Chapter Text
“Look I need your help” an earnest looking ginger haired boy is pleading in Wriothesley’s office after unceremoniously barging in. “I need to get into see that old lizard and his tiny pet chihuahua won’t even let me in the building!”
Wriothesley raises his eyebrows and lets out a punched laugh. “I am surprised that Sedene is being so protective. I know that the Chief Justice felt conflicted about your conviction and stay at Meropide. He is also grateful for your assistance with the creepy, giant…” Wriothesley gestures as if trying to think of better descriptors “eh whale thing. I would think that he would be amenable to a meeting…What do you need to see Monsieur Neuvillette for?”
“It probably has to do with my companion. I don’t think he is welcome here at least not by your pet dragon.” The aggravating youth looks a little defeated. There is a tinge of desperation behind the troubled blue eyes. Wriothesley feels his expression turn into a scowl.
“Word of advice, though, I wouldn’t refer to Monsieur Neuvillette as my pet, or anyone’s pet. I know you are attempting to be antagonistic and make me think with anger instead of logic. It’s just not the right person or tactic. I run a fucking prison Childe. You are not the first, nor will you be the last to attempt to use my relationship with the Justice against me. We have been public for quite some time.” He arches his eyebrows inquisitively at the young Harbinger. “Where is your companion now? You are here alone.”
Childe grins with mirth. “He was coming with me the guards kindly allowed me to come see you as I am an ex-inmate and I guess that’s a thing you occasionally do, meeting with those that left to check in with them." shaking his head he gives a sharp grin up at Wriothesley. "That’s real nice of you Old Man. But Zhongli smelled whatever your cook was making and wandered over to the kitchen. He started asking about the ingredients and then went on about bamboo shoots and recipes. He gets distracted easily, especially at present. I will try to wrangle him away. You can supervise if you’d like.” The ginger shoots an exasperated look at the Duke. Wriothesley almost feels bad for the kid. He has not seen the boy this rattled by anything.
“I will come with you, if your friend is distracted by novelty than my presence should help you more than hinder you.”
“Yeah ok, good point lets go.”
Wriothesley leads the Harbinger down to the coupon café, peaking his head into the kitchen to see Wolsey happily chatting with a very well-dressed tall gentleman who seemed content. He had seen a similar look on his own mate’s face when pontificating about water.
He watches Childe move forward with such a fond smile on his face. “Hey Li-LI there you are, are you enjoying your chat? I found a new friend to help us with our journey.”
The well-dressed man stands a little straighter and a slight tinge of red colors his cheeks. “Ah where have my manners gone Jaxy. How rude of me to leave you to your own devices.” He steps forward with alacrity and grace. Wriothesley has noticed the same fluidity in Neuvillette’s movements. They are certainly cut out of a similar cloth. He sees Childe warm at the nick name that he’s called by. Watching the irascible boy turn to mush in the man’s hands is amusing.
Wriothesley moves forward and introduces himself. “Pleased to meet you, I am Wriothesley, Lord Incognito, Duke of Meropide.” He throws the ‘lord incognito’ bit in with tongue and cheek for himself really. He knows that dragons do love pomp and circumstance. It took years to get Neuvilette to stop referring to him as ‘Your Grace’ he still does now when he wants to drive home a point.
He watches the older man’s eyes widen just a little. Then reach out a hand to shake the Duke’s hand. “Pleased to meet you. Your fortress is most impressive”
Wriothesley waves off the compliment. “This damp clanky old place. I know she’s a fixer upper, but she has character, and she is home. I would like to talk more but we should really go to my office. Would you please follow me?”
Zhongli takes Childe’s hand and looks around the fortress. “I find this atmosphere very soothing. I like the darkness and the walls very much.” He brings Childe’s wrist up to his mouth and starts scenting his wrist searching for comfort. Childe chuckles in response and tucks a strand of Zhongli’s hair behind his ear affectionately. “Aw LI-Li I am still right here. I think you like it here because it reminds you of our cozy cave realm back home.”
“Yes, of course, how could I forget.” They file into Wriothesley’s office. Wriothesley shows them to the couch, and he leans up against his desk facing them.
“So, all I know is that you are looking for an audience with my partner, Monsieur Neuvillette. That you attempted to go through the normal channels and were blocked by Sedene, so you have come to me. I am not sure what you expect from me.” Wriothesley notices that Zhongli has become distracted by a spoon Neuvilette had made him. He displayed it on the side table next to the couch. It was blue and frankly adorable. “Speaking of the devil, he made that spoon you are looking at Mr. Zhongli.”
Zhongli looks more intently at it as if it has some answers in it. “Li-Li it’s a dragon like you. That’s why you like it.” Childe smiles again fondly and with such patience.
“Ah of course, I am a dragon, so I appreciate the aesthetic. Mr. Duke Wriothesley may I pick up this little dragon spoon please?”
Wriothesley is watching this exchange at first amused but then a little concern sets in. If Zhongli is a dragon, is he a very young dragon? He seems to be highly inquisitive and full of wonder. “Sure, knock yourself out kid.”
Childe shoots Wriothesley a look that seems to take offense which confuses Wriothesley. He watches the harbinger take a deep breath in and out. “My mate Zhongli is a pretty old dragon. He is not a kid. He is Rex Lapis God of Contracts, Geo Archon of Liyue and he is suffering from erosion. Every day he loses just a little bit more of who he was. As time has progressed, he has regressed more and more." stroking the back of Zhongli's hand calmly he continue.
