As soon as Yixing sets one foot out of the carriage when he arrives back from his honeymoon, he makes a beeline for Zitao’s room.

He’s halfway across the courtyard before he feels a soft hand clasp his wrist; making him turn around sharply and smile sheepishly.

“My love we just returned, are you so desperate to run away from your husband?” Sehun’s voice comes liltingly, making Yixing flush in embarrassment.

“I have not seen how Zitao has been since he first came to us, he must feel that I do not care for his wellbeing” Yixing bites his lip and shifts from foot to foot. Sehun only laughs lightly at this and pats his lover’s arm.

“You could not wait until the evening?” he raises an eyebrow and laughs again when Yixing shakes his head quickly.

“I must see him now, I do not wish to give a bad impression to the young prince” he replies quickly; to which Sehun simply nods and presses a kiss to the elder’s wrist and gestures for him to go. Yixing smiles brightly and Sehun can vaguely hear a lightly pitched ‘thank you!’ as he runs off.

He shakes his head, chuckling, and sets to helping the servants retrieve their bags.

“Zitao! I’m so terribly sorry for not having seen you recently” Yixing bursts into Zitao’s room only have knocked once beforehand, grinning when he notices the prince’s eyes round as saucers in the shock of being interrupted. He was only sat on the windowsill reading a novel, but the poor boy had practically jumped out of his skin when the king entered without warning.

He stands to his feet quickly; bowing deeply before his king.

“Your Highness, you should not be worried about me, your people have served me well here and I am most comfortable” he replies hastily, staying in his bowed position until he feels a soft tap on his shoulder that signals him to rise.

“Nonsense! Junmyeon-hyung told me I should take care of you, and I have been neglecting that request! How have you been? Have you been getting sufficient nutrition?” he edges around the question carefully, not wanting to be improper and say ‘have you been getting the blood you need, since you’re a vampire and all’. Zitao visibly flinches a bit but nods quietly.

“The kitchen servants have been bringing me animal blood, it is… very kind of them. I did not expect to be treated with such respect” Zitao mumbles, and Yixing smiles gently; moving to sit on the chair by the windowsill where the boy is sat.

“My little prince, you need not be ashamed of who you are and what that entails, you were born this way and it is not something you should be embarrassed about” Yixing speaks quietly, looking out the window absent-mindedly. The sky is darkening; it will probably rain within an hour. He should make sure that Kyungsoo is not out training this afternoon.

Zitao shifts on the windowsill, torn between jumping off and making sure he sits in a lower position than his king or staying where he is.

“My mother and father despised talking about my… condition. They refused to speak to the kitchen servants about it and insisted I fo