Into the Array

by BerylCoronet

Ivan Braginsky is a painter, who was invited to paint the portraits of the Royal Family of Han, his neighboring country. Among the 13 children born to the King of Han exist a man whom both friends and foes dubbed as the 'God of War'. A God so beautiful he requires the aid of monstrous looking masks to hide his face on the battlefield.

9. Chapter 8

Into the Array C8

Nudity warnings for this chapter.

This will be the last chapter before my break. This is a full rochu chapter. My favourite chapter to write in fact.

I hope all rochu fans reading this can enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing this.

As usual, thanks for reviews and please pardon any grammatical errors.

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Ivan is finally back to his own room after a long day. He came back to find a tub of bathing water with weird smelling herbs and sleeping attire all prepared nicely for him. He recalled Jin Xi strangely insisting that the herbs are good his health and how he needs to soak himself in it. As Ivan slide down in to the tub of hot water, he felt the heat surrounding his naked body, relaxing his tense muscle that he never knew he had. He let out a sigh of contentment as he started recollecting today's chain of event.

After the court session, he was invited by Emperor Wang himself to have tea and cakes, though Ivan would prefer to call them jelly, it is yellow in colour yet it is transparent with white pretty flowers and orange-red oval dots in it. It doesn't taste anything like a real jelly, yet nothing like the cakes back home.

What was it called, Ivan mused. Osmanthus cake with wolfberry. It was really delicious, the way it melts in your mouth with a delectable flowery aftertaste.

Ivan recalled being mentally prepared for any tough or unreasonable questions thrown by the Emperor, but it turns out that he is a pretty reasonable man. Though it leave Ivan's head scratching as to why was he so absurdly unreasonable when he is dealing with his own children, or should he say it was just Prince Yao. Did the Emperor hate his own son?

'But why?' he muttered, mindlessly picking up the pieces of herbs floating on top of the water.

So many possible answers but none seems to feel right, finding that he is unable to get the perfect one, he quickly rose up and dries himself off, dressed up and gravitate towards the canvas by his window. The painting is still incomplete without any shred of colours, and Ivan is never one to fancy leaving something incomplete.

He picked up his paint brush and after some effortless squeezing of paint tubes, Ivan started painting. He picked his obvious object of interest: the Demon. Each colour, each shade, each details, Ivan put in much consideration to it. Every stroke and every mark left on the canvas reminded Ivan of how mean he was for turning the demon away in his dream, for thinking that it doesn't deserve to live, it left him so guilty that he felt the only way to make up for it is to paint its story out.

And it wasn't until the Demon on his canvas was fully coloured that he realise how sleepy he was, and so he decided to retire for the night, but the wind seems to have stopped long ago and the room is warming up again. The sleeping attire stick uncomfortably to his sweat moist skin, and it suddenly felt all too unbearably thick for comfort.

Ivan took off his outer layer of attire before lying on the bed, sleepiness is tugging at his eye lid, but the heat kept him up. Everything is so warm! he thought. Frustrated, Ivan tore off every single piece of his article and dump them to the side, stretching out like a starfish to take in the cold in the air.

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Wang Yao the 9th prince is known for many things, and sneaking to places to reach his goal is also one of them. He circled the perimeter of the building Ivan is staying to check for openings, and after knowing how the guards patrol, he sneaked in by the open window. The moment he touches the ground, he noticed the canvas by the side, illuminated by the moon.

It was a scene in the battlefield, with a man in his mask, begging. Yao narrowed his eyes at the painting, feeling a little insulted. Giving a inaudible snort and with a roll of his eyes, he edge in silently towards the bed. The curtain surrounding the bed is closed, Ivan must be asleep.

Yao stood at the side of the bed. The only thing separating them is just the curtain now. With one swift move, he separate the flaps. Ivan is sleeping on top of his blanket, arms and legs are opened and stretched out unglamorously, his manhood standing in full glory under the light of the moon. The scene was a unexpected and it stunned even Yao, who stood there staring for a good solid half a minute.

Half a minute is all it takes, Ivan felt a presence and his eyes shot wide open to find a shadow looming over him. In his shock, he moved backwards and tried to scream out for help. However, the shadow seems to be faster, as it quickly moved his palm over Ivan's open mouth and press it down tight. He started struggling hard as the figure climb on top of Ivan, straddling and pressing him down with its body.

