The king had fallen asleep a while ago and Liu Qingyuan stood guarding his door outside. The attendants had left one by one, drifting away like leaves in the wind. He didn't stand guard everyday like this, or else he'd be a walking zombie from lack of sleep. Tonight, he had a specific intention.
Past midnight, Liu Qingyuan checked his surroundings and quietly slid open the door behind him. He slipped into the king's chambers, soundlessly closing the doors. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness after the soft lamplight of the hall.
Liu Qingyuan wove around the room, narrowly avoiding smashing his shin into a low table. First he made his way to the bed to make sure the king was asleep.
A ray of moonlight shone through the slightly open window and onto the king's figure, banishing the shadows and making him look like a delicate beauty. The pale arch of his neck, the fans of his eyelashes and the slow rise and fall of his chest mesmerized him. Jiang Zhilan shifted, snuffling in his sleep and Liu Qingyuan rapidly looked away.
'Snap out of it! What are you doing?!' Liu Qingyuan cursed himself, quickly turning and approaching the bookcase instead. Sending the occasional glance to the king's still sleeping form, he searched through the books. There was a chance there was still a written piece of evidence about the Qiangda flower.
When the books yielded no result, he searched the rest of the room, steps light on the floorboard. His frustration rose as his search revealed nothing. He knew it wasn't going to be easy but something made him antsy about being around the king these days.
Liu Qingyuan looked over at the bed after circling the room again. He realized that the only place he hadn't searched was under the bed. Jiang Zhilan still slept soundly. Liu Qingyuan paused, gazing at the pale flesh of his exposed neck. If he was an ordinary man, he'd be dead in his bed, throat slit. But unfortunately, he wasn't, and so Liu Qingyuan let him live on.
After one last glance, he ducked his head under the bed. He stretched his fingers out...and hit a box. It took a bit of maneuvering to yank out the box, Liu Qingyuan's shoulder straining from the effort. He kneeled by the bed, glancing again at the sleeping king before pulling from his hair, a small pin. The old lock quickly yielded in his hands and the creaky lid opened. There wasn't much in the box, just a bunch of old papers and a couple books that were falling apart. Liu Qingyuan took the liberty to flip through them anyways and was rewarded for his efforts.
In the center of the book titled, Jiang Imperial Family, there was a section about some of the greatest artifacts of the family. Before he could read further, an arm flopped into his vision. Liu Qingyuan froze, the king's arm an inch from his nose. He turned his head, scared of what he might see but he was still sleeping.
Liu Qingyuan quickly tucked the book into his robe, fixing the box and shoving it back under the bed. He stood hurriedly, foot crashing into the bed leg. Liu Qingyuan pitched forward, letting out a string of curses as his foot throbbed. He stopped his fall with his arms, narrowly avoiding crushing the king underneath him.
Liu Qingyuan sucked in a breath, glancing down at the odd predicament. One hand each was braced on either side of the king, who, amazingly, was still asleep. He let out a harsh breath, slowly retracting his arm and praying the king wouldn't wake from the shifting of weight in the bed.
Just as he was about to pull away, a small, warm hand encircled his wrist. "Qingyuan?" a sleepy voice muttered. He froze, eyes darting down and right into the king's sleepy gaze. They stared at each other for a long while. "What are you doing here?" The king's voice was raspy with sleep and the question pushed Liu Qingyuan into action. He tore his hand away, falling to the floor in a bow.
"Forgive me your majesty. I was just...I-I was, I heard a noise and came to check on you." Liu Qingyuan waited with his head down for any response. Angry words, angry fists, anything. But there was nothing but shuffling as the king got up and put on a robe.
"Mm," Hands pulled him up. "I'm hungry." He yawned. Liu Qingyuan blinked at him, eyes still guarded. He wasn't...going to do anything?? Jiang Zhilan patted Liu Qingyuan's stomach. "Are you hungry too? Do you want to join me?" Liu Qingyuan ignored the action, still waiting for the king to do something.
"Is...are you not going to..." Jiang Zhilan turned back, confused.
"Hmm?" Liu Qingyuan looked down, unable to articulate his thoughts and his confusion. Jiang Zhilan smiled dismissively. "Could you get some food?" he hummed, leaning down to light the candle on the table.
