Disclaimer: Warriors Orochi and its characters are not mine. I'm not making any profit from writing this story.
Beta-reader: Nightlore, who's always there for me. What could be of me without you? xD
Warnings: Implied violence, angst, alternate universe.
A/N: I had this idea when I was writing my Zhao Yun/Yukimura fic "In Times of Fire", I imagined a scene that didn't fit in that story, but even so, I wanted to write it. Then I created all the rest of the story as a background for that scene, which is the first one you'll see here. At the time, I only knew that Yukimura would be in that scene, but I had to choose another character and then I brought him to the story too.
To write this story I had to imagine a Warriors Orochi alternate universe. I know the Warriors Orochi universe is very chaotic already xD It is somehow based on WO3, but it's not the same thing. In WO3, some of the characters decided to take their own land and rule it. It happens something like that in this story, what if all characters were thrown into a new reality and started to live in it? New kingdoms and alliances would be formed and they would start fighting again against each other. This is how I could make this story happen.
This is a multi-pairing story and most of the relationships are unrequited. There will be some angst, I hope, even though it's not about angst alone. It was kind of a writing exercise for me to explore the characters interactions. Another thing is that it doesn't have smut o_o I wanted to try working with romance without so much of the traditional romantic interactions. It is more like an experimental work .The characters are Zhao Yun, Yukimura, Cao Pi and Zhenji, but there will be other characters that will be revealed later, as I always like to have special appearances in my stories. One may be easy to guess, the other not so much. It is more like a Zhao Yun/Yukimura story, but it's not focused only on them. There will be a little of Zhenji/Zhao Yun and Cao Pi/Zhao Yun, but there will be other "implied" (or not implied xD) relationships.
Until the Morning Comes
Yukimura is led by the guards to a spacious room that seemed to be a dinner hall and was made to stop before a big wooden table.
"Release him," said the lord of the castle and the guards promptly obeyed the orders, silent walking to the door's direction to guard it.
Yukimura finally felt his wrists free after a long time being tied and flexed his fingers to make the blood rush freely through his veins again. He then inspected the room and saw that it clearly belonged to someone with power, even though it wasn't extravagantly decorated. There was a big fireplace further ahead; the flames warming the room that would be rather cold with the low temperature that unexpectedly overpowered that region. Next to the fireplace there was an ornate chair made of thick dark wood in which sat a man wearing a fine set of white and blue garments. He had dark hair, pale skin and cold eyes. Yukimura could never mistake that man; he was surely Cao Cao's son, Cao Pi. The way he presented himself made him seem like a king on a throne and perhaps he could be called the king of that land; he was the ruler of all the territory between the ocean and the mountain ranges. Even though Yukimura would never fear that man if he were to meet him in battle, he knew that in the situation he was in, he was totally at Cao Pi's mercy. The way the flames of the fireplace illuminated him also made him gain some kind of a dangerous and diabolic aura and Yukimura knew he should fear for his fate.
"You don't know how much it displeases me to see you here," Cao Pi's cold voice resounded over the room. "I confess I had never liked you, but now that you insulted me by invading my castle and trying to escape with my hostage, you can tell how much I'm angered at you. I wonder who warned you that Zhao Yun was under my power," he said it in a sarcastic tone, "I heard the door to his cell was strangely unlocked and there was even a sealed horse waiting outside… It's a good thing I have such efficient guards that found you before you could conclude your intent."
Yukimura just listened silently, waiting for Cao Pi to continue.
"You know I should have ordered your execution for such an offence. Is he so important to you for you to risk your life for him?"
Yukimura remained silent, fearing that one of his words could worsen the situation in some way.
"Although I should punish you, we still can make an agreement as we aren't enemies, are we?"
Yukimura just stared.
"There is a garrison in the south that is under your control. You would be so kind as to relinquish it to me. It would be one less responsibility for you to be concerned about; I heard the situation of your forces isn't the best it could be. I know it is difficult to maintain a garrison without enough resources. It would be a favor I would do for you. What do you say?"
Yukimura pondered upon the words. "What about Zhao Yun?"
"Do you agree or not?"