A mixture of good smelling flowery scent invaded his nostril and it left Ivan strangely addicted, the person on top of him is small in stature but incredibly strong, but still Ivan tried to struggle away. Until that figure, now alone with him on the bed with the curtains down finally whispered harshly: 'Stop struggling! It's me, Wang Yao, the 9th Prince.'

'Wang Yao?' Ivan asked, knitting his brows. He can't see the face in front of him, but the person don't seem to mean any harm. It stopped pressing him down once Ivan stop struggling.

'Yes it's me.'

The commotion inside seems to have alerted the guards patrolling, a few moments later, running feet and shouts can be heard outside. Before long, somebody started banging on the door.

'Mr Ivan, are you okay?' it shouted.

'Oh no. Get out. Get out and say you're okay.' Yao demanded as he tried pushing Ivan out of the bed.

'But I'm naked!' Ivan protested, resisting Yao's shoving.

'Where are your clothes?'

'On the bed.'

'Where!? I can't find them, open the curtain!' Yao retorted, as he continues touching around the bed.

Ivan felt miffed being ordered around by Yao. Who are you. So what if you're a prince, I am one too, and one which almost became a King, okay? And that makes me bigger than you! Ivan thought, pouting a little, crossing his arms.

'Open it, what are you waiting for!' Yao reprimanded, desperation and frustration lacing his words.

'Fine, stop ordering me around.' Ivan replied with annoyance, for a moment, Ivan have really forgotten that the person he is interacting with is the 9th prince himself, Wang Yao.

'Where did you put your clothes. Why can't you wear them like a normal person would.' Yao complained, picking and scrutinizing items around the bed for anything that seems vaguely like Ivan's clothes.

So Ivan indignantly lifted the curtains apart to let the lights in. For the very first time, Ivan saw the true face of the legendary God of War, and then he finally understand why the commander from the North is willing to lay down a million warrior's life just to catch another glimpse again. The 9th prince looks beautiful, so beautiful it's as though the Gods above have sculpted the man themselves, like an unobtainable treasure guarded by the monsters residing in those masks. And heaven forbids their creation to ever be tainted, for they gave him tears that will crack the earth and curse that will split the skies.

The poets are right. But how many have actually seen anything like this creature before him, that even though the stingy, greedy moon kept the other half of his face in the shadow, the soft glow that gently touches the other is enough to strike Ivan down.

How stupid you are, to lose your heart over a man you just met, Ivan finds his subconscious berating. Wang Yao the 9th prince is a nightmare, a Pandora's box, all dressed up like a daydream.

But despite that self warning, Ivan still can't help but finds his heart stuck in his throat, unable to move and utter any words. He feels weird, a strange impulse rising up within him, the overwhelming need to possess this creature before him. He wants to take what everyone can't and mark him as his own, and he is willing to fall into the deepest depth of Hell for it.

'Oie! What happened to you?' Yao looked up at Ivan from the meagrely lighted bed.

Furrowing his brows, Yao leaned in close, very close to Ivan and smell in between his neck. This action proved to be too tempting for a man struggling between his senses, and Ivan can't help himself but wrapped his arms around Yao, pressing him tightly against his bare chest.

Out of the corner of his eyes within Ivan's awkward embrace, Yao caught the sight of Ivan's clothes. He quickly struggled out of Ivan's hold and pull the clothing under his weight.

'Move! You lumbering beast! You're sitting on your clothes. No wonder I can't find it. Quick! The Guards are going to barge in anytime soon at this amount of knocks.' Yao hissed, giving urgent taps on Ivan's arms.

'Oh.. oh.. okay.' Ivan muttered as he came to his senses and he quickly moved out of the way.

'Wear it!'

'Okay.' Ivan mumbled, taking the clothes, he stood beside the bed and hastily drape it on without anything else before attempting to move towards the door.

'Stoooop!' Yao whispered out harshly, grabbing onto Ivan's wrist while kneeling near the edge of the bed. 'That's not how you wear it.'

Ivan looked back at his wrist, and then to the face that is now fully visible under the lights. Wang Yao is wearing a pink dress with a high ponytail, but Ivan's eyes are glued to that face. Such soft and beautiful features are only enhanced by the seductive night, indeed, Wang Yao is a man with an unforgettable face, with an even more unforgettable set of eyes. They are eyes that speaks of sadness in Ivan's opinion, the kind of sadness you felt seeing the back of your beloved ones under the rain. The kind of sadness that is strangely beautiful.

