Last Preparations

ChaoMei Pavilion

"One, two, three… one, two, three"

Madam Li was still helping Shuoyue practice the choreography, using her hands to clap each time she counted as the boy moved to the rhythm of his steps before moving on to use the music.

He had been practicing diligently the whole night and part of the day and although he was about to die not long ago the boy moved as always, with elegance and delicacy, he was still the best dancer in all the kingdoms but there was something different about him and madam Li notice that.

Shuoyue didn't use to be so lively before, he always dance with that lugubrious look as if the whole world around him had collapsed, he hadn't had that beautiful sparkle in his eyes but the person Madam Li had in front of her at that moment was a very different, his tastes in food had changed a little bit, he smiled more often, and had more physical stamina.

"Excellent… we will leave in three hours, take a good rest, you can have a bath, I send you a special outfit for tonight"

"Thank you very much, madam"

The young man bowed with a big smile and hurried to his pavilion, the woman looked at the boy in amazement, although he had always been good at dancing just having rehearsed all night and part of the morning would not have been enough for a performance of him but he seemed to have improved a lot.

When Shuoyue arrived at his room he asked a young servant to prepare a bath for him and another to bring him some food, he was exhausted and hungry but he felt curiously rejuvenated.

Lan Castle

"Today is the big day your majesty" Lan Zhao spoke with a soft smile as he enter the room to wake up the king which was not necessary as the other was already in the tub.

"How was everything, A-Zhao?" The eldest seemed worried about his son.

"Well, he's the same as you but it seems that he will understand, your majesty"

"Are you upset?" Lan Yang turned to see his partner, frowning a little his eyebrows.

When he didn't receive a response, the fire king got up from the tub and approached his partner to corner him against the nearest wall.

"Y-your majesty… you are naked..."

"You always call me like that when you're worried about something or upset, what is it now?"

"Nothing special…"

A-Zhao averted his gaze somewhat embarrassed, although they were in his private bathroom, anyone could find them there, especially his children, and he was not yet ready to show affection in front of his partner's children, although he complained the king only got closer to his face until he didn't leave him a bit of space and that made Zhao got more nervous.

"A-Yang… enough you make me nervous"

"Then tell me what Is my cute lotus worried about?"

"Tomorrow... is the empress anniversary death"

The king could not say anymore, he knew exactly what his partner was referring to and what was going through the mind of the other.

"I know… but you still haven't told me why you're like this…" the older insisted, taking the other's chin and making him look into his eyes.

"W-Well…Xichen…no, it's nothing" with a sigh he regretted having said that.

"Xichen said something to you?"

"Well… he just asked me when we were getting married"

The king was speechless upon hearing the words of his partner, he indeed wanted to marry him but inside there was still something that prevented him.

"That made me think that maybe there is someone else in the kingdom who thinks the same so you should do a ceremony in the morning to reaffirm your wedding vows with her majesty and…"

"A-Zhao…" the king cut him off upon hearing his crazy idea.

He could not believe that his partner asked him to reinforce his promise with his former wife, the king felt guilty, many would say that he was blinded by love but seeing his partner so worried about the promise he had done to his previous wife he couldn't help but want to share his whole world with him.

That big heart and understanding were what had made him fall in love with Zhao even though they had been just friends before, Lan Yang couldn't imagine his life without him anymore.

"Don't worry, I already have something planned"

"That relieves me" Zhao looked at the opposite with a big smile.

"A-Zhao...my Zhao"

"Mm?"

"Are you happy by my side?"

"Of course, stay by your side, and being your unconditional support is the best gift of my life"

The king caressed his partner's cheek while A-Zhao rubbed against his palm and smiled, he wasn't lying, he always dreamed of being by his side and now he could be, what more could he ask for?

ChaoMei Pavilion

After taking a bath for almost thirty minutes with some oils and peach blossom petals, he dried his body well and perfumed himself from head to toe, applying a little talcum powder and a moisturizing cream that enhanced the natural aroma of the peach smell.

After finished with his skincare, a young man helped him with his makeup by outlining his eyes and putting a little red on his lips as well as a pink flower on his forehead to match the outfit Madam Li had sent him. Between two people dressed him in a beautiful white hanfu with golden decorations and peach blossoms that fell on the base of a soft pink tone.

They combed his hair beautifully and held it in place with two hairpins with the same flower adornment. Shuoyue had asked the madam for an aperture entrance that ended up being a dance apart from the main one to manifest his rebirth after almost dying from the poison and that had been the main theme for the show they wanted to demonstrate that night.

A boy prepared his fans for him in a wood box, from the simple ones to the ones he had designed with fabric tela which only he knew how to handle without getting tangled. When he finished getting ready, Madam Li was already calling everyone to start loading things into the carriages, because it was not only about arriving but also about bringing a great set for their acts.

Although Madam Li had started that place as a brothel, she wanted to follow the art path more than the sexual one and soon they gained more fame as artists, that is why they were the largest and most famous brothel and the only ones who had been invited to the prince birthday.

"My dear Shuoyue, you look beautiful"

"Thank you very much, Madam, do you need help?"

"No dear, get on your carriage, we'll leave an hour before so don't mess up your hair" she scolded him

"Hahaha I won't"

He burst out laughing at the words of the madam, Shuoyue climbed the carriage followed by Wen Mao, in there he looked at himself one last time in a small mirror and for a moment he was confused of his reflection because he did not remember having that green color in his eyes, in his memories they were more blue than green by he didn't pay much attention to this.

...

Lan Castle

"No, no, that's not it... Agh, I put everything very specific on the notes, don't you know how to read? Today is not just any day, it's the crown birthday party, his royal ascension, and the empress's anniversary's death... Are you aware of all this, right?"

"Yes sir"

"Well, it doesn't seem"

"Councilor Zhao, didn't you have another outfit before?"

Zhao's face turned red at that comment but that only made him even angrier.

"SHUT UP AND GET TO WORK"

Everyone scared just answered with a "yes sir" running away to fix the whole place, councilor Zhao was a dangerous man when he was angry. For his part, Lan Zhao was not only upset, but he was also embarrassed, he had been correcting everything that the servants had put in the wrong place without his supervision for more than half an hour, all because of the king's fault he had been late in his tasks.

A few moments ago

"The ceremony will be in three hours, don't be late"

"Aren't you going to help me get dressed?" The king looked at his couple with puppy dog eyes.

"I have to supervise the event or they will put the decorations wrong A-Yang" Zhao looked at the king with a serious face, he knew very well where was that conversation going but he woulddn't fall into his trap.

"Come on just stay with me for five minutes"

"No… let go of me"

"I don't want to" the king mentioned that with a childish tone.

"Your Majesty!"

When Zhao least expected it, he felt his body under the warm water of the tub and when he opened his eyes again there was his partner. The face of Zhao was redder, his clothes all wet so he punches lightly his couple's chest.

"I knew it… cheater, treacherous, liar…" His lips were silenced by a kiss from the king.

"Mmg wait… we'll be late"

"Just once time" he pleaded against his lips.

"Tsk…just one"

Zhao stopped resisting his caresses and despite being an important day, he allowed himself to be enveloped by the moment. He passed his arms around the neck of his partner approaching to kiss the opposite again.

To be continue