Arst barely had time to say goodbye to his family before he was brought to the castle. He had been there before, often to accompany his father when the chiefs of vassal clans were called to the capital on various occasions. However, those times had only taken him as far as the main hall where meetings and ceremonies were held. The place where the prince was guiding him to was a little further within the castle grounds, beyond the main keep. They passed several buildings on the way before Prince Lin stopped in front of the gate of a walled complex. Through the open gate, Arst could make out an inner courtyard surrounded by single-story houses on each side, in the traditional Xian Yang style. Servants were standing near the entrance of the main hall, likely waiting for orders.

"This is my residence," the prince informed him. He passed through the gate and beckoned Arst to follow him into the main house, nodding to the servants waiting for them before the doors as they bowed in greeting. "You will live here with me."

This surprised Arst. "I thought wives and concubines had their own building?" This was certainly the case for the current chief's household: Lady Nui had her own living quarters and Lars' concubines occupied another complex together nearby. Aside from the clan chief and his heirs, only female servants were permitted in that part of the castle. Of course, as a man, Arst did not expect to be housed with them, but he thought there would be a separate building for him.

"Male concubines are usually granted their own residence according to their status," Prince Lin explained. "However, Father thought it prudent to keep you directly under my watch for the foreseeable future." From his tone of voice, he sounded less than thrilled with the idea. Not for the first time that day, Arst had the impression that their current arrangement was as unwelcome for the prince as it was for him.

The northern house's interior consisted in a main hall, where a table had been set for their private nuptial banquet, as well as a study on the left and a bedroom on the right. Arst noticed that a chest containing his belongings, which he had handed to castle servants before the ceremony, had been brought inside and now lay in a corner of the main hall. This, more than anything, was what made Arst's new living conditions a finality in his mind.

Prince Lin sat down at the table wordlessly and motioned for Arst to do the same. The servants stationed outside took this as their cue to bring the food in, and before they knew it the table was lined up with various plates and dishes. All of the servants left, save for a blond man who remained nearby in case they needed anything. He was the only one who spoke, wishing the prince a pleasant meal while glaring at Arst. No more words were exchanged during the course of the dinner, and Arst mused that he'd attended funerals that were livelier than this poor excuse for a wedding banquet. At least the food was good.

Once they were done and the blond servant had left with the plates, Prince Lin handed Arst a scroll before disappearing behind a privacy screen to change into his nightwear. The document was filled to the brim with a list of obligations and interdictions he was required to comply with, ranging from basic domestic chores to the kinds of positions allowed during intercourse. Arst nearly threw the scroll to the floor in a mix of disgust and embarrassment when he read those, but he forced himself to take a deep breath and school his expression. "It's just sex," he muttered to himself. "Nothing to get anxious about."

Prince Lin emerged from the privacy screen wearing only a thin silk robe. With his hair down, he might have looked more approachable, if it weren't for his perpetual frown. They stood facing each other for a moment, before Arst sighed and set the scroll aside. Whether he liked it or not, what must be done must be done. He swiftly undid his belt and shrugged his outer shirt off his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Prince Lin asked, his voice uncharacteristically strangled.

"Disrobing." As if that wasn't obvious, Arst thought, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

"You can change behind the screen."

Arst raised an eyebrow. "Isn't changing a waste of time?" He picked up the scroll and tapped a finger to the relevant section. "Here, it says I'm supposed to undress and kneel before you, then turn around and—"

"Change. Behind. The screen."

Arst was finding it harder and harder not to sigh rudely, but he nonetheless complied. The first rule read obey thy husband in all circumstances, after all. Not that he was going to follow it perfectly every time—he knew himself, and had limits he was not willing to cross should the prince demand it of him—but this was only the first night, he should go along with what the prince wanted, no matter how silly the demand. He opened the chest containing his belongings to fish for his nightwear, and went behind the screen to change, as instructed.

When he came out, the first thing Arst noticed was the futon spread out on the floor next to the bed. The prince was already in bed, tucked under the covers, his back to him.

"Blow the candles before you sleep," was the only thing he said.

This is when Arst realized that regardless of their arrangement, the prince had no intention of applying the "intimacy" section of the rulebook tonight. Or any night, Arst was starting to suspect. The tension in his spine lifted considerably at the realization.

"Is this a wedding night or a sleepover?" he muttered, amused. The prince's lack of reaction told him he had no sense of humor, which was slightly disappointing, but he did not take it personally. Arst blew out the candles and slipped into his makeshift bed on the floor, settling comfortably on his pillow, his mood lighter than it had been for the whole day. He might be trapped here for the foreseeable future, but at least he would wake up the next day with his dignity intact. Small victories…