A/N: Woohoo, another One-shot Song-fic! Pairing is ZhouYu/XiaoQiao, song is "Breathless" by The Corrs. By the by, can I mention that the amount of research I did for this fic was probably almost as much as I've done for Prank War? Honestly, had to re-read quite a few pages of ROTK, wikipedia some stuff, and google some other stuff just to figure out where Jiang Ling was, where Yi Province was, and where the Battle of Chi Bi was.
Anyway, this is not historically accurate, as it is a fanfiction. It is unknown what happened to the Qiao sisters after the deaths of their husbands, but I've tried to stick to the timeline and historical campaigns. Also, please note that Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a historical fiction novel; therefore what I've drawn from it is also fiction.
Disclaimer: The characters, battles, setting, and song do not belong to me, they belong to history, The Corrs, and possibly KOEI and Luo Guan-Zhong, but I'm not so sure about that either.
Cookies to whoever can spy what line I borrowed from Dynasty Warriors 5!
She watches her husband stare out the window. Although on the outside he appears calm, she can tell he's worried. She smiles slightly, sadly. Tomorrow is a big battle, after all.
The foretold turning point of the war. If they win, the land will be split, three powers, three kingdoms. Wu. Shu. Wei. And if they lose…she and her sister will go to Lord Cao Cao's Bronze Bird Pavilion. And her husband will be killed, her in-laws, slaughtered, and their kingdom erased from history.
The future of the land depends on this one battle, and the battle depends on him. Well, him, the Shu strategist, and Lord Huang Gai, who so selflessly sacrificed his body for the cause. Although her husband shows no sign of remorse, regret or guilt, it permeates his thoughts, that beating, required to persuade Lord Cao Cao that Lord Huang Gai is to defect. All part of the plan, of course, she thinks bitterly.
Go on, go on, leave me breathless
Come on...
He is confident in his own abilities, but the wind, that goddamned wind. A lose-lose situation, for if it blows at Lord Zhuge Liang's request then Shu has a damn demigod. And if it doesn't…his plan, his carefully crafted plan…all to shreds. And all their lives, goals, hopes, dreams, will be shattered for eternity.
No wonder he's so worried.
"Lord Zhou Yu?"
He turns to her, his face as gentle and loving as always, but marred by the worry he allows only her to see. "Yes Xiao?"
The daylight's fading slowly
but time with you is standing still
I'm waiting for you only
The slightest touch and I'll feel weak
Her mind wanders back to when they first met, at Wan Castle. She'd been wary of him at first. A knight in shining, albeit red, armor, coming to rescue her? More like another Dong Zhuo, intent on capturing her and her sister as trophies and whores. She couldn't decide which was worse.
And worse still, Da Qiao seemed to fall straight into the other knight's arms. Her demure, sensible, caring sister, fooled by Lord Sun Ce and Lord Zhou Yu. Xiao had been sure that the two were no different from all the other men. Surely her practical older sister would be wary as well.
But when she'd asked, Da had simply said, "I don't know. All I know is my lord makes me feel happy. My intuition tells me they are different. I cannot prove you wrong. But I trust him."
She wanted so badly to believe her sister was right, as she always was. And eventually, Lord Zhou Yu wore down her own defenses. She'd dried the first flower he'd given her, to keep forever.
I cannot lie
From you I cannot hide
I'm losing the will to try
Can't hide it (can't hide it)
Can't fight it (can't fight it)
And now, she takes his hands in hers with a sad smile. "Don't think about tomorrow," she says, uncharacteristically quiet. "Worrying won't help."
He shakes his head. "It's all I can think about. It looms over me, like a dark cloud. Threatening our lord Sun Quan, our kingdom. Our family. You." He pulls her into a tight hug, buries his face in her shoulder in an uncharacteristic show of weakness. "I couldn't bear knowing I'd failed to protect you, left you to be taken by that vile old man," he whispers despairingly.
She strokes his head comfortingly, marveling like always at the softness of his long hair. "It doesn't matter," she murmurs lovingly. "All I need is you, here, now, in love with me like I'm in love with you."
So... Go on, go on, come on leave me breathless
Tempt me, tease me until I can't deny this
loving feeling, make me long for your kiss
Go on, go on
Yeah, come on...
They start slow, with a kiss as they always do. And, like always, one kiss leaves her breathless and weak-kneed, leaning against him for support, feeling his chuckle vibrate through his chest, full of pride at what he can do to her.
She smirks back at him before taking advantage of that sensitive spot at the junction of his neck and shoulder. It's not long before they collapse onto the bed, both unable to stand any longer. And, wrapped up in each other, in their love, she feels so happy she could burst, but despairs in the knowledge that, too soon, it will all be over.
And if there's no tomorrow
And all we have is here and now
I'm happy just to have you
You're all the love I need somehow
She loves him so much it's unbelievable, this man who changed her life. Who protected her from all the greed and sin in the world. Who swore to stay by her side, never to leave again. Who loved her for who she was, her cheerful, playful, childish self, not asking for her to change, not asking for her to be someone she wasn't, asking only for her unconditional love and surrender.
