A/N – Hello. This is another England/China fic from me. I have been reading a lot of ancient war books and watching quite a number of ancient war films lately, and it is what inspired this fic. However, the portrayals of war in this fic may not be very accurate (because, let's face it – I'm a girl after all, and I don't know how a war works :p). Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy it.

"General!" gasped an officer as he came running towards Yao.

Yao was poring over a map, trying to decide the strategy they would employ in their next battle. He looked up as soon as the officer called him. "Yes, Wei?"

"There was an ambush from the Europeans when the troops from the South were making their way here," Wei said. He was clearly out of breath. "They were all taken prisoner or killed."

Yao's eyes widened. He was severely lacking in the numbers of men required for battle, and these soldiers from the South were their only hope of defeating the Europeans. Without them, they were doomed to fail. However, the Europeans had seemed to anticipate them calling for reinforcements, and had stealthily ambushed the soldiers on their way to Yao's camp. "How long ago was this, aru?"

"I only just got the news," Wei told Yao. "But I think it happened about four hours ago."

Yao sighed. He knew he was defeated. "There's only one thing left to do."

"What is that?" Wei inquired.

"Nevermind about that, aru," Yao said. "You are dismissed, soldier. Go back to your barracks to have a good night's sleep."

Wei glanced unsurely at Yao's indifferent expression before turning to exit, leaving Yao alone.

The next morning found Yao and his miserable army facing the massive European army.

Yao stepped forward and called out, "Arthur, aru!"

A tall blond man with dark, bushy eyebrows appeared from behind a few soldiers on horseback.

"Release the men you have captured yesterday. They have families who are waiting for them."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Why should I?" he sneered. "With those men in my captivity, you have lost the war."

"I know," Yao said calmly. "I admit defeat. And I offer myself in their place, aru. So release them, and I'll go with you."

At that statement, there was a horrible cry from behind Yao. A young man ran forward and grabbed Yao's waist. "NO!" he cried.

Yao ignored the man and pushed him aside. "Is that a deal, aru?"

"Brother, you can't!" the young man grasped onto Yao's uniform. "You are the crown prince!"

Yao smiled gently at the smaller man. "Then perhaps the throne will go to you, Hong," he told his brother.

"They'll kill you!" Hong Kong cried desperately.

"Better I die, than thousands of men at their mercy, aru," Yao said simply. He then turned towards his second-in-command, the lieutenant general. "Please take him away – he doesn't need to see this."

As Hong Kong was escorted away, he was struggling. "No! Don't do this, brother!"

Yao turned back to Arthur. "So, do we have ourselves a deal, aru?"

Arthur looked thoughtful. "Thousands of soldiers in exchange for the crown prince of China," he muttered to himself, smiling. He then clapped his hands together. "It's a deal!"

Yao nodded and dropped his sword. It fell to the ground with a loud clang.

"Release the Chinese prisoners!" Arthur ordered. He then signalled for two of his officers to lead Yao away.

Yao glanced behind him at his soldiers, and offered them an encouraging smile before the two large English soldiers blocked his view of them to usher him away.

That night, as Arthur made his way to the prison where his newest prisoner was being held, he could not help feeling a bit excited at the prospect of meeting the Asian man face to face. Arthur had seen Yao on the battlefield, and was impressed by the man's enthusiasm, dedication and determination while fighting. Arthur had to admit, he was slightly attracted to Yao, and that was the main reason he was willing to exchange the thousands of Chinese prisoners for him.

Arthur nodded a greeting to a guard at the prison entrance. The guard nervously saluted and stepped back to allow Arthur to enter the prison.

As soon as Arthur entered the prison, the foul stench of rot and urine reached his nostrils. He resisted the desire to puke, and covered his nose with his hand as he made his way to the tighter security cell.

However, when Arthur reached the cell in question, he was shocked at the state Yao was in. Yao was hanging from a rope from the ceiling, his body supported by his hands tied high above his head. He was unconscious, and there were bruises all over his body. It looked like Yao had been beaten into oblivion. There was even a trail of blood leaking out of the corner of his mouth.

Arthur whirled around. "Who did this?" he demanded an officer who was stationed to guard the cell.

The officer quickly saluted Arthur. "Brigadier general Spikes did this, sir!" he reported. "He said that this Asian scum should be taught his place in our camp!"

Arthur growled silently. This wasn't what he wanted to happen! "Cut him down!" he ordered.