Liu Qingyuan bowed hastily. "Yes, your majesty." He hurried to the door, pausing to glance back. "...The night is cold. Put on some more clothes." With that, he rushed out.
◆◇◆◇◆
Liu Qingyuan stopped at his own rooms to tuck the book under his mattress. There were still some insane servants in the kitchen at this hour. They hastily prepared a small array of food and handed it off to Liu Qingyuan. By the time he arrived back at the imperial bedchamber, he'd managed to calm the previous panic. He was still wary about the king noticing something amiss but at least now he had no incriminating evidence on his person.
Liu Qingyuan carried the food basket inside, where the king was boredly spinning a cup on the table. The silk tablecloth was stained with a few small drops of spilled water. At the scent of the food, he perked up, bounding over and following like a small puppy as Liu Qingyuan set the plates down. He immediately picked up his chopsticks and attacked the food.
After a few bites, he paused, glancing back at Liu Qingyuan who was lurking by his shoulder. "What are you doing? Sit, sit." He patted the seat next to him. Liu Qingyuan hesitated but shook his head. Jiang Zhilan made a noise of exasperation and set down his chopsticks, getting up to shove Liu Qingyuan down in a seat. A bit later he paused again. "You're not eating?"
Silently, Liu Qingyuan poured himself a cup of water. "I am fine, your majesty." Though the food did smell fragrant.
"But what if...what if the food is poisoned?"
"..."
"You never know..."
"Your majesty, you've already eaten the food. If it was poisoned, it's too late." Jiang Zhilan hit a wall.
"Well-I...if it's poisoned, we'll die together!" He leaned forward, feeding Liu Qingyuan from his chopsticks. He startled at the intimate action, forgetting for a moment about the taste that bloomed on his tongue. When the flavour did reach him, he couldn't help the tiny smile that moved the corner of his mouth.
A hastily prepared meal like this was hardly different then his own daily meals but somehow, it tasted better tonight. A pair of chopsticks were shoved in his hand. "Eat more!"
"I-"
"There's too much food, I can't possibly eat it all!"
"...I can take it back to the kitchens."
"And waste their hard work?" He lamented over exaggeratedly. "Besides, everyone is probably asleep already." He nudged the plate closer to him and reluctantly, Liu Qingyuan took another piece. They enjoyed the meal in silence. When they were finished, they packed up the box. Liu Qingyuan went to take it but Jiang Zhilan stopped him.
"Leave it. I want to go for a walk." Liu Qingyuan hesitated, then relented. He followed the king outside, briefly nodding to the guards posted outside. They walked the pathways lined with flowers and the bridges over the ponds, Jiang Zhilan enjoying the crisp air and the star-speckled sky. Liu Qingyuan followed after him silently, still dressed in uniform and clutching his beloved sword.
Jiang Zhilan stopped at the peak of a bridge, looking out over the large, dark pond. Even the fish were sleeping, the floating lotus' bobbing in the soft movements of the water. Jiang Zhilan often felt like the palace suffocated him. But tonight, looking at the stars, his heart bloomed with an inkling of an unknown feeling. It felt...nice.
Subconsciously, he drew his shoulders up to his ears, the soft wind chilly in the deep night. Suddenly, a heavy dark robe dropped on his shoulders. Jiang Zhilan automatically reached up. The robe was warm and his fingers accidentally brushed Liu Qingyuan's. Liu Qingyuan drew back, leaving the king to clutch his outer robe to his shoulders by himself.
"It's chilly at night. You should be careful." Jiang Zhilan didn't say anything, drawing the robe tighter around himself. The material was thick and good quality, but it also smelled familiar and he subtly buried his face in the collar. He glanced over at Liu Qingyuan who stood solemnly by his side, gazing out at the dark lake.
He shuffled over, leaning slightly on him. Liu Qingyuan stiffened but didn't move. "Aren't you cold?"
"Mm." It was neither a denial nor a confirmation. Jiang Zhilan yawned, sleepily letting his head fall gently on Liu Qingyuan's shoulder. When he felt like he was falling asleep on his feet, Liu Qingyuan suddenly spoke up. "It's late. You should rest, your majesty."
'Yes, yes," he muttered. He was dimly aware of him leading him back to his room, and falling asleep beneath warm silk sheets.