Varis wasn't sure what he expected, really. King Zhongfu had changed little. Age had been kind to him, only granting a few lines on his face that marked the passing of years. Perhaps, Varis thought with amusement, they were worry lines—stress from all of his concerns for the safety of his child. How precious. Other than that, the man's lustrous red hair had somewhat dimmed, overtaken with streaks of silver. Yet, that seemed only to add a regal air to his bearing. Overall, the king was as handsome as Varis remembered (which was, in all honesty, quite a feat; mortals tended to fade so quickly).
It was a pleasant surprise. If this was the quality of the bloodline that had been passed to the prince, Varis was rather looking forward to their meeting. "I trust," Varis said after a moment of studying the man before him, "that you remember our agreement." It was unnecessary to state. Of course Zhongfu remembered. Yet Varis couldn't resist a bit of dramatics. He did so love to watch mortal men squirm.
Zhongfu stared at Varis, his expression carefully blank, though the demon could detect anger roiling just beneath the surface like a banked fire. After a long moment, Zhongfu finally spoke, his voice dry as desert sand: "You've come to take my son." Varis didn't miss the way his hands clenched where they rested on the throne's ornate arms. "Even after all these years, I can't comprehend why you would settle for a simple human boy as your payment when there exists so much more in this kingdom I could offer you instead."
"Oh my," Varis said, lips twitching into an amused smirk. "Is that how you think of your son? 'Simple'? How disappointing. I would have thought you cared more for him, given the way you pleaded for his life all those years ago."
Zhongfu's expression tightened, and Varis' smirk widened into a full-out grin. "Truly, I believe he will be more than adequate payment. After all, you've done so well in raising him for me—like a lamb to the slaughter."
Zhongfu's carefully controlled facade broke all at once, and he might have leaped from the throne in the next moment, ready to strangle Varis (or ready to try, at least)—if not for a sudden sharp intake of breath from the arched entryway. Varis turned, his eyes falling on the figure who stood there. The newcomer wore simple robes of green and silver, with a fine gold sash tied around his waist and a matching ribbon holding back his flaming red hair.
For a moment, Varis stood in complete stillness. He was not often surprised, and he certainly didn't show any indication of it outwardly now, but it was the first time in a while that his expectations had been so far exceeded. The prince was beautiful. Far more than he had anticipated, even taking his heritage into account. He was smaller than Varis, though just enough that his chin would reach the demon's shoulders if they were to be positioned side by side. And his features were distinct, though delicate as the rest of him: large eyes the color of ash (clearly a trait handed down from the boy's mother, as they contrasted with Zhongfu's own sky-blue gaze), a slender nose with a slight upward slope, and a full mouth.
But those were merely the prince's physical qualities. There was a quiet resolve in his gray stare, but behind it lingered something sharp and clever—and, deeper still, something desperate. A will to survive. Varis wondered if it had always existed, or if it had emerged after that night ten years ago: a knife-edged hunger for life which could only be forged within a soul that had witnessed the darkness at the end of all things.
Whatever that hunger was, it called to the demon. In all his centuries, he had never met a mortal with a gaze which burned like this one's did.
"Father," the young man said, his voice surprisingly even. "I apologize for the delay, I was resting when you called."
He was, Varis noted, slightly flushed. That could have been because of his rush to get here, but the faint smell of another on him (detected only by Varis' sensitive awareness) was an indication there might be some other reason. Instead of bothering the demon, this detail only really served to amuse him further - especially when it was clear that Zhongfu suspected nothing, judging by the way his face softened and he accepted the excuse with a nod.
"No need for an apology," Zhongfu said, the hard anger of moments ago fading as he addressed his son. "If anything, I wish I had no cause to disturb you. You shouldn't have to be here at all." These last words were punctuated with a sharp glare at Varis.
Ruanlin's eyes flicked to him, taking in the demon warily. Varis, however, only inclined his head in a polite greeting. After a moment, Ruanlin returned the gesture, though it was hesitant. "I'm afraid I'm not sure how to address you properly," the prince said, stiff and formal.
