Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The rowdy crowd’s cheers were music to Ajax’s ears. Praise from the men who supported him. And boos, of course, from the fools dumb enough to bet against him.

He grinned, mouth bloody and bruised, ducking as his opponent, a hulking man twice his size, threw a punch with all his weight behind it. Ajax was quick, and before the man could even locate him, he was shoving him down, his knee digging into his back on the ground, pinning him.

“Next time, give me a challenge,” Ajax said, perhaps smug, but he was on a winning streak. 

The man under him grunted. The crowd roared. Men cheered at the prospect of the money he had just won them, and even more men cursed his name.

Well, not his name, actually (and screw them for betting against him).

“And that’s all folks, today’s tournament winner is the rookie, Childe!” cried the tournament host, Yuri—once a champion himself. Soon after that, the crowd slowly dissipated, either to cash in on their winnings or head home with their tails between their legs. 

Ajax left the stage with a grin, heart still pounding. These underground rings were where the real fighting was, and he was their rising star. He looked into the cracked mirror on the wall of his small partition. His hair, powered to make it appear lighter, rather than a particularly recognizable ginger, hadn’t begun to fade just yet. His face was ruddy with excitement, and he was pleased—it had emerged relatively unscathed this time. He could cover the bruised lip easily enough. Perhaps he would miss out on Katya’s chiding for once, and—

“Here’s your cut, lad,” Yuri said, head peeking inside the curtain and his hand holding a wad of cash. 

“Thanks,” Ajax said. He pocketed the money. Later, he’d give it away.

“Looks like you have some admirers outside. Want me to tell ‘em to scram?” The host asked, with a grin. It had been a recurring thing, his group of gentleman callers. Ever since he entered the ring. 

It seemed they liked him for more than his fighting prowess. 

“No, no. I’ll handle them. Thanks, Yuri.” 

As far as underground betting criminals went, Yuri was a good man. He could have sold Ajax’s body after the fight, too, just like the other scum of the city’s seedy underground wanted to. Ajax knew men had tried, he beat one bloody for insinuating he could be bought at all, and that served as a warning for the rest. 

The men who came now were simply hopeless admirers. 

Luckily for them, Ajax lived for the thrill of the fight. It made his heart race, got his blood pumping, and left him exhilarated, high on adrenaline, and unable to relax. He needed more, always more, never enough.

He walked out to greet them, six men of varied ages and social status. No one was familiar, good. Ajax’s eyes settled on a young man, maybe his age, or a little older, and he made his choice.

“You.” He said, pointing to the man, who looked like he had won the jackpot after all, as he followed him back inside.

...

His adrenaline high only dissipated when he came, splattering the cracked mirror with white. Ajax watched his chest heave in the mirror, taking a gasping breath, and another one, out of rhythm and surprised as his nameless lover groaned and warmth bloomed inside of him.

Oh, what a hassle. 

Ajax bit down a whine as the man pulled his cock from his swollen hole—if he could say one positive thing about the man, he certainly didn’t shy away from giving it to him hard, just as he’d asked. 

He swiftly yanked his trousers up before the man’s cum could drip out onto his thighs and the floor. 

“That was absolutely splendid, Childe.” The man said, manner of speech outing him as some new money dandy. He turned around to watch as the man righted his own clothes, tucking his cock away and pulling out his pocket watch of all things to check the time.

“I must be on my way but perhaps we coul—”

Hang on. Was that really the time? 

Fuck.

“I’m sorry, but I have a one-time policy. Do not come to my door again.” Ajax said, voice devoid of emotion. He wiped down the mirror with a towel before tossing it in the bin. “I have to go now.”

The man sputtered and made to protest, but Ajax was quick, and he slipped around him and out of the partition before booking it out of the building altogether, running towards the direction of Zapolyarny palace.

…

When Ajax squeezed himself through the half-open window of his quarters, the first thing he was met with were Ekaterina’s shoes. 

He groaned.

“Your Royal Highness!” She said, and it was not out of respect. “You barely have an hour before you are to meet with Her Majesty the Tsaritsa.”

She was in charge of managing his household—read: keeping him out of trouble. Ajax was good at trouble—when he pulled stunts like this, she was the one who made sure his misbehavior went mostly unnoticed. 

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I just need a bath, and then I’ll let you choose my outfit. I won’t even complain.” Ajax said, far too casual for a man who had just broken into a palace via a second-story window.

He stood, kicking off his shoes and pretending not to notice Katya sighing before heading for his bathroom. 

Perhaps Katya was taking her revenge for driving her insane with worry, selecting such stuffy formal wear. So many buttons on his tailored waistcoat, far too many golden embellishments, and stark white trousers that he knew would attract dirt like nothing else. 

Ajax tried not to look so outwardly miserable as he approached the throne room. How long had it been since he last spoke to his mother? Alone? Perhaps on his eighteenth name day, when he came of age—a grand ball was thrown in his honor over many days, attended by as many royal families as they could cram into the palace. The Tsaritsa’s youngest prince, finally a man.

The purpose of the ball was, of course, to celebrate his eligibility for marriage. But all Ajax had cared about was the fencing tournament. He won, of course.

His mother presented him with the trophy, and she kissed his forehead. It was more affection than he had received his whole childhood. He reached out to embrace her, and she brushed him away like he was some unsightly dust on her dress. And maybe he was —unwanted, only meant to be seen or used, but not loved. The thought had broken him, and he spent the remainder of the festivities going through the motions, dancing with pretty ladies and dapper gentlemen, feeling like a prisoner in his very charmed life. 

He began to sneak away after that, looking for excitement wherever he went. Taverns, where he drank firewater until he was sick and got into fights with angry drunks for flirting with their wives. Down the docks, where sailors and sellers bickered over the price of their catches and told tall tales of sea monsters and merfolk. Shady corners of the city where people sold their bodies and bets were made. He began to fight in the betting matches, uncaring if he won or lost. He just wanted to feel something, anything—pain, pleasure, all of it.

Ajax learned about life from his excursions—how to run from the guards, and how to disguise his appearance. How the normal folks the nobility looked down upon took care of each other. He experienced many new things. The feeling of exhilaration and thrill, the touch of hands on his body, the kisses of men and women.

Ajax learned that he had not lived, not really. Not in that palace where everything was plentiful except for love. 

He was twenty now. After the ball, hundreds of marriage proposals had flooded their halls, but he had rejected them all. Ajax was content to live a double life, a prince and a ruffian, a fencer and a brawler.

“Your Royal Highness,” the guard at the throne room door said, “Are you ready?”

He nodded, and the doors opened.

The guard’s voice rang out:

“Announcing His Royal Highness, Prince Ajax.”

The throne room was opulent and shining, a show of wealth and might. His mother sat upon her exalted throne, and her eyes seemed to look through him as he approached.

He bowed, deep at the waist, a twinge of pain shooting down his spine from his earlier antics. 

“Your Majesty.” He said. Formal, everything had to be formal, even if no one was around to hear it. 

“Rise,” she said, voice devoid of emotion. 

He did as she said, standing stock still like a soldier. Well, technically he was a soldier, albeit an officer who she forbade from ever seeing a frontline.

“It has been two years since you came of age. I have graciously given you two years to be an eligible bachelor, however, my patience is running thin.”

Ajax bit his tongue, holding himself back from speaking. 

She continued. “You have rejected every proposal sent your way. Why do you neglect your responsibility to the throne?”

He hesitated, until she gestured to him, requesting an answer. 

“Your Majesty, I do not feel ready to seek romance or commitment. Surely there is some other way I can be of assistance to the crown?” He asked, head down.

Laughter, then, like sleigh bells, high and bright. She was laughing at him.

“Oh, my child. I have eleven children. All adopted, plucked out of poverty by my benevolence, all for the purpose of strengthening this crown. You are my youngest. Pierro has children now—there is no possible way you will ever inherit this throne.”

“I am aware of that, your Majesty.” He said, through gritted teeth. 

“So, then you know exactly how you shall be used to strengthen this kingdom. You were always meant to wed some rich noble’s daughter and ensure that her family gives a sizable investment to the crown. Or perhaps you would become an elderly lord’s trophy Prince—make him happy so that he promises every eligible man in his lordship to the Royal Army.” She said, voice almost mocking.

Ajax felt sick. He had known, of course he had known, but he never expected her to be so frank about it.

His mother rolled her eyes. “Oh, do not make such a face, Ajax. Your elder sister Rosalyne is very happy in her marriage to Rostam. Now we have a much better relationship with the Knights of Favonius, even if Mondstadt’s king still despises us.” 

Rosalyne had wanted it, though. He sighed. It wasn’t worth arguing, as the Tsaritsa’s temper was feared throughout the land.

“Anyway, this meeting was not scheduled to admonish you. Rather, to congratulate you.” The Tsaritsa said, holding out a letter.

He moved closer to retrieve it but didn’t open it.

“Congratulate me?” Ajax asked.

“Yes, my dear. Since you have taken no interest in marriage, I have taken the responsibility of finding you the best possible match. I do believe that fate has smiled on us, for this is the best match you could possibly hope to receive.”

“Open it.” She commanded. 

He obeyed. He delicately opened the envelope, and then the gold-embellished letter.

His Royal Highness Prince Ajax,

After a series of negotiations with your mother the Tsaritsa, we have signed a contract, in which I have been promised your hand in marriage. 

I await your arrival in the Empire of Liyue, so we may begin the traditional courting period before we wed. 

I have sent some books along with this letter so you may learn about Liyue before your arrival.

I hope our marriage will continue to strengthen relations between our two kingdoms,

Rex Lapis XXXVII

Emperor of Liyue

Chapter Text

“The…Emperor of Liyue?” He said, shocked. Liyue was a massive empire, renowned for its wealth, larger than most kingdoms combined. It also boasted a fantastic military might. They were ruled for a thousand years by the same Imperial household, every emperor donning the title Rex Lapis. His people thought him tantamount to a god. 

“No, no, this cannot be true. S-surely the emperor is in need of children, so.” He stuttered, trying to come up with reasons to doubt the words he read.

His mother shook her head. “The current Rex Lapis has been wed once before. His former Empress died in childbirth. The child, however, was hearty and hale and is his son and heir.”

Ajax shook his head again. No, surely this could not be. He had never even left Snezhnaya before. Liyue was a two-week boat journey at least.

His mother scoffed. “Ajax, it’s about time you grew up. The Emperor has promised us many boons for your hand in marriage. As he asked for you specifically, I had the upper hand in our negotiations.” 

Asked for you specifically. 

“Specifically? By name?” He said, in shock. When had they even met? Had they even met, or did his mother send his portrait to every royal household, offering him up to the highest bidder?

No one could possibly outbid Rex Lapis.

The Tsaritsa stood, stepping down from her throne. “I suggest you begin preparing your things. You are leaving in two days' time. Now, I tire of this conversation. I shall see you off, the day after tomorrow.” 

She stared at him, icy blue eyes daring him to argue. Ajax looked away before her uncaring gaze burned him. Instead, he bowed before her.

“Your Majesty.”

Ajax left the room with a smooth heel-turn, ignoring the guards who bowed politely to him as he passed. Anxiety welled up in his stomach until he grew nauseous, and climbing the grand staircase to his quarters took more effort than usual. 

His breathing was labored and manual, and his eyes stung from unshed tears of frustration. By the time he opened the door to his quarters, his whole body had grown numb, yet hypersensitive. Hot, but too cold. 

Before he could even think, his fist made contact with the wall, leaving a sizable hole in the plaster. His knuckles were red and sore, they’d bruise for certain, but he did not care. Ajax slumped down the wall under the damage he’d done, bringing his knees up to his chest as he gasped for air. 

