Fourth Prince - Renjie Wrapped His Arms Around Bon Bao

Ganimedzu-no-kami Renjie wrapped his arms around Bon Bao's waist, tightly, and pressed his face into roughly the spot where a fuzzy navel hid behind clothes in need of washing. The news that his sister-in-law had detained his bubble-bottomed hunk had been hard to take.

"I was so worried!" he said.

"What were you worried about?"

"I was worried that you had been chained to a wall," wailed Renjie, "with nothing but a few strips of ragged clothing and scars to protect you from the night's chill. It gets cold up here on the Mound! Things might shrink. It would be terrible if that became permanent. Terrible!"

"I see," said Bon Bao. "Despite your concern, you never visited."

"I wasn't allowed to visit!" said Renjie. "Sister-in-Law feared visitors might contaminate your testimony. Fortunately, I don't feel any scars. But I can't be sure…."

Renjie put his head under Bon Bau's shirt. The smell was suffocating. He endured for love.

"There are no scars," said Bon Bao. "Nothing shrank."

"I see that," agreed Renjie.

"We were put in warm rooms and given plenty to eat."

"Were there rats?" asked Renjie.

"Of course not."

"Did the tortured screams of other prisoners keep you awake?"

"No one was being tortured," said Bon Bao.

Renjie pulled his head out of Bon Bao's clothes.

"Then why keep you locked up at all?" he demanded.

"Paperwork," said Bon Bao. "It's my understanding that everyone else was allowed to go back to the Riverside Mansion as the Crown Princess's tenants. Where am I? Who are they?"

Bon Bao first gestured to Renjie's luxurious bedroom in Plum Terrace Palace. Then he gestured to Rangiku and Garrett. Renjie explained the location, and then introduced his sister and her assistant. It was clear neither Rangiku nor Garrett could comprehend how Renjie and the hulking gangster from Gargogryeo could engage in intimate relations.

"You're here so that I can give you a bath," said Renjie.

Rangiku and Garrett smiled – and then clapped.

"I could use a bath," agreed Bon Bao. "And some fresh clothes. I don't suppose you have anything in my size?"

He began peeling off layers.

"My mother is the Goddess of Haute Couture," said Renjie. "We'll find something after your bath."

"We should give them time to catch up," said Garrett.

"Should we?" asked Rangiku. "Can Renjie survive having that…."

"Renjie is not the one in danger," inisted Garrett.

"But no bath toy could have prepared him for…."

Garrett coaxed the Sixth Princess back to her other duties. Renjie appreciated the alone time, but was not quite sure where to put his bubble-bottomed Bon Bau's clothes. They should be burned. Renjie put them in a waste receptacle and peeled off his own clothes. Standing in front of Renjie's floor to ceiling mirrors, Bon Bao flexed. His skin was greasy from captivity and caught the light well.

"Such huge mirrors seem excessive," he said. "You only come up to here."

Bon Bao gestured. Renjie flexed. Then he pushed Bon Bao's rump in the direction of the baths.

"So many tubs seems excessive," said Bon Bao. "Even for you."

"Each tub has a different temperature and mineral concentration," said Renjie.

"Why?"

"Skin care."

"Fine," said Bon Bao. "Which tub do we start in?"

"We wash off over there first," said Renjie. "You can't be dirty before you take a bath."

Renjie pushed in the direction of a little wooden stool. It wasn't made for a Gargogryeon muscle hunk, but it managed. Renjie poured buckets of hot – but not too hot – water over his hunk. Then he scrubbed. After two complete scrubbings, he selected the first tub. Once the muscle hunk got in, it became quite a squeeze for Renjie to get in after. He managed.

They proceeded from tub to tub. By the last one, Bon Bao was ready for a bath toy.

"Getting locked up wasn't so bad," he sighed. "What's that little runt of a princess up to?"

Renjie massaged his hunk's feet.

"I'm pretty sure she was trying to get you onto the Mound so we could enjoy bath time together," said Renjie. "Iba Algi likes to look out for me – and to solve problems in unexpected ways."

"I'm pretty sure that's not what she was up to," said Bon Bao.

"Mostly," insisted Renjie.

"Fine," said Bon Bao. "What else besides introducing me to your bath toys?"

"We're going into the Mound's tombs tomorrow," said Renjie. "Iba Algi and I convinced Parsifal that you would be an asset to the team."

"Third Prince Parsifal is known as a strong fighter," said Bon Bao. "I wouldn't mind seeing him in action. How does he compare to the Goddess of Glaives?"

"They spar all the time," said Renjie. "He can stay even with her for a while."

