Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 6

what Bao saw when he looked at him. Was he the dunce prince he pretended to be? Did Bao see him as the capable man he wanted to be? Or was it some terrifying between? Had he somehow managed to delve beneath everything Chien pretended to be and broke through to the truth beneath.
    The truth was that he had never been fooled really, not completely. Not enough for Chien's comfort. It would have been smarter to be done with it now. To kill him and ensure that no one knew of his plan. He was so close, he could surely do that couldn't he? Bao stood so close. It would have been so easy to grab his weapon and be done with him at last
    He was weak, hardly deserving of the throne himself. His father would have done whatever was necessary. His mother would not have allowed anything to stand in her way. And as their child sworn to uphold their honor, he could not do the simple task of stopping this man before he brought years of planning down around Chien's head. Bao had asked to help him. The damn man would prove the beginning of his end.
    "Do not feed me proverbs." Chien far preferred him like this. Eyes flashing and cheeks mottled red with anger. "Do not lie to me." Words that lovers whispered. Chien had meant every one of them each and every time he had spoken it and still it had not done him a bit of good. He'd chosen a man he could not keep. When Bao kissed him, he did not bother to pretend he did not want exactly that. His hands pulled free from Bao's grip to sink into the dark silk of his hair. He could feel Bao's finding their way beneath the layers of his robe.
    Chien pulled back before Bao could find skin. Before his clever tongue and cleverer hands made Chien forget why this could not be allowed. Bao leaned in for another kiss and Chien avoided him. Finally their foreheads rest together. "How can I protect you when you will not tell me the truth?"
    "I have never needed you to protect me, General." Bao was sworn to protect one. The woman Chien was sworn to kill. "Good night, General." And even then he did not move right away. It took for the sound of someone approaching for him to release Bao and walk quickly toward his rooms.
    Somewhere in the part of his mind that wanted nothing more than to see all of this end well, was the part that wanted desperately to believe that the Dragon would accept him as heir to the throne. He hated the darkness, the darkness made it far too easy to see the very space where his plans would fall apart. The soldiers would not sit aside and watch while their Empress died. The governors would refuse to pledge their allegiance to a man who was known as nothing more than the Empress's fool. All of his work would prove meaningless when the deception he had used for so long to survive turned against him.
    It made it easier for him to step through the thin door and release the servants from their duty that night. Gave him time to close the door behind them with a long relieved sigh as he stretched his body and rolled his sore muscles. It was hard work pretending to be someone else. Chien felt the deception sitting upon him each day, almost a physical burden.
    The end. The words circled in his head. If Bao kept his silence—and Chien had extracted no such promise from him—but if he kept his silence tomorrow could be the end. Tomorrow would be the end regardless. Either he would join his family in death, or he would finally take his father's throne. There was no middle ground. No acceptance. No forgiveness. No help.
    In that moment, he would stand completely alone.
    And not for the first time in the last couple of months, he wondered if that was truly what he wished.
    His eyes slipped closed as his mind swirled with more questions than answers. Before he knew it, sleep overtook him.
    He awoke to the blurry sight of someone leaning over him. For a moment, the fear overtook him. This was far too much like that night. Any moment now he would see the gleam of the sword meant to take his life. Then his vision cleared and he could see Bao above him.
    "General?"
    Bao shushed him as he rolled to lay beside him. He wore neither armor nor sword so it was clear that he had not come to drag Chien out to his execution. His dark hair was bound in a loose braid, his eyes searching Chien's face. "Do you not trust me Chien?"
    Chien's mouth opened to chastise him once again for the familiarity of his tone, but he found himself instead answering, "It is ridiculous to think that I should trust every man who warms