Hell King's Rising

@Lord Xiao Zhan For once, it was not an eventful exchange between the two of them, and Yibo felt like a rock had been lifted off his chest when their breakfast was concluded. Since Zhan didn't seem to be in a bad mood, Yibo wanted to take this opportunity, to see if he'd be able to go out and explore the palace a little bit more. He had been meaning to familiarize himself, but it was clear that the guards were under strict orders from their Master to not let him out of this prison room. Instead, Yibo didn't get to make that request and Zhan made it clear they were leaving next month. "Where are we going?" Yibo asked, his sense of time distorted ever since he had come to the Hell realm anyways. "What are you saying?" he asked at Zhan's vague declarations. Yibo wanted to ask for clarification, but the older male had already left him by then, confusion spelled across his face. He could do nothing to get more information but wait.

@14th Heavenly Prince Yibo Zhan was running out of time. Soon, the Heavenly Court would grow tired of waiting and playing nice with Zhan. It was a matter of time before they decided that they had the power to overpower Zhan. The man knew that if he didn't act soon, he would lose everything he had worked so hard to seize so far. Zhan ate the rest of his meal in silence. He only spoke again after the both of them had eaten everything and tea was poured. "Next month," Zhan decided. "We must leave. You will come with me. I've kept you here too long." It was becoming a rant. Zhan stood and paced the room as panic, for the first time in a long while, crept up on him. "I have to act soon. Attack. Anything. We need it. You'll come with me to find it. I won't leave you alone here." With that, Zhan left Yibo to his own devices, his mind brewing with a mad ingenuity as he retreated the halls to his own chambers. Heaven /will/ be his, or everything would have been for nothing.

@Lord Xiao Zhan The hunk of a lord remained unmoving at the opposite end of the table after his first bite, as if lost in a thought of his own. Yibo chewed at the ends of his chopsticks, stealing a glance or two at Zhan's deeply concentrated face. What was going on in that tyrannical mind? Yibo didn't think Zhan looked so mean when his mouth wasn't open - or maybe he had finally become accustomed to this look that it wasn't as intimidating anymore. Of all the bad things that Zhan could have done to him, Yibo had endured most of it already, and he wasn't on the verge of death so what was there to be scared of anymore. While Zhan was lost in his thoughts, Yibo picked at another piece of lamb meat, silently depositing it in the older's bowl before continuing to eat. He was a little startled by Zhan's request for him to try again, but since the older never specified Yibo couldn't have any help, he supposed he'd take it as a learning oppprtunity.

@14th Heavenly Prince Yibo Zhan stared at Yibo for a long time. It was really a long time, since he just so long the next piece of food he picked up had cooled significantly. He chewed it slowly, letting the flavours sink into his tongue. Zhan thought that the most appropriate reaction, of course, was to stand and flip the table over along with all the dishes on it. But for some reason, he didn't. He didn't think he had the energy anymore (at least, for that morning) to scream or yell or hit Yibo until he understood. Besides, breakfast was edible. Zhan continued to stare blankly at Yibo as his mind wandered off. He had kept Yibo for so long now, yet the Heavenly Court barely had anything to show in exchange for him. Was a prince really worth so little? Zhan sighed. "Okay," he simply said. "Let's eat. You can try again tomorrow."

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@Lord Xiao Zhan "Oh...right." Yibo murmured as he sat down in his own seat, placing his smaller bowl of porridge in front of himself. He was relieved that Zhan was finally satisfied for once, talking to him rather normally without any tone indicating threats or imminent humiliation. Yibo eyed Zhan's pair of chopsticks, first hovering over the lamb dish as he expected, then taking a piece of meat and bringing it to his mouth. Yibo's head gave away his anticipation, tilting to a side as he waited for Zhan's comment. He picked at a piece of egg, bringing it to his lips and finishing with a swipe of porridge straight from the bowl. He chewed slowly, meticulously, brows furrowing as if deep in thought.

