Yixing

The Khan sighed as he looked at his son in front of him. Yixing stood with his hands clasped in front of him, his head bowed slightly apologetically. 

“So you have decided to return to Qing.” The Khan murmured. Yixing swallowed hard and nodded.

“I’m sorry, I know you must be disappointed.” He said quietly. The Khan smiled and shook his head.

“Don’t apologize, my son.” He said, “To be honest, I expected as much. You are more than devoted to Princess Rongxian. It is only natural that you cannot leave her.” Yixing took a deep breath and ducked his head.

“Thank you for understanding...Father.” He said quietly. The  word still felt unfamiliar on his tongue. Yixing had imagined who his family would be for many years, but now that he knew and it had sunk in a little, it was still rather overwhelming. The Khan chuckled softly as he looked at Yixing’s expression.

“You can still address me by title if you’d like.” The older man said kindly, “I can imagine it is not easy for you to suddenly take this all in.” Yixing smiled faintly and bowed slightly.

“I will try my best to acclimate quickly, Your Majesty.” He said. The khan smiled and nodded in approval.

“You said the princess named you  Yixing?” He asked. Yixing smiled at the question and nodded.

“I was only a nameless boy when I first met her.” He answered, “She gave me the name, hoping that I would flourish in everything I do.” The khan rose from his seat and patted Yixing on the shoulder.

“It is a good name.” He said, “And she has taken very good care of you.” Yixing laughed softly.

“Your Majesty, she will puff up her feathers at that.” He said, “I am supposed to be the one protecting her, not the other way around.” The khan chuckled.

“That may be true,” He replied, “But you said so yourself that all you have is thanks to her, isn’t it?” Yixing thought back briefly on their decade together and smiled as he nodded. The khan looked at Yixing’s face for a moment before laughing.

“Son...you like the princess a lot, don’t you?” He noted. 

“Well, the princess is a kind person.” Yixing replied, “She never looked down on my lacking background and arrange for me to learn everything that I can do now. She is quite likable, even if stubborn and throws a tantrum every now and then.” He paused as the khan laughed and shook his head.

“Silly boy, that is not what I meant.” The khan said, “You are too trapped in your mindset as an imperial guard. What I mean is...your liking towards the princess...is that of a man towards another woman.” Yixing blinked in confusion at his father as he slowly turned over the older man’s words in his mind. His eyes widened as he finally realized what his father was alluding to. On instinct, Yixing quickly fell to his knees.

“Your Majesty!” He protested, “Please do not even joke about that! I am simply an imperial guard, I would never dare to-!” Yixing cut off as the khan shook his head and lifted Yixing to his feet. 

“You’ve forgotten something important again.” The khan chided, “As of yesterday, you are no longer a simple imperial guard. You are my only son, the heir and future ruler of the entire Mongol empire. Although you have yet to return to my side and officially take your rightful position, that is a fact that will never change.” The khan squeezed Yixing’s shoulder reassuringly.

“You have just as much of a right to have feelings for Princess Rongxian as any other prince in this world does.” He said firmly. Yixing swallowed hard.

“I...I don’t know.” He admitted quietly. Perhaps there had been times when he had allowed his mind to wander beyond a simple master-servant relationship, but...feelings? That was not something he had ever dared to even let himself fancy for even a second. Yixing felt his throat grow dry as he thought back again to the time he had spent with his princess. It was true that the princess evoked all sorts of emotions in him. When she was happy, he was too. When she was angry, he wanted to rip apart the person who had angered her. Her smile was as bright as the sun to him, and it warmed his heart just to think about it. And...Yixing gulped and shook his head furiously before his mind wandered off too far off track. 

“I...I really don’t know.” He said finally. The khan smiled and patted Yixing on the arm.

“Take your time to think about it carefully.” He said, “And perhaps the next time I see you, you will know what your answer is. But before you go, I must admit that the princess would make a perfect queen by your side, and a wise wife who would tightly capture your heart.” Yixing’s eyes widened.

“Your Majesty!” He protested, “Please do not get ahead of yourself!” The khan laughed.

“I should let you go now.” He said, avoiding responding to Yixing’s protests, “You have been here for a while, and Princess Rongxian is likely wondering where you went.” As if on cue, a female voice spoke from outside the tent.

