Assassin in White

Five

"The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their proper name."

"That is enough, now it is my turn." The deep, silky voice tickled his ear as the sponge was taken from his hand. He closed his eyes as the textured puff ball was dragged across his shoulders, swaying him against the solid body in front.

It rubbed down his back, dipped into the crevices and curves of his arms, then over his rear and legs. He felt fingers prying into the edges and folds of his loincloth and murmured a half-hearted protest. It was smothered by the sponge as it scrubbed over his face suddenly. He spluttered and wiped his face with one hand.

"I thought perhaps it might be the illusion of the powder, but you are even more beautiful without it." The emperor muttered into his ear. He took the now rosy lips with his own, tasting the hidden plumpness.

The warm water drifted against his most private area as the emperor managed to peel the loincloth away while he was distracted. His legs were brought forward to wrap around the strong waist again, this time from the front. It pressed him against the lean stomach of the emperor.

He could not hold back a gasp and moan at the heat and friction. The man took the opportunity to delve inside his mouth and lick him thoroughly from the inside out. The boy's head spun. His air grew thin as he was devoured. Hands plucked at his skin and then determinedly took down his hair.

It fell in waves down around his shoulders when loosened from the tight bun and then combed through by questing fingers. He found his own arms had wrapped unbidden around the firm shoulders to keep himself up.

He gasped as he was released from the sensual onslaught of the kiss, only to be bent backwards and attacked on his chest. The soft sounds that spilled from his lips and echoed around the chamber encouraged the emperor to continue.

The word 'no' never came. The shaking limbs and bitten lips never refused him. The hesitant eyes and hands did not push him away. Even when his fingers dug into the waiting chrysanthemum below for the first time, the boy simply whimpered.

It was beautiful. Truly beautiful, the way the boy submitted to him. Like nothing he had ever seen before in his lifetime. He was not falsely seductive. He was not terrified but suffering it anyway. He was not even reluctantly enduring, as he had seen in the eyes of past concubines.

He was just welcoming and experiencing it. Innocent. As though he was able to set aside his thoughts and simply submit to the emperor's desires. It was a heady thing, this kind of control. The emperor greedily ate it up... and the boy.

He built the assassin's passions so that he might cry out for him. He held him firmly and claimed every inch of the gleaming pale skin with his touch. He swallowed the ecstasy into his kisses and pulled more with his caresses.

"Ah, you are far more dangerous than I first thought." The emperor whispered as he pulled the ravished boy from the water and took him to his bed. He laid him on the sheets that had not seen another body but himself and trembled at the sight.

How was it possible to want another this much? Even the thought of someone else claiming this child was like a stab to his chest. None should ever see him like this, none but him. As he pushed himself forward to claim the beauty before him, his heart sighed in completion.

His thoughts raced with his passion. The assassin was his. He had promised him body and soul that he was his, and none would ever have claim on him again. He would kill any who tried. He would kill the boy should he try to leave him.

"Ah! Majesty!" The dark thoughts were pushed aside as the boy cried out and clung to him.

"My name... use my name... say 'Jun Li'..." He insisted to his lover. He nibbled on the soft skin of his throat, ears and cheek. The boy moaned under him and blinked his damp eyes up at the handsome man.

"Jun... Jun Li... Mm... more..." His sweet cries and honest begging made the emperor's heart swell with pride and some unnamed emotion that filled him with warmth.

"Of course... my sweet assassin..." He murmured to his lover tenderly. His thrusts became long and roughly insistent. His hands caressed the boy to bring him along to the heights of passion. The boy arched beneath him as his seed spilled between them.

Jun Li came undone. His senses were lost as he spilled himself deep into his new lover. He collapsed over the prone body beneath him. He listened to their racing hearts and panting breaths. He felt gentle arms wrap around his back and soft fingers caress his hair.

"Kai. My name... is Kai." The boy whispered in the aftermath of their lovemaking. The emperor smiled into his nape and held him closer.

"My Kai. My Xu Kai." He purred against the boy's neck. His eyes fluttered closed as he felt the nod of the boy's head.

"Yes. All yours." Was Kai's tired reply. 

*

Kai was not certain how long he was kept in that room. He was only certain that the emperor was actually a perverted demon that was going to kill him with his appetites. After what he imagined was a few days, he could not so much as move from the plush bed.

He was brought food by the emperor, washed by the emperor, and claimed until he could barely speak above a whisper. The emperor was consumed. In the bedroom he did not give him a moments peace, and out of it he hunted the trail of the traitors like a man possessed.

In the meantime, there were never any servants allowed in the same room as Kai. For all they knew, he did not really exist. When they were allowed to clean the bedroom, he was taken to the bath first. When they cleaned the bath, he was buried under the covers of the massive bed with the curtains shut tightly.

Rumours of a favoured concubine spread throughout the palace, but none could figure out who the woman was. No one was missing from the inner palace for the concubines and mistresses. It must be someone new, but who? And why was the emperor gathering the Xu family in one of the outer palaces?

The ministers were discontented with all this. It only took two weeks for the Emperor to root out every member of the family for nine generations, and he hosted most of them in the outer palace. Many Xu family were actually willing to come when given the edict with the emperor's seal.

However, the fact that the women and children of those traitors were simply housed in one of the outer palaces and kept in relative comfort confused them. The men, while locked up in the prison, were fed regularly and not even tortured for information. What was the emperor about?

The confusion in the place was thick as they waited for the powerful and clever man to reveal his game. He made them wait a further week. The men were held. The women and children housed. The boy secretly stashed away in his inner sanctum. Waiting.

Kai- "triumph"
Jun Li- "talented & capable"

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