Trigger warning: One partner thinks its consensual while the other is pretending to be okay. I don't know what to call this so... yeah. This is the warning.
In the dimly lit room, Valerian and the crown prince, Li Jie, were locked in a desperate dance of pleasure and obligation.
Valerian reveled in the sensations, basking in the physical ecstasy that consumed him, while Li Jie moved mechanically, weighed down by the burden of his princely duties.
Valerian's hands explored Li Jie's body with an ardent hunger, seeking to possess and consume. Their lips collided, as if in a desperate attempt to drown out the whispers of their conflicting desires.
Li Jie, lost in the moment, struggled to silence the thoughts that threatened to shatter his fragile facade. His sole wish was to be momentarily freed from the torment that plagued his heart and mind.
With a breathless moan, Valerian pressed his body against Li Jie's, his hand seeking solace beneath the prince's head, as if offering a momentary respite from the burden he bore. Removing the jade hairpin that adorned Li Jie's dark locks, Valerian whispered words of desire, hoping to ignite a flame within the crown prince's restrained heart.
Li Jie, overwhelmed by the intensity of the situation, was rendered speechless. It wasn't Parsa, the one he loved with all his soul, who shared this intimate moment with him.
Instead, it was Valerian, a stranger who had become an instrument of the emperor's will. The weight of duty settled upon Li Jie's shoulders, leaving him with no choice but to comply.
In the darkness, Li Jie offered a fragile smile, his trembling hands exploring the contours of Valerian's body, stripping away the layers that concealed his desires. Valerian trembled beneath his touch, shedding the facade of a cunning serpent, surrendering to Li Jie's caress like a tamed creature.
In this fragile moment, their roles were inverted—Li Jie, the prince, became the keeper of Valerian's vulnerability.
"Your Highness," Valerian whispered, their bodies pressed together, his nakedness contrasting against Li Jie's clothed form. Despite the layers that shielded his own desires, Li Jie couldn't deny the unwanted pleasure that surged through him in response to Valerian's actions. "May this concubine undress you?" Valerian implored, his voice laden with a longing that danced on the edge of desperation.
A faint, trembling "yes" escaped Li Jie's lips, barely audible in the hushed darkness. Valerian began undressing him slowly, each article of clothing falling away like the crumbling walls of Li Jie's resolve.
As Valerian's lips kissed every exposed inch of skin, Li Jie felt a fleeting sense of being cherished, as if he had found solace in the arms of someone who cared. Yet, he knew deep within those such fleeting moments of tenderness were but a temporary illusion, one he couldn't afford to embrace fully.
Valerian's kisses trailed a path of bittersweet pleasure across Li Jie's body, his tongue teasing Li Jie's sensitive flesh. A moan escaped Li Jie's lips, mingling with silent tears that painted his cheeks. Waves of pleasure surged through his body, intertwining with the ache that had plagued him for so long—a relentless reminder of the pains he had endured.
"Valerian," Li Jie choked, his voice carrying the weight of unspoken sadness. Tears streamed down his face as he fought to conceal his anguish, not wanting Valerian to discover the depths of his sorrow. "Please, hurry," he pleaded, his plea a poignant cry to expedite this moment of torment.
"This concubine wants nothing more than to please his royal highness," Valerian murmured, his voice tinged with a mix of desire and self-indulgence, as he eagerly stripped away the last remnants of Li Jie's clothing.
"Your Highness," Valerian's lips found the tender skin of Li Jie's thighs, leaving behind marks that would fade but serve as a cruel reminder of their encounter. "Where is the oil?" His voice trembled with anticipation, his arousal threatening to consume him as he hungered for the touch of Li Jie's soft flesh.
Li Jie, burdened by the weight of his duties, knew exactly where to find the oil. In every corner of his opulent palace, jars of sesame oil were meticulously placed, a testament to the emperor's commands.
Valerian's search was brief, and soon his hands were slick with the oil as he caressed Li Jie's thighs, his touch igniting a fire within him. "Your Highness," Valerian swallowed hard, feeling the overwhelming urge to possess Li Jie completely. "You make it so difficult for me to control myself." Wetting his hands and his own arousal with the oil, he warned, "This might feel strange."
Silent and detached, Li Jie endured as Valerian inserted one finger, then a second, and finally a third. Yet, amidst the physical sensations, he felt only emptiness, an absence that matched the hollowness in his heart.
His moans, though feigned, echoed in the room as Valerian skillfully manipulated his fingers, searching for a response that Li Jie could not offer. Pleasure coursed through his body, engorging him, but it was a sensation devoid of joy or fulfillment.
