Chapter Text
”Look at them.” Vlad scoffed. ”A bunch of brainwashed brats.”
I stared at the festival far below us, hanging my other leg over the egde of the roof, leaning my chin to the other, bent close to me. I ignored Vlad’s words as he continued complaining about the citizens, who were just enjoying their weekend down in Liyue Harbor. I couldn’t care less about the festival nor the people, I was just doing my job, keeping my eyes peeled for anything suspicious. As I always did. But today, especially today, there also was another reason why I had wanted this watch hour, even though Vlad was propably the most annoying company anyone could ask for. I looked briefly next to me and saw Vlad peering at the people, still going on with his whining. It was perfect chance to take my attention away from the crowd. I lifted my gaze higher, further to the sea. It would happen at any moment now.
And just when Vlad saw my distracted look and was about the complain about it, I saw it.
First, it was just a few orange and yellow dots of light in the horizon, flickering as they rose up, until the lanterns filled the whole sky. It, luckily, also silenced Vlad and I could watch that beautiful yet somehow wistful scenery in front of me in peace. The night sky were full of stars and now the lanterns made their own adds to it. I don’t know why I had always loved it so much. To see this. And yet this was only my third time to see it from such a good spot. When I was ten, I saw them as a reflection in the ocean from my room that I wasn’t allowed to leave. Not until my training for Fatui was done. For the secret agency, I still worked for. I didn’t like it but I didn’t really have a choice. So it was bearable. Maybe some day, just maybe, I could be free from this and I could watch the lanterns worry-free.
And on that note, Vlad-free as well. I felt a rough hold grabbing my arm and pulling me to my feet as I still tried to take a last look of the lanterns.
”Get up, it’s our change.” My co-worker ordered and we silently left the rooftop, disappearing into the shadows.
-
On our way back to our base in Qingxu Pool, Vlad wouldn’t still shut up. But now, it was mostly me he complained about.
”When you are on your duty, you don’t go there watch some stupid fucking lightshows.” He snapped at me as my older superior. ”You keep your eyes on the people or you might slip a one singular detail past under your nose. I’m making a complaint about you because of this.”
I kept ignoring him. It was well known that this man hated everybody and even his own miserable life. I, again, couldn’t care less. But just when we entered the Qingxu Pool ruins, deep to our headquarters, Vlad grabbed my arm again to make me stop.
”Answer properly to your superior, rookie!” He shouted. I sighed, bit too dramatically, and I could feel a trobbing headache making its way from the back of my head to my temples. And it certainly didn’t help me to keep my cool.
”I am not a rookie, sir.” I said trying to keep my voice as plain as possible. After fourteen years of service for this agency couldn’t possibly make me a rookie and I knew Vlad knew it too. I had known the shift with him was a mistake, but I had wanted to see the lights so badly.
”You little shi-”
But Vlad didn’t get to finish his sentence because of a heavy metal door had slid open beside us and someone entered the hallway we stood in. And the instant we saw who it was, Vlad closed his mouth.
”Evening, gentlemen.” Pantalone said in his sugary yet so threatening voice that always had made my skin crawl. He always talked in so innocent way yet we all knew what horrible things he was capable of. ”What’s all this bickering here?”
Vlad bowed his head deep as he spoke.
”I was just about to come and report you on our shift. Tartaglia, once again, had hard time staying in his-”
”He’s coming with me.” Pantalone cut Vlad off coldly yet smiling sweetly towards me. It creeped the fuck out of me. My boss nodded me to follow him through the door he had just appeared from. It was always nerve-wracking to be called in by him but somehow it was satisfying to leave Vlad in the hallway being absolutely pissed.
The heavy door shut behind me and I had a quick look around the room before Pantalone spoke. His office was much fancier than any room in our headquarters. It brought his home town, Snezhnaya, to Liyue with all the fancy decor. Everything from the hanging fabrics on the walls to the tiny bottles of ink, where pale silver, black and deep purple colored.
My boss didn’t sat down on any of the luxurious chairs in the room, but leaned back to rest on to the edge of his desk. He was scanning me behind his glasses, smile still on his lips.
”So…” He began. ”Still not getting along in Sector 5?”
I kept my hands behind my back so he couldn’t see my fingers fidgeting nervously.
”My apologies. I’ll do better.” I answered quickly, bringing a tone of shame into my voice. I lowered my head a little but in the corner of my eye I could see Pantalone raise his palm to shoo off my apology.
”I don’t blame you for having independent mind set on your work, but,” He gave me a long, pressuring but yet pitying look. ”Don’t step too far away from the line.”
”I won't.”
Pantalone was studying me for a moment longer until he spoke again.
