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"We cannot be together."
Any truth like that had the crushing strength to kill anyone. Princes were no exception.
Ling and Ed had come to meet during one of Xerxes's biggest events of the year: the annual celebration of their youngest heir's recovery from death. It'd been said that Alphonse, Prince of Angelic Descent, fell deathly ill to the point of being unable to walk, much less eat at some point. Most of what Ling had heard was mere rumor; he heard of Alphonse's supposed death at some point when he was far younger, mentions of the prince were strictly avoided which led to the creation of the nasty rumor.
At some point, Alphonse returned through mentions from the King of Xerxes and the older prince, but he was kept from the eyes of the people—by extension, other rivaling countries. The kingdom was given time to recover, no one had taken direct action to take advantage of their vulnerability. When Ling was 16, letters with the official Xerxesian seal were delivered, reaching the North, South, East, and of course, West.
He recalled the day his door was knocked on, when a polite servant handed a cream white envelope to Fu, to which was delivered to Ling. The letter declared Alphonse's recovery to be a success, along with the announcement of his new title that came from his achievement.
Ling had scoffed at the title, tossing the letter to the side. After all, he knew better than to tune into the affairs of a foreign country.
At the age of 18, he was pushed into the back of a carriage.
"Where am I meant to be headed, anyway?" He questioned with his face free of any frustrations, though his body language spoke greater for his trapped thoughts. This would be nothing more than a waste of time.
"The Emperor has decided it would be best for you to expand your horizons, starting with Xerxes." Fu explained, Lan Fan had sat next to Ling as a precaution to any assassination attempts on his life. "He notes you are too kept in the palace. It wouldn't hurt to spread your wings, young Lord." Ling could only respond with a reluctant agreement, his mind filled with the thousands of different things he could've been doing with his life.
It all left his mind when he stepped foot out of his carriage. The air was far sharper and unforgiving than in Xing, which made sense for a kingdom flourishing in the desert. The palace he stood on the steps of was grand, surprisingly rivaling the luxury of Xing's main palace, but clearly lacking in size. Ling could hardly focus on it all, not with a sun standing right in front of him, battling for his attention. Easy for the sun, it won without having to lift a finger. It overpowered his will to look at Alphonse, or even the Xerxes King.
Before him was a boy his age, slipped into what looked to be Xerxes's finest silk and stitched with a kind of gold that matched his strands of hair and his pair of shining eyes that were practically a pair of suns themselves. His skin was kissed by the deepest rays of the sky—though his height didn't benefit from it—blessing the very ground he walked. Ling knew very well every other Xerxesian had the same golden features, yet something was different about it when it came to this teen. With his radiance, a scowl was settled on his face, just barely visible to amuse Ling.
He was only broken out of his trance by the heavy voice of the King, King Hohenheim. "We are pleased to have you in our midst, Twelfth Prince of Xing, Ling Yao." Simultaneously, both the King and Alphonse dipped their heads in respect. Only the unnamed boy lagged behind, his head lowering a couple of seconds after the other two.
Ling held in a chuckle, covering it up with a strained cough. "Many thanks for having me." The royalty in front of him raised their heads back up. He looked over at Alphonse, the latter gave him a polite smile. "It's a pleasure to see you are doing well, even if we've never met before. I'm sure your recovery wasn't easy."
The prince giggled—his voice giving away his younger age—with an odd glee, "It was not, but I'm here, correct?"
Ling only nodded, intentionally keeping the conversation short. He glanced over at the unknown prince. The scowl on that gorgeous face deepened. "If it's not too much to ask, what is your name?"
Like he knew the boy wasn't going to respond, Alphonse jabbed him in his side, earning a strangled noise from him. "Ack-" the boy passed a glare onto Alphonse who simply urged him to speak, "I'm Edward Elric," a formal tone covered his previous displeasure, "the Prince with the Sun's Blessing."
"An interesting title for an equally compelling individual." His tongue slipped, suddenly letting out the first thing that came to mind. He'd never heard of such a title, though that could be attributed to the fact he never bothered with foreign politics until this trip.
"Right…" Ling never knew that being given an eye roll would ever be attractive, but he loved to be proven wrong.