"Yes, sir!" the officer replied, and quickly brought out his knife. He cut the rope holding Yao up, and Yao collapsed to the ground with a dull thud.

Arthur bent down to pick Yao up. "I'm bringing him to my quarters," he announced. "I am not to be disturbed!"

"Yes, sir!" the officer saluted Arthur as he left with Yao in his arms.

Arthur made his way to his quarters, which wasn't very far from the prison. He entered his residence, and gently laid Yao down on his bed.

Arthur went into the bathroom to get a basin of warm water and a cloth to clean Yao up.

Arthur sat at the side of his bed and untied the Asian's bound hands. He began to undress Yao. It looked like his soldiers hadn't bothered to remove Yao's uniform unlike the other prisoners of war – they would usually be stripped of what they were wearing previously and be forced to wear the prison garb.

When Arthur had finally stripped Yao down to only his underwear, he winced at the extent of the bruises that decorated Yao's skin. Arthur soaked the cloth in the water, and began running a wet cloth over Yao's body, cleaning him up.

At one point during the night, while Arthur was cleaning the dirt and blood on Yao's face, Yao opened a bleary eye and whined. Startled, Arthur looked at the Asian man. However, Yao's eyes were glazed over, indicating that he wasn't quite awake yet.

"It's okay," Arthur told the smaller man gently. "I've got you – go back to sleep."

Yao squinted, trying to get a bearing of where he was. When he failed, he closed his eyes and eventually drifted off again.

Arthur finally finished cleaning most of Yao's body. When he was done, he covered Yao's body with a blanket. He then brought the basin of water into the bathroom, emptied it into the sink, washed the cloth and hung it to dry.

Arthur came out of the bathroom and made his way to his desk. He composed a letter to the king of England, telling him of his victory in China and his future plans. Arthur sealed the letter in an envelope and placed it in a corner of his table. He figured he could get a few hours of sleep. He then laid his head on the table and shut his eyes, going into a light sleep.

The next morning, when Yao opened his eyes, he was surprised to find himself in a soft, comfortable bed. He turned his head to his side and came face to face with a pair of green eyes staring intently at him.

With a startled cry, Yao sat up immediately. As he sat up, the blanket that was covering his body fell onto the bed, revealing his bare skin. Yao's eyes widened and he quickly grabbed the blanket to cover his body. "Why am I naked, aru?"

Arthur blushed and averted his eyes. "I was cleaning you up last night," he told the Asian man. "And besides, you aren't completely naked…" he hastily added.

Yao peeked beneath the blanket and to his relief, found that he still had his underwear on. "Okay… so can I have some clothes to wear?"

Arthur rummaged into his wardrobe for some clothes for the Asian man. He brought out a simple top and bottom, and handed them to Yao.

Yao took the clothes from Arthur and put them on. He frowned as his skin came into contact with the clothes – firstly, they brushed against the new cuts he had obtained when he received the beating the day before; secondly, the Western clothes felt unnatural and very unlike the traditional Chinese clothes he was used to wearing. "So why am I not in prison, aru? Last I remembered, one of your officers was beating me…"

"Well," began Arthur. "I didn't order him to do that. He was not to do anything to you. Besides, I have a proposition for you," he moved to cross his legs.

Yao glanced up at Arthur. "I'm listening, aru."

"First, I'm wondering," Arthur leaned back on his chair. "What is the emperor of China willing to pay to get his firstborn son back?"

Yao chuckled and adjusted his position on the bed. "If it's money you want, you will be disappointed."

Arthur looked at Yao. "Why so?"

"My father doesn't like me," replied Yao simply. "He wouldn't pay a single cent to get me back, aru. In fact, he will be glad to be rid of me. So now his favourite Hong can become his heir and inherit the throne," he continued. "It was the reason I joined the army – so I didn't have to be in the palace to face his wrath, aru."

"Your brother was on the battlefield too, wasn't he?"

Yao smiled a bitter smile. "Hong Kong has always admired me. He joined the army because I joined the army. But he is not suited for war – he can't kill, aru."

Arthur nodded in understanding. "I have a brother too," he told Yao. "He is a scientist back in England. He can't fight as well," he smiled.

"Looks like we have something in common, aru," joked Yao.

Arthur grinned at the Asian man. "But I love him very much, and would do anything to protect him."

"Oh, don't get me mistaken – I love Hong very much too. It's just that he's useless on the battlefield, aru," said Yao.

