In A Garden Summer House
Rumors had been rampant in Luo Yang for months. Whispers of floods and plagues. Ill omens. Portents of the displeasure of the heavens themselves at the tyranny of Dong Zhuo. The earthquake had hit two days before, and the damage was extensive enough that even the more sturdy built houses of the capital's wealthy had not escaped. As she walked back from the market, Diao noted the collapsed roof sections and broken walls along the familiar route.
"Daddy!" A young girl's excited voice broke the quiet afternoon. Diao was pretty sure she'd heard the exuberant greeting before. As she turned the corner, though, a break in the garden wall created by the earthquake gave her her first glimpse of it's inhabitants.
The young girl wasn't even ten years of age. Her dark hair had once been styled in a bun, but it was now slightly in disarray. Much like her robes, askew and dirtied from whatever games she'd been playing in the garden. She ran across the grass to the arms of the warrior waiting for her.
"Ling Qi!" He caught her around the waist, tossing her in the air as if she were as light and insubstantial as a doll.
The little girl girl gave a scream of delight as he caught her. "Again!"
The warrior gave a hearty laugh and Diao froze in place. He was still dressed in his armor, golden plates shining in the sun. The blood red cape falling from his shoulders blew in the light breeze - as did the distinctive feathers flowing from his helmet. Lu Bu, the most feared warrior in the land, smiled fondly at his young daughter. Though dressed for combat the picture he presented in that moment was a far cry from the fearsome beast said to be able to kill his opponents with his mere presence alone. He cradled the child in his arms gently, his face full of honest affection.
Ling Qi caught one of the feathers in her hand. "Your helmet's still silly, Daddy."
Any grown man who'd said the same would probably have died before he took his next breath. But at the little girl's words, Lu Bu only laughed. "Is that so? Well, perhaps I should change it." He glanced around the garden. "Maybe I should put those on my helmet."
Diao couldn't see what he pointed at, as it was hidden behind the garden wall. Ling Qi's nose scrunched up, though. "Daddy, those are flowers. You're being silly."
Lu Bu grinned. "Well, maybe I should cut off your hair and put it on my helmet."
Ling Qi squeaked, one hand covering the bun. "Daddy, you aren't cutting off my hair!" She exclaimed.
"Oh...so maybe I should just but Ling Qi on my helmet!" He raised her high in the air as if to do just that.
Ling Qi squealed, flailing with her arms and legs. "Daddy!" Another toss, another scream, and the girl was back in his arms. "Again!"
Suddenly aware she was intruding on a private moment, Diao hurried up the street away from the happy scene. But the memory of the warrior playing with his daughter refused to leave her mind, and she knew her perception of the man behind the feared legend was now forever changed.
And so our story begins...
Han Xiang
AN: This story is mainly based on the Dynasty Warriors Games and the novel The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. A few tidbits of historical facts slip in. Hence the presence of Lu Ling Qi. Lu Bu was said to be dotingly fond of his daughter and I plan to make use of that in this fic to help flesh out his character beyond what's portrayed in the games. There seems to be a strange lack of romantic Lu Bu/Diao stories out there. I love playing Diao Chan in the games, though, so I had to write her a fic. The title is from a translation of one of the poems from RoTK.