They've been through so much together. She was there when his beloved sworn brother and liege lord passed, he was there when her father died, the last words on his lips being "Take care of her." And now, they face another threat to tear them apart, after Dong Zhuo, after all these years.
It won't work. She knows nothing can rip them from each other. If he dies, she goes with him, no regrets, with a smile on her face, knowing they'll soon be together again. And she'd rather be dead than another whore for that hypocrite Cao Cao. She will never betray her lord, and over her dead body would anyone besides him touch her in the manner of husband and wife. No one could make her feel the same way he does.
It's like a dream
Although I'm not asleep
I never want to wake up
Don't lose it (don't lose it)
Don't leave me (don't leave me)
He falls asleep in her arms afterwards, a content and peaceful smile on his face. As he sleeps, undisturbed by the worry that plagued his mind earlier, she finds herself worrying in his place. The battle will be difficult, for Cao Cao is a wily tactician, and the plan will only succeed if Huang Gai manages to persuade him that he is defecting.
Zhuge Liang must call forth the wind. And on top of all these slim chances, Cao Cao must not become aware of the plan until it has been executed. Through it all, her husband will be anxiously leading his unit, putting up a façade of confidence despite anything that happens.
She has the utmost of faith in him, that he will be a good commander, that he will lead his troops to victory, and that his carefully crafted plan will succeed without a hitch. She is confident in his ability, and believes wholeheartedly that the victory tomorrow will be theirs.
Her only prayer is that he doesn't get hurt.
So…Go on, go on, come on leave me breathless
Tempt me, tease me until I can't deny this
loving feeling, make me long for your kiss
Go on, go on
Yeah, come on...
Morning arrives too soon, the rays of the dawning sun rising relentlessly above the horizon. She feels him stir as the light wakes him, and draws him closer to her. She can't bear to let him go, but knows she must. And, as difficult as this day will be for her, she knows it will be much worse for him.
He looks at her rather sternly for so early in the morning. "You didn't sleep at all, did you?"
She knows it's useless to lie; he would see through it immediately. Instead, she smiles at him and replies with a kiss, "I'll sleep when you come back."
And I can't lie
From you I cannot hide
I've lost my will to try
Can't hide it (can't hide it)
Can't fight it (can't fight it)
As she watches him go, she marvels at their relationship. Him, so serious, so calm, quiet, and studious. Her, so childish, so cheerful, loud, and vibrant. Almost opposites, but not quite.
He is her strength, her love, her faith, the reason she has not despaired in the ugly world they live in. She knows that there is hope for the world, and not everybody is a corrupt Dong Zhuo. She knows this, because there are people like him in this world.
And, ironically, she is his strength. Her innocence and exuberance remind him that there is more to the world than death, despair, and bloodshed. Her faith in him, and her almost naïve optimism give him the strength he needs to keep fighting, and finish the war. For her, and for everyone else, that they might also experience the happiness he feels when he's near her, he will fight, and he will win.
So...Go on, go on, come on leave me breathless
Tempt me, tease me until I can't deny this
loving feeling, make me long for your kiss
She's waiting at the palace gates, along with her brother-in-law and liege lord Sun Quan, when the messenger arrives. The victory at Chi Bi and successful siege of Jiang Ling are encouraging news, but the message he delivers overshadows all of it.
Her husbandhas been wounded. Despite the victories, despite the courage of the soldiers and officers, he has been wounded, and by an arrow, no less. Not even in a face to face fight, but from afar. The injustice of it all makes her want to scream.
When he arrives back home, she rushes to meet him. He smiles wanly when he sees her, and she can tell, before he can say anything, that the arrow, that gods-cursed, thrice-damned arrow, has left a wound that won't heal properly. He recounts his adventures to her enthusiastically, so she hides the tears she won't allow to fall.
That night, as they prepare for bed, she tells him, "We'll be together forever." When he pauses and doesn't reply, she continues, feigning naïveté, "Right, Lord Zhou Yu?"
After a foreboding silence, he nods mutely.
Go on, go on, come on leave me breathless (leave me breathless)
Go on, go on, come on leave me breathless (leave me breathless)
Go on, go on, come on leave me breathless (leave me breathless)
He dies two years later, while in the middle of a campaign to take the Riverlands. She knows the moment his soul passes, and, refusing to shed a tear, retires to their bedroom. The arrow that poisoned him may be gone, but other poisons remain.
Her body is found the next morning, a dried flower in her hair and wrapped in her husbands dressing gown. The entire palace puzzles over the motive for her suicide. Sun Quan sends a message to the army at Baqiu, where Zhou Yu is stationed. A month later, the messenger arrives back at the palace, along with Zhou Yu's body. The air of speculation surrounding her death fades to a sense of wonder.
That evening, Sun Quan prays for the couple's happiness in Heaven. For their loyalty, for their love, for their strength and courage, he vows, he will not submit to Cao Cao. He will continue to fight, and go on fighting until the last breath expires from his body.
Go on, go on