“Your Majesty, can I come in?” Princess Feiyan called from just outside. The khan chuckled and gave Yixing a knowing look before responding.

“Yes, do come in, Princess.” He replied. Princess Feiyan stepped in a moment later, and for a moment Yixing allowed himself to gaze directly at his mistress. In the early afternoon sun, the princess’s figure was illuminated by its bright light. The long golden rays turned her hair a soft golden brown, and for a moment Yixing’s mind wandered to wondering how it would look free from the tight Qing hairstyles that kept it from fluttering free down her back. The sunlight seemed to put golden flecks into her eyes, and Yixing’s heart suddenly jumped in his chest as an unfamiliar feeling overtook him. 

“Yixing?” He jumped as he realized that Princess Feiyan was staring back at him, her eyes wide with confusion. Realizing that he had been staring longer than he should have been, Yixing cleared his throat and shook his head.

“You were looking for me, My Lady?” He asked. Princess Feiyan huffed. 

“Of course!” She replied, “The last time you were gone this long, you didn’t return until the night was over and the sun had risen! Who knows how long you intend to stay this time? If I didn’t come looking, would you remember to come back?” 

“My Lady!” Yixing scolded lightly, “I was simply discussing important matters with the khan!” 

“I am only speaking the truth! The khan would agree with me, right, Your Majesty?” Princess Feiyan replied, putting her hands on her hips. Yixing couldn’t help but smile ever so slightly as he looked at the petulant pout on the princess’s lips. Although she had done a good job keeping up the image of a polite and demure princess for the past few days, it would appear that she had reached her limit. In a way, it was endearing. This was more like the princess that he knew. Yixing coughed softly before the princess could see him smiling and turned back to the khan.

“Your Majesty, I should go and prepare the horses for departure tomorrow.” He said with a quick bow to hide his slightly flushed face. The khan looked amused as Yixing straightened up again.

“Go on.” He said, “I have kept you long enough.” Yixing nodded and followed the princess out. He took a deep breath as they stepped out into the sunshine, his pounding heart calming down in the warm breeze that was blowing through the main Mongol camp. Then, his heart jumped again as he felt a small finger poke at his cheek and looked down to see Princess Feiyan gazing up at him, the tip of her finger lightly tapping on his face.

“My Lady?” Yixing said questioningly. Princess Feiyan tilted her head curiously.

“Your face is red.” She noted, “What was the khan talking to you about?” Yixing cleared his throat and carefully brushed the princess’s hand away.

“Nothing in particular.” He replied simply. Princess Feiyan chased after him as Yixing headed for the stables, her curious voice chirping behind him.

“Yixing, don’t be so no fun!” She protested, “Zhang Yixing!” Yixing heard a soft thump followed by a yelp as the princess chased after him, and on instinct he quickly turned and caught Princess Feiyan in his arms before she fell to the ground. Her eyes were wide as she stared up at him. Yixing chuckled.

“You are always so clumsy, My Lady.” He noted teasingly. Princess Feiyan pouted at gave him a light shove.

“You should walk slower.” She replied. Yixing laughed and carefully placed the princess on her feet. He hesitated for a moment before carefully wrapped his hand around her wrist securedly.

“Then let us walk this way.” He replied. Princess Feiyan looked startled for a moment before she grinned and nodded. As they continued on their way, Yixing’s smile faded as he spotted an all too familiar figure walking towards them. 

“Your Highness.” Yifan greeted Princess Feiyan as he approached. Yixing felt a slight snarl turn up the corner of his lips, and he instinctively tightened his grip on Princess Feiyan’s wrist, pulling her slightly back so he was standing in front of her. He and Yifan hadn’t crossed paths in the past few days due to all that was keeping Yixing busy, but now that they were... The princess looked up at him in confusion, but didn’t question the sudden movement. Yifan chuckled as he looked at the scowl on Yixing’s face.

“You’re acting strangely, Yixing.” He said, “Why are you being so protective in front of me?” Yixing leveled a glare at the general. 

