicated. None could read his expression and chose the safe option of saying nothing. All but one guy.

"I'm surprised you didn't capture him here." Nik called out, walking into the room casually. His mood was chipper, though his clothes looked disheveled. "You seemed really determined to do so."

Xander took note of his younger brother's appearance, briefly wondering how he'd distracted that man. His clothes and hair were messy, giving him a look not unlike falling out of bed.

But Xander didn't really care what his brother got into so he said nothing about it.

"Rong isn't so easy to capture." He replied, offering his brother a drink. The junior sat close, wise enough not to take the seat Qin Rong had left. "If he was, he wouldn't have escaped my grasp last time."

Nik nodded, recalling his busted nose from a week prior. "So what do you plan to do?"

"I need him in my territory, away from any means of escape."

"Ah, then I have an idea." Nik offered, looking excited. "It is my duty as your brother to help, right?"

Xander knew for a fact that that was a lie. He knew his brother well and that expression on his face was very clearly self-serving. Yet hearing his plan, he couldn't say it was a bad one.

***

The next few days went by as normal. Qin Rong's men got jobs, he got a cut and his debts got paid little by little. Honestly, the fact that Qin Rong was in debt was a well-known fact. No one was as much a miser as him when it came to money unless they were broke or in debt.

For Qin Rong, he had lived with both.

While he'd managed to break his curse, he was then saddled with the kind of debt that drove people to madness. That damn elf, Ailred, was a petty man, counting every second of their time together and charging him for it.

What did that pretty boy need with that much money that he had to bother a child for it?!

Still, Qin Rong wasn't one to renege on a deal. Despite how unhappy he was about the price, it was evident that he'd gained a lot from the trip.

His life was no longer in danger (from the curse).

He'd learned a lot about the world he'd been dumped into.

He'd even learned a smidgen about his own race.

So all in all, it was a pretty good deal. Yet, despite all that, when faced with his creditor face to face, how could anyone expect him to show a happy expression?

"The answer is no."

Ailred scowled down at Qin Rong, his delicate features twitching as he suppressed the urge to yell. Seeing this pleased Qin Rong even as he spoke in his business-like tone.

“I don’t wanna do any retrieval missions from you again.” He clarified, making himself some coffee. With his back turned, he could only imagine the face this poised man was making as he continued. “I already did one and was almost smothered because you chose not to inform me that the royal family was involved.”

While Qin Rong wasn’t a law-abiding citizen, he knew better than to get too involved in the machinations of nobility. He’d watched enough dramas to know it was very easy to get dragged into some stupid power struggle despite being a normal guy.

“Would it have mattered if I told you?” The elf countered, schooling his features. “A job is a job.”

“Not if the job has lasting effects on the employee.” He snapped back. “Or worse, on the country itself. Lord Ailred is a known associate of the 4th prince, right?”

Ailred's eyes narrowed. “You know about that?”

“I looked into things after noticing the emblems at the camp.” He explained. He chose not to mention hearing of the 4th prince at the camp. The elf might misunderstand and think he knew more than he did. That would be just too much of a hassle to deal with.

He still had no idea why Nik had been there or who that guy in the tent was. Was he the 4th prince? If so, his decision to refuse Ailred’s offer was settled.

“I see.” The elf sighed, looking mildly disappointed. “Well then, I hope you realize you will owe me quite a bit more now that you refused.”

“I have the right to refuse service!” He replied, scowling. “You shouldn’t be penalizing me for it.”

“You failed to retrieve the target. Why shouldn’t I punish you for failing to do a job correctly?”

“That was only because-” He started before snapping his mouth closed. He didn’t want to mention his… indiscretion with that guy in the tent. Especially not to this sly bastard.

But the man was sharp, taking note of Qin Rong’s hesitation. “Because of?”

“Nothing!” He barked, feeling more pissed than before. “Just… What is this job you want me to do?”

Ailred smiled, seeing that he’d won. Qin Rong wanted nothing more than to punch the man in that damnably pretty face.

“The Prince of Shades is holding a banquet tonight. I want you to infiltrate the party and retrieve a certain document from his quarters while the party is going on.”

“Prince of shades?” He echoed, frowning at the familiar phrase. Where had he heard that from?

“He’s one of the princes returning from the battlefront. I can’t say which as it is unknown.” He explained, sighing. 

Since there were just too many royals, most were only referred to by a title. The merchant Prince or the Rose princess were common and well known.