”I have a new job for you.” He crossed his arms across his chest. ”A bit longer one this time.”
I was instantly paying more attention to him. His tone, even though still covered in sugar, was also more serious this time. Pantalone let the news sink in for a moment, then he stood up correctly and walked behind his desk to sit on the chair. He took few scrolls closer to himself and picked up his quill.
”It is a solo job, specifically handed to you, Tartaglia. The council’s decision.” He continued and handed an opened scroll to me. I took it. And as soon as I saw the insignia on the bottom of it, I lifted my eyes quickly back to my boss.
”The emperor?” I tried to keep my voice steady. The whole Fatui hated any kind of leaders, else than our own, Tsaritsa. We battled against them, in shadows of course, for the better of the people. At least that was what they taught us in the training camps. The motto of the Fatui was: For the people, to our freedom. What could I possibly do for the emperor himself? I knew my slight panic showed briefly on my face since I heard Pantalone chuckle.
”Yes.” He crossed his fingers under his chin and nodded towards the scroll. ”Read it all.”
It was quiet for a long while when I took in what my new solo task was going to be. A bodyguard for the prince of Liyue. A bodyguard. I was tasked to inflitrate the palace, to gain information about the royals and their plans. I was tasked to watch over the prince till his coronation day and the opening day of the Golden Palace in his honor for…
”Six months?” I said slowly, reading the scroll. ”Six months?”
Pantalone smiled as he nodded.
”We have information yet to be confirmed that his highness,” My boss used a very nasty tone on the word. ”Is plotting for something bigger that he is even bringing Inazumians into it.”
I still couldn’t really answer. I had never declained a job from the Fatui. But this? Getting myself in to the palace to play a role of a bodyguard for half of a year without getting caught delivering my daily updates to the agency? It was a suicide mission.
My thoughts were again, all over my face because Pantalone stood up and walked to me.
”You were hand picked for this, Ajax.” He used my real name. He was serious. A cold shiver ran through my spine.
”You can’t say no to this. Especially in your situation in the Sector.” He spoke sweetly to my ear as he circled around me, almost whispering the words. ”No one else can do this the way we need this to be done. Only you can.”
”Why?” I blurted out.
”Because you are our best killer.”
I took a step back and my eyes met his as my whole stomach turned into a knot. No. No, no, no. Never.
”I can’t-… I can’t kill him.” I said struggling. ”Not before they kill me.”
Pantalone laughed. Like actually laughed.
”You have no choice.” His tone got more colder as he spoke, the smile was fading. I was in trouble. ”I see you don’t realize how big thing this is. How big opportunity this is for you and how big win this will be for Tsaritsa.”
He stepped right in front of me and I froze in place.
”We don’t know his plans yet, but if and when the situation gets worse then you’ll have to finish it from inside of the palace. Are we clear?” He demanded, no sight of a smile on his face anymore.
”Y-yes.” I said still conflicted by all of this.
”Are we clear?” My boss asked again, not satisfied with my answer.
”Yes.”
-
The rest of the night, I was able to spend in my room before tomorrow when my three days of special training for my new job was held in Mount Hulao. I laid in my bed staring at the dark, rock ceiling, my eyes targeting to nowhere. I had some time to think this over and no matter how much I didn’t want to admit it to myself or how badly I had embarrassed myself in front of my boss, I was scared. For the first time in a long, long while. Not that I knew a lot of about other leaders of other nations, but Liyue’s emperor was one of the most feared in the underground agencies like ours. He was ruthless if he wanted to. It was told to us that the day the empress, his wife, had died, his employees forced him to arrange the funeral before people got angry at him.
So if I somehow, even though I had always delivered my tasks and jobs perfectly, if I somehow, failed this and exposed myself to the emperor, he’d kill me on the spot. And then he’d look for the others. The Fatui in Liyue was almost like a myth between ordinary citizens. They knew we existed but in the far, far land in the north. They knew all kinds of mass murderer and torture stories about us. We were feared and yet people didn’t really believe we could be here, in Liyue, in this so peaceful and safe nation. But the emperor knew we were around and we were quite openly his most worst enemy. So not only I’d die without a chance to leave this place, I’d also probably wouldn’t be able to spend a calm afterlife either since the whole Fatui would be after me there as well.
But like Pantalone said, I couldn’t say no. I had no other choice than do my best like I always did and hope with all my will that the emperor was not planning to take over the world or something bad like that.
-
The next morning and the journey to the Mount Hulao came too quickly. I barely slept, torturing my mind with all the possible bad outcomes this job of mine could have. I only had to survive six months. Only six, I tried to remind myself, as me, my personal teacher Mr. Jinju and some old man I wasn’t introduced to, walked through the Nantianmen towards to the mountain ahead of us.