“Wu Yifan, there are some things that don’t have to be spoken aloud.” He replied simply. Before the other man could say anything else, Yixing glared at him one more time and pulled his mistress away. After safely leaving the princess in her tent under the watchful gaze of multiple guards, Yixing stepped away to go to the stable where the Qing horses were being kept. Before long, he heard the sound of familiar footsteps approach and then a voice spoke.

“Zhang Yixing, what is wrong with you?” Wu Yifan demanded, “What were you trying to say?” Yixing swallowed hard but didn’t bother looking up from where he was checking the riding equipment for one of the horses. 

“Do I really need to spell it out for you?” He asked. 

“By all means.” Yifan replied. Yixing took a deep breath before turning to look at the general.

“Was the prince’s illness really an accident?” He said. Yifan raised an eyebrow.

“How would I know that?” He said, “It certainly looks like one, but before the khan’s investigation reaches an end, it would be hard to say anything more.”

“Oh really?” Yixing replied coldly, “Then why did a soldier tell me that you were the last to look over the horses, and then you were the one who took Prince Luhan around to pick a horse for Princess Rongxian?” Yifan scoffed.

“What nonsense!” He said, “All of the soldiers including myself who had a hand in looking over the tribute horses conducted the examination and left the stables together. Anyone could tell you that.” 

“Oh?” Yixing challenged, taking a step closer to Yifan, “Then tell me, Wu Yifan. What tick is so smart that it only knows to bite the crown prince of the Qing empire? Don’t tell me it was by chance because I’m not foolish enough to believe that! All of the men who had contact with the tribute horses were fine, all of them but Crown Prince Luhan! Can you explain that, Wu Yifan?” Yifan’s calm expression flickered ever so slightly, then he laughed.

“How could I?” He replied, “I know as little as you do, Zhang Yixing. Why don’t you try explaining that?” Yixing’s eyes narrowed.

“The only explanation is...someone placed the tick on one of the horses on purpose, and then led the prince to that very horse. While the type of tick that bit the prince cannot survive long outside of Mongolia unless it’s on an animal, it can survive for a short period of time. The travel time from Mongolia to the Qing palace is perfectly the right amount of time.” He stated. Yifan gazed at him for a long moment before scoffing.

“Zhang Yixing, don’t you know how ridiculous you sound right now?” He asked, “You are letting your imagination run out of control!” 

“Am I?” Yixing responded coldly, “Whether I am or not, whether you are the one behind this or not, and no matter what you are trying to do, I won’t let you win.” Yixing’s hand clenched next to his side as he glared at Yifan.

“And don’t think about touching the princess.” He snapped, “If you even so much as lay a finger on her…” In one fluid motion, Yixing slid his sword free from its sheath and pressed it dangerously close to Yifan’s neck. 

“Remember that a sword does not have eyes.” Yixing stated warningly. Glaring at Yifan one more time, Yixing slipped his sword back into its sheath and left the stable. 

___________________________________________________________________________

Feiyan

Feiyan turned as she heard the rustle of movement behind her, and smiled as she saw Yixing step inside.

“You’re back!” She exclaimed, then her smile faded as she took in the look on her guard’s face.

“Yixing?” She queried, but the young man didn’t respond. His chest was heaving slightly as if he had been running all the way here, his hands were clenched by his side, and a rarely seen look of anger was in his eyes. Feiyan frowned and stepped forward. For a few moments, they stood in complete silence. Then, Feiyan reached out and carefully pressed a slender finger against Yixing’s furrowed brow. His eyes widened slightly at the motion, his expression relaxing ever so slightly at her touch.

“Did you argue with Yifan?” Feiyan guessed, thinking back to the brief but tense conversation the two had exchanged earlier. Yixing sighed deeply and nodded. 

“I’m sorry My Lady, I shouldn’t let me worries trouble you.” He said. Feiyan shook her head.

“You don’t need to apologize.” She said, “You are only human, Yixing. You don’t need to keep everything hidden. I’m not sure what you two argued about, but it must have been no small matter for you to be this angry.” She blinked innocently up at Yixing as a thought entered her mind.

“Perhaps you two simply need to fight it out?” Feiyan asked, “I’ve heard that a good physical fight will solve men’s grudges!” Yixing gazed at her for a long moment before bursting into laughter.

“My Lady, whoever taught you about those things?” He asked. Feiyan huffed.