The prince of shades, however, was a name only known by soldiers on the battlefield. Qin Rong, who had steered clear of such places, had never heard of the title and grew curious.

The prince of shades? Was he a soldier or just a figurehead? This had to be considered if Qin Rong was going to have to face this guy. A figurehead could be overtaken easily but a soldier might be an issue.

Ah, he’d have to make sure he had some backup this time.

“Whatever.” He grumbled, slouching in his chair. “I’ll do the job. But I’m taking someone with me so don’t be cheap with me.”

“A partner?”

“A friend.” He corrected, glaring at the elf. He didn’t allow himself to have partners anymore. Since he died, he couldn’t dare to lest the risk of being betrayed come up again. He didn’t have many but he had friends.

Like, three… maybe.

Ailred said nothing more, looking satisfied. Why wouldn't he be? He was the winning party after all. Perhaps it was a bit immature but Qin Rong couldn't resist flipping the pretty boy off as he walked out the door.

Even if he was seen, no one but Arthdal knew what the gesture meant.

Speaking of, he called the man in, wanting to discuss the mission. He could have given the man a choice in the matter but they both knew how the conversation would end. Why waste time?

“But the issue is getting into the banquet.” The behemoth noted, looking over at his friend. “It’s an invite-only party. The palace is way too well guarded to come up with an infiltration plan on such short notice.”

“So what do you suggest?”

Arthdal gave him a strange look, one he couldn’t read at all. He was either entirely serious or close to bursting into laughter. Neither option eased his anxiety as the man spoke.

“I have an idea… but you might not like it.

***

The following evening, the palace gates welcomed hundreds of guests into its elegant halls. Men and women of the highest rank came to welcome the illustrious prince back from his decade long stay on the frontlines.

Many had heard stories about the man, how he leveled an army with his magic alone, taking from the land itself the darkness hidden from sight and swallowed hundreds into the abyss. Shadow magic was rare. So rare, it might as well be a legend.

Yet this one prince had been graced with such an ability. How could the nobility not be looking forward to this ball?

Meanwhile, a pair of guests breezed through the gates. The man was tall and built heavy like a house. Many noblewomen couldn’t help but stare as his muscles showed themselves from beneath his formal attire whenever he moved.

Yet the man's gaze had yet to look away from his partner, smiling down at her. At his side, there was a lovely woman with long sky blue hair and a lighter shade dress. The dress was short, barely reaching her knees and showing smooth legs that had any man nearby swallowing as they imagined what those legs led to.

How horrified would they be to learn that the ‘lovely woman’ shared the same traits as them?

Qin Rong was resisting the urge to scowl as he and Arthdal walked through the hall. His dress was thankfully short, allowing him easy movement but he was really getting tired of the stares. Arthdal, seeing this, tried to comfort the man but before he could get very far, he was cut off.

“Say one more word and I'll slit your throat right here and now.”

Seeing how pissed his friend was, Arthdal wisely chose not to say anything more. He was the one to propose disguising themselves. A curious thing he’d discovered was that the only people who didn’t require invitations were prostitutes. The prince had apparently chosen to reward his men by inviting the city's brothels to the palace and letting both sides enjoy themselves.

This was why all the brothels were empty.

While Arthdal could admire the prince's generosity, it did result in his friend being in a sour mood. Not only had he not gotten laid, now he had to wear a dress.

Ah, Shinei-san has it rough, doesn’t he? He thought, suppressing the urge to burst out laughing at how upset Qin Rong was about everything.

Still, the man looked amazing. While his limbs weren’t soft enough to be mistaken for a woman, his delicate features and long hair distracted most from the more obvious features.

Qin Rong, meanwhile, was keeping an eye out for his target. All the doors had guards posted by them. Worse, they looked to be the useful kind that actually did their job. He could try spiking their drink but they might not fall for it.

How troublesome.

Just then, he spotted something.

“Are those…?”

“Ah, those men.” Arthdal followed his gaze, spotting a pair of men talking. It was easy to tell one was flirting with the other. Nearby, a few other men watched like a pack waiting for the kill. “I think they’re male prostitutes. ”

Qin Rong nodded, used to the sight.

“Right, cause some folk prefer men. I guess they don’t really bother checking since brothels cater to all kinds of- wait a sec! “

“Hm?”

“That means I didn’t have to wear this.” He breathed, staring down at his appearance once again.