This flavor...was distinctly the flavor he had been eating since Xuan Lu personally began to bring him his daily meals. Yibo smiled, appreciation spreading across his face at the thought of the maid's loving gesture. If she had not given him the formula and taught him step by step today, Yibo might have never known.

"Oh...I didn't..." he admitted when Zhan asked, looking up at the older when he was snapped out of his thoughts. "I told you...I've never cooked before." Yibo hoped that by being honest, Zhan wouldn't subject him to cooking breakfast for them everyday, since it was bound to be an uncomfortable routine if Yibo had to share a meal with the lord on the daily.

@14th Heavenly Prince Yibo Zhan's dubious expression gave all his innermost thoughts away. He examined each dish carefully in turn. It did look what Yibo claimed them to be and safe to eat, but he couldn't shake away the thought that Yibo probably had help. He wasn't sure if he should count it as a blessing or not. On one hand, he hadn't allowed for anyone to help. On the other, whoever provided aid probably saved Zhan's tastebuds in doing so. "Well, what are you standing around for?" Zhan said irritably, having nothing to nitpick on the dishes' appearance. "Sit down." Zhan eyed a piece of lamb meat before picking up a medium sized piece, inspecting it at eye level before cautiously putting it into his mouth. He chewed carefully, letting the flavour spread across his tongue. "Did you make this on your own?" he finally asked.

@Lord Xiao Zhan Initially, Yibo didn't want to eat breakfast with Zhan, who had been nothing but a big bully in the morning, but after seeing the fruits of his effort and teachings from Xuan Lu, he wanted to taste his cooking for himself. He had everything assorted on a platter, a total of three separate dishes and two bowls of porridge for each of them. He entered his chambers, rather surprised that Zhan would still be there instead of the grand dining hall where Yibo had first encountered him. Even though his cooking was met with suspicion, Yibo carefully laid out the dishes neatly onto the table, pointing to each dish as he took his seat, "This, is stir-fried lamb meat with white cabbage." he said, having heard that one of Zhan's favorite types of meat was lamb. He pointed to the second dish "This, is boiled vegetables in chili sauce," since Yibo knew people in the Underworld had spicier palates. He pointed to the last one, "And this, is chives and eggs." Of all three dishes, Yibo had expected that one to be the least appealing, but it was a menu he remembered eating in Heaven, so he had asked Xuan Lu to teach him to prepare it. Yibo motioned for Zhan to eat, finally turning up to look at the older male, donning a rather expectant expression that he wasn't aware of.

@14th Heavenly Prince Yibo Xiao Zhan had stationed himself over Yibo's tea table, contemplating his list again until he heard steps from down the hallway. Stashing it hastily into the folds of his robes, Zhan watched Yibo enter again with a tray of food ready for them. Zhan wasn't sure what to say at first. 'Pathetic?' But it wasn't. In fact, it was looking a bit good for something that had supposedly come from Yibo. Zhan found it hard to believe, since he was in the kitchen no even an hour ago and witnessed the mess Yibo had made. Zhan gave Yibo a skeptical look, then the food, then Yibo again. "What's this supposed to be?" he asked hotly.

@Lord Xiao Zhan Yibo cringed when Zhan chucked the ingredients around, hollering at him first thing he walked in. Yibo had already told him clearly that morning that he had never been in the kitchen before, much less cook a full-on meal by himself. Even if Zhan had a bigger temperament and wanted to punish him, Yibo wasn't going to be able to produce anything grand at the snap of his fingers. He murmured, "I'm trying..." though it was clear Zhan wasn't listening to him. It appeared that Zhan only came in here to cause a ruckus, and he was in and out like a puff of wind. Once the terror disappeared, Xuan Lu's figure appeared from out of the corner of the kitchen, smiling as she took up the knife from Yibo's cutting board. "Lu jiejie..." Yibo mumbled as he tried to watch her actions to emulate again, "Good thing I have you..."