"Lady Wu's level, then," said Bon Bao. "Impressive. But I'm surprised she took it so far."

"Were you on good terms with Lady Wu?" asked Renjie.

"We had good bath times," said Bon Bao. "Toys like this would have made even better bath times. I'm told Ri Ran is here?"

"He's painting plum trees for That Man," said Renjie. "You'll see him at dinner."

"That Man?" asked Bon Bao.

"The Emperor," said Renjie.

"If we're going into tombs tomorrow," said Bon Bao, "do I get to stay somewhere warm tonight?"

Renjie melted into a little floating puddle of hot butter. He got things back together in time for dinner. Bon Bao wore haute couture originals well. They were actually two originals sewn together. Ri Ran cuddled up to Lord Bon. He could not believe their good fortune.

"Who could imagine we would end up in a palace?" the mousy rascal asked.

"You've got a good gig," agreed Bon Bao. "I'm going into some dank tomb tomorrow."

Renjie gave him a hug.

"It will be so much fun!" he insisted.

"Not just any dank tomb," said Rangiku. "It's a special dank tomb."

"How special?" asked Bon Bao.

"It's an ancient giant tomb," said Rangiku.

"We've got a lot of legends about ancient giants in Gargogryeo," said Bon Bao. "One legend says they turn into boulders when they die. Boulders don't need tombs."

"The young gentleman is correct," said the Minister of Antiquities from across the enormous dining hall. "Giants transform into elemental conglomerations upon death. The chambers we are looking for still qualify as tombs, however. Think of them like cells in a prison no one leaves."

"Then why not call it a prison instead of a tomb?" asked Bon Bao.

"Why not call a prison where no one leaves a tomb?" asked the Minister of Antiquities.

"Perhaps I would," said Bon Bao, "once the last prisoner died."

"Good, good!" said the Minister. "What if the prisoners were never alive?"

"Then I would call it a vault," said Bon Bao.

"It is often called 'Vault of the Giants,'" said the Minister. "We put treasures in vaults to protect them. If the goal is to ensure the treasure never leaves the vault, however, then it has been lost to anyone outside. Like the occupants of tombs. After all, if the treasure is lost, why protect it?"

"For the comfort of knowing no one else can get it," said Bon Bao.

"Good, good!" said the Minister. "A psychic benefit. That is also the benefit of a tomb."

"Are you saying these tombs are full of treasure?" asked Bon Bao.

"I hope so," said Rangiku, "or you've all done a lot of work for nothing."

"Who were the giants trying to keep their treasures away from?" asked Bon Bao.

The Minister produced a gold orb encrusted with rubies.

"Isn't that from our crypt?" asked Bon Bao.

"It is," agreed the Minister.

"Rubies for vampires," sighed Rangiku. "That's too on-the-nose. May I see it?"

The Minister held the orb in his palm. Plum Terrace Palace's Attendant collected it from him and delivered it to the princess. She examined it.

"Minister," she said, "this is from the Qianqiu Dynasty. It's not a giant artifact."

"It's not," agreed the Minister. "But it was intended to be kept away from everyone forever. The First Qianqiu Emperor had a plan. But he was not the first person to think of it. On the contrary, he literally stood on the shoulders of giants."

"According to that other princess," said Bon Bao, "the purpose of that orb was to help imprison a vampire. The purpose of imprisoning the vampire was to steal power from the God of War. Why didn't you invite that other princess to dinner?"

Bon Bao looked at Renjie.

"We would have!" said Renjie. "Iba Algi feels uncomfortable in crowds."

"She had a crowd in the boy's dormitory," said Bon Bao.

Renjie tried to wiggle inside Bon Bau's designer originals.

"Muscular Benefactor," he said, "the most pressing thought of each boy in the boy's dormitory was whether or not he would pass the imperial exam. Iba Algi can ignore those thoughts. But the thoughts of people in this room are more burdensome. You stopped just short of connecting the dots."

Bon Bao considered. Then it hit him.

"You're looking for the God of War!" he said.

"Good, good!" said the Minister of Antiquities. "Young heroes just blurt out what must be said!"

"Finding the God of War would make me a legend in Gargogryeo," said Bon Bao. "But would I be a living legend, or a dead one?"

"That's exactly the kind of question…," said Renjie, "which makes Iba Algi want to lie on her bed reading naughty illustrated novels instead of going out to dinner."

"The poor thing," said Rangiku.

"Isn't the answer kind of important?" asked Bon Bao.

"Try the fried wontons," said Rangkiku. "They're to die for."