"Yes," Yukimura knew it was the only thing he could say.
"Good," Cao Pi said with an unreadable expression. "Now we should… have a toast to our agreement."
Yukimura realized there was a richly decorated golden goblet standing alone on the broad table.
"Please, have a drink," Cao Pi said.
The Japanese warrior took some measured steps forward and stared down at the single goblet; it was half filled with a think liquid of a deep red color, "What is it…?" Yukimura asked with a weak voice as his stomach churned.
"What do you think it is?" Cao Pi asked.
"I think it's blood."
Cao Pi chuckled slightly, but then went back to his serious expression, "It is blood indeed."
"Whose blood is it?" Yukimura inquired with a tone of voice he didn't dare talk to Cao Pi until then, "I won't drink it."
"Oh yes, you will, and you know why? Because I won't take you to where that man is if you don't."
"Is it his blood?" Yukimura asked incredulously, "Where is he? What did you do to him?"
"Drink and I'll show you."
"Why are you doing this?!" Yukimura's expression darkened, "Is he even alive?"
"Why am I doing this?" Cao Pi lifted himself from the chair and walked through the room, stopping in front of the table, reaching the wooden surface with both hands and leaning forward to stare deeply at the warrior's eyes, "I'm doing this because I want to make you suffer and as I was told not to lay a finger on you, I had to be creative as it left me few options."
"You're too cruel."
"You don't know how it is difficult for me to have to make an agreement with you, to try to remain civil with you. You don't know how much I want to hurt you right now."
"Why?"
"Even after all those years he still cares about you… and it makes me mad to think…" Cao Pi trailed off, but stopped. "Drink it already…"
"Will you take me to master Zhao Yun?"
Cao Pi nodded bitterly.
Yukimura took the goblet and realized his fingers were trembling heavily, so he had to hold it with both hands to get a steady grip. He stared down at the red liquid; his throat constricted and he felt dizzy. He wondered how much Zhao Yun had suffered while he had been taken as a captive. Yukimura felt the smell of it and his stomach complained, even so, he forced himself to lift the goblet to his lips and take a sip of the vital liquid. A strange flavor; it definitely wasn't sweet; it was kind of bitter, but not so bitter as to make it too difficult to drink. What made it a hard task was the acknowledgement that it was blood, human blood, Zhao Yun's blood; deep red and thick filling his mouth and running down his throat. The only comfort Yukimura found was that the blood wasn't cold, which meant that it might have been taken not long before. Even so, it wasn't still enough proof that Zhao Yun was alive. When Yukimura finished, he felt dizzy, still with the taste of blood in his mouth. Yukimura still had the goblet in his hands, as if he couldn't let go, but eventually he came to his senses and dropped it to the table. He then stared at Cao Pi in defiance, "What now?"
"Did you suffer?" Cao Pi asked quietly.
"Yes," Yukimura said tiredly.
"Good," Cao Pi whispered and walked to the door's direction.
Yukimura followed him outside the room with the guards following close behind. He found the corridors of the main castle empty as they crossed them. After a while Yukimura could feel the temperature dropped considerably as they reached the prison. It was terribly cold and Yukimura couldn't help but shiver as he crossed the narrow stone path. It was then they stopped in front of a cell and he could see a body slumped against the wall.
"Master Zhao Yun!" Yukimura entered the cell and kneeled in front of the warrior's unconscious form. "Master Zhao Yun!" he called the man's attention again, but there was no answer. Yukimura saw the man's body was covered in deep bruises and his pale skin seemed to match the stones with its color. It seemed as if his body was petrified, like it was part of the wall. The Japanese warrior gasped in surprise and felt like crying in despair. He reached out to touch his skin and it felt terribly cold; with trembling fingers, he searched for some pulse and only after some time he found a faint signal of life.
"Take him away from here," Cao Pi said weakly.
Yukimura stared at the lord of the castle and saw he seemed to be as pale as the snow outside. Cao Pi seemed unnerved, but Yukimura didn't spend much time thinking about it, he took Zhao Yun in his arms as gently as he could and then found himself being led hastily out of the prison walls. When he realized, he was outside the castle and there was a sealed horse waiting for him. He put Zhao Yun carefully on the horse and mounted, holding him protectively. Yukimura saw the guards opening the gates ahead and looked back one last time at Cao Pi.
