Choices - A Perfect Pair Prince of Tennis Fanfiction AU

Chapter 9

Lu Xia shivers. The castle is cold and empty, with little decoration or objects. The soldiers on either side of him are dressed in red and white, Guo Zi's colors. Baiyang, for once, isn't growling at someone and Zhuo Zhi is silent.

They enter a room, which is so bright compared to the other parts of the castle it hurts Lu Xia's eyes. He squints through the glare, and sees it is lavishly decorated with tapestries, gold, and jewels. Torches are lit every two feet, so it makes sense why it is so bright. There's a straight-backed wooden throne in the middle of the back wall, which strikes Lu Xia as odd. The wooden throne seems completely out of place compared to the rest of the opulence around them.

There's a rustling noise, and Guan Yue sweeps in, head held high. He seats himself on the throne, and Lu Xia has to fight a grimace. The soldiers force Lu Xia onto his knees, and he takes great delight in elbowing the soldiers on the way down.

"Welcome, welcome," Guan Yue says grandly. "I understand that you've asked for a meeting with me. What would be my pleasure to answer to?"

Zhuo Zhi looks up. He smiles thinly. "We'd like to civilly request our comrades, Chi Dayong and Zhuo Yu, back."

Guan Yue doesn't look surprised. "Yes, yes. You can have them back." Lu Xia is astounded. Surely it couldn't be that easy!

"But, of course, I can't just give you them," Guan Yue continues, "which means you must have something for me."

"And what would be of your interest?" Zhuo Zhi asks coldly. 

"Let's see . . . ," Guan Yue taps his chin, pretending to think. "Chi Dayong is your second in command, in line for the throne, no?"

Zhuo Zhi, Baiyang, and Lu Xia nod.

"And dear Zhuo Yu is your brother. Both so very valuable. I'm sure Siyang would do anything for you, right, Zhuo Zhi?" Guan Yue smiles, but it looks fake.

"Perhaps you should ask the person in question," Zhuo Zhi replies icily.

"That's a marvelous idea." Guan Yue claps his hands. "Qiao Ze, bring our prisoner in." The soldier on the right of Lu Xia exits quickly. 

Zhuo Zhi turns to Lu Xia and Baiyang with a horror-struck expression on his face.

Wait . . . did Xing Yao hand over Siyang?

Qiao Ze comes back in, a gagged, blindfolded and bound Siyang behind him. Qiao Ze tosses Siyang to the floor, where Zhuo Zhi utters a small gasp.

"Let's ask him," Guan Yue says calmly. He reaches down from the throne to rip the gag off Siyang's mouth and takes the blindfold off, too. 

Siyang gasps as he sees them. "Zhuo Zhi? Lu Xia? Baiyang?" Concern mingles with terror in his familiar face.

Zhuo Zhi  turns to Guan Yue. "You took him prisoner?" Disbelief is written all over his face. 

"I didn't," Guan Yue corrects, still smiling. "Xing Yao did. Ji Jingwu kindly handed him over to me. Which reminds me. I must thank him."

Siyang stays muted. 

Guan Yue smirks. "I have a proposal, Siyang."

"What is it," Siyang asks tiredly, his voice scraped and thin.

"Guo Zi will give back your beloved Chi Dayong and dear little Zhuo Yu," he says, "under one condition."

"Which is?"

"Give me control over your kingdom," Guan Yue states simply.

Siyang's eyes widen. But before he can answer, Baiyang shouts, "Don't do it!"