"I can see that," observed Arthur. "I was just telling you."

Yao smiled and looked carefully at Arthur. "You said you have a proposition for me?"

"Ah, yes," said Arthur. "How would you like to be my advisor?"

Yao blinked. "What, aru?"

Arthur took a deep breath. How was he going to explain his reasoning? "Well, you're obviously very highly educated, being the emperor's son and all that. You are familiar with war strategies, so I'd like to employ your thinking on the battlefield."

Yao frowned. "If you think I'm going to help you fight my country…"

"No!" Arthur quickly said. "I will withdraw all my troops from China. We will head back to England and focus on the war in Europe. I would like you to become my strategist."

Yao looked thoughtful. He could make good use of his skills even when he was in enemy territory. "But I'm a prisoner of war – you aren't going to kill me, aru?"

"No," replied Arthur. "I have seen you on the battlefield – you could be of good use to me."

Yao studied Arthur, trying to figure out if he was sincere or not. After a while, he held out his hand to be shaken. "Okay then."

Arthur grinned and shook Yao's proffered hand. "We will head back to England in five days," he told Yao gently. "Meanwhile, I will arrange for you a place to stay while we prepare to return to England. Everything you need will be provided for you – food, clothes and money."

Yao nodded. At least he was being made use of even in Arthur's camp.

Arthur looked out of the window at the rising sun. "I think it's breakfast time now," he said. "Would you like to join my troops and I for breakfast in the canteen?"

"Why not, aru?" Yao beamed and stood up.

Arthur laughed and stood up. He patted Yao on the back. "You'll fit in just fine over here."

That night, Yao looked around the room Arthur had given him. It wasn't as big as his room back in the palace in China, but it was big enough for Yao to be comfortable.

Yao placed his hand on the surface of the desk that was in the room. Perhaps he should write Hong Kong a letter – just to let him know that Yao was alive and well, and would be helping Arthur in the war in Europe.

Yao sat down at his desk, took a quill and dipped it in ink. How the Westerners could write with that contraption, Yao didn't know. But it was the only item he had. Yao began writing.

Dear Hong,
You must be surprised to hear from me. I expected to be killed. But astonishingly, I'm not. I'm going to be helping Arthur in the war in Europe as his strategist. He says he will withdraw his forces from China, so you can rest well knowing that he will not attack our beloved country. Arthur is a decent man – I am not treated unkindly here. I'm given food and lodging here, so it's not too shabby! We leave for England in five days, and I don't expect to be back here anymore. Be a good son to father, and be a good emperor. I will write to you again when we have reached England.
Love,
Your brother

Yao reread the letter he had wrote to Hong Kong. He frowned – his handwriting was sloppy and awkward as he wasn't used to writing with a quill. Nevertheless, it was still legible, and Yao was sure Hong Kong could read it.

Yao rolled up the letter and tied a string around it. He peeked out of his quarters. Coincidentally, one of Arthur's soldiers was patrolling the vicinity, so Yao beckoned for him.

"Yes, sir?" the soldier jogged to where Yao was.

"Could you… could you get someone to deliver this to the imperial palace, aru?" Yao asked as he held out the letter he had written.

The soldier smiled warmly at Yao. "Sure. Should the deliverer say it's from you?"

"There's no need," Yao informed the soldier. "It is clear in my letter who the sender is, aru."

"Alright then," said the soldier as he took the letter from Yao and pocketed it.

"Thanks very much," Yao said.

The soldier saluted Yao and left.

As Yao turned around to re-enter his room, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief course through him. He held on to the door frame for support. He wasn't killed, and perhaps he could even start a new life in a foreign country. Yao seemed to have the favour of the gods.

Yao remained that way for a while before composing himself and straightening his body. He would have a good night's sleep – tomorrow was a new day.

Five days later, as promised, they were on their way back to England. The English military did not have as big ships as China did for trading purposes, and so could not move as fast as the Chinese ships. So it would be at least two and a half months before they reached England.

But Yao was not complaining. He had a lot to learn about English culture if he were to begin a new life in England. And he intended to learn everything by the time they reached England.

Arthur was currently teaching Yao about English cuisine. He was showing Yao a plethora of English breakfast dishes that were being served. "So… these are bacon, eggs, grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, toast and sausages. This constitutes a typical breakfast in England."

