The Silent Guard (mxm)

Chapter 8

Zen felt his heart constrict at the man's words. A curse? Him? It was not possible. He was just a person who had followed his master since they'd found each other many years ago. Sure, them losing their memories at the same time was odd, and his lack of needing sustenance most days...

"Do not fret over my words yet, Zen. You truly are what I say, but there is, unfortunately, quite a bit more to it," the prince said as he gestured dismissively with one hand. 

Schooling his expression immediately, Zen watched as his master forced himself to relax a little more into his chair before addressing prince Yuen. 

"I accept your deal, but what I wish to know has now changed." 

The other prince blew out a light breath through his nose and smirked. 

"Of course it has. I accept. Ask your questions." 

Qi nodded and licked his lips, then began speaking calmly. 

"How do you know that Zen is what you say he is? I do not remember ever having met you before, and I doubt that he has, either?" he said, glancing back at him for the last part of his question. 

Zen shook his head, indicating that he had not known the man before their previous meeting in the market. 

Qi returned his attention to the other prince, then asked, "what actually happened at the market? Why did you kill the man who shot the poison arrow?" 

Of course, they both knew why. Except...

"My father sent that man. I did not know of it, but there was no point in keeping him alive... and him poisoning your servant made things quite a bit more frustrating for me," the prince said, drawing his master's brows downward slightly. 

"How so?" Qi asked. 

Prince Yuen tilted his head, clearly thinking about something important. When he seemed to have decided on what he wished to say, he gestured to Qi's robe. 

"I will answer your question after you remove the top portion of your robe." 

Zen bristled, angry that the man had answered so little before asking for his reward. His master, however, did not show any signs of annoyance, and instead simply slipped first the left side of his robe, then the right, from his shoulders. 

He didn't like it. 

Sure, he'd seen his master completely naked thousands of times over the years. It was his job to care for him, but there was absolutely no need to do as the other prince had said! They could get information other ways. 

"Not much of an exam is needed, I see," came prince Yuen's quieted voice as he stood from his chair and took two steps forward to stand before Qi. 

His master looked up, giving the other man his full attention as prince Yuen reached downward and brushed his fingertips over the strange mark covering his master's heart. 

"I wanted to confirm weather you two were actually tied together or not. Unfortunately, you are," he said as he tapped the black design. 

Little sparks of electricity danced about his fingertips as the dark mark blurred. For some reason, Zen felt as if his own heart was being zapped by those little jolts of static, and as the black mark actually began to condense around prince Yuen's fingertips, Zen felt his heart constrict so tightly that his vision blurred and his knees dropped his weight. 

Right before he expected to hit the floor, strong arms caught him. 

"He's very light." 

Zen felt more familiar arms grab hold of him a second later, immediately taking him from, who he could only assume, was prince Yuen. He was settled against a warm, bare chest a few moments later, tucked comfortably against his master.