#still on break but hnnnng that prompt hit JUST the right spot so I got a burst of inspiration

[ibijau]

Arranged marriage viking AU edition but make it Xisang I know you want it 👀

b i t c h. You know me too well. I basically kinda ignored the prompt and went for my own thing (prompt:  Person A is traded to the Vikings for safe passage and is subsequently married to the jarl’s oldest child, Person B). They’re not viking (sadly I checked, and that would have been unlikely)

Also on AO3

"I think he said brother," Lan Xichen pointed out, trying to help. 

This, of course, earned him a nasty glare from Su Minshan, who never liked to have his competence challenged, and from Lan Qiren, for aggravating their translator when they were in such a dire situation already. 

"Those languages don't always differentiate well between genders," Su Minshan explained. "But of course he meant sister, since he's asking for a husband to marry into his tribe." 

Unconvinced by that explanation, Lan Xichen glanced toward the king of the Nie people, who seemed mildly annoyed at their reaction to his offer… Or perhaps amused? He was a hard man to read. King Nie Mingjue was an impressive man, all the more so because he had ambushed their little group quite easily with his horse-riding warriors. He could have easily killed them all in their sleep, and would have been in his right to do so since they had entered his territory in secret. He had looked ready to do just that, in fact, but Su Minshan had hurriedly explained why they were there, and managed to placate the terrifying barbarian. 

"It wouldn't be a bad deal," one cousin of Lan Xichen's father noted. "Right of passage in the future, and if we give them someone clever, he might give us inside information in the future. I pity whoever will marry one of those shrews and give her half breeds, but even those will have their use in the future." 

A few eyed darted toward Su Minshan, who pretended not to notice. Although he claimed to be of full Han origin and professed great disdain for foreigners, he had still spent most of his childhood among barbarians, and spoke a few languages of the area. He apparently made a decent living as a guide, but it was said he was saving money to move away from the border and open a shop in the capital, where his past might not follow him. 

While the older men argued for and against the deal offered to them, Lan Xichen looked again toward the barbarians. This time, more than the intimidating Nie Mingjue, he observed the young man at his side, a frail boy hardly younger than himself. He did not look like a warrior, but a few times already he had whispered things to Nie Mingjue’s ear that the king seemed to have taken in consideration. In fact, Lan Xichen was almost certain that he'd come up with that idea of demanding a groom for the king's sibling (the king's brother, Lan Xichen knew he'd heard right). 

Right then, the young man was listening intently as the merchants discussed the offer, his smile growing more and more entertained, almost as if… 

"I think we shouldn't speak so loud," Lan Xichen remarked. "That one, next to the king… I think he understands us."

The older men glanced at the boy, and immediately scolded Lan Xichen for bothering them with nonsense. Certainly the young man didn't look nearly as impressive as the other warriors, so it was easy to think him unimportant. 

Still, Lan Xichen shivered when the young man suddenly winked at him before turning to king Mingjue who leaned toward him, and nodded to whatever the boy told him. Then, confirming all of Lan Xichen's suspicions, the king spoke again. 

He spoke, and pointed right at Lan Xichen. 

"We want that one," Nie Mingjue announced, which Su Minshan promptly translated. 

This sparked a new debate within their group, more heated than before. Lan Qiren had been in favour of accepting the demand, but only until his own nephew was requested as a sacrifice. At the same time, most of the others were suddenly more open to the idea now that they didn't have to fear losing their freedom to go live with some backward barbarians. 

As for Lan Xichen himself, he wasn't sure how to feel about this. What he knew, though, was that their family would make a fortune if they could cut through the Nie kingdom to trade with the west. He knew also that he had no previous engagement to tie him down at home, and that he had a younger brother who could continue their line and take over their father's business. No matter what he may or may not have wanted, Lan Xichen knew there was only one possible answer when his uncle asked him his thoughts. 

"I'll do it," he said, keeping his voice as devoid of emotion as possible. "If it can help our family, I don't mind taking on this hardship." 

As he said this, Lan Xichen couldn’t help looking at the boy next to the barbarian king, who smiled without waiting for Su Minshan’s translation.

Lan Xichen shivered again.

Nobody noticed though. His uncle, helped by Su Minshan, had started negotiating the finer details of this possible agreement, demanding guarantees. Lan Xichen felt rather touched when his uncle insisted that there would have to be proof of his good treatment. The barbarian king, in turn, had demands of his own to make, notably to demand taxes and determine how many people he would allow to traverse his territory. The talks went on and one for hours, from sunrise to mid-afternoon, until at last both parties were satisfied with what they would be getting.

Lan Xichen was hugged by his uncle, and by some of his other relatives as well. What few belongings he’d brought on this journey were handed to him, with the promise they would try to send him his books and other things once they made it home. Then, with very little ceremony, Lan Xichen was offered a horse by the Nie and rode off with them. It all happened so fast that he didn’t even have time to feel scared or sad, and his horse turned out to be so unruly that he didn’t have time for self-pity, lest he be thrown off in front of those barbarians.