Many other representatives came from neighboring countries, one such being King Bradley from Amestris. Ling exchanged greeting with many of them, and soon, the celebration began. It started with entertainment at first. People danced, exchanged offers and chances for new connections, they laughed and even got along. Ling wasn't one of them. He spent most of his time chasing for a single glance at that sour face, but it was for naught. Every glint of gold was mistaken for Edward, and each time he took a closer look, he was disappointed to find there was no golden teen.
The dishes set up for the meal made up for it. Ling was sat closest to the three royalty of Xerxes. The seat to his right was empty, save for a crimson plush cushion; the seat across from it was also empty. Ling turned his attention to King Hohenheim's throne, empty as well—though at least the King was standing by it. The princes had gone somewhere, gone from the eye of the public. Ling opened his mouth to ask about their whereabouts—
"You're pulling my port, Al!" A frustrated whine came from a faintly lit corridor, followed by a light scuffle. There was a push and a shove until two figures came under the light of the dining hall.
There Alphonse and Edward were, with the younger of the two tugging Edward towards the empty chair next to Ling. He was pouting, "Brother, stop, you're going to make a scene!" Despite his worries, almost everyone was watching the scene unfold.
"You're the one who's pulling me like this!"
Edward was pushed into the chair. He huffed and puffed like a child, eventually masking his anger into something more cooled—Ling observed the way his ears were tinted red. "You're certainly feisty." Ling mused, enjoying the attention that the teen gave him, even if it was in the form of a withering glare. "What? You know, this is no way to treat someone you hardly know."
The golden prince looked away from him, ignoring him entirely. Ling wanted to persist. He did, but the eyes of everyone around them lingered too close to them for comfort, so he dropped their conversation entirely. Once food was handed out, Ling was quick to act a mess of himself; after all, he was never one to be normal when food was sitting right in front of him, waiting to be eaten. Most of what was offered to easily be found in Xing, but there was something about the way the Xerxesians prepared the several kinds of meats and delicacies that allowed for Ling's stomach to inhale more and more. Entertainment had entered the dining hall, letting guest to dance to their heart's content and talk amongst groups.
When Ling got to his last plate, the chair next to him gave out a screeching noise that immediately got his attention. The older prince was standing up, his several plates stacked together on the table. His entire section was clean, unlike Ling's. The prince gestured to Alphonse, who in return gave him a thumbs up; without saying a word, he pushed his chair in and escaped the room down the dimly lit corridor.
Where are you going? Ling wondered in his mind, his feet moving without giving it any thought. He knew Alphonse was watching him. Most of the boy's fourth plate was left untouched. Ling climbed out of his chair and—as best as he could—slipped away from the several crowds that had formed, the air became lighter the second he stepped out. He kept moving, even as he screamed in his mind he didn't know where anything was. Only when he reached an ajar door did he stop. Moonlight poured out into the hallway, sprinkling against the tiles of the Xerxesian palace. Ling was hardly mesmerized, not as much as when he opened the door to step in. His eyes met the back of the golden being he'd wanted to speak with this entire time. Edward was comfortably leaned against the railing of the balcony, his face facing towards the moon. Ling took a step in, but much to his luck, the sudden squeak of the floor gave him away.
The teen looked over his shoulder with surprise. An apology almost escaped Ling, but his mouth went dry as he stared at the moonlight hitting the boy. If the sun brought out his features, then the moonlight only accentuated them further. The blotches on his face shone with the help of the moonlight's glow, his hair glistened as though it embodied the shine of the early sun, and it all alleviated the agitation etched into his furrows of his brow.
"This place is off-limits, you know?" He reminded Ling, a visible frown settling on his face.
"I thought since I'm a visitor, I would be allowed to explore the palace." Acting dumb had little effect on Edward, it seemed.
"Not without an escort." Ling dared to ignore his words, taking a dangerous step forward. Edward didn't challenge him, only watching as he got closer and closer until the distance between them was just a couple of inches away.
He stared down at Edward with a smile reserved only for the closest of companions. Edward seemed to shrink in on himself at the closeness, keeping his arms close to himself. "We haven't had the chance to exchange pleasantries." He wanted to get closer than he already was, but he didn't want to push his luck. "I know your name, and you know mines. I think you're more interesting than meets the eye." Not wanting to take no for an answer, Ling leaned his arms forward and copied Edward's previous resting position, "Let's get to know each other!"
