Choices - A Perfect Pair Prince of Tennis Fanfiction AU

Chapter 3

Summary: Guo Zi sends a messenger bearing a warning. Zhuo Yu gets kidnapped during the night. Lu Xia's PoV again.

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Lu Xia dashes through the corridors, bumping into servants and crashing through doors. He skids into the war room, where the meeting has already begun. 

"Lu Xia. You're late again," Siyang says coldly from his position at the front. 

"I'm sorry," Lu Xia gasps. "It won't happen again." He takes his position at the wall obediently. 

Siyang surveys the room. "We are nearly done with the meeting. Lu Xia, you were informed that the meeting was moved to a different time."

Lu Xia blinks, surprised. I didn't know they changed the time!

"Lu Xia, go to the archers and watch over them. Dismissed, everyone."

Everyone files out quietly. Lu Xia notices that Zhuo Zhi dawdles, taking his time. 

Siyang calls out. "Zhuo Zhi. A word, please." Said person makes his way to Siyang's side a little too eagerly. Lu Xia quickly leaves the room, heading for the stairs.

***

In the distance, a red and white splotched figure makes its way through the land. He can see that it's a Guo Zi messenger, riding on a chestnut brown horse. 

"Halt!" he shouts, holding up his hand. 

The messenger slows, tilting his head up. "I have a message for Yu Qing!" 

Lu Xia resists the urge to roll his eyes. You're wearing a messenger's outfit. Of course you have a message. 

"What is it?" he demands, crossing his arms.

The Guo Zi messenger takes his time unrolling a sheet of yellowed parchment from his brown leather bag, clearing his throat importantly. 

"Guan Yue demands that you surrender. Xing Yao is on our side and Hai Guang will soon follow. With Xing Yao's-"

Lu Xia rudely interrupts the messenger. "What about Yu Feng?"

"We couldn't care less about them. Such a small, weak, civilization should never have been made a major kingdom," he scoffs. "Here's the rest of the messege: With Xing Yao's vast army, Hai Guang's supreme warriors, and of course Guo Zi's own greatness, Yu Qing stands no chance. Join us to push Yu Feng out."

"I'll have to relay that message to the king," Lu Xia says coldly. "We'll send a messenger pigeon with our answer. Leave, now." Lu Xia sends a hand signal to the archers, who raise their bows in unison and nock their arrows. 

It's not until the Guo Zi messenger is out of sight that Lu Xia relaxes.

***

A piercing scream splits the air. 

Lu Xia jerks awake, slamming his head on the cot above him. "Ow . . ."

He looks around, and pretty much everyone has awoken, too. Lu Xia sees Qiao Chen rubbing sleep out of his eyes, Baiyang with his knife out, and Jiale looking around in confusion.

Then Lu Xia sees that both Zhuo Zhi and Zhuo Yu's beds are empty. But the difference is that whereas Zhuo Zhi has carefully tucked in the sheets, the other cot looks like someone has been taken against his will, fighting the entire way out.

Understanding fires in his head, and he rushes out, ignoring Qiao Chen and Jiale's calls. He turns a corner, and he can faintly hear someone crying.

Lu Xia follows the source of noise, and he finds Zhuo Zhi kneeling in front of the castle gates, Siyang with his arm around him.

He stops, unsure of whether he'd be interrupting a private moment.

"Siyang, I-" Zhuo Zhi says brokenly, tears streaming down his face. "I can't believe . . . I didn't think Guo Zi would stoop that low."

"I didn't think so, either," Siyang says softly. "Because I refused to bow down to Guo Zi, they wanted to take someone close to me to force me to surrender."

"But why him? Why Zhuo Yu? Why couldn't they have taken me?"

"It's a dangerous game Guan Yue plays. Rather than taking you, he does something more powerful. If they take Zhuo Yu, it affects you. And whatever affects you affects me," Siyang replies. It doesn't look like he knows how powerful those words are Then he stands. 

"Come. It will do Zhuo Yu no good to sit here. We will make a plan. We will get him back, Zhuo Zhi. That I promise you," Siyang says fiercely, extending a hand to help Zhuo Zhi up. 

Zhuo Zhi accepts the hand, leaning heavily on Siyang. "I will do whatever it takes to get him back."

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Okay, so I want to make a quick shoutout to @gourmetapple , who's been my first (and only, for now) reader! Go check out their Zhuo Zhi fanfic :) I hope you enjoyed!

~ Willow