The next moment when Ivan came back to his senses again, it's when Yao is standing right in front of him, peeling off his clothes and wearing it on him again.

'Can you.. ' Yao grimace, looking downwards. He looked up again at Ivan and continued 'Can you do something about your little brother. Its... I don't to touch it.'

It suddenly occur to Ivan that his erection have been going on for quite some time now and now that he realise it, it seems to have taken a strain on his muscles down below. But he quickly pushes them down and hold it in between his thigh enough for Yao to finish the attire.

'Go go go. Go and tell them you're okay!' Yao pushed. He quickly scrambled back to the bed and closed the curtains.

The aura of flower left him as sudden as it arrive, and Ivan felt empty without that addicting smell surrounding him, sleepiness sets in like a long overdue lag, and he felt like a walking dead shuffling towards the door.

'Can you stop banging on the door?' Ivan yawned sleepily, giving a little stretch to make his sleepiness more convincing.

'Mr Ivan! We heard some noises coming from this building!' one of the guards said.

'Hmmmm.' Ivan look at them with bewildered eyes. 'I must have had a dream and accidentally made some noise. I'm okay.'

'No sir, we shall send in some men to guard all openings from this building in case of any problems. Just shout out and we will be right in!'

'Okay. No problem.' Ivan replied without much thoughts.

He fumbled his way back to the bed, and stood staring at the curtain hiding the bed. An angry arm popped out in between the slit and grabbed Ivan into the dark.

'Are you nut! You just cut my only access out!' Yao hissed out with displeasure.

'Oh! I totally forgotten about it' Ivan mumbled. ' I-I'm sorry.'

Yao let out a sigh in exasperation, what is he going to do with this dumb foreigner.

'You can stay here for the night.' Ivan suggested meekly. That face that blew his heart away is engraved in his mind, but interacting with its owner without looking at it made his heart beat a little less faster.

'Do I have a choice? I'm taking the bed.' Yao announced with no hint of courteousness.

'What? Then where do I sleep?'

'You can sleep on the floor.'

'No, why should I? You're the intruder!'

'No, I refuse to sleep on the floor now that I'm back in the palace!' Yao replied, quickly rolling in under the comfortable blanket. 'Besides, it's your fault.'

'Hey, get up! You still haven't told me why you're here. What the hell, randomly barging into people's room like that. Is that a pet peeve of the 9th prince?' Ivan taunted, shaking the body beside him.

'Oh, that. Yes! I was wondering if you could paint Cheng Chang's and my portrait in the middle of the night as soon as you can. We will reward you generously.' Yao sat up and explains his situation. 'The commander from the North are gathering the tribes and if they decided to attack Han all together in a coordinated attack, Han will fall. And they will definitely pour into Samara as well. We need to get back as soon as possible, you need to help us with this request or the world will fall.'

'You make things sounds like I'm obliged to you. I can see why you're the general for Han. But why should I help you? What do I stand to gain?' Ivan questioned.

Ivan stared at the black figure in front of him. He can't see the face, but he knows that Yao is staring at him. For a long time, both side was quiet, and the longer it dragged, the more Ivan's heart want to succumb. The quiet atmosphere unknowingly changed into a threatening one, and it's as though the annoying Wang Yao have changed back into the man or god or demon that Ivan saw earlier on in the halls. But his brain kept him by his offer, he will not provide his service without a benefit.

'Fine. I'll give you a tip.' Yao finally said after letting out a sigh.

'What tip?'

'Stop drinking the tea and stop bathing in the herbs Jin Xi prepared for you. You can go thirsty and you can go smelly, but never touch what that crafty eunuch made.'

'He's an eunuch? That explains why he's actions are so strangely .. feminine.' Ivan mumbled in horror upon his realization.

'Yes, He-'

'Does that mean you are one too?' Ivan interrupt with genuine curiosity.

Ivan's words felt like an arrow shot right into Yao's heart, spreading its poisonous emotions that send his blood boiling from that insult, and it was made worst by that innocence in that tone! How dare this nasty foreigner insinuate that he is even one, Yao thought.