"Ride south and don't you dare come north again. Now go," Cao Pi said and saw Yukimura doing as he was told, disappearing in the cold white line of the horizon.
xxx
Yukimura rushed through the plains as fast as he could. He wanted to take Zhao Yun to safety, but he knew he should be careful not to go as fast as to do any harm to him. They had made a good advance through the snowy fields; even though it was cold, the sky was clear and there was a gentle sunlight glowing in the horizon. Yukimura hoped he would soon be out of Cao Pi's territory; the fortress that protected the castle was nowhere to be seen anymore.
There was no visible sign that Zhao Yun knew what was happening in his surroundings, but in fact, he acknowledged he was being carried by Yukimura. He could feel the proximity of the body and the surface of the fabric of the warrior's clothes—that felt rough due to the fragile state of his skin, even though it felt warm and safe at the same time. He could smell an interesting scent of the metal of his armor and the fresh fragrance of the snow and the vegetation nearby. Everything seemed to lull him into a dreamy half-conscious, a mixture of the things he felt and the memory of events from the past. Somehow, his mind seemed to guide him back to the first days he spent in Cao Pi's castle…
xxx
The air was cool, but the night was very pleasant. While Zhao Yun walked through the external corridors of the castle, he could feel the delicate smell of flowers coming from outside. He felt it wasn't so bad to stay as a hostage in Cao Pi's territory; even though he couldn't leave the place, he had some kind of freedom; in between the fortress' walls he could walk as he pleased. Zhao Yun's treatment was much like one of a guest, he had a decent room and decent meals.
He breathed in the scent of the night and stared at the sky beyond the large walls that circled the fortress. Zhao Yun imagined his lord marching to the fight. He wanted to be with him, by his side, but he knew his purpose in that battle was different from other times. His lord Liu Bei had received the call from the people, to save them from a greedy and selfish ruler, so he answered that call. He marched with his army to the territory in the northwest, but found a dilemma on the way. The kingdom was rather isolated and there were two options to consider: one way to reach the territory would be going west, through the desert, but that would take too much of their precious time and would be a dangerous route too, he could suffer severe losses to his army and their supplies could not be sufficient for the long journey and the slow march they had to take with the soldiers; the other route was considerably faster, but there was only a narrow passage through the mountain range and that passage was in Cao Pi's territory, thus under his control. Even though Liu Bei knew it was a rather risky move, he decided to try negotiating with the new ruler. That had been the reason why Zhao Yun found himself in that situation. Cao Pi had granted passage, but with the condition that he left one of his most trusted men as a sign of Liu Bei's good intentions of not trying to attack Cao Pi.
Zhao Yun was thinking about his lord fighting against the tyrant king, as he continued on his leisure walking through the night, when suddenly his heart skipped a beat. His eyes took sight of the most gracious image he had ever seen in his life. She was the incarnation of all beauty dressed in blue and in moonlight. She came in his direction, but walked past him, regal, as a cold statue of marble.
"My lady," Zhao Yun found his voice to speak, even though he had to search for it deeply, because he had forgotten how to speak for a moment.
Zhenji took some more steps in the direction she was going, as if she hadn't heard the man, but finally stopped and turned slightly, "Yes?"
Zhao Yun felt paralyzed by the stare directed at him, but took a deep breath and gathered the courage to take some steps in her direction, stopping some feet away, to keep a respectful distance, "Do you remember me, my lady?"
Zhenji finally turned fully to him completely and narrowed her eyes slightly to inspect him, pausing for a brief but uneasy moment, before answering, "You are one of Liu Bei's generals," she answered matter-of-factly, eyeing him suspiciously.
Zhao Yun knew she wasn't feeling very comfortable with the exchange of words, but he felt the sudden courage to press the topic a little further, "Do you remember me from the past?"
The awkward silence seemed to last for a moment longer this time, Zhenji staring at him with confusion. "I…" she was intrigued. "Maybe I saw you some time in the past."
