The Gift of Kings (HuaLian TGCF)

Chapter 3 Options

They talk for a while longer after that and it's funny how easy the prince is to talk with and how enjoyable he is to listen to. Hua Cheng realizes, to his surprise, that he hasn't spoken this much to anyone since, well since his mother died. After that his father, stepmother, and brothers had no interest in anything he had to say, and as he got older, well he didn't have much interest in what anyone else had to say either. The closest thing to a friend he's ever had is his little alliance with Yin Yu. He saved the other boy's neck, and Yin Yu repaid him with information and assistance, but that's as far as the relationship has ever gone. Both of them are quiet and prefer to keep to themselves and nothing has ever happened to push either one to cross that wall.

Besides, Yin Yu is a servant, the son of one of the palace cooks, and Hua Cheng is a slave and that simple reality creates a barrier between them that is harder to cross than a preference for silence.

If that gap in status was enough to separate him from Yin Yu, how much more should it have separated him from Xie Lian, a prince and technically Hua Cheng's owner? It should, but for some reason it doesn't, perhaps because for once Hua Cheng is actually doing something on his own terms and perhaps because Xie Lian talks to him as though he doesn't even know the barrier is supposed to exist.

Whatever the reason the conversation continues until the door of the Prince's bedchamber opens and is to attendance from earlier make a reappearance.

"Your Highness," it's the one that Hua Cheng has mentally labeled as "The Bodyguard" who speaks. "The meetings are beginning."

He gives Xie Lian a meaningful look and something seems to pass between them because the Prince tenses, a slight frown curving his lips.

"Alright, I'm coming." He gets to his feet then glances back at Hua Cheng. "I need to go now. You can..." He pauses, a frown line curving the space between his brows. The effect is oddly cute. "What do concubines do all day?"

Hua Cheng looks up at him and shrugs languidly. "I've never been a concubine before so I wouldn't know."

The attendant Hua Cheng thinks of as 'The Lover' narrows his eyes and gives him a distinctly unfriendly look.

"Do you like to read?"

Hua Cheng hasn't exactly had much of a chance to find out one way or the other but he nods anyway, curious where this is going.

"In that case why not spend the afternoon in the library?"

Hua Cheng's eye widens. He's never even seen the inside of a library so the idea of spending an entire afternoon in one instead of mucking stalls or cleaning tack is... He doesn't even realize that he's smiling until he sees in answering smile on Xie Lian's lips.

"Perfect. Mu Qing can you show him where the library is?"

The lover, who must be Mu Qing, gives a curt nod.

"Thank you, come meet us afterward, and Hua Cheng," Xie Lian turns his eyes on the concubine again. "Come back here at seven bells and you can eat with us."

Hua Cheng, who hasn't earned a reputation for black mail by letting an opportunity go by untaken, stands quickly, takes the prince's hand, and bows over it. "Your Highness, it would be my pleasure."

He straightens in time to catch faint color creeping back into Xie Lian's cheeks and twin looks of dislike on the faces of his to attendance.

"This way." Mu Qing says and pushes the door open before glancing back in a clear invitation for Hua Cheng to follow and an even clearer invitation for him to step away from the prince.

'So jealous,' Hua Cheng thinks with amusement 'but then if my lover was as beautiful and kind and powerful as the Prince of Xianle, I would be jealous too.'