And while Yibo didn't have a meal prepared by breakfast time, he wasn't majorly late either. He had a cut across the back of his left hand, but that was nothing in comparison to the pride that filled his chest as he looked at what he and Xuan Lu had made. "It looks really pretty." he admitted, smiling once again at his own success, "I'm sure he won't have anything to yell about now."

@14th Heavenly Prince Yibo "You've been here for so long already!" Zhan hollered, his feet shuffling as he moved to inspect just what Yibo had achieved in the kitchen so far. There were bits and pieces of chopped up food everywhere, but none of it was on a plate or even remotely close to looking done. Instead, ingredients lay all over the counters. Zhan couldn't believe himself. Leave it to a brat of Heaven to try and make breakfast. "What is this?" Zhan demanded, picking up a haphazardly chopped head of cabbage. "Did you let an animal maul this before you started trying to cut it? Do you have any common sense? Even if you've never cooked before, you know it's not supposed to look like this!" In his frustration, Zhan threw it over his shoulder, not caring for anything leafy at all so early in the morning. "I'm going back to bed. Get it together, will you?"

@Lord Xiao Zhan Yibo had been in the kitchen before the crack of dawn, but even when it was clearly daytime, it was evident that little progress had been made. He had never held a knife before, much less know any of the terminology for how to cut the vegetables laid out on the wooden counters. And the vegetables were one thing, but the stench of the slabs of meat lying set in the shadiest corner of the kitchen made him nauseous all over again. Yibo had spent a good half the morning slowly collecting water to wash the ingredients, only touching the knife after a long while of deliberation. He held the knife awkwardly, holding the handle like he was trying to ball up his fist. Bringing it down over the head of cabbage, the crunching sound and the blade meeting with the cutting board was the only indication that Yibo had done it right. He was slow, panicking every now and then when he almost ran the blade down his finger. One of those times was thanks to Zhan, whose thundering voice made Yibo throw his knife down, letting it clatter on the counter. He rubbed his wrist, his hands red from gripping the knife so hard, answering, "I- I still need time." he said.

@14th Heavenly Prince Yibo Oddly enough, Zhan fell back asleep. He wasn't sure how it happened. One moment he was watching Yibo dress himself before heading out, and the next he opened his eyes and he was staring up at the ceiling, his vision blurred and his mind disoriented. He could tell a good amount of time had passed. Swinging his legs over the edge, Zhan scooped up his underlayer, pulling his arms through the sleeves and pulling the front shut as he strode down he corridors for the kitchens. On his way past his own room, he grabbed a sash to tie his robes together, but otherwise continued his path straight for the kitchens. He burst in unannounced, his gaze settling on the mess that had been made. "What's taking so long?" Zhan growled, striding over to peer over Yibo's shoulder at what he was doing. "What is this?!"

@Lord Xiao Zhan Any clothing was better than no clothing, and it was clear that Zhan's clothes were much more concealing than the transparent outer robe Yibo had been donning since his time here. He made his way back, taking the robe from Zhan's hand when offered, nodding his head in thanks. He slipped his arms through the high quality fabric, feeling how it hugged against his skin. The robe wrapped around his waist easily, a little loose at the shoulders and the hips, but it was find otherwise. Without bothering to ask Zhan, he bent down and picked up the matching sash, fitting it around his waist and tightening it so the robes would not fall the moment he stepped out of the room.

Yibo went to the door, opened it and took another glance back at Zhan's uninterested figure before he stepped out, disappearing into the corridors towards the maid wing.

@14th Heavenly Prince Yibo Zhan didn't respond for a while, staring off into nothingness whilst Yibo waited for his response. Finally, he sat up, the sheets bunching around his waist. Wiping his hand down his face, Zhan gave Yibo's body a once over. It was battered blue and purple and yellow all over, larger patches of bruises blooming over his bottom and the back of his thighs. "Take mine," Zhan grunted, gesturing to the layers of robes he had shed last night, now lying in a heap over on the floor. He bent over the edge of the bed, picking up the outer layer embroidered with gold thread. It shimmered when it caught on to light. It would be obvious for anyone who saw that those were not Yibo's regular robes. "Here. Hurry up, I've said this way too many times now."