Edward stared at him like he was crazy. He could say it to his face, but it wouldn't phase Ling, not in the slightest.
"Twelfth Prince, are your other siblings this dense, too?"
"Not at all."
That night, their friendship began. They shared their favorite colors, preferred weather—a rainy season was rarely in Xerxes's future, so Edward was forced to say he enjoyed the constant sunshine—and they even settled into a comfortable conversation. Surprisingly, Edward had similar views as Ling did. The only thing Ling couldn't believe was the boy's tacky taste in fashion.
"Call me Ed," Edward had insisted near the end of their talk, alerted by the dwindling noise coming from the dining hall that guests were beginning to head off to their given rooms in the palace, "Everyone calls me that. "Edward" sounds fuckin' weird if we're going to be friends." Ling then promptly repeated the nickname several times much to Ed's immediate annoyance. He was threatened, but those threats fell on deaf ears of a prince who was too enamored.
Three years after his first interaction with the Prince with the Sun's Blessing, Ling's visits to the Kingdom of Xerxes had since increased drastically. The Emperor of Xing, his father, never questioned it. Only during shared family dinners did he see the Emperor staring at him with eyes that demanded results if he were to continue his little visits.
If Ling were younger, he would've felt pressured to do something with his newfound connection to Xerxesian royalty, but he didn't.
He enjoyed being in Ed's company, even if at times he knew he was being annoying in the prince's eyes. They shared a secret hangout spot, the same place they'd had their first talk—Ed had polished the room up with the help of some servants. According to him, it'd been left unused since the day his mother died.
It was in that same room they shared their first kiss.
Ed often stared at Ling when he wasn't looking, but Ling always felt his eyes boring a hole into the back of his skull. Ling never questioned it, simply because it would be hypocritical to do so—after all, he loved to stare at Ed's back when the latter wasn't looking either.
There had been a tension growing between the two during meals, during their one-on-one conversations, when their touches lingered for far too long, and when Ling's visits would always extend for far longer than anticipated. It became much too noticeable when they began to hold hands within the comforts of the palace's walls, when their physical closeness had no gap, to the point there were no signs remaining that pointed to their relationship being just humor between friends.
So, really, it was no surprise when their lips connected in the privacy of their little hangout spot. It was almost painfully obvious how much the two of them wanted it. They took a minute to make their desire known, after every kiss they would take a breath, only to go right back to gnawing at the other's face with pleading grips on each other's clothes—don't let this stop, they both agreed on. When they eventually let go of each other, the silence was deafening.
"…You look beautiful." Ling whispered after a long time of staring at Ed's face. A deep red had settled across his face, spreading to his ears. His lips twitched upwards due to the flattery.
"You're just saying that." He denied, though it was painfully obvious he enjoyed the compliment. His hands fidgeted with his hair, flattening the strands against his face to cover his cheeks.
Ling reached over, gently taking his hands and holding them in his own. "Why would I lie about that?" Watching as the light in Ed's eyes shined, he continued to hold him gently. "You know, I've always thought you were stunning. I know you shared many traits with other Xerxesians, but none of them have ever caught my eye like you have." A confidence began to grow in his chest; he leaned forward and planted a quick peck to Ed's forehead, "And I'm being honest, no one has captured my heart the way you have, Ed." When he looked at Ed's face, it was even redder than before.
Ling should've known to cherish the romantic moments he had with the prince.
A couple of years of enjoying his secret—complicated—relationship with Ed, he received a letter from one of his many siblings. Most loved to gossip, and this sibling was no different. He took the letter with half-hearted gratitude, not expecting much than the usual gossip of their sibling messing up and losing the favor of the Emperor.
He never once expected it to be about Xerxes, or even Ed. He recalled very well how the letter stabbed him deep in his gut, twisting it with a sadistic pleasure as it swirled in his mind. Edward Elric is getting married to a prince in Amestris. If he were less than wise, he'd play it off as a dangerous lie, but this was his sibling he had received a letter from. If it were a rumor, then it was more than likely true. He rushed outside to the nearest available carriage with his bodyguards in tow.
"Young Lord! Where are you going!" They called from behind him, but he didn't falter. He rushed out orders, and within minutes, he was off to arrive in Xerxes the next day.
