𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 | Xiao x Reader

13

A/n: Trigger warning for this chapter! There are mentions of physical abuse as reader goes into their backstory, so please be careful!

..........

You and Xiao walked back to Liyue Harbor in silence, taking in the sights and sounds of the morning as the sun began to rise in the distance. Although you still hadn't gotten any sleep, and your muscles felt so tired and sore, you had a little more energy now than the night before.

It felt like a weight had been lifted off your shoulders now that you'd finally been able to talk to someone about everything, and you were grateful for it, even if that someone was Xiao.

The two of you passed by a small group of people that looked to be a family. They smiled and nodded at Xiao, but then seemed to notice the fatui uniform and badge you wore, and instantly cowered as they passed you. It was a reaction you'd grown more than accustomed to, but it still made you frown. The Adeptus beside you seemed to notice, because he sighed.

"There was a time when I might have had a similar reaction to them," he admitted, "Seeing a fatui harbinger in Liyue can be a daunting thing, but don't mind them."

"I'm used to it," you replied, "Though, it's been a while since I've been around this many people who were afraid of me." Xiao nodded for you to continue, so you did.

"I don't get sent out of Snezhnaya a lot," you admitted, "Most of the time, my place is beside the Tsaritsa, assisting in whatever day to day items she needs." You frowned, recalling your many days spent in her palace. Since you were one of the immortal harbingers, she often kept you closer. You already knew how she worked, and what her goals were. It just made it easier than having to bring someone new up to speed every sixty years or so.

"It's been like that ever since the first Tsaritsa brought me back," you explained, "Though, I wasn't involved with the fatui under her rule. She just kept me around to protect her, mostly. Which wouldn't have been so bad, if she wasn't the person she was."

"I haven't ever interacted with the first Cryo Archon," Xiao replied, "And Rex Lapis never spoke of her, even when we were allies. What was she like?"

"Cold," you replied with a snort, "She didn't care about anyone. I try not to remember her much, because most of the time I was with her, I was getting beaten in some way. Whether it was because I'd messed something up, I did something to upset her, or just because she was in a bad mood, she always found a reason to hurt me. And since I'm half god, she knew I could take it more than her other staff."

Xiao wasn't sure what to say, but his blood boiled at the idea of her having hurt you every day, to the point that it just became normal to you. No one deserved that, and he knew exactly what it was like to go through such things. Plus, you especially should have been spared, after what you'd been through to get to Snezhnaya.

"When she passed, it was such a relief to me," you continued, "Then the next Cryo Archon rose up, and I worked under her instead. She made me a harbinger pretty early on, and for a while I was ranked third, I believe."

You put your hands behind your back as you walked, recalling all the memories from your time in Snezhnaya.

"At some point around five hundred years ago, she got tons of new harbingers. The rankings changed and I moved down to what was basically sixth, but she calls it 5.5th because it gets under the skin of the other sixth harbinger." You chuckled at that, remembering just how red and angry Scaramouche's face had been the day he found out what his rank was, and how hard the Tsaritsa and you had laughed at him.

"She's a lot easier to deal with than the first Cryo Archon," you admitted, "At least, she hasn't really hurt me. But it's still the same old; protecting the Tsaritsa and sticking to the palace. I don't get sent on many assignments."