No Love Here
Disclaimer: I don't own Dynasty Warriors, only a copy of the games.
Summary: After Da marries Ce, the younger Qiao moves into the Wu palace. Xiao can't find happiness, nor does she feel any love. What's a lonely girl to do? Warning: contains angsty!Xiao (ZYXQ)
Beta'd by my BFF's Jill, Ben, Amber, and Nat; big assist by Jill
Denki ;)
Xiao leaned on the table in the steamy kitchen and sighed-- it was already turning out to be a horrible day.
Da had canceled their dance lessons because she would be spending that time with her husband Sun Ce, who just returned from another victorious campaign. Xiao wished her older sister would have picked another time to cuddle with her husband-- not that Xiao begrudged Da any happiness, it was just that since her sister's wedding and their subsequent move into the Wu palace, Xiao didn't have enough happiness of her own.
Their father had hoped that Da's fortuitous marriage would put the younger Qiao in the sights of noble young men, but so far the only people who had noticed her were the insipid court ladies and the cook, who'd made her his assistant.
Xiao raised her head and looked around the kitchen. Most of the celebratory lunch had already been prepared, so she hung up her apron and headed out to the gardens. She put a hand to her cheek-- the cool air felt so good on her face after the humidity of the kitchen.
As she passed a flock of the court ladies, Xiao smiled brightly and bowed. "Good morning, ladies!" The ladies waved their fans and murmured greetings back. When she turned her back on the ladies she could hear their condescending whispers.
"One wonders why she always looks so flushed when she leaves the kitchens..."
"And she always looks so unkempt! Honestly, I don't think she could be any more unlike her sister..."
Xiao could barley stifle her gasp as her eyes widened and filled with tears. She was only fourteen, did they honestly think she could be a mature lady? As she fled to the garden, she knew one thing for certain-- she would never, ever be happy here.
Zhou Yu sighed and rubbed his temples. Working with the precocious Lu Xun was certainly rewarding, but it was also tiring. Xun had so many questions! He stood up and made his way over to the dining hall, to get some food and relax in the garden.
Yu gathered up his plate and strolled out to the gardens, nodding to the tittering ladies on his way out. Once he was out in the bright sunshine he immediately felt better. The way the sun shone through the peach blossoms was particularly beautiful... Maybe he would write a poem on it later. He settled himself on a rock beside a pond filled with lotus blossoms. Yu took a deep breath; the garden was so peaceful. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the decadent scents of the flowers filled the air, the peach tree was sniffling-- wait a minute, trees don't sniffle... He quietly walked under the branches and peered up into the blossoms.
He had a glimpse of orange silk, and light brown hair.
"Xiao, what's wrong?" Yu asked as he climbed into the peach tree.
Xiao rubbed her eyes and turned away, "Why are you asking? It's not like you care anyway. It's not like anybody in this palace cares. Not even Da..."
"You know that's untrue, Xiao Jie," Yu said as he pulled himself onto the branch beside Xiao's. "You know that Da will always care about you. And you know that Ce and I care as well."
"Yes... But it's just that I'm always alone. You and Ce are always off doing official business and Da is doing court business. The court ladies hate me and are always saying that I should be more like Da... I can't be Da-- I'm Xiao and I can never be Da! I don't understand how they can expect me to be a sophisticated, mature woman when I'm only fourteen-- and this is my first time away from home!" She sighed and put her hands over her face. "And the court ladies we saying vulgar things about me and the cook!" she wailed.
Yu bristled-- how dare those over-painted cows make remarks about Xiao! He took a deep breath and smiled at the sniffling girl. "Xiao, those women only say those things because you are young and beautiful, while they are not." Xiao peeked out from behind her hands incredulously. Yu continued, "They want you to be more like Da because Da is safely married, and can't take the attention of eligible men away from them. Honestly, if those court ladies had been beautiful or elegant when they were younger, they wouldn't be looking for husbands now."
Xiao giggled at the last remark, to which Yu replied with a brilliant smile. She wiped her eyes and prepared to disembark from the tree. "I know what I'm going to do," she stated, swinging her legs of the branch. "I'm going home, Yu."