"I know you may not remember me, my lady," he paused briefly and it seemed his voice became slightly sadder, "At that time, you were a married woman, but to a different man."
Zhenji acknowledged he must have been referring to the time when she was under Yuan Shao's protection, married to his son Yuan Xi. "I was a married woman then as I am now in the present, even though I have another husband. I don't know if I remember you at that time," she said with caution, nevertheless she could see the general handsome figure in some flashes of memory, standing by his lord's side while Liu Bei talked to Yuan Shao; perhaps she had glanced at him some time while he was walking around the castle.
"I'm sure I remember you, my lady. The first time I saw your face I thought I was dreaming, but I knew I wasn't because no dream could ever be so lovely. Every time I saw you, I couldn't help but look."
"Oh what a very improper thing to say," Zhenji said in surprise at Zhao Yun's revelation.
Zhao Yun was taken aback by her words and soon apologized, "Did I offend you, my lady? I just wanted to tell you that you are beautiful."
"Such words should be considered an offence to a married woman…" she started, but then her expression softened, maybe for pity at seeing Zhao Yun's guilty expression. "…But I don't mind them," she said softly and turned again without saying another word, leaving Zhao Yun behind.
xxx
Yukimura believed he was almost reaching the limit of Cao Pi's territory, but was still frustrated at still being far from somewhere safe. There was no village, not even lonely houses along the way where he could ask for help and take Zhao Yun to a warmer place. He was terribly worried about the other warrior's state.
"Master Zhao Yun, can you hear me?" he tried to get some response from the silent man. For a moment, he only heard the wind whispering over the fields, but suddenly, he heard a small murmur, "Master Zhao Yun?" he asked hopefully. Yukimura stared down at his face and saw that his lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say something; that made the Japanese warrior sigh in relief. "Don't worry, Master Zhao Yun, soon we will reach a safe place." Yukimura thought he heard some sign of acknowledgement and it was enough for him to feel a little better. He definitely knew that Zhao Yun was alive and probably conscious.
They spent some more time riding in silence, only the sound of the horse's hooves beating rhythmically against the snowy fields could be heard and nothing seemed to change for a long time, until Yukimura felt snow drops against his skin. He tried to cover Zhao Yun as better as he could, because the weather seemed to have changed. Soon the sky that had been faint blue was all white and the gentle breeze became a cold wind. Yukimura was starting to feel more concerned again, when something suddenly distracted him.
"Thank you…" Zhao Yun said in a whisper.
"Master Zhao Yun," Yukimura stared down and saw the man still had his eyes closed; even so, he seemed to want to speak again.
"I always thought you were a brave man…" he said in a fragile voice.
"Thank you for the compliment, Master Zhao Yun, but it's better if you stop making an effort to talk and save your energy."
"I want you to know that I always admired you and I want you to have a great future," Zhao Yun kept talking as if he ignored Yukimura's warning.
"Master Zhao Yun, please…" Yukimura was getting worried again.
"I will never forget what you've done for me, even when I'm gone, I will always watch over you."
That made Yukimura's heart clench and he felt hot tears gather at the corner of his eyes, there was something wrong in the way he was saying those words, "Please, stop."
"Wherever you are…" as soon as Zhao Yun whispered those words, his vision was filled with a thick darkness.
xxx
Zhenji was on her balcony, playing the flute under the starlit sky. She had been distracted with her song, so it took her some time to realize there was someone standing at the garden outside, listening to her playing.
She stopped her song suddenly and inclined her body slightly over the stone banister. "Are you stalking me?" she asked the man.
"I'm not stalking you, my lady, I only wanted to listen to you playing the flute, the melody is too beautiful for me not to notice it… just like it happened in the past… One night, while I was walking, I could hear a distant tune of a flute. I thought it was so beautiful, but also very sad. I thought, 'This person must be really lonely'." He had searched for the source of the music and he probably reached areas that should be off limits for him. "Deep down I thought there was someone to be rescued, so I kept moving on. Without being noticed I reached an area inside the inner castle and then I saw… you—you were leaned against the wall beside the balcony, playing a sad song. I thought, 'It must be lonely to be the only flower in a field'".