“I may be well protected, but don’t think that I don’t know things!” She said firmly, “My brothers always fight it out when they’re angry at each other, and then boast in front of me about it!” Yixing chuckled and pulled the princess’s hand away from his forehead. 

“I’m alright, My Lady.” He assured her softly, “It’s nothing you should trouble yourself over.” Feiyan sighed as she tilted her head slightly.

“Positive?” She asked. Yixing nodded.

“Whatever issues arise, I will take care of them, My Lady.” He assured her, “But...there is one thing that I would like to talk to you about.” Feiyan raised an eyebrow inquisitively. Yixing took a deep breath before speaking.

“It is about our trip home tomorrow.” He said.

__________________________________________________________________________

The next day

The sound of men chattering and horses snuffling at the ground filled the air as the Qing group prepared for the trip home. Yixing walked carefully around the gathered group for one last check before they set out. As he turned to look towards the carriage prepared for the princess set in the middle of the group, he spotted a maid helping a young female into the carriage. The girl’s face was covered with a silk cloth as was required, but her gaze met Yixing’s, and the two exchanged nods. With everything in place, Yixing turned and bowed to the khan, who was standing near the front of the group.

“Your Majesty, thank you for your help.” He said, “We will be taking our leave now.” The khan smiled fondly at him.

“Please come visit us again soon.” He invited. Yixing’s chest grew warm, and he nodded in agreement.

“I certainly will.” He said simply. Then, Yixing swung onto his horse and lifted a hand into the air.

“Set out!”

____________________________________________________________________________

Before long, the Qing group entered the forest path away from the Mongol camps, returning the same way they had come. The journey was peaceful, and for the most part Yixing avoided speaking with Yifan, his newfound distrust over the young general still clear in his mind. As day turned to dusk and the group traveled deeper into the forest path, Yixing began to feel uneasy. Their travels had so far been peaceful, but it was beginning to be a little too peaceful for his liking. Nighttime was the perfect period for a stealth attack, and with precious medicine in tow and the crown prince’s life on the line, Yixing was not foolish enough to think that the perpetrator would let them travel easily all the way back to Qing. Sure enough, as the darkness began to close in around them, Yixing heard a slight rustling in the trees, and a volley of arrows suddenly shot out from the thicket of trees surrounding them. Yixing’s horse reared in fear, and he quickly threw his body backward to avoid being hit by one of the arrows. Then, he quickly leapt off his horse and unsheathed his sword as a group of men clothed in black leapt out from the trees.

“Protect the princess!” He yelled. The fight quickly escalated, the soldiers throwing themselves into the fray to protect the young royal. Then, one of the attackers managed to break away from the Qing soldiers, and rushed at the princess’s carriage. 

“Your Highness!” Yifan yelled, but before the attacker could do anything, a figure leapt out from inside the carriage and dealt with the assailant with one swift blow. Yifan watched, stunned, as the light yellow clad princess fought expertly against the assailants, quickly dealing with them with sharp and crisp martial arts. Before long, the battle was finished with the princess’s help, and Yifan stared at her in shock as she stopped in front of him.

“You...you are not the princess!” Yifan said in shock as he looked at the girl in front of him. While there were some similarities, the girl in front of him had a sleek frame that reminded him of a cat. Her hand gripped a sword steady and sure, as if she had spent her entire life using the weapon. It was the complete opposite of the sheltered slender princess, who knew next to nothing about fighting, much less using a sword. The girl reached up and pulled off the cloth mask, and Yifan stared as he recognized the girl as one of Princess Sarnai’s personal guards.

“Where is Princess Feiyan?” He demanded. The girl smiled mysteriously.

“Indeed, where is she?” She responded. Yifan turned quickly, realizing he had been tricked.

“Zhang Yixing! Where is Zhang Yixing?” He demanded. The soldiers looked around at his cry, but sure enough, Princess Rongxian’s personal guard was nowhere to be seen. Yifan let out a yell of fury as he realized what had happened. 

“Zhang Yixing!” He growled.

____________________________________________________________________________

Feiyan

At the same time as Yifan was beginning to realize what had happened, Feiyan was rushing along a different path, clinging precariously to the back of the rider in front of her.