@Lord Xiao Zhan "I haven't." Yibo replied, refusing to cower from the disapproving look that Zhan was giving him. The older sounded like he was some big chef himself, when Yibo was willing to bet all he had (not much) that Zhan could do no better than him. He sighed, slowly maneuvering himself over Zhan's body and standing up by the side of the bed. There was only one set of sheets, and with Zhan wrapping himself in them, Yibo couldn't exactly tug the cover off with him. He stood and headed to the small wardrobe in the corner, opening it to find that his clothing had been removed. He turned towards Zhan, albeit self-consciously, asking, "Well...can you at least give me my clothes back?" he asked.

@14th Heavenly Prince Yibo Though Zhan was no chef himself, he snorted at Yibo's admission. The older continue to lie, splayed over the bed, refusing to move again. Whatever Yibo knew or didn't know what to do, it wasn't Zhan's problem anymore. "That's ridiculous," Zhan snorted, turning on his side so his back faced Yibo. "They really spoil you up there, don't they? I bet you've never even cooked once. Am I right?" Zhan turned slightly, the sheets pulling tight over his skin when he did. He watched Yibo for a moment until his neck strained too far, then fell back into his resting position. "Whatever, I don't care. Go figure it out yourself."

@Lord Xiao Zhan Yibo didn't know that his body could be so exhausted, especially since the pain was beginning to subside and soreness became the main feeling throughout his body. He didn't expect to fall asleep so comfortably against Zhan, tucked into the crook of the older's neck like a child. It reminded Yibo of sleeping in his mother's chambers as a young child, but of course this experience was lacking in the familiar scent and the softer body that cherished him.

Yibo was scared awake when Zhan shook him, eyes widening as he tried to figure out the urgency of the situation though he was met with darkness in the room. He inhaled sharply, rubbing a hand over his heart to calm himself.

"Go make breakfast for us. You may as well do something useful. Don't take too long, I'm busy today."

Yibo pulled the covers over him as he sat up and leaned against the wall, grimacing as a strain on his back almost sent him collapsing face-first back on the bed. "I...don't know how to cook." he admitted to Zhan, rubbing his eyes. Zhan's silhouette was outlined by the little slivers of light that crept into the room, but the look on his face was indiscernible so Yibo could not tell if the Lord was kidding.

@14th Heavenly Prince Yibo Zhan let Yibo pull the sheets over them, his hand coming to rest over Yibo's hip again, pulling the younger close. Maybe if Yibo actually got a proper taste of what Zhan could do, he'd be more willing to submit for this reward. Pushing Yibo's head into the crook of his neck, Zhan closed his eyes too, drifting off into an untroubled sleep.

When Zhan woke again, it was still dark in the windowless room, but he knew the next day had begun. He never slept fitfully. Yibo no longer rested in his arms. Zhan watched the prince's sleeping figure for a moment before he closed his hand over Yibo's shoulder and gave him a hard jostle. "Wake up," Zhan said, though he made no move himself to get up. "Go make breakfast for us. You may as well do something useful. Don't take too long, I'm busy today."

@Lord Xiao Zhan Yibo still felt nauseous every time Zhan compared him to a commodity, some type of displayable product. But he held his tongue, for this time, there was no detectable sarcasm behind Zhan's words. Even though he had obviously been smacked around and beaten up from his shoulders and below, Zhan's hand against his cheek sent electrical sparks coursing through Yibo's entire head. He pulled his head back when Zhan's body came closing in against him, thinking that there could be no satisfactory answer he could muster at this moment that expressed how he felt. Good thing Zhan's lips came pressing against his, saving Yibo from having to talk. He laid limply against the older, the kiss not registering as anything more than their bodies coming into contact at yet another focal point. At least Zhan wasn't here to threaten him with Xuan Lu, to use his body again. Reaching for the covers while their lips were connected, Yibo tugged the sheets a little higher over their bodies. When the kiss broke, he closed his eyes and lowered his chin, giving in to the sleepiness that finally came over him.