Ekaterina’s hasty footsteps made him look up. She had heard the commotion and hurried over to him. 

“Your Royal Highness,” usually her voice was frustrated, even a bit nagging—instead, her voice was soft, almost a whisper. She knelt beside him amongst the broken plaster dust and embraced him. That’s when Ajax broke down. He was not one to cry—he couldn’t remember the last time he had, but the tears fell freely from his eyes and they could not be stopped. 

“She’s selling me like livestock,” Ajax said, voice trembling. “In two days' time, I will be bound for Liyue Harbor. I am to marry the Emperor.” 

“Liyue Harbor,” Ekaterina hummed, “is quite far.” 

Ajax sighed. “I may complain about my charmed life here, but it’s all I’ve ever known. Katya, what am I to do?” 

She stroked the fabric of his shirt in some semblance of a comforting gesture. “You’ve been ignoring my advice since you were fourteen, Your Royal Highness. But, you know as well as I do: your fate is sealed. Deserting would bring shame to your people, and threaten diplomatic relations with Liyue. I’ve…” She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. 

“What? Speak freely, Katya.” Ajax said. 

She didn’t meet his eyes. “I’ve been ordered, as your royal retainer, not to allow you to leave the Palace grounds until you are to leave for the port. Please, do not try to escape via your normal means. There are armed guards posted outside your windows.” 

Ajax laughed bitterly. “This place is truly a gilded prison cell.”

“I—“ Ekaterina hesitated once again. “I have also been informed that I will not be permitted to join you in your new home. As a servant of the royal household, I am duty-bound to remain here. Ajax, I’m sorry.” 

She had never referred to him so informally. When he met her eyes, they were filled with tears. “It is cruel to send you to a foreign land alone. You must remain sharp—you will have no allies, no one to trust but yourself.”

“Katya, thank you for everything. You are the closest thing I have to a friend. I’ll try to write.” Ajax said. He had always given her a challenge, but he couldn’t possibly imagine a life without her itineraries and plans, gentle scolding, and, of course, the moments of true freedom she’d let him get away with.

“Now, can you help me out? I need to learn as much about Liyue as possible so I don’t look foolish when I meet that… tyrant .” 

…

His mother had always favored white dresses. Even as an older woman, she was fiercely beautiful still, and her pale eyes looked down on everyone, asserting her superiority, her divine right. 

The day he left Snezhnaya, her dress was stunning, a white train trailing behind her, and a dozen sparkling diamonds in her tiara. 

She made a show of embracing him in front of her court, polite platitudes sounding almost foreign and wrong when he met her cold gaze. He bowed low—this was a performance, after all, and Ajax had been trained on this act his whole life. 

It did not last long. The Tsaritsa could only extol so much praise before she grew bored, and she and the rest of her court disbanded, leaving Ajax with Ekaterina and some armed soldiers. 

“I suppose this is goodbye,” Ekaterina said, looking apprehensive. Her lip was bitten raw. There was a noticeable hollow under her eyes—they had spent the entire night reading up on Liyue and finding the Emperor’s stupid portrait—it must have been an exaggeration due to status. No way was he that handsome, and no way would he have golden eyes. 

“Please don’t worry about me,” Ajax said, bowing to her. He smiled at her, hoping it was convincing. 

“It may not be what I want, but I’m sure I will not be harmed, Katya. I mean, I can handle myself. Thank you for everything.”

One of the guards harrumphed, getting his attention. 

“Your Royal Highness, we must depart for the port now.” He gestured for Ajax to follow him, not giving Ekaterina a chance to finish their conversation as he was led out the palace doors. 

It was customary to be accompanied by guards when he had official duties to perform. But Ajax was no fool—the guards were not there to protect him, they were there to make sure he did not flee. They would deliver him to Liyue, no matter what. 

People waved and cheered for him as his carriage approached the port. He smiled for them like he was trained to do—it was automatic at this point—and let the guards lead him to the vessel bound for Liyue Harbor. He watched men carrying trunks filled with his belongings, and that’s when it really hit him:

Ajax was never to return to his homeland. 

His feet dragged—he could hear her words now— unbecoming of a prince. But still, he boarded the ship. No one had much to say to him, only polite bows and nods—these men were largely sailors, not accustomed to transporting royal cargo. A great deal of them seemed intimidated by the guards, never more than ten feet from Ajax, countenance stern. 

It was anticlimactic when the anchor was lifted. The boat was dragged out to sea by smaller vessels, and then they were sailing. 

Ajax stood by the ship’s railing, watching as the icy jewel of a city became smaller and smaller until it disappeared entirely on the horizon. 

He stood there, quiet, for a long time. 

…

The trip was long. The first week, he was miserable, nauseous from stress and the rocking of the boat and his unfortunate, inescapable fate. 

No one spoke to him for fear of offending the Tsaritsa, and Ajax was ashamed to admit he preferred it that way—heavens forbid he was forced to feign happiness. 

The second week was better—Ajax got his sea legs, and the scent of the salty sea became an almost familiar comfort. The ocean was the same in Snezhnaya and Liyue; the only difference was the temperature. Speaking of temperature, as they headed south, it grew warmer and warmer. It felt like the height of Snezhnayan summer in early spring as land finally peeked over the horizon, and he began to see the Liyuen countryside.

Golden grass fields, rich fertile cropland—large, craggy mountains that seemed to jut out of the ground like gigantic, stone spears stretching all the way to the clouds. It was unlike anything he’d ever seen. Ajax tried not to gaze at the scenery in wonder, but he failed, leaning over the ship's side, salty ocean air ruffling his hair. He stared until the buildings crowded closer together, until they grew taller and taller and he realized that they must be near the port. 

Liyue Harbor. 

They were in Liyue Harbor. 

Ajax watched as the shipmen prepared to dock, as his things were gathered above deck. The three guards who had accompanied him had their eyes fixed on him—what did they expect him to do, jump?

Okay, he had considered it.

Ajax paced on the deck for the better part of an hour as the ship came into the harbor. The city loomed taller and taller, buildings painted in bright colors, reds, and greens and gold. His eyes trailed up to the highest point of the city—a great palace with walls seemingly made of gold.

His prison cell. 

The ship finally dropped its anchor and the ramp was lowered, and the guards accompanied Ajax to dry land. He wobbled for a moment, used to the sea rolling under the vessel after two weeks.

Liyuen military men were waiting at the dock for them, and one approached, hands visible—unarmed. 

“Your Royal Highness,” the soldier said, bowing with one hand flat against a fist. “A palanquin has been prepared to escort you to the palace.”

The three Snezhnayan guards narrowed their eyes at him, still expecting him to make a run for it—but Ajax knew better than to disobey his mother’s orders, even so far away from home. 

“Very well,” he said. “Lead the way.” 

He followed the soldier to the ornate palanquin and took the offered hand as he stepped inside. Four soldiers lifted it and began the trek up to the palace. Ajax was glad that curtains kept him out of sight—he could hear the murmur of the citizens as they passed by— who is that? Are the rumors true? Is the Emperor going to wed again? 

Many of them used the Common Tongue, but more still spoke Liyuen, and Ajax was struck with the thought once again that he did not speak their language, that he was miles and miles away from his own familiar customs and traditions. And, if rumors were true, Liyue took their traditions very seriously. 

Would they expect him to know everything? Were they waiting for him to make a mistake—would they mock him, would they chastise him? A cool thread of anxiety curled in his stomach, and Ajax clenched his fists. Usually, when he felt like this, he would sneak away to the capital’s shady underground and take part in the fighting rings, or even a simple bar fight—something about his fist connecting with the delicate bones of someone’s face really helped to clear his head.

He supposed he could kiss that particular hobby goodbye too. 

Sweat beaded on his brow as they ascended higher and higher through the streets, and Ajax watched in the gaps of the curtain as the buildings grew taller, grander—made of more expensive materials. The citizens’ clothing was better made and better tailored.

Clearly, they were nearing the palace. He was no stranger to the differences in class, even so far from home. These homes and buildings were where the wealthy lived and shopped and dined, where nobility rubbed elbows—where the fate of the smaller people below was decided.

The palanquin came to a halt outside a large, red gate, and after speaking with a guard, they continued, setting him down on the ground once more. The same guard that helped him inside helped Ajax down, bowing once more after he stepped onto the stone floor. 

Ajax took in his surroundings. He was in a courtyard of sorts, likely the entryway to this giant, palatial complex. Directly in front of him were doors to the main palace structure, only a few stories high, but off to the sides, there were beautiful gardens. Pathways lined the gardens, and many of them led to smaller, although no less elegant buildings. If he had to guess, the palace was likely split into many buildings—the large one in the center was likely where ceremonies would be held, where formal meals would take place, and where many of the more official meetings would occur. The smaller buildings were likely residences, facilities, and other, less formal gathering places. There was no need to remain cooped up inside when the weather was so nice—not at all like his snowy homeland.

His old home was a large, fortified castle, many stories tall—long spindly spires leading up to the sky. Everyone had rooms in different wings of the building, but it was one they ultimately all shared, even down to the servants who dwelled in cramped quarters in the basements. Ajax’s older siblings, bar Pierro, who worked directly under his mother, all resided in mansions in the countryside after they were wed, or left Snezhnaya completely to live with their spouses in different countries. Some led the military or other government offices and resided in the palace officially, but off the books, they held residence elsewhere in the city. As her youngest son, still unwed, Ajax was forced to remain in the palace.

Until it was his time to be used .

They were—they were not close. They weren’t even related. Ajax was adopted when he was four, yanked from an orphanage full of red-headed children he only vaguely remembered, and brought straight to the palace. They fed him and clothed him like a prince, and then brought him to a cold woman.

“Ajax. I am your mother now.”

She said it, and her word was law, so her son he became. He didn’t remember what his real parents looked like or if those other children were his siblings—soon, his whole world was dedicated to becoming the perfect prince. Tutors, before etiquette lessons and then fencing and light exercise. Singing and piano lessons, when he showed promise with musical talent. Dancing, of course. 

Anything that would help in his appeal, a perfect princeling for the Tsaritsa to sell to the highest bidder. 

“Your Royal Highness,” a new voice said, and he was pulled back into the present moment. “My name is Ganyu. I run the Imperial Household for His Imperial Majesty, Rex Lapis. On behalf of everyone who resides here, I bid you a most warm welcome.”

She wore an elegant, Liyuen style gown—he did not know the names of their fashions, he’d have to learn—and an ornate headdress that almost resembled horns in her sky-colored hair.

Ajax bowed to her, not in the Liyuen way, but she still smiled. “If you could follow me—as we transport your belongings to your residence, we have prepared some food and refreshments for you. Please enjoy, and take this moment to rest. I’m sure the journey was strenuous, Your Royal Highness.”

Now that she mentioned it, exhaustion settled into his bones, and Ajax realized he was starving .

“Lead the way, my lady.”

The Snezhnayan guards were nowhere to be seen—he supposed they were already heading back to the boat. They delivered their precious cargo to its heavily guarded prison, and it was unlikely that he’d be able to run now, so their job was done. He bit down a sigh as he followed Ganyu further into the gardens, down a winding path adorned with flowers. She stopped at one of the many buildings on the edge of the gardens, opening the door for him. Inside, he could see a table full of food—fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as a spread of things he’d never seen before.

“Please head inside and rest a while, Your Royal Highness. When your residence is prepared, someone will escort you there,” she bowed one final time, before leaving him blissfully alone.

Ajax picked up a pitcher of water, eyeing it warily. He didn't know a single soul here, and the thought crossed his mind that this food and drink could be poisoned. Of course, if he was here to be wed, it would be ridiculous to kill him, but you couldn’t be too careful. 

He had seen it before, in his mother’s court. A noble who offended Her Majesty, turning blue in the face after overindulging in wine. 