Due to his sudden visit, there was no welcome waiting for him at the steps of the palace when he arrived. Ling forced his body to keep moving, and luckily, no one stopped him. With his hazy mind, he rushed through the palace, desperately trying to remember the path to the room he and Ed loved to stay in together. In his anxiousness, he found his memory failing him.
Eventually, he bumped into Alphonse. There was hardly any greetings exchanged. One look onto Ling's face and Alphonse was already giving him a look of pity, a frown on his face, "You're looking for Ed, aren't you?" Alphonse was one of the only ones to know about his situation with Ed.
Ling furiously nodded his head, unable to say a word.
Sympathetic, Alphonse led him further into the palace, and in the direction of Ed's whereabouts. He dropped off Ling in front of a shut door, but one that Ling had since familiarized himself more times than he could recall. "I'm sorry." Alphonse muttered, his eyes speaking for Ling's sorrow.
Ling couldn't wait for Alphonse to walk away. He burst through the door, immediately spotting Ed, looking like he was waiting for something—like him. Much like their first actual talk, Ed was on the balcony. This time, however, he was curled in on himself, crouched on the floor. At the sudden noise, Ed whipped his head around. His eyes were red and puffy. He's been crying, Ling's heart melted once he realized. His eyes were wiped by his glove, though it hardly did anything to make it seem like he hadn't been crying.
Ed shakily stood up. His eyes never once left Ling. He walked forward, with knees so shaky it looked like they were about to give way. "It's a surprise to see you, Ling." His voice was small, far different than his usually loud and bold personality.
"It's not true, is it?" Ling quickly got to the point. He didn't think he could handle being in the dark any longer than he has. "You- Are you getting married to that prince in Amestris? Is it true?!"
"Please keep your voice down." Ed mumbled, he leaned away from Ling's sudden outburst, the light in his eye too dim to ease Ling's mind.
"You are, aren't you?" He immediately assumed. With the way Ed's eyes glanced away from him, almost with shame, Ling's heart plummeted.
Ed looked so pitifully tiny like this. He was so unlike himself, it made Ling sick to his stomach. He couldn't begin to look at him, but he forced himself to. Ed bit his lip, his expression pain-racked.
"We cannot be together." Ed suddenly spat out, his automail creaked, like he hadn't been taking care of it for a couple of days. "My country needs this to happen." So it wasn't consensual? Ling questioned in his mind. It didn't ease the sudden pain that flashed through his entire body.
"W-what?" He managed to stutter out with a flinch, painfully watching as Ed's face twisted with a suffering like no other. Forced to swallow his surprise, Ling pressed on, "Ed, don't say that- you can come to Xing with me! I can help you run away, is that what you want?" He reached for Ed's hands, like he'd usually do to comfort the other if something was going wrong—everything was going wrong for them right now.
"No, Ling," Ed took his hands away from Ling's reach, keeping them purposefully away so he couldn't be swayed. His head lowered, his layers of hair obscuring his face from Ling who was desperate to get at least a glance, "we need this."
"Ed- Ed, just marry me! Xing has more to offer you than- than Amestris!" Uttering the country's name burned his tongue. "We have gold- you also have gold, but we have more! We have livestock, more than Amestris, we have better materials than them! The silk I'm wearing?" He tried to get Ed to look at the fabric that was on his skin, "Better than most Amestrian products! I'm sure of that!" Rather than trying helplessly to grab his hands, Ling placed his hands on Ed's shoulders. They shook underneath his grip.
"Ed, would you look at me, please? Don't sell yourself away for your country. Do what you want, just don't resort to this."
Then, a sniffle reached his ears, and suddenly, all of Ling's willpower to convince him to not go through with this withered away. When Ed looked up, he was greeted by the sight of a snotty nose, wet cheeks, and tears falling down his golden eyes. "Please, fall out of love with me." Ed whispered—pleaded with Ling. His hands moved to be cradled close to his chest, keeping them away from Ling so he couldn't beg for Ed to stay with him, "My decision has been made. A deal has been met already." His already-depressed expression crumbled even further into despair. He'd never seen a look like that on Ed's face ever.