@14th Heavenly Prince Yibo Zhan grinned when Yibo began to open up a little, speaking without insults or cries. “Easy,” he said. “You’re a treasure. I might take you to see my treasures one day. But you’re from Heaven. What better queen to display by my side than one from up there?” Zhan smiled again, his muscles in his cheek twitching from long periods of disuse. "But it doesn't have to be so bad. I don't like to hurt you." Zhan brought a hand up, brushing the back of his knuckles gently down Yibo's cheeks. "We could be happy. I told you before." With that, Zhan closed the distance between them, slotting his lips over Yibo's with a gentle pressure. "Everyday could be like this."

@Lord Xiao Zhan Every harsh movement exacted to turn him around, Yibo let out a corresponding moan of pain, his entire soul flying out of his body from the soreness. He was glad that the lights in the room were dimmed, giving Zhan less satisfaction to see the pain on his face. Yibo swallowed the hurt, a hand reaching up to grab the bigger's bicep and gasping out softly, "What...do you want me to do?" Yibo didn't know if he was fully swayed by Zhan's words (or even at all) but if it would make his time here with Zhan less devastating, there was no such thing as impossible. "What can you give me...why do you want to try for me?"

@14th Heavenly Prince Yibo Zhan said nothing as he forcefully moved Yibo onto his back, then his side again so that the prince faced him. “Don’t give me that attitude anymore,” Zhan said, his voice hard as his fingers gripped Yibo’s hip tightly, ignoring the bruising there that was sure to be smarting. “Look how hard I’m trying. Can you say that same? I try so hard for you but all you do is fight me in return. Don’t you know? I can offer you everything. Anything. I can give you more than you have you there. Don’t you want that? Why do you make it so difficult for us?”

@Lord Xiao Zhan /"You do just want to punish me."/ Yibo thought to himself, stiffening when Zhan's hand tightened around him. Yibo would've scoffed if he had the energy within him to, as Zhan didn't even seem like he believed his own words. Yibo knew that when hot met with cold, it would hurt, and he was experiencing that same crackling pain on his skin now with Zhan's hot breath against him. Yibo squirmed against Zhan, wincing in pain. "Hurts to turn." he said blatantly, voice a little breathy from the stabbing feeling in his ribs and tailbone. "If you want to hit me more, just hit me." he said, "A few more times won't be any different."

@14th Heavenly Prince Yibo "You always think I just want to punish you," Zhan said, pressing down on Yibo's stomach with a little more pressure to hold the smaller a little closer. "I don't want that. I want us to be happy together. You should know by now your family may not want you anymore... how long has it been?" Zhan dropped a kiss against the side of Yibo's neck, trying to peer over the younger's shoulder to get a look at his face. He rested back down, watching the way Yibo's muscles moved beneath his skin when he breathed or shifted. Their bare skin slid smoothly when Zhan hugged Yibo against him a little tighter. "You should get used to it, being with me. You know, I'm not so bad. You should give me a chance, like I'm giving you one. Turn around, look at me."

@Lord Xiao Zhan It was Zhan, undoubtedly it was Zhan. Yibo wanted to turn around and tell this legal husband of his how much he detested him, with all his heart. How could such a monster be the master of a realm on his own? He was a tyrant, nothing short of a barbarian one at that. He heard shuffling behind him, then the bed creaked and Zhan slid into bed beside him, but Yibo made no effort to shift and make room for the older on the bed. He didn't expect to get much sleep anyways.

"There's nothing to talk about." Yibo replied, "You got what you want, didn't you?" He hated to think that such a pure and faithful servant could fall into Zhan's hands like this. He twitched, feeling the other's hot skin teasing against his chilled skin, "Leave her alone, please. Whatever you want to do, take it out on me."

