Translator: PastTimer
Editor: PastTimer
_________The beds of the Barbarians were different from the ones in Xia, it was less of a bed and more like a large lounging couch. It was much shorter than ordinary beds and surrounded by a thick curtain, the bed was covered with a mattress but its sheets were woven fabric that wasn't very soft. It was still early autumn, the weather wasn't very cold so the two separate quilts on the bed weren't too thick.
After Xia Xi went back inside after washing his hands and disposing of the water, he saw that Chu Lan had already gotten inside one of the quilts, showing only two eyes. The young man's eyes were black and shiny, with an intense glare, alike wolf eyes decorated with sharp edges. Xia Xi felt uneasy being watched, his steps slowed down and he hesitated whether or not to walk over. He was still wearing the three-layered barbarian costume and not even one button was undone. But no matter how slow his pace was, the room was still small and he reached the bed after a while. While he was hesitating once again, the boy asked: "Aren't you undressing?"
Xia Xi quickly said, "Right, I will disrobe now," He walked to a corner, to a place where Chu Lan couldn't see him, and slowly took off his outer layers, he loosened the braids and jewels in his hair with deliberate slowness. After a while, Chu Lan asked again: "Finished?"
There was some tiredness in the boy's tone. Xia Xi quickly responded, moving faster, he finally undid the last remaining braid. He blew out the candle next to him and went to bed lightly.
This was their first night in the bridal chamber.
It was already much better than what Xia Xi originally imagined but it still couldn't give him a stable peace of mind. In this foreign country, his neck was under the suspended hanging tip of a knife. He didn't know when the sharp blade would pierce and completely obliterate him! He dove deeper under the quilt and tried to breathe more evenly but he still couldn't sleep. The temperature differences in the days and nights of Yudu was large and it was actually a bit cold. Xia Xi's feet were freezing but he dared not move, fearing that he would wake up the person who was sleeping besides him.
He didn't notice when the boy next to him rolled into his side and into his quilt. His hands and feet directly wrapped around him, hugging him tightly, and his warm cheeks were close to Xia Xi's neck. After rubbing for a while, he seemed to have found a comfortable position and stopped moving.
Xia Xi stiffened. He didn't have much experience in sharing beds with other people. He grew up in the dark and was an unknown existence, only occasionally would his sister take a nap with him. His happiest experiences were when he could sleep together with his mother for a night, but that didn't happen often. And now he was sharing a bed with a stranger, his husband, and the King of his country.
Xia Xi thought that it would be impossible for him to fall asleep, but didn't know when sleep started to slowly creep onto him. At least his limbs weren't covered in cold, they were warm, a bit hot even.
______
When he woke up the next morning the oil lamps were unlit, but it was already bright enough that he could see his surroundings. Xia Xi felt stunned, his slender eyelashes trembled and he stared at the complicated patterns on the drapes of the bed overhead. His mind slowly came back to life, reminding him of his current situation. Soon, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see his young husband watching him with great interest.
The two of them were close to one another, Chu Lan didn't even bother to move his legs that were wrapped around Xia Xi's waist. He propped up his head and asked jerkily in Chinese, "Are all Xia people as good-looking as you?"
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The Little King
Ficțiune istoricăTitle: The Little King (小夫君) Author: Amongst the Clouds (云间) _____ Tensions between the Kingdom of Xia and the Northwest Barbarians rise as they continue to fight on the border. To maintain a fragile alliance, the 'Princess' of peace Xia Xi was gift...