“It’s perfectly safe, I assure you,” a deep voice rang out, and Ajax startled, nearly dropping the pitcher.

Hands steadied the pitcher, brushing against his own fingers. Large, graceful hands belonging to a tall, handsome man, older than Ajax, although he was unsure by how many years. His hair was gathered into a simple tie at the nape of his neck, with some shorter fringe framing his face.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. You left the door open. I suppose it is fair to be wary of eating food prepared by a stranger, but I know that it is safe.”

He took the pitcher, poured a glass for himself, and drank, before doing the same for Ajax. He held out the glass to him, golden eyes meeting his, and—

Wait.

Golden eyes.

The man was dressed simply—deceptively so, for even though his robes were simple, they were still stitched with golden thread, perfectly tailored and made of fine fabric. 

Ajax drank his glass in one shot like it was firewater, before slamming it down on the table.

“Do you think I’m stupid , Your Imperial Majesty? I have seen a portrait of you before. Dressing simply and speaking to me so casually, did you think this disguise would be sufficient?” 

The Emperor shook his head. “I do not mean to hide my identity, Your Royal Highness. We are to formally meet during an introduction ceremony later in the week, but to be honest, I care not for grand spectacle like that. I hoped to introduce myself in a less formal setting, out of the public eye.”

That was…actually rather reasonable. But Ajax huffed anyway, glaring at his would-be husband.

“I have no intention of marrying you, I hope you know that.”

“Is that so?” His voice was amused.

Ajax crossed his arms. “Why would you choose a prince from so far away? Has every person in Liyue rejected you, Rex Lapis?”

The Emperor bit his lip, almost as if he was trying not to smile. “Let us make a contract, Your Royal Highness.”

“A contract?”

He nodded. “Remain here in the palace for the next few months, participate in the courting process, and the formal ceremonies required of us to be wed. Afterward, I’ll tell you why I chose you.”

Curiosity burned through Ajax, and he needed to know—what in the world would make a man who had absolutely everything ask for… him?

He sighed, knowing that he was going to accept this deal.

“Alright. Yes, I accept your contract. I will…participate, provided you share your reasoning with me at the end.”

Rex Lapis smiled. It lit up his handsome face, and Ajax cursed himself for the thought.

“Splendid. I am sure you’ve been instructed to refer to me as Your Imperial Majesty, or Rex Lapis, but if we speak in private, call me Zhongli. Please eat, Prince Ajax. I have no intention of poisoning you. Try the char siu—it’s the roast meat there, it’s quite good.”

And, with that, the Emp— Zhongli turned to leave.

Chapter Text

Ajax ate the char siu. And some fruits, and some other things. He was glad he was alone, as there was no tableware, only ornate wooden sticks that he didn’t know how to use. He cursed himself for not remembering this particular detail when he did research, as now he would look like a fool if he was forced to eat in front of the court. But for now, alone in this room, he ate with his hands, and nearly moaned at the taste—was all Liyuen food this good?

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but a gentle knocking disturbed his quiet before the door opened. A young woman entered, bowing at the waist with all the grace of a dancer. If he had to guess, she was probably around Ajax’s age. Unlike most of the women he’d seen with their hair in ornate updos, her dark hair cascaded down behind her.

“Good afternoon, Your Royal Highness. My name is Yun Jin. If you’re finished here, your rooms are now ready.”

Ajax nodded, and he followed the young woman out the door. The sun was starting to wane in the sky, approaching sunset, and the gardens took on a golden glow.

Yun Jin hummed as she took his gaze in. “The gardens are lovely at this time, are they not? I consider myself most fortunate to see them.”

“Don’t you see them often?” Ajax asked. With her elegant posture and manner of speech, he figured she was a highly-ranked member of the court.

Yun Jin shook her head. “No, Your Royal Highness. I am not of the nobility, I am a singer of traditional Liyuen opera, and as such my entry to the Palace is often limited to rehearsals and performances for the Emperor. On occasion, I have been permitted to remain here as a guest. His Imperial Majesty has granted me special access to his court for the time being so I may fulfill his request.”

“His request?”

Yun Jin approached a different building. “Here we are, this building is your residence. Let us discuss inside.”

They entered the building, stepping inside an ornate sitting room, a collection of books on a shelf, as well as one of his trunks, filled with some of his personal belongings.

“Further inside are your sleeping and bathing quarters. You may dine here if you wish, or take meals with the court in the main hall. Now, His Imperial Majesty knows that, as a commoner, I had to learn the traditions and etiquette expected of the court in order to perform amongst them. You are a prince, but one from a faraway place, and Rex Lapis understands that many things may be unfamiliar to you. He requested that I act as a kind of teacher to you, a kindred spirit, as we are both outsiders here.”

They sat on one of the pretty, embroidered sofas, and Ajax hummed. “So you are to be…like a cultural advisor?”

Yun Jin nodded. “Something like that. I will do my best to pass on some of the knowledge I have learned. Of course, I do not know everything—but I can assure you, should you desire to learn more about our language or writing, the Lion Prince’s tutors are more than willing to set some time aside for you. But, I will help you understand the basics of society here.”

“That…would be wonderful, Miss Yun. I admit, books on the topic can only do so much.”

She laughed, a sound like a twinkling bell. “Yes, I daresay I understand. I have had my fair share of faux pas, so I will help you avoid them. Now, tell me about you—what is it you enjoy, what is it that you excel in? I’ve heard you are a renowned fencer, is that true?”

Ajax nodded. “Yes, I am a champion fencer, and I quite enjoy martial arts of any kind.”

Read as: I only feel alive when I fight, my heart races when someone's fists or blades aim for me.

“But, I am also, like yourself, a trained musician. I play the piano and have taken singing lessons for many years.”

Yun Jin’s expression brightened. “Oh, then you must attend a performance! Liyuen opera is quite different from the music in your homeland, but I imagine you’ll like it.”

“I’d like that.”

She smiled. “After the introduction ceremony this week, I will plan some activities based on your interests. That way, you can have fun even while we learn new things.”

Ah, right.

Ajax cleared his throat. “The introduction ceremony. That’s the second time I’ve heard it mentioned.”

Yun Jin nodded. “As part of your formal courting process with His Imperial Majesty, you will be introduced to the Imperial Court. It’s usually not such a production, traditionally for common folk, the two families would meet and discuss if the couple is suitable for marriage. If there is a dowry or any business agreement involved, it would be discussed then. For the Emperor, the court demands a show, of course. From you, little is required. You will simply enter the hall after everyone is seated, bow to His Imperial Majesty, and then accept his traditional gift.”

“His gift?”

“Chopsticks, of course. Adorned with a phoenix and a dragon, as is tradition to represent the Emperor and his consort.”

Ajax swallowed. “Miss Yun?”

“Yes?”

“I do not know how to use chopsticks.” 

She looked at him, seated on the embroidered couch, and blinked—once, twice, before her hand covered her mouth and she laughed. Not at his expense, however, so Ajax allowed himself to laugh too.

“Of course! Of course. Let me fetch some. We can start practicing now.”

The week went by quickly as Ajax absorbed a whole new world of information, both from Yun Jin and his own personal observation. The names of the foods he liked best, titles of respect or honor, and the proper way to bow in the Liyuen style. His handle on chopsticks was shaky at best, but he successfully picked up a dumpling. Once. 

Before he knew it, it was time for the introduction ceremony. Ajax nearly paced a hole in the ornate carpeting of his quarters. He cared not if Rex Lapis was pleased with him or not, but his court—that was another story. He’d seen what became of the people the court of Zapolyarny scorned, and it was never pretty. Even for the smallest of offenses, they shamed and mocked until those people were nearly shunned and all but ousted from the palace. 

He was already an outsider here, so he would need to be perfect in order to remain in the court’s good graces. 

Yun Jin entered his quarters along with a gaggle of his assigned servants, who helped button him into his intricate formalwear. He’d yet to have any clothes made in a Liyuen style, unsure if they’d even suit him, so again he donned his fitted white trousers and an ornate waistcoat. They attempted to tame his ginger hair and smothered his face with some floral-scented goop that made his skin look fresh and youthful. Next was some subtle color for the lips and cheeks, and a terrifying brush that painted his light eyelashes dark. 

“Is all this really necessary,” he muttered, and Yun Jin hid her grin behind her hand.

“Think of it as a performance. Your first impression to the Imperial court. Unfortunately, appearances matter here, just as anywhere else. I must leave you to get ready for my own performance, but remember that you and I are both actors tonight.” 

Ajax grinned. “I will finally get to hear you sing, so it will be worth it.”

Yun Jin smiled again, bowing to him. “You flatter me. I hope you enjoy Liyuen opera, Prince Ajax.”

…

He was escorted to the grand hall by the servants, and made to wait in some private room while the guests entered the hall. He heard music, stringed and hammered instruments that were unfamiliar to his ear, but no less sweet. 

Lady Ganyu was the one to retrieve him, a nervous expression on her face. 

“You look very nice, Your Royal Highness. Are you ready to make your entrance?”

Ajax nodded. “Thank you. Yes, let’s do this.”

She escorted him to the grand doors of the hall, and the guards opened them as they approached. 

There must have been one hundred people seated in the hall, all their faces turned to look at him. Their gaze scrutinizing as he stepped inside, not daring to make eye contact with anyone. An aisle in the center of the room made its way to the high table at the head of the hall, raised on its own platform.

Ajax kept his head held high as he walked down the aisle, feeling eyes on him. He did not stop until he reached the platform. Finally, he dared to look at the man sitting there.

The Emperor was adorned in fine robes, made of a deep, almost black silk embroidered with gold dragon-scale motifs. Some of his long hair was gathered up in an ornate pin, and the rest fell elegantly behind broad shoulders. A golden, translucent veil covered the lower half of his face. His expression was blank, betraying nothing of his thoughts at that moment, and Ajax fought the need to chew on his bottom lip as he bowed, low at the waist as a show of great respect. 

He rose as the Emperor stood, stepping around the table with an ornate wooden box in his hands. Once he was in front of Ajax on his platform, he opened the box, revealing lacquered wooden chopsticks, tipped with gold at the ends and painted with beautiful depictions of a dragon and a phoenix. 

Ajax accepted the box, their fingers brushing as he did. Shivers went down his spine at the brief contact, and for a moment, he saw some emotion in those golden eyes—amusement, maybe. But it was fleeting, and soon he was approaching his seat once more, as servants escorted Ajax to ascend the steps to the platform and take the seat next to the Emperor. 

No words were exchanged between them, as all eyes remained on the two on their high platform even as plates were brought to each person. Ajax did his best to not drop any food, but in the end, he only managed one or two bites, fearful of making a fool of himself. 

Once the people began to eat, they paid less attention to them, and Ajax relaxed a bit. So far, so good.

“I will have food sent to your quarters when this is concluded,” The Empe—Zhongli said, voice low. He didn’t turn his head to look at him. 

Ajax followed suit. “Why?” 

Zhongli paused. “They tell me you have been practicing with the chopsticks all week. You’ve done well, but there is no need to starve yourself to maintain appearances.”

“I—” He almost turned, incensed. How dare this man take pity on him when he was the one forced into these circumstances. But, he remembered Yun Jin’s words. This was a performance, after all. “Thank you.” 

“Most welcome.”

The music began to play again, an intricate melody that was pleasing to the ears, and from a curtain on the side of the room, Yun Jin emerged in her costume. She wore heavy makeup and a large, colorful headpiece. Flags adorned her back, and she walked with measured, intentional steps as she began to sing. 

And, how wonderful it was. Much like the rest of the country, this music was unlike anything Ajax had ever heard. It contrasted the opera of his homeland in nearly every way. However, despite this, it was beautiful, and he wished he could understand the words and follow along with the story.