'What did you say?' Yao answered furiously, gritting his teeth to prevent his anger from escalating. He is giving Ivan one more chance, to rectify his question. One more.

'You're an eunuch?'

Ivan immediately felt a slap across his arms before that question was even finished.

'Ouch, what was that for?' Ivan take in a sharp intake of breath, quickly rubbing the offensive spot. He is definitely sure that slap is going to leave a palm print welt. 'It hurts!'

'You called me an eunuch!'

'But your looks and your actions are... feminine.' Ivan replied, slowing down at the end after realising that he have offended the man no one wants to offend.

Yao is hopping mad inside. But he can't quite literally let off his steam in any way under this situation. Desperate to prove that he is not an eunuch as Ivan have misunderstood, he grab hold of Ivan's wrist and put it in between his crotch.

'TOUCH AND TELL ME I AM AN EUNUCH!' Yao hissed out angrily and quietly, all within the confines of the dark, enclosed bed.

Ivan was shocked out of his wits at this sudden vulgar action by Yao. The 9th Prince, the Vain God of War, the Demon of Han, the bloodthirsty man, Ivan was expecting him to be much more serious, much more refined, or perhaps a man with a much more sophisticated aura, but this... ? He is confused. Is this the same man he thought it was?

However, the situation calls for a reaction and he enclosed his fingers a little, and felt.. nothing.

'Uhh.. there's nothing?' Ivan replied truthfully, indirectly answering Yao's question.

'Fuck!' Yao spit out between his teeth, throwing Ivan's arm back to him. He settle back under the blanket and slept with his back facing Ivan. He is too angry, the volcanoes have exploded inside and melted his entire being, he is indignant but he felt no point rubbing more salt into his own bloody wounds. Especially after he saw the foreigner naked, he knows why Ivan felt nothing.

Fuck. Yao cursed internally. Who would feel anything after touching that monster everyday!

Ivan is bewildered. But everything have gone quiet again because Yao decided to drop the matter by hiding under the blanket. What now? he thought, His phallus is still pretty solid and he don't understand why it's still standing after such a long time.

'Can you get out of my bed?' Ivan pleaded.

Yao ignored him.

'Please?'

But Yao continue to ignore him

'I will not sleep on the floor.' Ivan warned again.

And still, Yao continued to ignore him.

'You asked for it.' Ivan said. He laid down on his bed beside Yao and started pulling apart his sash to expose his lower body. He gingerly took out his sore extension, he can't see it but he can feel the rigidity and veins popping out demanding to be fixed. He slowly wrapped his own fingers around, a little embarrassed he have to do it now. It's been so long since he last did it, but the continuous strain placed on his crotch became too painful to ignore.

'Uhh.' he moaned, half wanting to scare Yao, another half of him can't bite back the intense pleasure.

'What are you doing!?' Yao stirred.

'Hmm Uh' he stifled his cry again, this time moving his fingers faster. He is knitting his brow from his actions, but the prolonged erection proves to makes things fast and easy and he is quite close to coming within a few pumps. 'Touching myself.'

'What the fuck?!' Yao muttered out in shock when he realise what Ivan is doing. 'Get the fuck out of my bed! You dirty bastard!' he continued, giving a swift kick at Ivan's side butt, a kick so strong it send Ivan tumbling off the bed, onto the cold hard ground.

Ivan curled up in pain, sending a massive load of sticky, white substances on the ground. 'What was that for?' he managed to chocked out, biting back his embarrassed tears at this ridiculous situation. He just got kicked out of the bed literally for doing something every man will do, and he even dirtied the floor in the meantime.

'It hurts!' he complained to the man on bed when Yao did not reply.

'You deserve it for being this disgusting.' Yao answered.

'But it really hurts. I can't help it.'

'If you stop drinking the tea and bathing in the water Jin Xi prepared for you, you'll be fine.'

'What do you mean?' Ivan whined pitifully, he can still feel himself pouring out another load onto the ground. This is abnormal, I don't normally come this much. The second load poured onto the ground was immediately followed by the feeling of a third load coming, and Ivan felt so like he is pouring out his life forces onto the ground, it felt so painful he started sobbing on the floor

'What happened to you?' Yao asked in hesitation. This big foreigner can't be sobbing from a kick, can he? Or.. Yao thought, as he caught a whiff of seminal fluid.