She hit the ground and Yu quickly scrambled after her. "You-- You can't leave, Xiao," he stammered.
She gave Yu a blank look and said, "Of course I can go home. I'll send a messenger ahead tonight, and if I leave in the morning I can be home by dinner. Back where I belong." She turned and made her way slowly through the flowers. "I will be out of everyone's hair. Da's and Ce's and... yours."
Yu looked at her with such an unfathomable expression that she had to turn away. "It's not like I have any real reason to stay here..."
Xiao was in her chambers placing her clothes into her trunk as silent tears slid down her face. She swiped at them angrily, muttering, "Stop dreaming, Xiao Qiao! Nothing is going to happen!" When she left the garden the deepest pit of her heart longed for Yu to come after her, but when he didn't she roughly pushed those feelings aside; she resigned herself to a fate where her father would marry her off to some rich old man so that she could bring honor to the family.
Xiao sat on her bed, letting the tears run down her face. She didn't bother to lift her head as the door slowly opened.
"Xiao... what's wrong?" Yu asked, kneeling on the floor next to her.
She twisted around on her bed so her back faced him, "Leave me alone, Yu. I just want to be by myself before I leave."
Yu grabbed her elbow, pulling her up off the bed. "You-- You can't-- Xiao-- I--!" he stumbled over his words and looked at her helplessly. Xiao blinked in surprise; Zhou Yu always knew exactly what to do. He let go of her elbow and ran his hand through his hair, sighing. "Xiao... Xiao Jie... What if-- if you could stay here, and always be with me." She blinked again.
"What if... I were always there when you needed me...and you could always cry on my shoulder..." Xiao stepped back from Yu softly, wondering where this was headed and startled by the sadness in his eyes. "Xiao Jie," he took her hand, holding it like a precious relic, "what if everywhere I went, I could take you with me. Would you stay then?"
Xiao couldn't get over the feeling of her hand in his, nor could she take her eyes away from his, even though they were filling with tears again. "Yes, Yu. I would stay." He brought her hand to his face, to his lips, but didn't kiss it.
"What if," he said again, this time to himself. Xiao could feel his breath on her hand. "What if..." He suddenly grabbed her other hand and clasped her hands in his. "Xiao Qiao... my Xiao Jie... I want to... I need..." Yu sighed and shook his head.
Xiao felt the tears rolling down her face. Yu reached up and brushed them away. "W-what, Zhou Yu?" She asked softly. "What do you need?"
He looked her in the eyes, holding her hands, "Xiao Jie... Would you... would you do me the honor of..." He stopped, unable to continue. Xiao looked at him imploringly and he found the words coming out of their own accord. "Would you... do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
Xiao's eyes widened and she fell to her knees. Her shoulders shook with sobs. "I-- I told myself that you would never love me... That you wanted a woman like... like Da...," she hiccuped, pounding the floor with her fists. "I've always loved you, Zhou Yu! And... and if you don't really love me... if you don't really want me... Take it back right now! And I will go home, and I will never come back! So tell me, Zhou Yu! Do you love me?"
Yu knelt down beside her and took her face in his hands. Wiping her tears away, he whispered, "Xiao... my Xiao Jie... I have never loved a woman like I have loved you... And I never will." Xiao screwed her eyes shut and turned her head away. He took her chin and turned her face back to his. "Please, look at me," he murmured, and she slowly opened her eyes. "I love you."
Yu bent his head and kissed her, tasting the salt of her tears. When they broke away, Xiao shook with a final sob and buried her head in his chest. Yu stroked the top of her head and whispered into her ear, "Xiao Jie... You belong with me..."
So I don't know about you but I really enjoyed writing that story and I hope you really enjoyed reading it. I hope it was a nice change of pace from the always peppy bordering-on-really-irritating Xiao. BTW… "Xiao Jie" (Shao Jeeay) means "Little Butterfly," Xiao meaning Little and Jie meaning Butterfly.
Teh Flea