After she concluded, she bowed to the high table, and the volume in the room began to pick up again as the guests began to participate in revelries of food and wine. 

“As the guests grow farther in their cups, I have found it easy to sneak away. Just through that side door there,” Zhongli said, hand subtly pointing to a door not too far from the high table. 

“Shall we?” Zhongli asked, standing as calmly as possible. Ajax looked at the guests, but as Zhongli said, they were too busy chatting and drinking to notice them. He stood just as slowly, and the two of them shuffled out the door as quickly as they could without arousing suspicion.

Once the door was shut, Zhongli smiled at him, and it was so far removed from the passive gaze of the Emperor that Ajax nearly got whiplash. 

“You did very well,” he said, before shaking his head. “I find these ceremonies tiresome. Not the live music, I quite enjoy that, but holding an entire dinner just so the palace can gawk at you is…unpleasant.” 

“Surely you could do away with such things if you do not care for them,” Ajax said, hoping he wasn’t overstepping.

Zhongli chuckled. “Yes, but it is easier to make small compromises. Give them what they want now so that more important changes can be made down the line. And, if I don’t include the court in my wedding preparations, the gossip would only be worse.”

Ajax had to stop himself from grinning. “It is a fine line the Emperor must walk, I understand. Well, I suppose this is where we part for the evening.”

Zhongli nodded. “Yes. I will have food sent to your quarters now. Officially, our next meeting will be in two moons' time for a tea ceremony, but I do hope to see you before that.”

They were standing so close together, and from here he could smell the fine scent of silkflowers and sandalwood and amber. All he wanted to do was lean closer and—

“Hmph,” Ajax glared at him. “Don’t think I’ve changed my mind about you, your Imperial Majesty.” 

Zhongli only smiled. “Naturally.”

Chapter Text

Ajax spent his days seeking out a Liyuen education—he was many things, but a fool was not one of them. There was etiquette from young lord Xingqiu, a self-proclaimed “second son with not much to do.” Xingqiu’s handwriting was miserable, so he sent Ajax to the Imperial Prince’s tutors, who were happy to teach him basic Liyuen. 

The Imperial Prince was someone spoken of more than seen, by all accounts a happy boy of ten years. Ajax thought he saw glimpses of him running through the halls like he once did in Zapolyarny, and while he heard the tutting of the head tutor, Lady Xianyun, he never heard a threat to wallop him like his tutors once did.

The thought of the Imperial Prince living a happy life, one hopefully full of love, made Ajax smile. Even if he had no intentions of marrying Zhongli, it’s clear that he was not a bad person by any means—he’d be a good father, Ajax thought. 

“Lost in thought?” Yun Jin’s voice rang out, and he spun around, half-startled, even at her soft-spoken tone.

“Maybe just a bit. Miss Yun, I am not one to sit inside all day and read—I fear that I will lose my mind soon.”

She nodded. “Then, I bring you good news. I’ve sought out the Captain of the Imperial Guard. She is more than willing to allow you to train with her men.”

Ajax stood up from his seat, lightning fast. “Really? Now?” 

Yun Jin laughed. “Yes, I believe they train now. Follow me, I will bring you to them.” 

Ajax buzzed with anticipation as they approached the guard house. Guards sparred outside on the field, but they stepped past them, entering the indoor training hall where a tall, muscular woman with dark hair stood. One eye was covered by a patch, but somehow—as intimidating as she was—Ajax could sense her kindness as she nodded at him.

“So, you’re the Snow Princeling everyone is talking about. You any good with a weapon?” 

Yun Jin bowed. “I leave him in your good hands, Captain Beidou.” 

She left them as Ajax responded. “A sword or a fist is fine by me.”

Beidou grinned. “Oh, I like you, kid. Well, let’s go—show me what you got.”

Ajax browsed the weapon selection, picking up a thin sword that reminded him of a sabre, and Beidou snorted.

“That’s more toothpick than sword,” she said, picking up a heavy greatsword. 

Ajax grinned. “This toothpick can do some serious damage.”

Beidou laughed, and then they were off. Her swings were powerful, but he had a speed advantage and their fight was evenly matched, blow-by-blow of the blunted swords. Ajax laughed for the first time in a while, feeling free and alive with the rush of the fight, even a practice fight, in his bones. 

They carried on for a while, soldiers cheering them on as they sparred. But in the back of his mind, Ajax noticed that the soldiers had gone quiet all at once, and then Beidou stopped their spar to bow at her waist. 

Ajax spun around to see Zhongli in the doorway, watching them with a smile.

“Your Imperial Majesty,” Beidou said, with a lazy salute of her hand. “What can I do for you?”

“Nothing, nothing. As you were, everyone. I simply heard His Royal Highness was sparring, and it piqued my interest.”

Ajax’s face grew haughty. “Think you could beat me in a fight, your Imperial Majesty?”

Several of the soldiers in attendance murmured uncomfortably. One even gasped, exclaiming, “The gall of this foreign prince to challenge his Imperial Majesty in such a way.”

Zhongli waved his hand. “Nonsense, it’s perfectly fine. Your Royal Highness, shall we find out?”

Some more scandalized gasps came from the soldiers, but Zhongli only looked in their direction. “Leave us.”

No one dared to utter a word, filing out of the training hall to the grounds outside. Beidou smirked at Ajax as she left. “Good spar, kid. Drinks on me sometime.” 

She was the last one out the door, and then they were alone. He watched as Zhongli walked to the weapon rack and chose a spear, spinning it in his hand to test its weight.

“I have no intention of going easy on you, Emperor or not,” Ajax said, picking up a slightly bigger sword with a curved edge and a sabre grip. 

Zhongli hummed. “Very well.” 

They paced around each other in circles until Ajax grew impatient and made the first strike. Zhongli parried easily, forcing him to jump back as he retaliated with a jab of his spear. Ajax again had the speed advantage, but less than with Beidou, and he quickly grew tired from dodging the spear’s thrusts. He could do this—one final, decisive blow was all it would take. Ajax steeled himself and dashed forward again, only for the spear to knock him off balance as the other side knocked his sword right out of his grip, clambering to the floor.

He grunted in frustration as Zhongli dropped his guard.

“You did well.” 

No. Ajax couldn’t allow things to end like this. He was not going to be made a fool even here. He lunged forward, tackling Zhongli to the ground like he would in a brawl. Zhongli surprised him, grappling with him on the ground until he was on top of Ajax, both of his arms held down by one strong hand. 

Zhongli chucked. “Well, aren’t you just full of surprises?” 

Ajax tried to retort, but he became far too aware of their positions. Like this, on his back, restrained by Zhongli’s body on top of him, his hand pinning him down. So close, they were so very close again, and Zhongli was strong , and the scent of silk flowers mixed with his sweat the farthest thing from unappealing. 

He rolled out from under Zhongli before his body could get any ideas, and his cheeks felt hot.

“Yes well,” Ajax stood, dusting off his clothes, and bowing low at the waist. “I hope the spar was satisfactory.”

Zhongli smiled and stood as well. “It was, Prince Ajax.”

To say he fled from the hall would be an understatement. Gracefully, of course. As befitting of a prince. He arrived at his quarters to find them blissfully empty, a note from his servants letting him know they had just drawn him a fresh bath as he was training. Oh, thank the gods. He pulled off his sweaty clothes as he made for the bathing quarters.

The bath was still warm, and he sighed as he stepped inside the water. The scent of silk flowers surrounded him, and he groaned—why did they pick that particular bath oil today? As the familiar scent lingered on his skin and in the water, his thoughts led again and again to the Emperor.

To Zhongli.

The long line of his body, attractive in loose, silken robes and more fitted tunics. The broadness of his shoulders, the trim waist. His strong thighs, and an ass he wouldn’t think twice about taking handfuls of, pulling him closer as he thrusted insid—

No. He can’t be thinking about this. He can’t. 

Ajax shook his head and began to wash himself, dragging his own hands down the length of his torso, breath hitching as a thumb scraped across his nipple.

A voice haunted his imagination.

“You did well.” That’s the second time Zhongli said that to him, and just thinking of it sent shivers down his spine. How would he praise him, Ajax wondered, if he were to take Zhongli in hand and stroke the long line of his cock? It would be big, he figured—large, just like the rest of him. Would he praise him as Ajax ran his tongue along the head of him, tasting the salty precum before taking him inside his mouth?

“Fuck it,” Ajax said, reaching for his cock under the water. He groaned—how was he already so hard? He started an easy rhythm, letting flashes of golden eyes and a sonorous voice draw him deeper into fantasy. Zhongli would want to treat him gently, he was sure, but with all that strength he hid away, Ajax imagined he could fuck him roughly, pin his hands down like he had that afternoon, and grip his waist in a bruising grasp. 

He moaned, picking up the pace of his hand. Surely Zhongli could fuck him the way he desired, split him open and reach his very core until he was a gasping, moaning mess. And when they were done, when Zhongli’s cum was leaking out of his hole and he was spent—

Zhongli would hold him in the cradle of his arms. Kiss the crown of his head and tell him again—

“You did well. I love you, Ajax.” 

“Fuck!” Ajax cried out, one hand gripping the edge of the tub, knuckles white, as he came, sullying the water with his spend, chest heaving. 

It took him several minutes to come down from his orgasm, but when he did, and all his fantasies finally caught up to him, it was that last bit that stuck with him.

“Fuck,” he said, again, slumping back against the tub.

…

He tried to retire early that evening, but sleep evaded him long into the night, and Ajax felt himself growing restless again. Clearly, the spar hadn’t quite sated his need for excitement. He donned a plain outfit and left his residence, keeping in the shadows as he looked for an escape plan. 

Every palace had some secret hallway or passage, and this one was no exception. The outer walls were high, although not so high that climbing was out of the question. He silently rejoiced when he saw the lattice trellis so close to the wall—made for hanging plants, but also a pretty good foothold as he scurried up the wall and pulled himself over. There was a tree on the other side with heavy, firm branches, and Ajax took his opportunity, climbing down the tree until his feet were firmly on the ground, outside the palace walls. 

Ah, freedom. 

He congratulated himself for a moment, before ducking behind the tree as a recognizable figure walked past. Captain Beidou, leaving the palace for the evening. Perhaps another stroke of luck, as she was certainly bound for a tavern or three. 

Ajax kept his distance, but followed her down to the city’s wealthy district and then further still, closer to the wharf where all kinds of people gathered—beggars and thieves, soldiers and sailors. His kind of crowd, for sure. Ajax decided he’d gone far enough, slipping into one of the many crowded establishments filled with loud music and rowdy shouts. He saw wines of different colors, sweet and bitter liquors, and the gossip—of course, the gossip.

Did you hear?

Did you hear it? The Emperor is getting married!

Rex Lapis is getting married again.

After ten years of mourning, he’s marrying some foreign-born prince.

I heard he’s a darling!

I hear he’s a pretty thing.

Doesn’t speak a lick of Liyuen, it’s just not right!

Ajax heard them all—well, those who spoke in the common tongue, from his spot in the shadows. 

“The Snow Prince is just another example of the Dragon’s brazen behavior as of late,” a voice hissed, bitterly. “He spurns the traditions of his birthright, spurns us.”

Another voice from somewhere behind him:

“The Lion Prince was seen dancing with some common-born performers. Common-born! Radical, I say!” 

And he heard no more as the men swiftly switched to Liyuen. He supposed that no matter the city, the people would always find fault in their leaders. It was the way of things.

Dammit, what was Ajax doing there? He didn’t disguise himself, and it was only a matter of time before most of the city knew his face—the unusual color of his hair. If he were up to his old antics now, it wouldn’t just be a reflection on him.

It would be a reflection on the Emperor. 

