After Rae had paid for the silk ribbon that had taken his fancy, Ven led him to the upper floor of a small tea shop overlooking the river.

The host was very excitable when he saw young master Ven, ushering them up to the usual room. It was a small, secluded room at the corner of the building with views overlooking the water and the forest valley. The air was crisp, but once they had settled among plush cushions and the waiter had brought a hot pot of tea it became quite cosy.

“The usual room?” Rae asked, trying to sound casual.

“Hmm,” Ven hummed as he took a sip, “this is a personal favourite of mine,”

Rae wanted to ask whom he normally brought here, but the question caught in his throat. Rae didn’t know why he was so nervous. He tried to distract himself by taking a big gulp of tea.

“I can’t help but wonder what Your Majesty might be doing, wandering the camp all alone,” Ven said, still using that shamelessly salacious tone. He was lounging forward, leaning his elbows on the table. His half-ponytail cascaded down his shoulders.

“The same as you. Just hoping to pass some time,” Rae said, twirling his ribbon between his fingers.

“Ah, then we are lucky to have found one another,” Ven said, earning a chuckle from Rae.

“By the way, you needn’t call me ‘Your Majesty’ when it’s just the two of us,” Rae said.

“Well then, what should I call you? Young master Kaolin?”

Rae blushed, “just Rae is fine.”

“There’s also no need for you to keep calling me ‘young master’” Ven said.

“As you wish,” Rae said.

Ven made a wounded face, “As you wish?”

“Ven,” Rae said, looking away.

“That ribbon really does suit you, will you use it to tie your hair?” Ven said.

“I think so,” Truthfully, Rae had bought the ribbon on a whim and hadn’t thought of what he might use it for.

“May I?”

Ven had placed his hand gently on Rae’s, causing his heart to stutter until he realised he meant the ribbon. He allowed Ven to take it.

Ven admired the ribbon for a moment before getting up from the table.

“What are you doing?” Rae asked.

“Don’t you want to try it out?” Ven said. Rae turned to glare at him but all his protests died at the sight of Ven’s sincere expression.

Ven paused for a heartbeat, before touching Rae’s hair. He had never been the most careful with his hair, and after roaming around all day, he was sure it must be in a shameful state.

Ven eased his hair out of its ponytail and combed it smooth with his fingers. As he tamed Rae’s hair, his fingers occasionally brushed his temples and the nape of his neck.

Rae sat, back straight, struggling with where to look, and what to do with his hands. The tea was getting cold, and Ven was really taking his time!

“…”

“Be patient, I’m almost done,”

“Are you actually tying it? Or are you just playing?”

Electricity was pooling in the small of Rae’s back, and he didn’t think he could stand it much longer.

“All done!” Ven said, giving Rae one last pat on the head and sitting back down.

Without a mirror, Rae couldn’t fully inspect Ven’s handiwork but found his hair fell over his shoulder, looser than it had before. Ven had braided the first few inches, then tied it off with the ribbon. Tied very neatly to show off the embroidery, the ribbon cascaded over his shoulders with the rest of his hair.

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Rae favoured practicality over fashion, he wondered if such a style might be…

“Beautiful, just as expected,” Ven said, taking a swig of his tea.

Rae didn’t know how to respond. The electricity was still buzzing like glee in his stomach.

“Ven,” he said, staring at his hands in his lap, “I’m…”

He never finished the thought. Ven sat there waiting.

Just what am I trying to ask?

“Are you worried about my intentions?”

Rae’s first instinct was to deny it, but the lie stopped in his throat just as the truth had.

“Mn,” was all Rae could respond.

“I hope it’s been obvious, but I’m attempting to seduce you,” Ven’s voice was low, but not quiet enough that someone in the next room wouldn’t overhear. He leaned closer to Rae and spoke in an almost whisper.

“What did you say?”

“I fancy you,” Ven answered with a soft smile. It was so gentle Rae couldn’t bear to look at it.