"You may call me Varis." He couldn't help but throw in a little something extra, just to see the boy's eyes grow wide and his pale cheeks flush prettily: "At least until we are properly wed. After that, of course, you may also prefer 'husband', though I'll answer to a few other choice endearments as well. I'll leave that to your discretion, little prince."
Ruanlin's lips thinned, his blush deepening. "You - " He bit his tongue. Varis watched the way his slender fingers clenched into fists at his side. "Thank you for the... clarification."
"My pleasure." It was hard to resist the urge to let his smile grow, to show off the sharp points of his canines in gleeful challenge. After centuries of boredom and stagnancy, it was refreshing to feel such a thrill.
Unfortunately, the brewing energy of the moment was dashed by the boy's father. Zhongfu's glower deepened from where he still sat, his gaze like ice. "Why are you here, demon? Surely, you could have simply spirited my son away whenever it suited you once his eighteenth birthday passed."
For the first time since his arrival, Varis' countenance darkened. "Perhaps I could have, mortal," he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous edge. "And yet, I think you forget that I am also a king, not some uncivilized beast. I came to collect your son as promised, but I will allow him the dignity to get his things in order and say his farewells." He turned to regard Ruanlin, "We will leave tomorrow morning. Enjoy your last night in the human realm. It might be some time before you see it again."
With that, he stalked out of the hall without another word, leaving a heavy silence in his wake.
***
After Varis was gone, Ruanlin let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Somehow, the demon had been both exactly what he was expecting, and yet, nothing like he'd imagined. Varis was... something so much more than just 'beautiful'. Not handsome in the way a human man might be, though that didn't lessen any part of him. Otherworldly, with sharp cheekbones and an elegant face. Even the strange intensity of his golden eyes were captivating, though Ruanlin would never admit such a thing out loud in the presence of his father.
It was hard to reconcile with the image in Ruanlin's mind that he'd grown up dreading, of a monster with vile intentions and a heart as black as pitch. That wasn't to say Varis didn't seem dangerous. Ruanlin was all too aware of the barely-concealed power lurking just below the demon's skin, held back by a dam of Varis' own making - a wall that could come down at any time and unleash a flood. And yet, despite how easy it would have been for Varis to spite Zhongfu where he sat and take Ruanlin then and there, he had given the prince more time. Not much, but enough. Enough to pack his things, to say goodbye to the people he loved, and to the only home he had ever known.
For all his fears of Varis' cruelty, Ruanlin hadn't expected that.
"Ruanlin," Zhongfu said. His voice was soft with grief, drawing Ruanlin out of his thoughts. "I'm so, so sorry. This is all my own doing. If I had only been able stop the cultists before they ever laid a hand on you -"
"It's not your fault," Ruanlin said. He stepped up to the side of the throne, laying a hand on his father's arm. "There was nothing more you could have done."
Zhongfu studied the contours of his son's face with a quiet, heavy weight, as if trying to memorize them. "I will never stop trying to find a way to free you from this," he said. "I will scour the ends of the earth if I have to. Never doubt that, my son. I will find a way to bring you home again."
Ruanlin felt a lump form in his throat. He squeezed his father's arm in silent acknowledgement, though he knew the chances of any such thing coming to pass were slim at best. In truth, he sometimes wished Zhongfu would let the matter drop. As a king, he couldn't afford to spend time chasing after a hopeless quest - not when there were so many other important matters requiring his attention. Besides, Ruanlin would gladly give up his own freedom, his humanity, if it meant his father would just live happily for the rest of his days. In the years before Ruanlin's ordeal with the cultists, Zhongfu had been a man who smiled easily. But now, signs of his happiness were few and far between, growing less with every passing day.
Perhaps it was a good thing Varis had finally come to put an end to the suffocating shadow of Ruanlin's looming fate. Maybe, after enough time had passed, and without Ruanlin here to constantly remind his father of everything he'd lost, Zhongfu would be able to let himself find happiness again.
If so, then that would make all of this worth it.