He wanted so desperately for that not to matter to him, but it did. He would never say it out loud, but there were much worse men he could have been arranged to marry. Zhongli was thoughtful and intelligent. By most accounts, he was a good leader and was open to criticism. If Ajax weren’t a prince, if he had met him on some quiet street in a small town—well, maybe things would be different. 

But Ajax refused! He refused to be some human bargaining chip for that Ice Queen and do her bidding. One day, he would make his own choices, and he would be free. 

It didn’t take long to head back towards the palace. He found the old tree that grew near the walls, and soon he was over them once again, feet on a well-maintained garden path. Even in the dim lamplight, the gardens were beautiful, but Ajax did not delay. He snuck back to his quarters, slipping inside the sitting room like it was not his to enter. 

When the door was solidly shut behind him, he finally relaxed.

“You know,” a baritone voice said, and Ajax nearly jumped ten feet into the air. He spun around, only to find Zhongli on his sitting room couch, book open on his lap and several more next to him. “I applaud your creativity, but the palace does have a front gate. Why not use it?”

“Your M—Zhongli. I—I needed some air. I wasn’t going to leave, I swear,” Ajax said, cringing at his own explanation. 

Zhongli shook his head. “I didn’t think you were, Prince Ajax.”

“Just Ajax is fine.”

Golden eyes grew warmer. “Ajax, then.” 

He looked down at his hands before sighing. “This might be another oversight on my part. You are not a prisoner here, Ajax. You may come and go as you please. I only ask that you consider bringing a guard with you, or at the very least arm yourself.”

Ajax blinked. “Really?” 

Zhongli nodded. “I take it this was not the case in Snezhnaya?”

“I…was not allowed to leave the palace grounds,” Ajax said, eyes downcast.

Zhongli’s brow furrowed ever so slightly, before his expression smoothed out and he smiled. “Ah, but the clever always find a way, don’t they?”

His cheeks felt hot. “I suppose.” 

Zhongli hummed. “We will have to cut the tree down. It is not a punishment—we must ensure those within these walls who cannot protect themselves are safe, you understand, yes?” 

Ajax nodded. “Of course.”

“Good. The next time you require some space, the front gate will suffice, I trust. I would even accompany you myself.”

Ajax sputtered. “I—That’s not…why are you even here? It’s the middle of the night, you know.”

“I am learning about rocks.” 

Ajax must have made a face, because Zhongli held up his book. “Minerals, to be precise. The kind you find in soil. There’s a petition from some farmers near Qingce Village on the contents of their soil, so in order to come to an informed decision—”

Ajax snorted. “Surely you could consult with an expert on the matter.” 

Zhongli nodded. “Yes, and I have. But, I cannot simply trust someone without also aiming to learn myself.”

He stood. “Will you walk with me? I need to return these to the library. They leave it open for me at night.”

Ajax stood, and they left his quarters for the garden path. The night air was cool, but not cold, and aside from a few guards on patrol, no one was outside. The world seemed still, lit by a few dim lamps and starlight as they walked to the library.

“Do you do this regularly? Nighttime reading?” Ajax asked.

Zhongli nodded. “Sleep often evades me. But, it does allow for more time to do research.” 

They put the books away in their proper places—well, Zhongli did. Ajax wasn’t familiar with the layout, so he spent the time gazing at Zhongli’s skin, painted golden by candlelight. It was a comfortable silence, until Zhongli broke it. 

“Have you been fitted for Liyuen style outfits yet?” Zhongli asked.

Ajax blinked. “No. I haven’t been to a tailor. Why? Is it required for the tea ceremony?” 

“No,” Zhongli shook his head. “It’s not a requirement. I simply thought it would suit you. A set of robes in…blue, perhaps? And, of course, red.” 

In Snezhnaya, it was customary for ladies to wear white on their wedding days. Men got away with formal wear of any color, but Ajax knew things were different in Liyue. Red was worn by both parties for marriage, no matter their gender, as a sign of good fortune. 

The implications had him blushing, and Ajax sputtered, tongue flubbing over a few words before he stopped entirely. Zhongli smiled, knowingly. 

“Ajax, I—”

The door opened, and both of them took a step back, creating distance between them.

“Baba?” A young voice called out.

A boy stood in the doorway, clad in soft sleeping clothes, and slippers that resembled lions. He couldn’t have been older than ten, and his dark hair was pulled back into a little ponytail as golden eyes so similar to his father’s peeked at them, shyly. 

“Gaming?” Zhongli’s voice called out, softly. “What are you doing up so late?”

Ah, the Lion Prince in the flesh, finally. Ajax didn’t speak as he watched Zhongli extend his arm to his son, pulling him close to his side. 

“Did you have another bad dream?” Zhongli asked. He ran his hand gently through his dark fringe, and the boy nodded. 

Zhongli hummed. “That’s alright. Your dreams cannot hurt you, now that I am here. Have you met Prince Ajax yet?”

The boy shook his head. “No,” he said.

“Prince Ajax is very skilled with a sword. He could defeat any of the monsters in your dreams, just like me. Right, Ajax?”

Ajax had given Zhongli permission, but it was still odd to hear him use his name so casually. 

“Yeah! It’s nice to meet you, Your Imperial Highness! Point any baddies my way, and they don’t stand a chance,” Ajax said, with a smile.

“Okay,” Gaming mumbled. It was clear that he was exhausted, eyelids drooping, slumping against his father. 

Zhongli sighed. “Let’s get you back to bed, little lion.”

He nodded at Ajax, the slightest hint of regret in his gaze, before helping his son out of the library. 

Chapter Text

The next morning was warm, sun shining upon the grounds as spring was in full bloom. Ajax found Yun Jin outside, practicing a series of steps. She was so graceful, she reminded Ajax of the pretty ballerinas in Snezhnaya.

He clapped when she was done, loudly cheering, drawing the attention of nearby nobles in the gardens.

“You stop that,” Yun Jin said, but her eyes were full of mirth. 

“Will there be a performance soon?” Ajax asked. 

She nodded. “At your wedding, of course.” 

Right. 

“What do you know about the upcoming tea ceremony?” She asked, running through the steps slower, more deliberately.

Ajax hummed. “We’re just supposed to pour tea, right? How hard can it be?”

“The tea is not the point,” Yun Jin said. “You need to be seen walking together through the gardens, seen by the Emperor’s side. This is another opportunity for the court to observe you as a pair, for them to accept you as his spouse. You will pour his tea first, and then he will pour yours—this signifies your mutual respect for one another.”

Ajax rolled his eyes. “It is as you have said before—this is all performance. If I were to run away, I should begin my next life as an actor.”

She chucked, opening her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a loud voice.

“Miss Yun! Miss Yun!” The Imperial Prince ran towards them. “Are you dancing?”

Yun Jin nodded. “Good morning, Your Imperial Highness! Yes, I am practicing for my next performance. Have you met Prince Ajax yet?”

Gaming looked him up and down before his eyes went wide and he nodded. “I saw you last night with Baba!”

“Is that so?” Yun Jin said, eyes curious.

Ajax cleared his throat. “In the library. I hope you were able to sleep, Your Imperial Highness.”

The boy nodded. “I did,” he paused, before making a face. “‘Your Imperial Highness’ is so long and boring. You’re a prince too. Can’t you call me Gaming?” 

Ajax chuckled. “I feel the same way about ‘Your Royal Highness.’ I’ll call you Gaming if you just call me Ajax, deal?” 

Gaming smiled, wide and toothy. “Deal! Now, Miss Yun, can’t you teach me the steps?” 

“The dance steps?” Ajax asked. He watched as Gaming moved to stand next to her, imitating the movements of her feet—over, under, step, step, touch.

“His Imperial Highness loves to dance,” Yun Jin explained. “And his Imperial Majesty indulges him sometimes and lets him take a break from his studies to practice with us.”

Ajax smiled at the thought—Zhongli, letting his precocious son slip through his tutor’s fingers to spend an hour learning to dance, and not the noble choreography of the court, but the movements of a performer. And Prince Gaming looked so happy, following the steps, waving his arms back and forth, trying to mimic Yun Jin’s grace. 

“Prince Gaming,” Ajax said, mischievously. “Do you want to see how we dance in Snezhnaya?” 

His golden eyes went wide, and Ajax grinned as the boy jumped up and down, voice a resounding “Yes!”

“First, you bow to your partner.” 

Ajax bowed to Yun Jin, and she followed his lead. He held his hand out for Yun Jin, and she took it with a smile

“Then you spin, and your feet move in a rhythm. One, two, three. One, two, three.”

Yun Jin was not quite as familiar with these steps, but she didn’t falter, letting him lead her in a graceful spin as Gaming cheered them on, counting the rhythm over and over again. They broke apart with a laugh, turning towards the little prince, big smile on his face. The mid-morning sun shone on the three of them, happy and content.

“Your turn!” Ajax said, grabbing the young prince’s hands and spinning him in a fast circle, Yun Jin clapping as they turned and turned until they got dizzy and fell to the ground, laughing in the soft grass. 

A new clapping, then, different from Yun Jin’s polite taps, echoed in the garden. It drew Ajax’s attention, and he looked up, meeting the golden eyes of the Emperor.

“Having fun?” Zhongli said, smile on his face. Ajax watched as Yun Jin bowed low at her waist, and he moved to stand as well, giving a polite bow. 

“Baba!” Gaming said, voice a little too loud in the garden, full of excitement. His cheeks were pink, and his grin was wide, and it made Zhongli smile even more. 

“Did you learn some new steps today?” He asked.

Gaming nodded. “I copied Miss Yun’s steps and then we spun around really fast!”

Ajax clarified. “I showed them how to waltz.” 

Zhongli hummed in understanding. “Ah. I’ve seen those kinds of dances before.” 

He held out his hand to Ajax. “Won’t you do me the honor?” 

Ajax froze. Zhongli’s hand remained extended, eyes locked to his still. With Yun Jin and Gaming and the lingering eyes of the court there, refusing him would likely be more trouble than it was worth. And, to his surprise, he didn’t hate the idea of dancing with Zhongli. His arm, pressing him close to his body, in a dance that half of Snezhnaya still considered scandalous. 

He took his hand, moving closer as Zhongli brought his arm around his body. Close, they were so close, just like the day they sparred and Zhongli pinned him to the ground. Close enough to feel his breath, and the warmth radiating from his body. He stepped forward, and Ajax followed—it was harder to do it backwards, but with Zhongli leading, it was easy to follow. 

They moved in a slow pattern—one, two, three, one, two three—but the steps were the farthest thing from his mind. Ajax was captivated by Zhongli’s warm expression, the feeling of his hand on his waist. He felt a bit like he was floating, and also felt a flush creep onto his cheeks.

They did a few turns of the waltz before Zhongli released him. He came back down to earth in a few slow seconds, and when he met Zhongli’s eyes again, the man was uncharacteristically bashful. 

“Thank you, Your Royal Highness. I’m afraid I need to see to some responsibilities now, so I must go.”

He bowed politely to them, and then he was gone. Gaming was already scampering off to the next thing, gone before either of them could say goodbye.

Yun Jin gave him yet another knowing look.

“What?” he asked.

She didn’t answer him.

…

The week passed by without much other excitement—Ajax sparred with Beidou, studied with Xingqiu and even met the palace chef and his daughter, Xiangling. All the Liyuen food he’d had lately was delicious, and he wanted to extend his gratitude.

Ajax had never been able to cook his own meals in the Winter Palace, but he’d expressed an interest in trying, so Xiangling showed him how to crack eggs and scramble them, and let him try to fold the dough of a dumpling or two. It was good to do something with his hands, he thought. It kept him active and out of his head—two things he desperately needed.