“I-“ he choked on his words, before steeling himself. Ven was being courageous. It was the least he could do to match him in sincerity.

“I’m flattered. But it can’t go any further than this,” he said, relieved when Ven’s expression didn’t sour.

Ven didn’t ask, but Rae was all too eager to explain, “our clans are not on good terms, and my father’s body is barely cold. My position here is precarious, so I mustn’t be overly trusting,”

Rae had never had to lay himself so bare before, but once he started, the words kept tumbling out.

“Furthermore, your father already hates me. If I stole you away from him, that might be the final infraction that costs me my life,”

He had meant it lightheartedly, but Ven didn’t smile.

“I wouldn’t put you in danger,” he said.

Rae felt too guilty to argue that point.

“I’m going home now. Thank you for the tea,”

Rae made a break for the door and almost collided with a waiter. The boy startled, the wooden box he’d been carrying clattered to the floor.

“Please forgive me, young master,” the boy dropped to his knees.

Rae glanced at Ven, who shrugged.

“What is this?” Rae asked, picking the box up off the floor.

“A gift! Something sweet to go with your tea, it’s on the house!”

Rae’s attempt at storming out had been a disaster, so after reassuring and thanking the frightened servant, he returned to the table. He opened the box to find an assortment of fruit pastries.

“I don’t care for sweets, you’re welcome to it all,” Ven said, standing up. Rae was taken aback. So you’re storming off now?

“You’re going?” Rae asked.

“You said you wanted to return to the palace? I’ll join you, I need to pay my sister a visit,”

----------------------------------------

On the walk back to the palace, Ven acted as if his mortifying confession had never happened. This enraged Rae, whose stomach wouldn’t stop doing somersaults. If not for the grounding grip he kept on his box of treats, he might not have made it without slapping him.

“Are you sure you don’t want one?” Rae asked when he couldn’t think of anything else to break the tension.

From the box drifted a subtly syrupy, rich aroma. Clearly, these were high-quality goods. Rather than fret over an impossible infatuation, wouldn’t indulging in sweets be much better? Rae couldn’t hold back any more and picked out a dark red pastry and took a bite.

A dense, chewy casing gave way to juicy sweetness.

Rae let out a sigh, “It’s good, very good!”

Ven chuckled, “I hadn’t thought you would have a sweet tooth,”

Rae really wished Ven would take one if only to silence that mouth of his. He took another, a beige cake with a nutty scent, immediately after finishing his first.

“There’s plenty of fine foods in the palace, but I haven’t had sweets this good in a long time,” Rae said.

The last cake was so rich and creamy, that as soon as it was gone Rae reached for another. Of all his memories of his childhood in the palace, being spoilt with cakes and pastries was one of the few uncomplicated ones. While his auntie’s fruit pies were nice, nothing compared to the food he was treated to in the Shak’s camp.

As Rae ate, the nervousness that had pooled in his stomach had been eased. He now felt much better prepared to make conversation with Ven, yet he also felt strangely sluggish, and a little nauseated.

“They certainly look well made. I wonder if-“ Ven had been musing, when Rae first stumbled over his own feet, “-hey! What’s wrong?”

I feel a little funny. Rae couldn’t get the words out. He had caught himself as he fell, but his limbs wouldn’t cooperate enough to stand back up. His legs felt like jelly.

“You-!” Rae’s head was too fuzzy to hang onto anger for long, even when his bone-deep fear of betrayal had come true. Poison. It was his own fault for trusting an Ashem.

“…!” was Rae dying? He’d never felt so weak and confused before.

Ven was crouching beside him.

“Bejuk shouldn’t be far…” he said, and an even worse terror gripped Rae. He couldn’t speak at all now, so could only grasp at Ven’s sleeve.

Don’t you dare leave me.

Clinging to Ven sapped the last of Rae’s strength, and he soon lost consciousness.