Anshi had given up and taken a week off of everything. He was tired of going over to the camp and being growled at by Maral and his nose bitten off by Dawa Tuya. He sank into the tub and made love every night with Han who was so exhausted he fell asleep almost immediately. No more seconds. No more surprise nuzzles that woke him up aroused and hungry. He knew logically that the status quo would return after the damned treaty ceremony was over, but he was feeling a little down, hurt, and now a bit paranoid.

He knew there was a distinct chill in the air. No summons from the Queen. Eyes catching his, and then darting away immediately. People talking softly and then clamming up as soon as he entered the room. It was everywhere. The Palace. The yurt city. He was starting to check over his shoulder more often and had taken to sitting with his back safely toward a wall. Han told him he was paranoid and to go easy on himself, but having been raised by the court wolves here, he could not relax.

So he decided to visit the Alpha who had helped fashioned him. The one he had loved and would have died for. The murderer of his family. He needed to be certain that the damage he in turn had afflicted on the monster was holding. The Childe King, above all, must remain safe. Anshi knew enough of the man to know that he would kill even his own child if he stood in his way. It was no problem using the lower passageway to get there. He walked up the stairs and was about to open the door when a hand fell on his shoulder, and he stopped dead in his tracks. He turned and there stood Han. his eyes full of concern.

"You should not go there alone. It is forbidden without express permission. And besides, you take on too much by yourself. Sometimes you must trust others to share the burden."

"How did you know?"

"I asked my bodyguards to let me know if tried this. I want to be with you Anshi. This will bring back painful memories and I will bear them with you. Think for a minute. This is a wound that has never healed."

Anshi slowly opened his hands. When had he clenched them so tightly? When had the nails bitten into his flesh and left red crescents there? He looked at his Minister and nodded.

"You are right. I think I could use the company."

They entered the room together, hand in hand.

Anshi held on tightly. Childhood nightmares never totally fade and there is always a well of trauma that waits to be tapped. He saw a figure standing by the window, impossibly tall and imposing, painting at an easel, dipping long fingers into fingerpaints and smearing them onto paper. Red dripped off of them and fell to the floor. Anshi quickly drew breath and the man turned slowly to face the couple. A bright smile covered his face.

"Minister Han? You came to see me?" The figure advance and seemed to shrink before Anshi's eye. No longer threatening, his eyes were guileless and innocent and he glanced at Anshi a bit uncertainly.

"Did you bring a friend?"

Han spoke gently, as if to a small child.

"Yes, Young Master. He is a good friend of mine. His name is Anshi and he is traveling through. He wanted to meet you."

The former Crown Prince advanced and held out a hand which Han intercepted as Anshi grew pale.

"Here. Let me wipe the paint from your hands, all right?"

"All right." Han led the deposed monarch to a basin and calmly washed the red pigment from his hands then wiped them dry. As he did this, Anshi saw the man's simple trust toward Han. He also noticed that the prince was three inches shorter, or more than himself now. He had not noticed this change during the visit when he had altered the prince's mind, since he had never left the bed during the encounter. He had outgrown his tormentor over the last 20 years.

Anshi felt calmer now. The prince extended his hand again and this time Anshi took it. He made certain that he placed his fingertips where he could feel the points for pulse and meridians. He looked at Han in astonishment.

"This is not the prince I knew."

"Anything else?"

"There is no sign of regression. He remains a child."

"The change you wrought has stayed solid, Anshi. He is no longer a threat."

Anshi stared as the prince returned to his painting, choosing a bright yellow paint to add to the streaks and dots on the canvas. " He spends his days like this?"

"Yes. Calm. Happy. At peace. No torment. While this may seem a mild price to pay, the rest must be dealt with by the Gods. They will decide the final outcome, don't you think?" Han paused as Anshi began to digest his words.

He spoke again after a few moments. "You stopped his rages and violence. You saved lives by doing this and enabled me to secure the throne for the Childe King. Sometimes revenge does not need to be bloody or carried out purely out of hatred. When the heart dealing with it is predisposed to love and healing, it can wreak it in another fashion. You healed him and have given him a new lease on life. He would have been deposed by poison or violence in the end. At least this way, he is assured a natural passing. It was not a mind- rape Anshi. It was brain surgery. And the outcome was good."

The prince, engrossed in his masterpiece did not notice them leave and return to Han's chambers.

"Let us go to bed. We will talk until we sleep." Han reached up and kissed him warmly. "No making love. It has been a long day and you must process all of this in small steps. It is difficult to work through."

Anshi nodded as Han laid him down and they talked softly for hours before falling into an exhausted sleep.

At 5:30 in the morning, tremendous thuds against the door roused them.

"Envoy Anshi? Are you within?"

The two men sat up abruptly from a sound sleep, hearts pounding. Han quickly pressed his fingers against Anshi's lips.

"His is asleep in the antechamber as usual." He motioned Anshi to the smaller office and went slowly to the door, looking to make sure no evidence of Anshi was apparent around the room. He opened the door.

Two burly Queen's guards stood there, stone-faced and rigid. "The Queen demands that you and Envoy Anshi go to her private chambers immediately, Dress. Now, please. Wake the Envoy now, please. And you will not go armed."

"Of course. But may I know the reason for this abrupt and disturbing interruption of my rest?"

"We do not know. You are only ordered to attend."

"I will wake the Envoy and we will be out in ten minutes."

"The Queen said quicker. You have 5 minutes to emerge, or we will come to assist you."

Anshi emerged fully dressed in his formal robes and helped Han.

"What...?"

"I have no idea. She has never acted like this before, and I am truly upset right now. "He ran to his desk and removed a tin. He lifted a small thin square of paper out of it and taking a tiny knife poked a hole in the waistband of Anshi's undergarment and slipped it inside. He did the same on his own. Anshi raised an eyebrow as he carefully cleaned his fingers.

"Poison. Death immediately. If this goes south and we are ...taken for interrogation, it may be too much for either of us. Take it... I will... Torture is not something designed to withstand. We will find one another again, our next lifetime." He paused and then looked at his love with regret.

"We should have made love last night, after all."

They kissed, possibly for the last time. And followed the waiting sentries.