“Are you sure this will work?” She yelled over the wind rushing past them. Princess Sarnai turned her head ever so slightly to smile over at Feiyan.

“If it is Yixing who is dealing with the other men, then it surely will!” The Mongol princess declared. Feiyan wanted to ask more, but bit her lip and decided to suppress her curiosity for the timebeing. The day before, Yixing had disclosed his concerns that there was a spy among the men that had come to Mongolia with her. Although he hadn’t given a name, Feiyan couldn’t help but wonder if his suddenly hostile reaction to Yifan was an indication of who it was. Even without a name though, Feiyan knew that Yixing’s instincts could be trusted, and so had agreed to his plan to safely deliver her along with her brother’s medicine back to Qing. There was a faster, albeit less easier to travel, path back to the Qing empire, not too far away from the main path but less known because of its higher inconvenience. Someone would pretend to be Feiyan, while Princess Sarnai took Feiyan along the alternative path first. After Yixing found a way to get away from the group, he would then meet up with her again through a shortcut through the forest paths given to him by Princess Sarnai. If he didn’t get the chance, then Princess Sarnai would take Feiyan the entire way back to Qing. It was a risky choice, and could possibly force the spy to take actions he otherwise wouldn’t have. But given the alternative consequence, there was no other choice. The hours passed quickly as the two princesses traveled, and soon it was late night. Princess Sarnai stopped to set up camp for the night, and Feiyan watched as the other princess started a fire and laid out blankets. Finally, her curiosity took over.

“Princess Sarnai.” She said, “What is your relationship with Yixing?” Princess Sarnai paused for a moment before laughing softly.

“Why do you ask about that all of a sudden, Princess Rongxian?” She replied. 

“It’s just…” Feiyan bit her lip before continuing, “He trusts you, and it is not an easy task to earn his trust.”

“Particularly when it comes to you, right?” Princess Sarnai continued with a small smile. Feiyan blinked, her cheeks suddenly feeling slightly hot.

“I haven’t a clue what you mean by that.” She replied quickly. Princess Sarnai gave her an amused look but didn’t pursue the statement further. 

“Zhang Yixing and I...you can consider us comrades in arms.” She said after a moment of thinking, “You needn’t worry how I think of him. I do not think of him as a woman thinks of a man.” Feiyan looked up from where she had been absently poking a small branch into the ground, startled at the sudden statement. 

“I never asked about that.” She responded, suddenly feeling nervous. Princess Sarnai smiled mysteriously.

“Did you?” She replied. Feiyan huffed.

“You always respond with a question.” She grumbled. Princess Sarnai laughed and patted the blanket she had placed on the ground.

“It’s time you should get some rest.” She said, “There’s still a lot of traveling to do.” Feiyan laid down on the blanket and curled up into a tight ball. It was nothing like the accommodations she was used to, but she supposed it would have to do for now. 

Yixing...I wonder if you’re doing okay over there.

____________________________________________________________________________

A little while later, Feiyan was startled awake by the sound of a horse snuffling and a branch cracking under someone’s footsteps. 

“Woah there.” A man’s voice, too soft to distinguish its owner, spoke somewhere in the darkness. Feiyan’s heart began to pound in her chest. Who was it? One of the other Qing soldiers? Yifan? Yixing? Turning slowly, she saw that Princess Sarnai was also awake, and had managed to grab her sword and roll to her feet without making a sound. For a moment, Feiyan was startled by the sudden resemblence she saw between Yixing and Princess Sarnai. In the dying embers of the fire and the faint rays of early morning light, Princess Sarnai’s narrowed eyes glittered slightly amber, her body poised and ready to fight at a second’s notice. It was just like Yixing when something happened and he needed to protect her. And then...why hadn’t Feiyan ever noticed it before? The two warriors had the same gently sloping nose and bow shaped lips that parted slightly in concentration. 

“Who’s there?” Princess Sarnai growled, “Show yourself.” A few moments later, a tall figure appeared from the surrounding trees, leading a tall bay horse behind him. 

“It’s alright.” The man said, “It’s just me.” Feiyan narrowed her eyes slightly as the early morning light blinded her eyes momentarily, then grinned as the figure continued forward and came clearly into her line of vision.

“Yixing!”