But before long, the week came to a close, and it was time for the tea ceremony. Ajax donned another fine waistcoat, thinking that perhaps he ought to try to visit the Liyuen tailors after all, and trade in some of his stiff clothing for their loose-fitting, flowy styles.

A matter for another time, as it was time to meet Lady Ganyu in the gardens. 

“Your Royal Highness,” she said, bowing. “Are you ready to begin the ceremony? His Imperial Highness is just ahead.”

Ajax nodded. “Yes, let’s begin.”

They walked towards the more private, gated gardens of the Imperial Household, and she opened the gates. Zhongli was there in a golden robe, hair in yet another intricate updo, held together with a gold pin. 

His back was turned to them, and next to him was a young man, short in stature, but no less intimidating, holding a deadly-looking polearm. His fine features were drawn into a frown as he spoke with the Emperor, and as soon as Zhongli shook his head, he marched away with a scowl.

Zhongli turned to face them, acknowledging Ganyu’s deep bow. 

“Ganyu, would you speak with Xiao? I fear that I’ve upset him again.”

Ganyu nodded. “Of course, Your Imperial Majesty.”

Upon Ajax’s questioning gaze, Zhongli waved his hands. “That was Xiao. He has a special position in the palace. Don’t mind him, he is wary by nature. But, now is not the time to get caught up in senseless conspiracies,” Zhongli said, gesturing to Ajax. “Shall we walk?”

Ajax moved further into the private garden, walking alongside Zhongli, matching his slow pace. They moved in silence for a few pleasant moments, and Ajax pondered—all these weeks, he had seen Zhongli, gotten to know him as a person, know his character—and yet there’s still so much he did not know. 

“Do you have a favorite color?” He blurted out, feeling mortified when Zhongli chuckled.

“A favorite? Well, I am fond of gold, I suppose. Red is nice, and deep browns. But now—”

Ajax laughed. “But what? It’s a simple question, you know. I don’t need poetry.” 

“You are not the first person lately to accuse me of waxing poetic,” Zhongli said. Their eyes locked for a brief moment, before Zhongli broke his gaze to look at their destination, a beautifully made gazebo with vines crawling onto the red painted wood.

A few more steps and they took their places, sitting at the low table, teapot already prepared with two ornate cups on a tray. Zhongli surprised him, sitting to his immediate right instead of across from him.

Ajax reached for the pot at the same time as Zhongli. Their fingers brushed against each other and even that slight touch was electric, so they paused. 

“I think I’m supposed to pour the tea first, Zhongli.” 

Zhongli nodded, cheeks painted with the slightest hint of pink. “Yes, yes. Of course.”

He allowed Ajax to take the pot and pour, a fragrant, amber liquid filling his cup, before he did the same for Ajax. This was the crux of the ceremony, pouring each other’s tea to demonstrate their mutual respect, but in the end, the tea was the farthest thing from his mind.

“I didn’t let you finish,” Ajax said. “About your favorite color. I’d like to know what you meant to say.”

Zhongli smiled. Ajax felt that electrifying touch again, this time under the covered table. A hand, placed right atop his own. Zhongli’s hand—big, and warm, and comforting.

“Right now, I find myself favoring blue.”

And If he turned his hand over, slotting their fingers together, well—that was just their little secret.

…

What was he doing? What was he doing? 

Holding hands with the fucking Emperor of Liyue like a schoolboy? The one person he’d sworn he would never marry, not ever—his mother the Tsaritsa be damned. Did she really have no other use for him? On her snowy battlefields, her court of cronies? 

He would rather be cannon fodder than a pretty thing to be bought and sold, and yet.

And yet.

Here he was, among the silkflowers and glaze lilies, flowers that would never grow in her frozen lands.

Here he was, captivated by golden eyes, the touch of a warm hand, and—

And Zhongli. Not the Emperor, but Zhongli. Zhongli who was kind, Zhongli who was a good father, who loved his son.

Zhongli, who smiled at him, and made him smile in return.

“No,” Ajax said to himself, strapping a dagger to his belt. Remembering reasonable words.

I only ask that you consider bringing a guard with you, or at the very least arm yourself.

This time, Ajax used the front gate. He went down towards one of the taverns closer to the palace grounds, and felt the thrill of being in a crowd, a room packed with bodies.

He threw some gold on the bar, and the barkeep handed him a glass filled with a clear alcohol, the scent pungent. It reminded him a bit of firewater, it burned like it when it went down, and he immediately ordered another. 

“The Dragon is showing his true colors, you see how he can be swayed by a pretty face?”

Ajax turned to glance at a familiar voice, a voice he heard the last time he went to a tavern. He saw a man, older, maybe in his forties or early fifties. His robes were blue, and his hair was thinning.

Ajax stepped closer into a shadow—why did his words make him so uneasy?

Another man set drinks on their table. “Everything has been put into place already. The Dragon is preoccupied—now is the time to act.”

“Hey there,” a new voice said, just to the right of Ajax.

A man, tall, with light hair and pretty, green eyes smiled at him. “Another foreigner in these parts is hard to come by. Can I buy you a drink, darling?”

His accent was one he’d heard before, a little hard on the consonants—he hailed from the windswept plains of Mondstadt, the small kingdom to the north of Liyue, just past the stone gate. 

Another place he had not been allowed to visit.

The man stepped closer.

Any other time, and Ajax would have let him buy him a drink. He would have kissed him, maybe even pulled him into the tavern’s bathroom for an ill-advised tryst. 

“Well? Don’t you fancy a good time?” He asked, and Ajax recoiled. 

“I’m sorry, I have to go.”

He backed away, nearly fleeing from the tavern, and the gossip and the handsome man, hurrying back to the high wall of the palace grounds. No matter how fast he walked, he felt the sensation of eyes on him, felt his heart thundering. The guards let him enter without much trouble, even at such a late hour, the full moon high in the sky.

Ugh, if he were in Snezhnaya, he’d crawl out his window and sneak down to the docks, wrapping his fists in cloth and fighting in the ring. It would soothe the buzzing feeling inside him, the rush of adrenaline and shaking of his hands and—

“Ajax?”

That was the last voice he wanted to hear right now. That was the voice who made him so uncertain, so conflicted.

He went stiff. “Zhongli.”

He was dressed simply that night, a dark, embroidered shirt and loose pants, hair tied back with one golden pin.

“Are you well, Ajax? Forgive me, but you look ill at ease.”

Ajax wished he was less observant. He wished a lot of things. He wished the two of them could disappear and leave everything behind, he wished he was never plucked out of nothingness to be a prince, he wished he could not hear his heartbeat in his ears.

“Fight me?” 

Zhongli raised an eyebrow. “It’s the middle of the night, you know.”

Ajax made a frustrated sound. “I just—I just need to feel something.”

Zhongli’s eyes trailed over his body, his clenched fists, his tense jaw. 

“Very well. The training hall is empty at this time of night. Shall we?” 

Huh. He agreed to it?

“Okay, yeah.”

They walked to the training hall in silence, and then lit the lamps in the hall, casting a warm glow on the training room floor. 

Ajax picked up a blunted sword, and Zhongli went for a spear again. 

“Is this something that often happens?” Zhongli said. He circled the ring slowly, looking for an opening.

Ajax huffed, keeping the sword in a defensive position as he followed Zhongli’s position. “I hope my mother didn’t say I was well-behaved.”

Zhongli smiled, and it made him look a bit younger. It was enough to distract Ajax, and Zhongli took his chance, striking with his spear. Ajax deflected the hit, and then they were matching blows, the clank of the blunt weapons making his blood sing. 

He laughed, half crazy as Zhongli sparred with him, and Zhongli’s golden eyes were mischievous as he watched him. Ajax took his opportunity, and he knocked the spear from his hands—losing his own sword in the process. Ajax paid no attention to their clanking as they hit the floor, he made to grapple with Zhongli as he did before.

This time, Zhongli expected his move, and instead of pushing him to the ground, Zhongli braced himself and pulled Ajax into his arms. He could have pushed away, he should have pushed away, but he froze in the pseudo embrace, and Zhongli’s grip softened.

“Whatever troubles you, I assure you, you need not suffer alone, Ajax.” 

Ajax groaned, grabbing fistfuls of his silk shirt. 

“ You trouble me!” He exclaimed, and before he could think better of it, he was wrenching Zhongli closer, pressing their lips together in a kiss. Zhongli was still for just a moment, before he responded, hands pressing Ajax flush against his body and deepening their kiss.

They pulled away only when they were desperate for air, but Zhongli seemed intent on continuing, pressing kisses down the line of his jaw and his throat.

Ajax laughed, breathy and high. “Didn’t think His Imperial Majesty would be this brazen.”

He moaned as lips sucked a mark into his throat, and a thigh pressed against his crotch, putting pressure on his rapidly hardening cock. 

“His Imperial Majesty is pleased to defy your expectations in this regard.” 

They laughed as they kissed again, tumbling to the floor in their attempt to press even closer. Zhongli’s tongue explored his mouth, his hands roving across his body as they kissed and kissed.

“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Zhongli said, breathless, half in wonder.

Ajax felt the flush heat up his cheeks, but he grinned nonetheless. “You’re not so bad yourself,” he said, before smiling like a fiend. “I hope you don’t intend to wait until marriage.”

His hand was buried in dark hair, the other pawing at his ass, pushing their interested erections together as Zhongli made an amused hum. He felt it more than he heard it, in low vibrations against his skin.

“Darling, I don’t intend on waiting one more moment.”

His answering moan was swallowed in another kiss as they rutted together, a dark, wet spot on the front of his trousers as they moved and moved and moved against each other. 

“Please, I—” Ajax said, face buried into the crook of Zhongli’s neck.

“I know,” Zhongli replied. “It’s okay, Ajax. Let yourself go.”

And it was easy then, to rut even harder against his own hardness and let the rush of it all come to a head. He wrenched his hands into silk fabric, into silky hair—and then, with a staccato shout, he was coming, soiling his underclothes with his spend. Zhongli rutted once, twice more against him, trembling in oversensitivity, before he was gone too.

They spent a long minute panting, coming down from their high, before descending into a fit of laughter. The Emperor and the Prince, coming into their pants in the training hall like teenagers? How ridiculous. 

“Shall we perhaps move this conversation to my chambers?” Zhongli said, and his insinuation did not go unnoticed. He sat up on his knees, awaiting his response.

“A conversation?” Ajax said, amused. “Don’t you want our lips otherwise occupied?” 

Zhongli chucked. “I am Emperor, my dear. We shall occupy them in whatever way we see fit.”

He stood, and extended his hand to Ajax, who took it inside his own, fingers interlocking together.

Chapter Text

The Imperial Quarters were, in a word, opulent. Gilded walls adorned with masterpieces, carved wooden doors. 

Of course, Ajax barely noticed any of it, having slipped through a hidden, secret door in the gardens, back immediately pressed against the solid wall as lips captured his own. He groaned into Zhongli’s mouth as their kiss deepened, and a strong thigh was once again shoved between his own, brushing his still sensitive cock. 

“You’re going to kill me,” Ajax gasped, shivering at the sensation. 

Lips smiled against his throat. “Kill you? Admittedly, I’m rusty, but I assure you,” Zhongli said, meeting his gaze with golden eyes, pupils blown. “Killing you was not my goal.” 

A curious finger traced his swollen lips, and Ajax’s knees almost buckled. 

“I suppose the Fontainians call it a little death, though.”

Ajax wrenched him close again, lips meeting harshly. Rather than stay against the door, they stumbled through Zhongli’s quarters, dropping waistcoats and outer tunics on plush carpet as they went.

