The King's Mate - Part 3: Guishi

Chapter 11

While Xie Lian and Hua Cheng had started their journey on horseback, they really only rode on their horses themselves for the first day, and switched to sitting in their carriage from the second day onward.

The journey was thus much more comfortable than the ordeal Xie Lian had gone through on his first attempt to travel to Guishi. Being able to travel with his mate right by his side, in a comfortable carriage, knowing that his kids were safe and taken care of and just waiting for them to return... it was truly a blessing for his nerves.

Travelling through the forest even became a bit boring after a few days, since the scenery was always the same, and Xie Lian's mind didn't need to work in overdrive to somehow get to the next shelter with a broken compass. Therefore, being bored on the journey this time, was a very positive thing for Xie Lian, and he very much would have liked to keep it that way until their arrival in Guishi.

However, nothing ever went the way Xie Lian wished for.

The most infuriating thing about the incident was that it happened only a few days' worth of travel away from Guishi, that they had almost made it there. But his heat hit Xie Lian out of nowhere.

Well, there might have been a few subtle signs of its beginnings, like the fact that Xie Lian had indeed felt rather clingy and cuddly, but since Hua Cheng had been sitting right beside him in the carriage and was all too indulgent to cuddle with Xie Lian on his own accord, a feeling of desperation or incessant need had never arisen within him, and thus had never warned him about the approaching heat.

His condition had become clear however, when Xie Lian started feeling incredibly hot, and, mortifyingly, began leaking slick. At that point, Hua Cheng had of course also realised his omega's predicament, and ordered for the very next inn they came across to be cleared out entirely.

Xie Lian only had very hazy recollections of what happened after they had arrived at the next inn; there was quite a bit of commotion, but he knew without a doubt that he had eventually been carried into a private room in his alpha's arms. If he recalled correctly, he had even been shielded from the eyes of curious onlookers, though the details of that were too blurred for him to remember clearly.

Now that he was coming out of his heat-induced hazy state, he was feeling incredibly relaxed and at ease. Though his mind got clearer by the minute and he quickly realised the implications as well as the disastrous consequences. After all, Hua Cheng had been very strict and adamant about being careful with their physical intimacy because of his poison. So of course Xie Lian couldn't help but immediately worry about Hua Cheng's mental state the moment his mind was in proper working order again.

Curiously though, Hua Cheng seemed rather relaxed, lying next to Xie Lian, stroking his arm and giving him a smile when Xie Lian turned to look at his mate.

"I'm sorry", Xie Lian said, feeling incredibly remorseful for having put his husband through such a stressful thing. If his body could have at least waited until they'd reached home...

"You have nothing to apologise for", Hua Cheng sighed.

"How did I... I mean how did you... deal with... this?", Xie Lian asked and blushed because of his ineloquent mess of a question.

Luckily, Hua Cheng understood him anyway.

"I didn't, you know... take care of you as thoroughly as I should have as your bonded mate, and I do apologise for that", he started, and was unable to look Xie Lian in the eyes. Which he found rather tragic, and repositioned himself until Hua Cheng had no choice but to look at him. And when he did, he did so with an amused huff.