"He knows so much about Liyue’s history because he was there. I fell in love with him listening to his stories. Each day erosion takes more and more of it away. Your Grace, please Zhongli made Liyue. He is Liyue. Now, he can't remember that he created Liyue harbor. He has forgotten major parts of the Archon war, the yakshas and the adepti that stood by his side. He is starting to think that his most loyal servant Xiao is a lost child that keeps coming around for work. I know some day he will forget me.” Tears are threatening the corner of Childe’s eyes. The red rimmed eyes are almost glowing a fierce blue. “Please, please I don’t know what else to do. I scoured Zhongli’s library. When he started to realize what was happening to him, he pulled all the books he thought might be marginally relevant. As days went by, he became less and less able to remember even why he had collected all of the books.”
He watches Childe continue to caress his mate’s hand looking pitiful and scared. “I would not be here if I had any other way to help Zhongli. I know that there is some kind of issue between Monsieur Neuvilette and Zhongli. I just don’t know what it is. Zhongli told me not to worry about it and now I don’t think he even remembers.”
“I can fill in that gap. It’s the second worst kept secret in Fontaine." folding his arms across his chest he continues. "Neuvillette is the Hydro Dragon Sovereign, and he has fractured memories of his authority being stolen from him and given to the Archons. On top of that he has been tasked to learn how to judge fairly and ultimately will have to judge the Archons. I think he will be very hard to sway. It seems that your mate here was a very active participant of the Archon war and may have quite a laundry list to answer for. Neuvillette may think erosion is an appropriate sentence for him.” Wriothesley sighs as he sees a look of defeat and despair. Childe looks like he is holding on by a thread. He knows the look. He knows this man is trying so hard to be strong. Standing firm and will not show his mate how terrified he is.
Wriothesley sighs, he is not a heartless man. “Ok, let me look at the research you have done. Let me see if I can help.” Childe looks at him like he is not entirely sure he heard him. He stays perfectly still for a beat or two then scrambles to get his bag out. He pulls out an ancient leather-bound book and hastily pulls it open to a particular page. “Here start reading right here.” Childe points to the middle of one of the thin pages.
Wriothesley takes the book gingerly and reverently. He senses the history in his hands and wants to keep it safe. Suddenly happy that he wore his full coverage gloves. The passage pointed out reads as follows.
'When the songs of the ancients come into their heads. The call of Sovereign quells the fracture. Kisses heal the ravaged mind. Whilst a mate may slow inevitable demise, only pure authority can stop the crumbling.'
Wriothesley had spent years going over Rumerian texts and deciphering context clues in those ancient scrolls. Wriothesley understood this passage perfectly. This prettily coded language. “Childe you understand what you are asking me right? You understand what you are asking from yourself right? You want me to go on a limb from this one book and let your, I am assuming beloved mate, your heart’s companion, fuck my mate, in the hopes that it will cure him?!?!?! Fuck no kid!"
Slamming the book shut he shoves it back into Childe's arms. "You helped Fontaine and I am grateful. This! This goes way over a favor for a favor! No, the answer is no! I am really sorry about your mate. Really, I am. I just this is a huge line in the sand.”
Childe looks like he is about to break, fragilely made of glass, watching as his whole world is about to shatter. It looks like something the harbinger had experienced before but isn’t sure he can survive again. Wriothesley watches the ginger pull himself up off the couch and he slumps into Wriothesley’s chest utterly defeated. He looks so tired and young and vulnerable.
“Your Grace” Childe’s voice cracks, tears are flowing, the tears are streaming as if they broke past a dam. The blue eyes are so full of desperation, fear, and there is the still a cresting determination.
“Please just listen. I know, I know this is beyond a huge ask. Please know, I know. Zhongli is the only person who ever saw all of me and accepted me. He is the only one who looked at me like a whole person and not a monster. He has brought out the best parts of me and loved me through the worst. I truly owe this man my life. Wriothesley, look at me." Pulling the warden by his shoulders Childe forces them to stand eye to eye.
"What would you do if your dragon started losing everything that made him who he was. What if you woke up tomorrow and Monsieur Neuvillette started forgetting codices and why he had so much water in his office. One day he started being more dragon-like in public. Zhongli scents me publicly and purrs openly. He will even start slipping his form and his horns or tail will show up when we are walking the harbor."
Wiping away the tears that start falling down his cheeks he keeps going. "What if Monsieur Neuvillette couldn’t remember who gave him that walking stick he is always walking with. Or he started forgetting you have dates and meetings with him. Yesterday morning Zhongli asked me to remind him of my name." The pain on Childe's face sears directly into Wriothesley's consciousness.
"Wriothesley I can't lose him. I can’t be no one to him. We promised each other forever. Look!” Childe pulls down the collar of his shirt, showing his mating mark scar. “This means a lot to dragons and Zhongli only remembers that it’s important. That I hold importance to him and that I make him feel safe but he’s missing big chunks. I am beyond scared Wriothesley. Sorry for dropping your fancy title.”
Wriothesley watches Childe search his face. He runs his hand through his hair. The kid hit his vulnerability. Neuvilette also saw him for his whole self. Wriothesley would move mountains and walk through hell itself if he needed to help Neuvilette. Shit, He was going to help this harbinger. He was going to hate every minute of it but he was going to help him.