“I’ve got a bath drawn—shall we get out of these soiled clothes?” Zhongli asked, and Ajax went willingly, led by warm, elegant hands into the largest bathroom he’d ever seen. The tub was more than large enough to fit two grown men, which was fortunate as that was their destination. They cared not for decency or shame as their clothes were shed and they eased into warm water, Zhongli first and then Ajax, brazenly straddling the Emperor’s lap. 

“How many times have I imagined you just like this?” Zhongli said, quiet, half in wonder as his hands stroked Ajax’s cheekbones. 

Ajax laughed, high and breathy. “You too? In the bath? I thought I was just a deviant.”

Zhongli’s hands trailed down his face, down his neck, dragging down the planes of his back before settling low on his hips. “In the bath, the bed, over the desk and on the floor, I—perhaps it would be easier to list the places I had not imagined you in the throes of pleasure.”

“On that, we are aligned,” Ajax said, running his own hands through silky, loose hair, on firm musculature. “Kiss me, Zhongli.”

“Always,” he said. They kissed, open-mouthed and filthy for ages, until their lips were swollen and Ajax’s cheeks were so red, he’s sure he resembled the silk of marriage robes. Until they were hard, erections once again teasing each other, drawing moans from their connected lips. 

“Sit up there,” Ajax half-ordered, sitting back in the tub so Zhongli could move. He did as he was told, sitting on the marble edge of the bath, breath hitching as Ajax moved in between his splayed thighs, taking hold of his cock.

“Ajax, you don’t need to perform such lewd acts for me—”

Ajax rolled his eyes. “What if I want to?” 

Zhongli’s cock twitched in his hand. 

“Well then,” he said, face a bit pink from the admittance. “I would not stop you.” 

Ajax grinned as he leaned in closer, pressing a kiss to the head of Zhongli’s cock before speaking.

“Watch me, then. Don’t you dare take your eyes off me.” 

He pressed more kisses to the shaft, licking the skin there almost reverently, tracing every vein. Zhongli was big—big in stature, taller than Ajax who was not a small man by any means, although lean and lithe. It’s not a surprise that his cock would be large too, but in his hand, as he closed his lips around the tip, it felt enormous. A challenge. Ajax loved challenges. 

He took the length deeper inside, surprised when he felt Zhongli’s cock teasing at the back of his throat already, much of his length still not swallowed, girth stretching his lips wide. He hummed, doubling down on his efforts, moving up and down what he could accommodate as Zhongli groaned, fingers weaving into his damp hair. 

Ajax wondered how he looked at that moment, with drool spilling from the corners of his mouth, tears beading on his light eyelashes. Certainly not like a prince, not proper or good at all. But, fuck, it felt so good—swallowing around the cock inside, taking him deep down his throat, feeling it bulge against the delicate skin there and steal his breath.

To have one of the most powerful men alive completely at his mercy.

He pulled away, feeling drool and cloudy precum spill from his mouth as he grinned. Zhongli didn’t waste a moment, pulling him up and astride his lap on the stone tiles, kissing Ajax despite the taste of himself on his tongue. 

“You didn’t finish yet,” Ajax protested, when they parted. He shivered as Zhongli’s hands took handfuls of his ass, kneading the softness there and pulling his cheeks apart, teasing his rim.

“Didn’t want to like that,” he said, one hand leaving his ass to pick up a vial of fragrant silk flower oil. “I want to come inside you.”

Ajax’s brows surely disappeared behind his damp fringe. Every moment, this Emperor surprised him. Just moments ago, he had dissuaded Ajax from performing “lewd” acts, and then he said something like that?

“Well then,” Ajax echoed his words. “I would not stop you.”

Zhongli laughed, kissing him again. A slick finger traced his rim, and Ajax gasped, groaning as Zhongli’s tongue pushed inside his mouth at the same time his finger pressed inside his hole. It had been a while, admittedly, but despite that, Ajax opened up rather quickly for Zhongli—one finger giving way to two, and then three before long. 

Ajax shuddered in Zhongli’s lap as his fingers spread him open, dragging over his prostate over and over as moans and whines spilled out of his mouth. Zhongli caught most of them with kisses, one hand supporting him at the waist while his other ruined him.

“Enough,” Ajax said, voice shaky as he stopped Zhongli’s arm from moving any further. “Want you now.” 

“Like this?” Zhongli asked, and Ajax grinned.

“Just like this, Zhongli.” 

Ajax moved closer, sitting up higher until he was able to position Zhongli’s cock under his oil-slick hole, letting gravity do most of the work as he sank down onto the thick head of him.

“Fuck,” Ajax bit out—all that time opening him up, and yet he was still split nearly in two by the sheer thickness of it, a pressure that only grew as he sunk further and further down. His thighs quivered, his breath stuttered, tears fell from ocean-blue eyes, but Ajax forced himself to relax, sinking even more until his ass was flush with Zhongli’s hips and he’d taken it all inside. 

Zhongli groaned, but said nothing, hands trembling as they dug into his skin, trying not to slam up into his welcoming heat. He waited patiently as Ajax adjusted, watching as he pressed his hand low on his abdomen, not to stroke his weeping cock, no, but to feel the phantom sensation of Zhongli’s cock there below the skin.

“So deep,” Ajax said, half in wonder, moving his hips in small movements as he got comfortable. 

“A-ajax,” Zhongli’s voice broke over his name, expression desperate, almost begging him.

“Oh,” Ajax said, grinning deviously. “Did you want me to do this?”

He lifted his hips slightly, unwilling to part with too much of Zhongli’s length, and dropped back down.

Zhongli moaned, hips bucking up to meet him. Ajax repeated his motions, and Zhongli met every one, a wicked dance of bodies up and down and again and again as Ajax took everything from him. Their mouths met in sync with their bodies, and then there was no more time for speaking—all communication was now made in sighs and moans, in the grasp of fingers into soft skin, in bruises and marks left behind in their wake. In the sounds of skin on skin, the filthy noise of Zhongli’s cock in his hole, and water splashing.

At first, they were damp from the bath, now they were damp from sweat, from oil, from the precum Ajax spilled on their stomachs. His thighs were tired, they burned, and his rhythm faltered.

“Zhongli, I—”

“I know, qīn ài de. Together, let’s come together.” 

He palmed at Ajax’s cock as he thrust up into his hole, and the duel sensation pushed Ajax over the edge. He came harder than he ever had in his life, cock spilling all over Zhongli’s hand as his ass clenched hard. Ajax felt Zhongli thrust up once more, before he spilled inside him, body filled with a flutter of warmth.

Ajax slumped forward onto Zhongli, who caught him in an embrace, softening cock slipping out of Ajax as he shifted. He’s sure that it was an impressive maneuver that got the both of them back in the tepid water of the bath, but Ajax was honestly far too out of it to notice. He slumped on Zhongli’s shoulder as he came down from the rush of orgasm, and Zhongli stroked his hands up and down his back, pressing kisses into his sweaty hair. 

“You did so well, Ajax. So perfect for me,” Zhongli murmured as Ajax finally caught his breath.

“You weren’t half bad yourself,” he said, cheeks red, maybe stained permanently that way, as well as the smile stuck on his face. 

After they washed, Zhongli dressed both of them in silken bathrobes and led Ajax to his bed on shaky legs. They lay there on his massive bed, pressed as close together as they possibly could get, just looking at each other and intertwining their fingers.

Finally, Ajax broke the silence. “Well, I hope you liked that.” 

Zhongli seemed to be at a loss for words, golden eyes shocked before he shook his head. ”I would have to be made of stone not to.”

Ajax hummed. “Well, you were certainly hard like stone. At least one part of you.” 

“You are a menace,” Zhongli said, his voice amused. “You know, even though I did not ask it, I was assured multiple times during the negotiations that you were a virgin.” 

Ajax laughed, meeting his eyes again with a grin. “Would you like me to pretend?”

“Gods, no,” he said, resolute. 

“Are you sure?” Ajax teased, rolling over onto his back, pulling the Emperor flush on top of him. “Please, your Imperial Highness, be gentle with me.”

Zhongli chuckled, kissing him chastely before falling to his side again, arms encircling his waist, kissing the skin on his shoulder where his robe had fallen open.

“Tempting, but I very much prefer you the way you are. Guizhong and I were both virgins on our wedding night, and we barely had any idea what to do at all. It was painfully awkward.” 

Ajax froze. This was the first time Zhongli had ever brought up his wife in his presence. He didn’t know what to think—it was not jealousy he felt, but Zhongli had spoken something forbidden, some line he’d never crossed before.

Zhongli immediately noticed his reaction. “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. Not here, not now. Forgiv—”

“No,” Ajax said, turning to face him. “I want to know about her. She was—I mean, she was married to you. She’s Gaming’s mother. She is important to you. Was it some great romance?”

Zhongli laughed, bitter and a little sad.

“Hardly that. Guizhong and I were betrothed to one another quite young. I believe we were both five years of age when the deal was struck.”

“Five?” Ajax had never heard of marriages arranged that young before, but he supposed the Imperial Household was a whole different beast.

Zhongli nodded, rolling onto his back. “I believe it had to do with land acquisition. We were simply bargaining chips.”

“Oh.”

“So you see, we had been engaged for as long as I could remember. Just as I was taught to be emperor, Guizhong was trained to be empress beside me. We were fond of each other, but it would be foolish to call it romance.”

Ajax’s brow furrowed. “It’s unfair, you know. The things we are forced to do as royalty. You grew up knowing you had no choice in the matter, just as I. It’s cruel.”

“When you are the heir to the throne, there is never a choice. For years, I resigned myself to my duty, and so did she. At least I would be married to my closest friend, and that could be good enough for us.”

Ajax couldn’t help but be curious. “Was it, though?”

Zhongli sighed. “Maybe it could have been. We were barely adults when we wed. The entire ordeal was rushed when my father passed. Instead of grieving him, I was made to ascend the throne immediately, and we were immediately faced with pressure to secure an heir. It was something we tried to do as quickly as we could, to ‘get it out of the way’ if you will. After she bore an heir, Guizhong would be free to pursue her passions once more, and act as my confidant once again.”

Ajax watched as golden eyes grew far away for a moment, before returning, a little glassy. 

“Fate is cruel. She bore a son, but did not survive the ordeal. All those dreams, those ideas she had, just…gone. For years, I spurned the Imperial Court, and any mention of ‘tradition’ was met with hostility from me. I tried to be a good father, fought to make some of her ideas a reality—I daresay she was the genius between us, as her reforms have truly led to prosperity. I won’t pretend that my actions haven’t led to rifts from traditionalists. It is why, three years ago, when Gaming was old enough to travel safely, we set out on the visit to other kingdoms to secure the trade deals they wanted. It’s how I saw you for the first time.”

Pause. 

“Huh? You—we’ve met before!?” Ajax sat up, lower back already protesting.

Zhongli followed him, leaning against the headboard. “Yes. Originally, Zapolyarny Palace was not part of my travel plans. However, when we were in Mondstadt, we received an invitation to a nameday celebration. Yours, for your coming of age.”

Ajax sputtered. “Oh no, you attended that horrible ball. I fear I ended that night blackout drunk.”

Zhongli chuckled. “Yes, well, that does not surprise me. Rest assured, I did not come there to seek a new spouse. Your mother extended the invitation with the goal of securing a trade deal for ore. But, the fencing matches were exciting, and you were a beauty even then. I had no doubt you would be betrothed by the end of the night, as it was clear to me that the whole thing was a heavy-handed farce to sell you to the highest bidder.”

“I really put up a fight. Two whole years, I lasted,” Ajax laughed, bitterly.

Zhongli sighed. “It’s time I tell you the truth, Ajax. I did promise, after all.”