"Shit, Ling, I-" He drew in a sharp breath, only to sputter it back out with his cries, "Shit, shit, I don't want to do this, but I can't let Al marry himself off! I'm the older brother, I have to!" Before Ling had a chance to respond, Ed threw his arms around him and clutched onto him. "Ling, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…" Ling felt the fabric over his shoulder becoming wet, but he didn't dare say anything. He only wrapped his arms around Ed, but nothing more.
He was silent as Ed began to sob uncontrollably, and he wasn't afraid to admit that he began to tear up as well; there was nothing he could say to comfort Ed, he was still upset over the fact there wasn't a chance of coming to an agreement. Anything he said would just make Ed feel more devastated.
It took longer than expected for Ed to calm down. His breathing was heavy still, but Ling made sure to keep him close.
"Are you okay?" He kept a gentle tone with him, careful not to hit any nerves.
Ed nodded silently, letting out a small shudder. He cleared his throat, "As okay as I can be." He admitted, his voice raw with his emotions. "I'm… I should've tried to tell you sooner. It would've hurt less." He sniffed, lifting his head up to look Ling in the eyes. Ling was tempted to look away, to save his heart from the ache that shot through his chest at the sight.
"I would've found out eventually. It's fine." He tried to reassure Ed, though it only prompted more tears to stream down his face. Ed didn't let out any sobs, just silently letting his tears flow freely with no shame. An idea struck Ling. He leaned forward and began to pepper kisses all over Ed's face, catching each tear with a mixture of delight and a heavy heart. Ed squirmed, leaning his face away out of his shame, but Ling kept on. Eventually, Ed melted into his arms, giving up on attempting to get away.
A part of Ling didn't want this moment to end. He wanted to be able to kiss Ed this way, forever and ever. There wasn't nearly enough time for him to kiss his face that was dotted by the sun, not enough time to admire him from afar, and it seemed there never was time for them to be together. Ling's heart gave way the second he came to the realization, but he tried not to show his grief. "We'll grow from this." The promise caught Ed's attention, and Ling was sure Ed noticed his glossy eyes. "We'll find a way to be together, I promise. I'll make it happen. If I have to become Emperor to win you back from that-" He held his tongue from insulting the Amestrian prince, "prince, then so be it."
Ling let the tears gather in his eyes, "So, let's share one last moment together. Please."
Neither shared another word. Together, they leaned forward, beginning a tirade of kisses that no one could stop. Their tears mixed in together with their kisses, the saltiness of their sorrow with their desperately sinking love made for a sensation Ling had never once experienced before. He didn't know if he wanted it to continue or not; after all, this would be the last time he'd be with Ed like this again. He didn't want to refuse this.
Ed gnawed at his lips as a small sob rolled off his tongue. Ling let him do what he wanted. In return, his hands searched Ed's skin, feeling the impurities and flaws that must've influenced his title in the first place. The Prince with the Sun's Blessing, huh? He never put much thought into what it meant, he never bothered to ask. He was sure when the time came, he'd find out eventually. It was beginning to look like he'd never know the truth. So he began to rack up a reason in his mind as he absorbed Ed's taste on his lips.
His golden features held a different light to them than it did his brother, or even his father. He shined as bright as the sun—he'd established that in his mind long ago—while his citizens' light were easily overpowered by his light. The blotches on his skin were etched onto his body with purpose, and if Ling squinted, he was sure they resembled the constellations of the stars. Maybe that's the reason for his title, Ling reasoned in his mind. Everything about him, down to his very soul, was caressed by the sun—that'd be nice if it were true.
They broke away to catch their breaths, only to dive right back into another heated kiss, speaking more for their desperation for each other. Ed's automail hand rested on Ling's collarbone while his flesh one found the small of Ling's back; the mixture of hot and cold from both hands made Ling lean further into the kiss.
They continuously broke away and back together again, up until the very moment they couldn't take the heartache anymore. Each kiss that followed only served to remind them that this would be their final moments together. Neither were prepared for the reality that would come the second they stepped out of this room. "You should stay the night, Ling." Ed whispered, resting in Ling's weak arms. "You traveled a long way here."
When Ling usually would jump at the opportunity to stay for a day longer, he just couldn't this time. "You know I can't do that." He mimicked Ed's quiet voice. "I can stay for five more minutes, though."
"That would be thoughtful of you."