Yao nodded, trying to remember what Arthur was telling him. After being brought up in the Chinese palace, he was finding it a bit hard to get accustomed to English food. He was used to having a bowl of congee for breakfast, for heaven's sake! But he would do it, no matter what!

"We usually drink a cup of tea to supplement breakfast."

Yao looked indifferent. In this sense, England was a lot like China, but the tea they drank was definitely different from the ones he was used to in China. "Uh… what sort of tea do you usually drink?"

Arthur looked at Yao. "I personally like Earl Grey, but we also have black tea, English Breakfast, Scottish Breakfast, Darjeeling…"

Yao glanced at the various tea bags Arthur had laid out on the table. Brewing tea in England was different than in China, because they didn't use tea bags – they merely brewed their tea leaves in a pot. Well, at least black tea sounded familiar to him.

"But if you want, I think there's a Chinese shop in London – I'm sure they sell your type of tea. But it's a bit pricey though, since they're all imported and stuff…"

"Oh, it's okay, aru," Yao smiled at Arthur. "I told myself I'd get used to your culture, and I'll do it."

Arthur laughed. "Don't shock your system too much – I know it's a lot to handle in a short span of time."

Yao grinned at Arthur. "Don't worry about me," he told the Englishman. "So what does this bacon taste like?"

"Why don't you try it, and tell me if you like it?" Arthur pushed the plate of bacon towards Yao.

Apprehensively, Yao poked a piece of bacon around with his fork. This was another oddity of the English – they didn't use chopsticks, and Yao was only getting used to using a fork and knife. Finally, Yao stabbed the bacon with his fork and brought it to his mouth. He looked thoughtful as he chewed on the bacon. Finally, Yao swallowed it.

"How is it?"

"Not bad, aru," Yao said. "A bit too salty for my tastes, though. But I like the crispiness."

"Okay," said Arthur, smiling brightly. It looked like Yao had no problem adjusting to English life.

When they reached England, Yao was immediately put to work. France had declared war upon England, and Yao's expertise was needed on the battlefield.

One night, Yao predicted that it would storm. So, he ordered a small army of English soldiers to head to the French camp. When it started raining, they attacked the French army in their camp while they were in disarray from the storm. Later on, the rest of the English army arrived to back the first battalion up.

Indeed, victory was in England's hands.

After that, England went through a few more battles with various countries.

With Germany, since they had such a massive force, Yao sent for spies to find where it was the Germans were keeping their food. Once they had found it, the English army burnt and destroyed the food source. Without food and resources, the Germans were forced to retreat.

With France again, England formed an alliance with Portugal, and fought the French. It so happened that France was distracted with the revolution happening in the country, and soon lost the war with England.

With Italy, England sent out a small army, the same size as Italy's. The objective was to wear them down, and when they were worn out from the battle, England sent in reinforcements to finally defeat them.

Indeed, with Yao on their side, England seemed to be unstoppable.

One evening, while Yao was practising his martial arts with a bamboo stick instead of his sword, Arthur had been on his way back to his quarters for a bit of a rest before dinner. As soon as Arthur caught sight of Yao, his eyes lit up and he quietly walked towards the Asian man.

"Can I spar with you?"

Yao jumped. He had not expected anyone much less Arthur to be there. He had thought he was alone. Yao turned towards Arthur and looked at him accusingly. "You gave me a fright, aru!"

Arthur grinned unrepentantly. Honestly, he liked seeing Yao flustered. But he didn't tell Yao that. "So, can we spar?"

Yao shrugged. "Sure," he replied as he threw his bamboo stick aside.

Arthur glanced sideways at the discarded object. "You aren't going to use that?"

Yao looked at Arthur. "You don't have one, so that would give me an unfair advantage, aru," he told the Englishman.

Arthur chuckled. "You're an honourable man, Yao."

Yao positioned himself, readying himself for Arthur's attack.

Arthur, too, readied himself. "Ready?"

Yao nodded. "Bring it on," he smirked playfully.

Their fight began. Arthur made the first move as he delivered a kick towards Yao. Yao was quick, and swiftly dodged Arthur's kick to strike the Englishman on the back. They went on fighting for a while, and it looked like they were both evenly matched.

Yao somersaulted to land in front of Arthur, but Arthur tripped on his own legs and fell headfirst in front and onto Yao.

With a surprised cry, Yao tumbled onto the ground. He landed on his back with Arthur sprawled on top of him.

For a moment, there was silence as Arthur stared into Yao's eyes.