He only had a shaky grasp of their language, having learned from the employee of another trader, but he was half sure he’d heard them bet he would fall. He wouldn’t give them that pleasure.

The sun was starting to set when at last their group reached what appeared to be a city of tents. If he hadn’t been so exhausted, Lan Xichen might have allowed himself a moment to be impressed. He had never imagined the Nie people could be so numerous. Although they were known to be fierce warriors, and even raiders on occasions, they were rarely seen in groups of more than twenty of thirty, so it was speculated there had to be few of them. This city, though, looked nearly as big as the one where Lan Xichen’s family lived. He would have to let his father know when he’d write home.

After riding so intensely, and for this long, Lan Xichen’s back was starting to hurt and when he hopped down from his horse, he nearly fell, his legs too tired to carry him anymore. He was only saved from that humiliation because someone caught him in time.

That might have been worse than just falling, because the person who caught him and helped him stand was that boy he had noticed at Nie Mingjue’s side. The young man, who turned out to be even shorter than he had appeared to be while on a horse, was also much slimmer than expected, most of his bulk coming from his clothing rather than from his body. And yet, even like that, he was holding Lan Xichen upright with great ease, as if he weighed nothing at all.

“You no fall,” the young man said with a smirk. “If hurt, how wedding?”

Hearing this, Lan Xichen was startled enough that he pushed himself away from the young man, stumbling against his horse and clinging to its saddle to keep standing. Around them, this display got them a few curious looks, as well as some laughter, but Lan Xichen ignored it all. Although his vocabulary seemed lacking and his accent was atrocious, there was no doubt possible: that young man spoke his language.

Seeing him so shocked, the young man’s grin widened. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the approach of king Nie Mingjue who threw Lan Xichen an unimpressed look. If the young man was shorter than expected, then Nie Mingjue turned out to be a giant of a man, towering over Lan Xichen who wasn’t used to ever seeing people taller than him. He did not much care for the sensation of being small. He also did not like the disdain in Nie Mingjue’s voice as he started saying something which the small young man clumsily translated.

“King says, be good. No take thing. No hurt horse. Need thing, ask. No leave. Important, you…”

The young man stopped translating for a moment as he and all the others burst out laughing over something their king had said. With appalling familiarity, the boy slapped king Nie Mingjue’s arm, which only made the terrifying man roll his eyes.

“King say, be good husband for sister,” the young man explained. “Funny. King has not sister. King has brother,” he announced, proudly patting his own chest. “Good husband. Tonight, you rest, you prepare. Tomorrow, wedding. Good?”

Stunned by that revelation, Lan Xichen’s eyes jumped a few times between king Nie Mingjue and the young man who claimed to be related to him. He failed to see any resemblance between the two, save for what a similar hairdo and style of clothing might cause. The low light didn’t help of course, but Lan Xichen still suspected that a prank was being played on him.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Huaisang. You Ziqen?” Huaisang inquired.

At least, Lan Xichen thought his name was Huaisang. Considering how his own name was being butchered, it was difficult to be sure.

“Xichen,” he confirmed. “Lan Xichen. Is… Is the wedding really going to be tomorrow?”

Huaisang enthusiastically nodded, while Lan Xichen could only feel apprehensive. Aside from the fact that he didn’t know what to expect, hurrying like this meant that they couldn’t check if the day would be auspicious for it or not. Not that it would have helped to have time, he realised with growing anxiety. There was no way this future husband of his would know his own eight character, so it would be impossible to do things properly. But anyway, an union like this, wasn’t it inauspicious by nature?

“Tomorrow wedding, Ziqen,” Huaisang repeated. “Today, you prepare. Happy day! Huaisang, good husband. Many horse. Good to Ziqen.”

Clearly delighted at the prospect of their marriage, Huaisang turned to his king and started cheerfully chatting with him, while Nie Mingjue nodded here and there, sometimes barking orders at some of the men around them who diligently ran off to obey. Maybe they really were brothers, even if they didn’t look anything alike. At the very least, it was clear that Huaisang had to be someone close to king Nie Mingjue, since he treated the giant with such playful familiarity.

It made Lan Xichen suddenly miss his own brother, whom he would most likely never see again. His father, though the man was rarely around. It made him miss his uncle too, though that sentiment was quickly drowned out by resentment toward Lan Qiren for having sold him off so easily, just for a chance at profit. Of course Lan Xichen himself had agreed to it, and they’d had little choice when surrounded by heavily armed barbarians, but it still would have been nice if his uncle had at least pretended to be a little more concerned over his safety.

Of course, it was too late for regrets now.

At least his soon-to-be husband wasn’t too ugly, for a barbarian.