“...Huh.”

“Don’t ‘huh’ me!” He snapped, tugging on the taller man’s collar until they were nose to nose. “You knew this and still had me dress like this?!”

“Shinei-san is being too unfair.” Arthdal pleaded, looking wronged. “I had no way of knowing they’d let male prostitutes in too. Would you?”

The only men they had seen so far were noblemen. When the invite went out, there was no rule saying men couldn’t come, just that they had to be associated with a brothel in town. Yet most noble looked down on those who sleep with those of the same sex. Surely, even if the escorts came, they’d be rejected almost purely to save face.

Qin Rong knew all this but couldn’t keep his temper down.

“It would have saved me the humiliation of having my ass stared at.”

“You do have a nice butt.” Arthdal teased, knowing Rong hated how curvy his body was. It was enviable on a woman but only made things difficult for a man.

“Fuck off!” He quietly hissed back, aware of how much attention they could be drawing to themselves. With a growl, he released his friend, promising himself that he would beat the chuckles out of this guy after the mission.

“Ah, where are you going?” His friend asked as he watched Qin Rong turn to leave.

“Snack table. I’m starving and I’m not missing my chance to have some decent food tonight.”

“And me?”

“Keep an eye on the guards and report to me which is the most vulnerable.” He stated, leaning in close to whisper in the man's ear. “We might have to mingle a bit before they start letting their guard down.”

Arthdal nodded, leaving as Qin Rong casually walked away. Or at least he tried to as he stomped away in heels. While the fae had good balance, heels were an entirely different beast. It was like walking a tightrope.

Qin Rong suddenly felt a huge burst of admiration for the ladies in his last life that wore heels all day.

When he reached the snack table, Qin Rong briefly forgot all about his mission and was left awed by the feast before. Sweets and snack foods decorated the table with such variety, he had no clue where to start. Obviously he wouldn't get another chance like this again so he had to try at least one of everything.

Unbeknownst to him, the fae was being watched. Dark eyes burned as they stared down at the man, his gaze sliding over every inch of bare skin even his heart burned with anger.

Why was his Fae showing off so much to other people? Worse, getting so close to that other man again…

“Nik.”

“Yes!” Like the wind, Nik appeared next to his brother. While he wished he could go out and talk to a certain someone, he had to stick close to Xander.

How disappointing.

“Go and play with that man again.” Xander walked past him, ignoring the eager look on his brother's flushed face.

“Ah, he’s here again?!” Nik searched the ballroom, searching for the taller man. Once spotted, the man summoned his magic, letting his body be carried away by the wind as he chased the man down. Regally, of course.

***

Qin Rong had gotten through half the table before his stomach started to protest. With a heavy heart, the mercenary set his plate down. He’d have to check with Arthdal to see if there were any changes in the guards.

The faery turned on his heels, used to move quickly and with ease. Unfortunately for him, he was wearing heels, a death trap known for foiling anyone’s plans of walking smoothly.

In other words, he tripped.

Perhaps it was the setting that did it but Qin Rong was quickly caught and pulled into the arms of a man. The mercenary had seen such a scene occur many times in novels and dramas yet always wrote it off as dumb. How could someone get so flustered in such a situation? Just thank the guy and leave. Simple as that.

But after having experienced it for himself, he could see why so many female leads were left flustered.

As if they were posing for a romance novel cover, the dark skin man drew close, his breaths brushing up against the fae’s cheek as he spoke in hushed tones. Eyes that sucked in your soul staring deeply into gold ones. Even the all-encompassing heat of their embrace was short-circuiting Qin Rong’s head.

Ah, this was too much for a guy who hadn’t been laid in a while!

Still, he had the presence of mind to push against the man, about to stammer out a protest when he recognized the man holding him.

“Ah, how fortunate for me to have caught such a lovely companion.” Xander teased, staring into his beloved faery’s eyes. “Especially a familiar one at that.”

“X-xiao Xan!?”

“And you recognize me immediately.” Xander smiled as he tightened his hold around Qin Rong. ”Could this day get any better? It should, right? Meeting again like this is quite lucky…” The prince leaned in close, ignoring all the attention they were getting now as he leaned in to whisper. “So I’m looking forward to having more good things land in my hands.”

Qin Rong would go to his grave denying that he shivered when those words were said.

*****

AN: The third good thing may or may not come soon... Not sure since the detour.