Yao gulped. He wanted to push Arthur off him, but somehow he couldn't find the strength to do so. Arthur's green eyes were so captivating, so enchanting… they were drawing Yao into them.

Then, unexpectedly, Arthur closed his eyes and pressed his lips against Yao's.

Yao's eyes widened as he tried to shout out a protest, but soon found himself kissing Arthur back.

Arthur smiled as he felt the sensation of Yao's lips moving against his. He brought his hand forward to caress Yao's upper hand.

Moments passed, and Yao was lost in the wonderful sensations the kiss was producing. However, when he realised what he was doing, Yao's eyes snapped open and he pushed Arthur away from him. "You…" Yao's hand covered his lips.

"Yao, I…"

Arthur didn't get to finish. Yao quickly got up and disappeared behind some trees.

Arthur stared in the direction Yao had run to. He let out a quiet swear and punched the ground. What an idiot he was for kissing Yao like that! But Yao was looking so beautiful just sitting there with a sheen of sweat coating his body… Now Arthur had to go and fix what he had done on a whim.

Yao was panting as he reached a clearing. His heart was thumping loudly in his chest, and it looked like it wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

Arthur had kissed him! Yao brought his hand up to where Arthur had kissed him. His lips still tingled with the feeling of the kiss, and Yao had to admit that it wasn't an unpleasant sensation.

Yao slumped onto the ground. It was obvious now what Arthur felt for him, but what was it that Yao felt for Arthur? Yao had been so engrossed in planning strategies for the wars in Europe that he had completely forgotten that he was human and was prone to feelings as well.

Arthur wasn't a bad man, Yao reasoned. In fact, he was very compassionate towards his soldiers and he was a very good leader. He was loyal to his country and was willing to die for his country, which said something about his devotion towards people he loved. Not to mention Arthur was very good looking as well…

Yao shook his head. He could not let Arthur's appearances judge the way he felt about the blonde man!

"Yao!"

Yao stood up and turned around to see Arthur jogging towards him. So he had been found.

"I'm sorry!" gasped Arthur. "I don't know what I was thinking…"

Yao held up a hand to silence Arthur. He stepped forward towards Arthur, and pulled the Englishman down for another kiss. Once again, Yao found it quite pleasurable and he realised he wanted to do it again. And again and again…

Arthur was alarmed when Yao kissed him, but didn't stop it.

When they broke apart, Yao was the first to speak. "I don't know what exactly it is I feel for you, aru. But I know that I like you very much. And I like kissing you," he told Arthur with a blush. "So… I am willing to give this relationship a try, aru. That's if… you want us to be together."

Arthur was stunned into silence. He stood there with his mouth gaping open. Finally, he closed it and said, "Yes, I do. I do want us to be together. I will make you happy and protect you for as long as I live."

Yao smiled at Arthur.

Arthur grinned deliriously at Yao and gathered the lithe Asian man into his arms in a hug. "I love you," he murmured into Yao's hair.

Yao didn't know what to say to that, so he merely remained silent. There was a happy fluttering in his heart that confirmed his feelings for Arthur. Still blushing, Yao buried his face into Arthur's neck, although he was smiling contentedly.

After that, Arthur and Yao's relationship progressed gradually. Even Arthur's subordinates were supportive of their relationship – they hadn't seen their superior so happy in a long time. Whenever Arthur and Yao were together, and the opportunity presented itself, they would grin suggestively and leave the room, allowing the couple to be alone together. Frankly, it embarrassed Yao to no end, and he always ended up flushing brightly whenever the soldiers did that. Arthur would always grin mischievously, and would end up kissing Yao's head, causing the Asian man to turn a brighter shade of red.

One day, Yao was clearing some documents in Arthur's office. He was kneeling on the ground, as he filed some reports that had been submitted the year before. Yao skimmed through a report that mentioned the recruitments and promotions for the year. He caught sight of Arthur's name, and noticed that Arthur had only recently been promoted to the rank of General of the Army, which was a five-star rank.

Yao beamed in admiration at Arthur's achievement. In China, at twenty-three years of age, Yao was one of the youngest Generals in his time, but to rise up to a General of the Army, what more with Arthur's young age of twenty-five years of age – it was quite remarkable.

Yao jumped when he felt a hand placed on his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" inquired Arthur as he glanced over Yao's shoulder.

Yao shrugged. "I'm rearranging some of your older reports. They're gathering up to be a mess over here, aru."