Turned out the old man was our spy from the palace’s gardening section. He was here to teach me some basic manners and protocols to use in the palace, specifically around the prince. I was already given a new name and identity. I went by a codename, Childe. I was said to have a military background from Mondstadt and with Fatui’s little magic tricks, I had been chosen to be the prince’s bodyguard out of dozen’s of applicants. I should be as few worded as possible and to just stand close to the prince at all times to secure his safety as the emperor himself feared for his son’s safety. The prince was attacked few months ago in his sleep, by an unknown assassin, not Fatui’s this time, and he required extra protection 24 hours a day.
The three days went by too fast as well. And too fast I was standing close to the northern gates of Liyue Harbor, waiting for my escort from the palace, as they expected me to arrive here today from Mondstadt.
The morning sun spread across the quiet harbor area and the big bridge. The one I usually hid under to when on duty during night times. Now I was standing on top of it in bright daylight, small bag in my hand for my ”belongings” which were just Mondstadtian props Fatui had given to me.
”Mr. Childe?” A harsh voice called near me as I was looking around bit distracted. A tall palace soldier, a member of Millelith, had stopped in front of me, looking me up and down.
”Yes.” I answered shortly, as I was tasked to, and went completely into my work form and role. ”From Mondstadt, the Knights of Favonius sent me.”
”Follow me.” The man said and began to walk towards the city as he spoke more. ”My name is Fengyan, the sergeant of the Millelith, the military force of Liyue and His Highness the Emperor. I’ll be supervising you closely on your first days here. If you qualify my judgement, you’ll be officially taking the place as His Highness the Prince’s bodyguard.”
We walked up the long, wide stairs to the mid level of the city where all the shops and restaurants were.
”If you have anything to ask, turn to me or your unit leader Yijian on your first week. After that, you’ll only attend the Millelith meetings once a month for a report. Other times you are stationed beside His Highness the Prince. You sleep and live in his wing of the palace, you’ll accompany him to everywhere. Meetings, training, studying, bathing and so on.”
We had now reached to stairs to the upper level of the city, the level where my new workplace stood.
”The Prince has preferences you’ll have go along with. He can command you to do anything and you’ll listen, otherwise His Highness the Emperor will know. The only thing you can go against is, if it’ll danger the Prince’s life without him realizing it. If he says you to go away, you will never leave him, unless it is to the next room and you are sure the Prince is left completely alone and no intruders can come in without your notice. He has his servants for many things such as food, cleaning and clothing, but you will observe everything so no one can sneak in or sabotage him while working.”
Fengyan stopped at the giant, golden doors of the palace and turned to me.
”Now, Hua will lead you to the Prince. I believe he is enjoying his breakfast in his chambers right now.” He said and opened the doors.
I could only take in quickly the insane sight in front of me before a palace lady took my attention. Everywhere there was gold, deep red and beautifully carved dragon statues. I bet all the gold I saw on the walls, pillars, floor and the artifacts, were real gold. The entry hall was already full off busy people. Soldiers, servants, officials and other higher-ups.
”Follow me please, Mr. Childe.” The lady, Hua, called me for the second time, and I took my eyes off the decor. I quietly followed her through the hallways, closer to the south wing of the palace. Finally we stopped in front of a giant door with detailed carving of a dragon holding jewels in its claws. When Hua knocked three, firm times on the door, I somehow got a bit nervous.
The door was opened only by a little inch and another woman servant looked at the hallway. As soon as she saw Hua and me, she opened the door more.
”You must be Mr. Childe.” She said and bowed her head to me. I nodded shortly and the lady let us in. The room was big, but it was sectioned by deep red curtains into lounges and working stations. Huge windows on one side showed a view of Liyue Harbor and one opening led to an open balcony. One of the smaller section’s curtains were almost closed and one more servant came through them as the door behind me was shut. She bowed to me as well. I started to realize, I was the only man in here.
Hua led me towards the closed curtains and stopped behind them to speak.
”Your Highness, Mr. Childe has arrived.”
There was a small pause until the low male voice answered.
”You may enter.”
Hua pulled the curtain away and let me go in first. I stepped in front of a big, low table you sit on the floor with, on pillows. There were few lady servants arranging food on the table and one was pouring tea to a cup a man was holding in his hand. And, even though I’d seen the face of the prince for thousands of times on parades and holiday celebrations I watched over for in shadows, it was never this close or in the bright daylight. And so, my eyes fell to look straight into his deep, yellow shaded eyes, like the most richest Cor Lapis color I’d ever seen.