Ajax watched as he grabbed his hand, meeting his eyes with a golden gaze. “You must think that I have some ulterior motive. Some plot, or plan or calculated trap. But in truth, Ajax, ever since I saw you that night, saw the cycle repeating all over again, I could not stop thinking of you. I worried about you constantly, the beautiful prince with the sad eyes in his gilded cage.”

Ajax shook his head. “But you—you basically bought me, if my understanding of the trade deal is solid. Liyue gains almost nothing from the agreement. Why, if you hate the way things are so much, why would you participate in that!? I don’t understand?”

“I—and perhaps this is selfish of me—I kept thinking, that I could treat you better. That I could make you happy. And then it dawned on me, that the reason I was so fixated was not because I could, but rather because I wanted to. I didn’t even realize that I had fallen in love with the prince from so far away.”

Ajax moved to argue, but Zhongli held up a hand. “I know. It was not lost on me that I did not know you, of course. But that was a risk I was willing to take. I made a promise with myself right then and there that I would agree to the Tsaritsa’s deal, if I could bring you here. That I would try to understand you, not just Ajax the prince, but Ajax, the man.”

Ajax was…stunned at this revelation. It seemed to change everything, and yet nothing at all, because Zhongli had never once demanded he participate in their engagement, he just asked him to. He still walked the gardens with him, held his hand, and—

He had still fallen in love. 

Zhongli cleared his throat, and Ajax all of a sudden got the impression that this steady, confident man was terrified. “If you do not want this, I will not force it upon you. I will let you go. But, I have fallen terribly in love with Ajax the man, and I can only hope, and pray, that he might feel the same.”

Ajax whispered, “You love me? I am a troublemaker at best, and I can’t sit still, and the head teacher in Zapolyarny always sai—”

“I have loved you from the very moment I saw you, and I have thought of you every moment since then,” Zhongli said, resolute. “Now that you are here, I only fall in love more and more every day. I love you, Ajax, for every facet of yourself, both elegant and rough, bold and brave, but gentle and kind, too. I want someone like that by my side, someone who understands the world that I do not want my son to inherit.” 

“Zhongli,” Ajax said, ignoring the lump in his throat. He grabbed his hands again, feeling how warm they were. “I came here with my mind made up, that I would never let her win. But, if I could have the kind of happiness I feel with you, that’s not—that’s not losing. I love you, and I’m so sick of pretending I don’t want this just to spite her.”

“You never have to see her again, if you don’t want to,” Zhongli said, a smile beginning to form on his face.

“No!” Ajax said, fully jumping out of the bed, ignoring the protest from his thighs. “I want to see her. Dressed in the colors of Liyue, adorned in gold and gemstones and pretty silks. She sent me here to break me, but I will not be broken. I will be here and happy and entirely myself, with you by my side—I mean, if you’ll have me, of course.” 

Zhongli swung his legs off the bed to face Ajax. “Did you just ask me to marry you?”

Ajax grinned. The irony was not lost on him.

“Well,” he said, haughty. “Your proposal was terrible. Someone had to do it properly. I’d get on one knee, but my legs still aren’t working quite properly.”

The end of Ajax’s sentence was punctuated with a gasp, and then a laugh as Zhongli picked him up, depositing him back onto the bed. 

“Yes, Ajax. I’ll marry you.”

They didn’t speak much more after that, descending back into kisses as the sun began to rise.

Chapter Text

Eleven years ago…

He was a stranger to these halls, dressed in too-big robes as he was brought before the Emperor.

When they had said Emperor, King, the honorable Rex Lapis—the boy had imagined another cruel, old man. Violent and ill-tempered, a hand striking at his face once again as he cried on the floor.

So he dared not speak, but his wild gaze settled on a young man in Golden robes, sat on the throne. The throne was large and intimidating—an ill fit for the young man atop it, barely into adulthood.

“What is this?” The Emperor said, but there was no hatred in his tone. “You speak of prisoners and then bring me a child?”

The overdressed official cringed before answering. “Your Imperial Majesty, this boy was found in service to the would-be usurper. When we quelled the rebellion, we took him into custody with the rest of the household staff.”

Rex Lapis’ brow furrowed. “He is no older than ten—what crimes could he have possibly committed?” 

“If the usurper’s journals are to be believed, he forced the boy to do wretched things. Poison, planting evidence, espionage.” 

He looked at him, but not with pity. “Have the boy properly clothed. Give him a room in the residences.”

The official balked, and made to protest, but Rex Lapis continued. “This child is to be treated as a ward of the palace until he is of age. He will receive a fine education and training here, and we can ensure he is freed from the unfortunate circumstances of his past.” 

The room was silent, the emperor’s word being law. The boy did not dare to move as the emperor rose from the throne and met him in the middle of the room.

“What is your name?” He asked, and finally, the boy spoke.

“I—I don’t, I don’t want to be that anymore.”

And the Emperor understood. He settled on one knee, met the boy’s eyes, and nodded. 

“Then let’s give you a new name. What about Xiao?”

…

“You don’t need to hide, you know,” Rex Lapis said, and Xiao stepped out from the shadows.

“I’m sorry,” he replied, bowing. He hadn’t gotten any taller, but he was no longer dangerously thin, and the Emperor smiled, despite his odd behavior. 

“This is your home, Xiao. I hope you can feel safe here someday.” 

Xiao never felt safe. But it was more that, in this place of happiness and peace, in the golden palace walls with overflowing gardens and abundant plates of food—with the Emperor’s heavily pregnant wife and soon-to-be heir on the way—

Xiao did not belong there. He had known more pain than joy, been beaten and bruised and broken just because someone could.

It was only a matter of time before he was no longer safe there, just like everywhere else.

…

It was on that day in winter, when a baby’s shrill cries rang out in the hall, that Xiao’s habit of sticking to the shadows finally caught up with him. 

He hadn’t expected anyone else to be in the corridor, but there he was, Rex Lapis, pacing the halls. The pacing did not stop until it did, abruptly, with a near growl from the always-calm young man, hands smacking against stone walls.

Xiao, despite himself, startled, and the Emperor’s head snapped his way, alerted by the sound.

“Oh, is that you, Xiao?” he said, but his voice was wrong, hoarse and deeper, colored nasal by a clogged nose and tears running down his cheeks.

He was crying.

Xiao had spied on Rex Lapis, crying.

Oh, he had done it now, he really messed up this time. Now that he had seen him in a moment of weakness, surely the Emperor would turn those hands on him, or order him thrown in the dungeons, or send him away for—

Rex Lapis hugged him. Down on both knees, since Xiao had yet to hit a growth spurt.

“They won’t let me inside,” he said, and Xiao could only watch as more tears spilled down his face.

“They said the baby is born, that it is a boy, but they will not let me inside,” he repeated, releasing him and moving to sit against the marble floor. 

Xiao sat next to him.

“Why would they bar me entry unless something is wrong?” He said, hugging his knees up against his chest.

Like this, he looked younger than Xiao had ever seen him, far closer to Xiao’s eleven years than anything grown up.

“How old are you?” He asked, and the Emperor blinked, the question unexpected. 

He sighed, leaning his head against the wall as tears dripped from his chin.

“Nineteen.” 

…

“You can call me, Zhongli, you know,” he said one day, holding the baby, all neatly swaddled up. The maids always offered to feed the child, to burp him, but Rex Lapis refused, at least when he had the time to do it himself.

Xiao shook his head. “No, I can’t.” 

Rex Lapis laughed. “Very well.”

Xiao watched him in silence for a few more minutes before speaking.

“Do you miss her?”

And Rex Lapis paused, before nodding, long used to Xiao’s questions—the questions no one else would dare to ask.

“Every day. She was my best friend, and now she’s gone. She was so smart, Xiao. She had a lot of plans.”

Xiao wrinkled his nose. “But all everyone talked about was a baby.” 

Zhongli laughed, rocking his son back and forth. “She always said things would be different after she had him.”

He paused. “I don’t think this is what she meant.” 

Rex Lapis settled his son in the crib, and turned to Xiao.

“Do you think I’ll be a good father?” He asked.

And Xiao didn’t know much about parenthood. He might have had parents once, but they were either dead or gone, and the monster that fed him made him kill for his dinner.

Rex Lapis—no. Zhongli was not like them.

“Yes.”

…

From the shadows, Xiao watched as the Imperial Prince grew up. He was a fly on the wall for his first steps, his first words—and he watched Rex Lapis grow into a true leader, one who vowed to make the world a better place, one who saw to it that all of Guizhong’s plans came to fruition. 

He was fifteen now, and he heard more than people gave him credit for.

How they called Rex Lapis a radical, how they plotted and schemed.

He watched as a servant poured poison into a glass, just as he was forced to do all those years ago.

Xiao was faster than air, leaping out of the shadows to push that servant and that poisoned glass to the floor in front of the Emperor.

When the questioning was done, when servant, and then master were arrested and jailed, Rex Lapis came to him.

“You saved my life,” he said, and Xiao shook his head. 

“I know their tricks, that’s all.” 

“And that’s why I have a proposition for you,” the Emperor said.

Xiao was fifteen when he, officially, became Rex Lapis’ shadow.

…

Xiao was nineteen when Rex Lapis spent a year away from the palace, traveling to foreign countries. The idyllic castle of Mondstadt, where King Diluc Ragnvindr reigned. The intimidating gates of Tenshukaku, where the Shogun hosted their visit. Sumeru, and then Fontaine.

Xiao accompanied the Imperial Retinue all the way to Snezhnaya, to the Zapolyarny Palace where the Tsaritsa sat on a throne of crystal and diamond, a last minute invitation to her youngest son’s nameday ball extended when she heard of their travels.

Xiao, as always, was a shadow, albeit a well-dressed one that night. He watched as the Tsaritsa introduced her son, Prince Ajax, as a fencing champion, watched as she paid him no mind and brushed off his attempts for acknowledgement. He looked miserable, which didn’t surprise Xiao.

This was a viper’s nest just like any other place, and no one emerged unharmed. 

It became clear that the Tsaritsa invited Rex Lapis there to discuss a potential trade deal for ore.

Xiao privately celebrated that his Emperor paid her no mind, rather his eyes were fixed on—

—on the Tsaritsa’s darling Princeling, dancing with Lords and Ladies vying for his hand, looking miserable the whole time, eyes glazed over and vacant.

But Rex Lapis—no, Zhongli’s eyes had never sparkled so bright before. 

…

Xiao was twenty-one now, and he stuck to the shadows as always. He was Rex Lapis' eyes and ears, but the Emperor didn't seem to heed the whispers he heard—Rex Lapis—Zhongli was distracted. Zhongli was...

Zhongli was in love. And Xiao was conflicted, because for ten long years, he’d watched as the Emperor put on a brave face, mourning all the while, swallowing guilt so all his young son saw was affection. 

He deserved this. He deserved happiness.

But happiness cannot lead to carelessness. Xiao watched from the shadows as the foreign-born prince snuck out of the Emperor’s quarters, face still half flushed from gods-know-what and the pale skin of his throat stained purple with marks of passion.

Xiao stepped out of the shadows, just for a moment. The prince startled, fists poised to strike, before recognizing his face and lowering his stance.

“Warn a guy, would you?” He whined, running his fingers through messy, ginger hair. He stood taller than Xiao, but his youthful features reminded him that the prince was one year his junior, barely twenty. And yet, they both had the thousand-yard stare of someone with a life they’d rather not revisit.

“You can fight, and you’re quick,” Xiao said, narrowing his gaze. “But you will need to be quicker, when the vipers strike.”

Prince Ajax looked surprised for a short moment, before his expression flattened, and he nodded.

Message received, Xiao retreated back into the shadows, for now. When the moment came, he would protect Zhongli, because he owed his loyalty not to Liyue, nor the crown, nor anyone else. For Zhongli’s sake, he hoped this prince would be able to protect himself.