"Don't bother," Arthur told Yao as he placed a hand over Yao's. "I meant to throw them away, but never got the chance to."

Yao raised an eyebrow. "Then, perhaps you would like me to throw them away, aru?"

"Ah," Arthur smiled at Yao and helped him up. "Don't worry about it – I'll get Finchley to dispose of them."

"You should do things by yourself once in a while, you know," Yao admonished Arthur.

Arthur shot Yao an indignant look. "I'm lazy," he retorted. "Anyway, I have the day off, and I promised Alfred I'd meet him for lunch. Want to come along?"

"Alfred?" Yao looked deep in thought. "You mean, your scientist brother, aru?"

"Yup!" Arthur chortled. "That's the one! Please come – I want to show him the love of my life!"

Yao blushed and smacked Arthur. "Don't say such embarrassing things in front of him!" But one look at Arthur's puppy dog eyes made Yao relent. "Okay, I'll go with you, aru."

Arthur punched his fist in the air. "Yes!" he said as he engulfed Yao in a hug. "Go and change," Arthur ordered bossily. "We leave in an hour."

Yao looked endearingly at Arthur and said, "I love you."

Arthur blinked and stared at Yao for a moment.

Feeling embarrassed and a bit uncomfortable with Arthur staring at him, Yao turn to leave. "I'll see you here in an hour, aru!"

Arthur continued staring at the spot where Yao stood. Slowly, however, a broad grin erupted within his face. Yao loved him, and had finally confessed! Arthur did a little jig in his office.

Later that afternoon, when Arthur and Yao reached a restaurant in the heart of London, a bespectacled young man waved at them excitedly. Arthur's eyes lit up in recognition and he waved back. He then took Yao's hand and led him over to where the young man was seated.

"Yo! Arthur!" the bespectacled man slapped Arthur on the back as he approached him.

"Hi Alfred," Arthur deadpanned.

"And who is this?" Alfred peered curiously over Arthur's shoulder at Yao.

"Oh," Arthur moved aside so that Alfred could get a better look at the smaller man. "This is Yao – the Chinese man I was telling you about."

"Your boyfriend?" Alfred wagged his eyebrows suggestively.

"Yes," Arthur replied puffing up his chest proudly.

Yao hid a grin behind his hand. Regardless of his lover's military rank, Arthur could be so childish at times.

England was at war with Spain. Somehow, this time, Yao found himself in the frontline of the war. Not that he minded – he was very seasoned in war after all, and this would give him a chance to do something.

As Yao slashed a Spanish soldier in the chest, he glanced over to where Arthur was engaged in a brawl with another Spanish soldier. However, his eyes lingered a little too long, for a moment later, Yao felt a sharp pain in his shoulders. He looked to his shoulders and saw that two arrows had pierced him simultaneously – one on the back of his right shoulder and another in the front of his left shoulder. Nevertheless, he tried to ignore it and continued fighting. Yao managed to disarm and kill a few more Spanish soldiers.

When it was all over, the ground was littered with dead English and Spanish soldiers.

Yao's vision was getting blurry from the pain. He collapsed onto his knees on the ground.

Just then, Arthur rode by on his horse as he was surveying the carnage and spotted Yao kneeling in the middle of what used to be the battlefield. "Yao!" he called.

Yao turned around and caught sight of his lover. His mouth broke into a smile as he saw Arthur was unharmed and unscathed. "You're alright, aru," he gasped.

Arthur frowned when he looked at the condition Yao was in. "But you're not," he observed. "Hop on – I'll get you to the medics camp immediately."

It was a chore getting onto Arthur's horse with two arrows lodged into his shoulders, but eventually Yao managed it. Yao wrapped his arms around Arthur's waist the best he could without disturbing the arrow in his left shoulder. He then leaned his head onto Arthur's back, and closed his eyes as he breathed in Arthur's scent. Arthur smelled of blood and war, but there was the minute scent of roses on him as well.

Moments later, Arthur stopped his horse. He shook Yao gently, and Yao jolted awake. Yao had not noticed he had fallen asleep.

Arthur hopped of his horse and helped Yao down. Together, they entered the medics camp, with Arthur supporting Yao as he staggered in.

As usual, after a war, the medics camp was a busy place, and they did not have enough doctors to attend to all the wounded. They could not waste resources on removing arrows. So, the doctor hurriedly gave Arthur instructions on how to remove the arrows from Yao's shoulders. Once they were removed only would a doctor will see to Yao.