"Your Highness," Valerian struggled to restrain his own desires, pressing his lips against Li Jie's neck, branding him with marks that would serve as evidence of their encounter. He hoped that others would see and know what he had claimed. "May I enter you?"
"Yes," Li Jie acquiesced, his grip on Valerian's neck tightening as he fought back the tears threatening to spill from his eyes.
And so, Valerian took what he desired, his entry measured at first, before building in intensity. Li Jie's body responded mechanically, moving in sync with each thrust. Odd sounds escaped his lips, involuntary expressions of a pleasure that held no meaning for him.
Sensing their climax drawing near, Valerian quickened his pace, each forceful movement driving them closer to the edge. Li Jie clung to Valerian, his silent sobs hidden in the darkness, a poignant testament to the emptiness that consumed him.
As Valerian found release within him, mistaking Li Jie's tears for tears of pleasure, the prince's heart echoed with a different kind of emptiness—a profound sense of loss and desolation.
Li Jie lay still beneath Valerian, his body trembling with a mixture of physical discomfort and the weight of his emotional burden. Tears welled in his eyes, silently cascading down his cheeks, lost in the shadows of the dimly lit chamber.
In that solitary moment, as Valerian basked in his own satisfaction, Li Jie's thoughts spun in a relentless whirlpool of despair. The realization of his constrained existence, shackled by duty and obligation, crushed his spirit.
Every thrust, every gasp, amplified the chasm between his desires and the path that had been forced upon him.
He longed for a love that would consume him whole—a love unburdened by politics, expectations, and the suffocating traditions of his royal lineage. His heart yearned for the tender touch of someone who would cherish him for who he truly was, rather than as a mere pawn in the emperor's game.
As Valerian withdrew from his body, Li Jie's gaze wandered to the window, where a solitary moon cast its gentle glow upon the world outside. How he yearned to break free from the gilded cage that held him captive, to chase after the moonlit dreams that danced just out of reach.
But reality gripped him tightly, reminding him that such dreams were but illusions, woven from fragile threads of hope. In this cruel world, his desires would forever remain unfulfilled, locked away in the recesses of his soul, while he paraded as a puppet, adhering to the emperor's whims.
His thoughts turned to Parsa, the one he loved with every fiber of his being. A forbidden love, hidden beneath layers of secrecy and betrayal. A love that had been extinguished by the hand of duty, leaving a void that consumed him like a relentless fire.
How he yearned to feel Parsa's touch once more, to hear his voice whispering words of adoration in the stillness of the night. But their love had become a distant memory, swallowed by the currents of time and the treacherous tides of palace politics.
As Valerian nestled close, his arms enveloping Li Jie from behind, the prince couldn't help but be reminded of the stark contrast between their experiences.
Valerian, blissfully unaware of Li Jie's hidden tears, whispered sweet nothings into his ears, his touch offering a fleeting sense of solace. But beneath the facade of his composed demeanor, Li Jie's heart wept with a sorrow that remained unseen.
Guilt washed over Li Jie like a torrential wave, each ripple echoing the weight of his own secret pain. He sympathized with Valerian, whose genuine enjoyment was evident in every word and touch. Yet, it was a bittersweet empathy, for Li Jie knew that he himself was trapped in a web of duty and expectation, forced to surrender his own desires to fulfill the emperor's orders.
Li Jie's heart ached with a feeling of sorrow that words could not convey. The weight of his unfulfilled desires pressed upon him, threatening to suffocate the last remnants of his shattered spirit. In the midst of Valerian's triumphant satisfaction, Li Jie's soul crumbled, a mosaic of shattered dreams and unspoken yearnings.
As he lay there, motionless and consumed by a profound sense of loss, Li Jie wondered if he would ever find solace in this cruel existence.
Would he forever be condemned to play the role of a dutiful prince, denying his own desires for the sake of an empire that cared not for his happiness?
Silent tears continued to stream down his face, mingling with the remnants of pleasure and pain. In the depths of his sorrow, he made a silent vow—a pledge to himself to keep a flicker of hope alive, no matter how feeble it may be.
For within the depths of his broken heart, Li Jie knew that even the smallest ember of hope had the power to ignite a blaze of change. And perhaps, one day, the flames of his longing would burn bright enough to light his path toward a love that was truly his own.
Or maybe... just maybe...
Could he be the catalyst for change? Could he shatter the mold and forge a path that honored love, freedom, and individuality?
