Xie Yi-jun

1294 years after The Long Night

Hêi'àn Palace

A few days before his sixteenth birthday, and Xie Yi-jun had decided to be preemptive about his escape this time. After so many years, all the guards and his mother knew that he always staged a break out on his birthday. It had pretty much become his trademark. Knowing that, it was almost too clever to try to do something now.

Hardly anyone will be on the watch! It's perfect-

Not so perfect however, was the young Prince's plan. At first it had involved ripping up his blankets again; something he despised doing every time. Halfway through scratching his head about how he'd get out, around one AM, a strange sort of clanging sound at his balcony alerted him to the intruder...

Cackling, nearly crashing into his bookcase as he raced for the door, Xie Yi-jun swung it open and caught onto the edge of the railing, where a metal hook had just been tossed up!

"Psst!"

In the darkness Yi-jun's night vision was nearly perfect, and he was able to spot the figure down below, now waving to him.

"No need to come down, we're coming up!" Su Lan hissed, and the Prince's heart pounded in his chest at how risky this was!

It's one thing for me to sneak out, they know what I look like, they won't shoot me-

A strange person shimmying up a rope in the middle of the night to break into my bedchamber?! Su Lan is crazier than me!

That was why they got along...

Grunting from the effort of hoisting his best friend over the railing, Xie Yi-jun was startled and nervous to find that three others were climbing up as well.

"Your birthday present!" Su Lan snickered, quickly going about helping the young women onto the balcony.

"It's freezing!" One cried.

"Let's hurry inside..."

Xie Yi-jun blinked, already feeling heat rising on his face that had nothing to do with the three girls and everything to do with the fact that he'd dumped all his clothes and bedsheets out onto the floor incase he'd be using them as a bungee cord tonight-

"Ouch! What the hell?!"

Colliding with Su Lan to get inside first, it was a rather clumsy, ridiculous little battle between himself and several pounds of fabric before he realised there was no use and he just gave up. Collapsing onto the floor in the middle of the pile, the Prince couldn't figure out what to do with his hands as the four stepped into his room.

"Wow!"

"Look at all these books! It's bigger than I thought in here-"

The girls all huddled close together, taking everything in while Su Lan joined Yi-jun on the little nest he'd made, slapping him hard on the back and sighing;

"You didn't think I'd make it, did you? Well surprise surprise!"

Not only did Su Lan invite others, but he'd also managed to haul several bottles of wine and whisky up! When everyone laid eyes on it there were a few gasps and excited squeals of laughter before Su Lan grinned and put a finger over his mouth.

"Quiet, ladies! You wouldn't want to get caught up here now would you..."

They all three shook their heads, eyes wide, and then the smallest of them inquired softly;

"What is all that?"

Xie Yi-jun blinked. "Oh, I'm... I was going to tear it up and climb down."

After several moments the young women finally turned to each other and seemed to giggle, which only made the Prince blush more.

"He's so cute-" he heard one whisper.

"Yes, he's adorable. Are you here to gossip or to drink?" Su Lan waved a bottle in the air and like that, the evening continued.

The Prince had tasted wine before, but never so much. Soon, himself as well as his companions were all tispy, blushing and laughing together as Su Lan and Yi-jun recounted stories that the three young women were eager to hear.

"Have you really gone all the way down?! To the dungeons?"

They looked frightened-

"Aren't you afraid of the ghosts?!"

Yi-jun shook his head, "Ghosts and spirits aren't very scary. It's demons you gotta watch out for-"

"Demons?!"

"Oh yeah! Let me tell you a story about the ones living under Darkling Pond..."

As Su Lan continued on about some of the strange things they'd seen together, Yi-jun also watched shyly as the three girls pretended to be very concerned by his words, one coming closer to Su Lan and the other two clinging onto the young Prince's arms, leaning their heads on his shoulders and feigning terror.

I know they're only stroking our egos... so why do I like it so much?

Xie Yi-jun was not used to being around so many people. So many strangers. But with the alcohol blurring all the lines, he found himself enjoying it much more than he thought.

The room was growing warmer. Su Lan even stopped talking, which was a miracle, and he and the girl with the pretty lavender-colored eyes were now whispering things to each other that made the Prince blush...

Next to his friend, hearing all his sly secrets and gentle laughs, Yi-jun realised only a moment later that the smaller girl beside him, still clinging to his arm, had leaned in and begun whispering to him too!

"Happy birthday. You know, I've brought you a gift."

The Prince swallowed and nervously turned to look. He immediately saw the young woman's dark brown eyes; the rosy blush on her cheeks, and the soft strands of raven-colored hair that framed her delicate face...

Out of the corner of his eye, he also saw that Su Lan and the other girl were no longer just whispering. They were... kissing-

The Prince's heart was racing so fast, but he was speechless and unable to move as the brown-eyed girl leaned in and kissed him sweetly on the cheek.