Yao tore a huge chunk of his uniform and put it into his mouth. He would bite it, as the pain and damage from extracting an arrow from a wound could be worse than when it went in.

"Ready?" Arthur asked nervously. He had never pulled an arrow out of a wound, and didn't want to inflict pain on the person he loved.

Yao nodded and shut his eyes tightly.

Arthur curled his fingers around the arrow fletching. With all his might, he tugged on the arrow and it dislodged itself from Yao's shoulder. With a loud scream, Yao bit on the cloth in his mouth. As soon as the arrow came out from Yao's shoulder, a stream of blood flowed profusely from the wound.

Frantically, Arthur grabbed a large piece of gauze and pressed it hard against the wound to stop the bleeding. When the bleeding had slowed down, Arthur took a fresh piece of gauze and wrapped it around the wound.

"There's one more," Arthur told Yao regretfully.

Yao nodded. His eyes were still closed tightly.

Arthur took a deep breath. He could do this one more time. This time, when Arthur pulled the arrow from Yao's shoulder, he made a terrible cry and a tear leaked out of his eye.

Arthur slowed the bleeding and wrapped a piece of gauze around the wound. Then, he held Yao's shoulders and gently laid him down. "Alright?" Arthur asked Yao softly, as he ran a finger across Yao's face, wiping the tears away.

"Yeah," Yao replied weakly. "Thanks, aru."

Arthur looked at Yao incredulously. Yao didn't have to thank him – Arthur loved Yao! He merely said, "I love you." Arthur brushed back a lock of hair that had fallen in front of Yao's face. He then helped Yao remove his armour from his body so that Yao could lie down comfortably. "You rest – I'm going to call the doctor here."

Yao nodded and closed his eyes.

Arthur left to speak to a doctor, who attended to Yao after a while. When the doctor was done with Yao, he was fast asleep.

"You can choose to leave him here or take him back – I have cleaned the wound and he is in no immediate danger, so he should be fine if he leaves the medics camp," the doctor told Arthur.

"I'll take him back to my quarters," said Arthur. "Thanks so much."

In the middle of the night, Yao woke up. He opened his eyes and saw Arthur sleeping uncomfortably on a chair by the side of the bed.

"Arthur," Yao called.

Arthur, who was sleeping lightly just in case Yao woke up and needed anything, sat upright immediately. "Yao? What's wrong?"

"Come to bed – there's plenty of space, aru."

"You sure? I don't want to disturb your wound…" Arthur said unsurely.

Yao rolled his eyes. "Come on," he beckoned Arthur to the bed. "Would it help if I said I was lonely?"

Arthur grinned at Yao and got into bed beside him. He wrapped his arms around Yao's small body, effectively spooning him. "Good night, love," he said before falling asleep.

Yao breathed in Arthur's scent. This time, he didn't smell of blood and war, but of hot water and soap, indicating that he had just taken a shower, unlike Yao, who had come fresh from the battlefield but was too exhausted to bother about cleanliness. Yao merely smiled contentedly and snuggled into Arthur's arms before he, too, drifted off to sleep.

When Yao woke up the following morning, it was to Arthur looking at him.

"Arthur!" Yao cried as he moved back jerkily. But the movement proved too much for his fresh wound to handle, and Yao felt a searing pain on his left shoulder. He winced as he unconsciously moved his hand to clutch at the wound on his shoulder. "Don't do that, aru!"

"Just wanted to make sure you are alright," Arthur feigned a hurt look.

Yao laughed and leaned forward to kiss Arthur on the nose. "I'm alright, aru. In pain, but alright."

Arthur breathed a sigh of relief. "I was so scared yesterday," he told Yao softly. "So scared I was going to lose you."

Yao was still smiling. "You won't lose me so easily," he replied.

Arthur kissed Yao on the forehead. "That's good to know. You up for going for breakfast or do you want me to bring breakfast to you?"

Yao moved his arm, but made a face when an agonising pain shot through his shoulder. "Can I be pampered and ask you to bring breakfast, aru?" he asked bashfully.

"Of course you may," replied Arthur with a pleasant smile. "Just wait here – I'll go get something for us to eat."

As Arthur exited his room to look for food for them, Yao flopped down on the bed as gently as he could, smiling contentedly to himself. Silently, he thanked god that he had found his Romeo in Arthur because there was no one as loving and understanding as Arthur.