'You came?!'

Ivan curl up even more on the ground, pressing down tightly on his groin hoping to ease the pain strain, yet it still kept leaking load after load of fluid. He wanted to retort the annoying man on the bed, but find himself trembling uncontrollably. What is happening, he thought.

'You're dead! Why are your hands so itchy!' Yao's tone in his voice changed to one with serious concern. He quickly shuffled out of the bed to see Ivan writhing on the ground, letting out an exasperated sigh, he moved in closer to Ivan, careful to avoid the puddle of yellowing fluid.

'What is happening to me?' Ivan cried, facial features all scrunched up in pain as drool and mucus dribbled down his mouth and nose, his whole face is red with green veins popping at his temple from the strain.

'My sister, Wang Mu send Jin Xi to use some stimulating herbs on you, it's a very deadly aphrodisiac. Men who consume it and touch themselves will come until they die, women who consume it will itched from the below and scratch until they bleed to death.' Yao explained as he began pressing onto some acupuncture located on the back of Ivan's head.

Ivan felt the pain ease a little away and managed to loosen his position. 'W-why would she do that?' he choked out.

'Because she wants you.'

'But I'm just a peasant.'

'She wants you in her bed, would she care if you're a peasant?' Yao replied quietly, pressing on the two side of Ivan's hips now, lessening the pain radiating from below. 'Lie down, straight. I'm going to.. ' Yao took a deep breath before answering 'Touch you.'

'Please.'

Yao moved his fingers downwards and press down the twitching, sticky and moist manhood. Ivan winced from the pressure, but within a minute or two it's length gradually subsided and no more liquid is oozing out from the top.

'I almost died.' Ivan finally said after a long time. He stared at the details of the ceiling, contemplating about his life. He really felt like he is going to die there and then, whatever will Viktor thinks, if his brother came until he die.

'Thanks' he continued, turning towards Yao.

'You're welcome.' Yao replied quietly, wiping his fingers on Ivan's dishevelled clothes.

'Be careful. The God of War is not the only one you should look out for.'

Ivan gave a chuckle as he recalled the soldier's words. Such irony, he thought, that the man who he should look out for just saved his life. Though Princess Vamp seems to be the one that he really need to look out for.

'I'll sleep on the table. Take a rest on the bed, it will be tiring in the morning for you.' Yao continued. Ivan can't see his face but his demeanour changed to a softer one. Yao help Ivan up to the bed, a much needed support, for Ivan's jellied legs gave way the moment it is used.

'Careful.' Yao mumbled as he gently place Ivan sitting on the bed.

Ivan looked up to the black figure, it's as though time as restarted and he is looking at him again. Except that instead of fear, he felt grateful, for the monstrous man that saved his life and for the dark that hide his bashful face. 'You can bring the 11th prince along tomorrow night if you want, but I'll draw your portrait first. In exchange, tell me your story.'

'What story?'

'Your story.'

'Why?'

'Because behind every portrait of mine, lies a story I will tell.'

Yao let out a noise of derision. 'What are you going to tell?'

'I'm going to tell the world that the man behind those masks is a human.'

'The man behind those masks is a demon.' Yao replied quietly.

'I'll see.'

'Take a rest, goodnight.' It seems as though Yao is changing the topic away, but Ivan decided not to interrogate any further anyway.

As Yao is turning away, Ivan caught his wrist and much to his surprised, Yao did not scream at him as expected. And so Ivan said 'The bed is big enough for two. I'll sleep on the inside and you can leave whenever on the outside.'

'Sounds fair enough.' Yao shrugged, scrambling to lie on the bed after Ivan struggled to move in.

The flowery fragrance in the air mingled with the seminal fluid Ivan have released earlier on, it created a thick vapour in the air that is sickening to the stomach, constantly serving as a reminder to Ivan that he have embarrassed himself. But the silence of the night is where the devils run amok, and Ivan's ego allow himself that tad bit of happiness that the scent of the infamous God of War is one with his own intimate ones.

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Fun Fact: when I was writing this line '...it seems to have taken a strain on his muscles down below. But he quickly pushes them down and hold it in between his thigh enough for Yao to finish the attire.'

I accidentally wrote it as '...hold it in between his legs enough ...'

Now even if Ivan is really huge, long enough to hold in between the legs would be really scary.