@14th Heavenly Prince Yibo Zhan's grin widened when Yibo shoved at him. He reached out again, rubbing over Yibo's bony hip before he stood again. Slowly, though Yibo wasn't watching, Zhan undressed in a meticulous way, layer by layer. He let his robes drop to the ground until he stood bare as Yibo. Zhan clambered into bed, settling behind Yibo while pulling up the sheets to their hips. He s his arm over Yibo's waist, pulling the younger close to cradle him from behind. His length rested against Yibo's bottom, though non-intrusive. "I know you're awake," Zhan crooned, resting his palm flat against Yibo's stomach. "Let's have a little chat, you and I. I think you did good today, my prince. But you could do better. You know, Xuan Lu still hasn't healed fully. I would hate if anything else happened to her while she's in such a vulnerable state."

@Lord Xiao Zhan Even though Yibo had been beaten until his body was a rainbow of colors and his skin had been slicked over with a sheen of sweat. He didn't take a shower, his limbs too sore to even move on their own. Everything hurt, even breathing was becoming more difficult by the moment. Yibo was lying , confused why the guards had ransacked his small cabinet and removed the two sets of robes Xuan Lu had set aside for him, his body too haggard to question anything. Time seemed to tick by slowly, the air around him becoming colder was the only indicator that night had set in. When the foor to his room creaked open again, Yibo didn't even turn his, squeezing his eyes shut as if he had fallen asleep. But when Zhan finally sat by his side and brushed his hand over Yibo's raw skin, the younger grunted in pain, reaching a hand back to shove the older off of him.

@14th Heavenly Prince Yibo Zhan returned to Yibo's chambers later that night. The younger must've been returned to his room already. Zhan had given explicit instructions to take all of Yibo's robes out of the room, leaving him with nothing. Since he was so squeamish and had caused so much trouble for Zhan over some casual ness, he could start trying to get used to it, Zhan reasoned. He unpinned his hair as he approached the room, letting it cascade down his back. He was dressed simply and lightly, ready for a night of rest. Zhan entered the chamber quietly, shutting the door behind him and approaching Yibo's figure on the bed. His skin was splashed purple and red and yellow all over. Zhan smiled to himself, settling to sit beside Yibo's hunched over shape. "How are you feeling, my love?" he asked, laying a hand over the curve of Yibo's hip. "Are you tired yet? I want to sleep with you tonight."

@Lord Xiao Zhan Wincing when he felt hands gripping deeply into his skin, Yibo mewled in pain, shifting uncomfortably in Zhan's lap. The Lord was quite unpredicatable, first caressing him then glaring at him. It ended with Yibo falling backwards onto the bed, legs splayed out as he sat up, catching a glimpse of the gold Bowen had brought. Yibo thought that by now, Zhan would have understood that this was Heaven's extent of formalities towards him, the chests of gold weighty and valuable. Yibo cowered alongside the envoys at Zhan's rude attitude, sitting up to call for Bowen when they were being swiftly escorted ouf by the guards, yet receiving no response.

"And give the prince a beating. I don't know. He has displeased me."

"What- ah get off of me-!" Yibo hollered when the guards approached him, taking ahold of an arm each. One of these big men would have been enough to subdue Yibo, really, but two was mainly to instill the fear factor within too. They did not hesitate to be rough with him, as Zhan had never said they needed to. Hauling a struggling Yibo between them, they exited the bed chambers and heased for down the corridors. Yibo, in all his ness, wanted to die from the indignation of having rows of guards seeing his body for themselves.

He was deposited on the cold stone floor again, pressed down onto his hands and knees like he was making a prostration. The chilly air made the hairs behind his neck stand, and Yibo heard the click clack noise of a wooden stick being removed off the walls. His head was weighted down, he couldn't see anything to his side. But all his curiosities were answered when a large wooden board came down right on the small of his back, leaving a red welt on his skin and making him howl in pain.