He had always wanted to know what being kissed felt like, so when he saw that she seemed willing to offer that to him, Xie Yi-jun reached up and held her face in his hands, closing his eyes and bending down.

It was soft, like the brush of a flower-petal against his fevered lips, but he was far too shy to keep going. Releasing her, it was only a matter of seconds before the young Prince was being pulled back. And not only that, but he felt the third girl on his other side, carefully pulling his hair to the side and pressing kiss after fluttery kiss to his neck!

Ah, I don't...

Yi-jun might have even said there were no thoughts in his head at all in that moment-

Carried away by the brand new feelings, what had started as an innocent, timid exploration of this activity, turned into something far more thrilling. The Prince sat there, growing dizzy while the two strangers confidently continued; the girl with brown eyes slowly coaxing his lips apart, and as their tongues slid together he inhaled sharply, feeling his hair being tugged on... warm breath under his jaw, a sweet voice in his ear;

"How's that, my Prince? Is it what you wanted for your birthday? Or, would you like something else?"

Xie Yi-jun had a healthy imagination. What he didn't have was anywhere near the amount of confidence needed to express those ideas in words. As if the universe knew that, it was right then that somebody knocked on the door to his bedroom.

All of them froze in an instant. Like magic, in the span of fifteen seconds, not only had they skittered around in silence to hide the evidence of their being there; empty bottles and the girl's cloaks, Su Lan was already preparing to escape out the balcony again, still stumbling, tipsy and bright red...

The knock came again, Yi-jun's heart racing as he straightened his clothes and took several deep breaths, attempting to answer the door with a somewhat confused expression, as if he'd just been sleeping-

I could pretend all this color on my cheeks is just from a dream? Yes, it makes sense...

Xie Yi-jun opened the door quickly, only an inch so that he could block the rest of the room from view with his body. What he hadn't counted on, was who might be knocking...

"Mother?!"

Blinking in shock, the young Prince's voice came out a touch panicked, and behind him he could definitely sense Su Lan and the others backing away slowly towards the balcony. He prayed they couldn't be seen...

The woman's dark eyes narrowed sharply and Yi-jun swallowed. Attempting a guilt-free smile he quickly stammered;

"It's so... late! Why are you awake at this hour?"

The Queen was a woman of keen observation. He'd never had any luck in his whole life getting away with anything major, as he knew it was all a matter of time before she found out.

"You're red. Do you have a fever?"

She also wasn't one to beat around the bush...

Yi-jun shook his head, aware somehow that behind him the others had already snuck out onto the balcony. Maybe they'd be safe out there-

"N...no-"

Then the Queen crossed her arms. As she peered closer at him Yi-jun suddenly had the stray thought that perhaps he might have a mark or two on his neck. Well shit-

Finally, after far too many moments of silence that he couldn't stand, his mother uncrossed her arms and sighed.

"I don't care if you drink,"

Yi-jun was almost sure his gulp was audible...

His mother frowned, "Just so long as you don't go outside to do it. And don't show up tipsy to training. If you wake up tomorrow and your head hurts, you still have to go to practice, yes? Ask one of the physicians for a cure, don't bother your instructors."

The Prince nodded several times. When his mother seemed satisfied, she left. Not before adding; "There will be extra guards posted this week."

Yi-jun knew she meant in preparation for his birthday-escape. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling...

Sorry to disappoint the guards-

When he was sure the Queen had gone, Yi-jun exhaled loudly and closed the door. Hearing faint giggles from the balcony, the Prince wasted no time. Su Lan and the others were all huddled up together outside in the cold midnight air, and they all perked up when they saw him.

"Phew, that was a close one!" Su Lan muttered, shivering.

"Too close..."

Xie Yi-jun's words were silenced gently as the girl with brown eyes suddenly came forward and hugged him. He blinked in shock, not sure what to do as he watched Su Lan and the others snicker, and then his friend whispered something to them that made them both laugh.

"Next time you're in town, come find me?" She said.

He didn't know how to tell her that there likely wouldn't be a next time, but he agreed anyway. After making sure the hallway outside his door was clear, the intruders were all prepared to sneak away but before they left, the Prince joyfully exchanged several heart-warming kisses with each of the girls, the newness and warmth of it all causing everyone to laugh and smile. It might also have had something to do with the alcohol they'd consumed...

With one foot out the door, Su Lan caught Yi-jun's arm and grinned widely-

"Happy birthday A'Jun, this year you might finally be able to start calling yourself a man!"

The Prince practically shoved his friend out, hearing his laughter carry on for a long while down the hallway until it seemed Su Lan and the others had escaped.

His friend knew the palace just as well as he did. They wouldn't be caught.

Alone again, Xie Yi-jun ended up passing out in his completely stripped bed, drifting off with a smile still plastered on his face that didn't vanish 'till the morning. And even then, it was several weeks before he stopped thinking about that night...

This is part of what it means to live a life; freedom, my own choices... I could never stop trying to run towards it-

Even if it means I wake up every single day with a new headache!