"I'm not a flower," Zhenji answered with some irritation in her voice.
"Even though you have the grace of one, I can tell my lady is not a flower, a simple flower could never match such beauty."
Zhenji had gotten used to receive compliments from that man, but that time it made her blush slightly.
"At the time, I could not ask you why you were so sad, your room was too high and I couldn't reach you. Now you're still above me but… you surely can hear me. So I ask you, were you sad, my lady?"
"I was never sad…" Zhenji didn't realize, but her expression gained a pensive undertone. "Why did you think so?" she asked with some indignation in her voice, then asked more to herself, "What reasons do I have to be sad? …Don't say such foolish things."
"I just thought…" Zhao Yun started, but couldn't finish his trail of thought, "Foolish you say… Do you want me to leave? Does my presence bother you?" he asked in sad concern.
"No… Don't leave." Zhenji suddenly surprised herself with her quick answer and tried to regain her composure, "I mean... It's been such a long time since I had an audience. Yes, I could tolerate your presence if you are only here to listen to me play."
That made Zhao Yun's expression brighten and he showed a pure smile, "I would love to hear you play, my lady! If you want, I can come here every night to watch you play…"
xxx
"Could you be more discrete about seeing my wife?" Cao Pi was sitting on a chair, the side of his face resting on his balled fist, as his elbow rested on the armchair, giving him a contemplative-like posture.
"I've never did anything to your wife!" Zhao Yun defended himself, as he stood in front of the lord of that kingdom.
"Yes, I know," Cao Pi rolled his eyes. "I always know when someone touches what's mine… but you give the impression... and people talk." Cao Pi straightened himself in the chair and inclined his body slightly forward, staring directly at Zhao Yun in a piercing manner, "I don't like what people are talking about – it makes me look like a fool. They see you staring at her, talking to her, making her smile."
"I told you, I didn't do anything."
"You didn't lay a finger on her."
"No."
"But you wanted to," Cao Pi stated. He stood up and walked to Zhao Yun's direction, staring at him in the eye. He wasn't really angry; he was more annoyed than anything else. Cao Pi knew he had a beautiful wife and that attracted the attention of other men. The problem was what people would say if he did nothing to stop another man from seeing his wife.
"What will I do with you, hm? What will I do with you to show people everyone under my rule shall treat me with respect?"
"Sir, I really meant no harm. I only…. I only wanted to keep her company…"
"What are you? Some kind of lady-in-waiting?" he mocked, "Tell me, do you think she's beautiful?"
Zhao Yun knew it was a dangerous question. It was undeniable he thought she was beautiful. He couldn't just lie, it would sound very untrue anyway, but he had to be careful to choose his words, "I think lady Zhen is definitely not devoid of beauty."
Cao Pi laughed at that, a sonorous laughter that sounded very cruel to Zhao Yun's ears. After the laughter died down, there was an unnerving silence, before Cao Pi finally spoke again, "Well, let us be clear here, you know what you feel for her, I know what you feel for her. At my own house… under my nose… I received you as my guest and this is how you repay me? You know, I didn't want your respect or your services, I just didn't want you to give me problems and you gave me a problem. What should I do to make people stop talking behind my back? What should a man in my position do?"
Zhao Yun felt a lump in his throat, before he answered, "Whatever this man thinks would be necessary to regain his honor."
"What do you suggest I should do?" Cao Pi said in a lower tone, a quieter tone, a serious one.
Zhao Yun didn't even blink this time, "Punish me."
The smile on Cao Pi's face was a sign that he seemed to be satisfied with the answer.
xxx
Zhao Yun found himself being led through the cold corridors of a prison by two guards in silver armor. Cao Pi led the way, stopped in front of a cell and gave a silent instruction for the guards, who threw Zhao Yun inside the cell, making him lose his balance and fall ungraciously to the hard stone floor. The warrior of Shu felt cold pain, but slowly stood up straight again without complaints.
"Step outside," Cao Pi instructed the guards, who waited at the corridor. He stared at Zhao Yun in the middle of the cell. He was dressed only in a simple cotton robe, without his characteristic armor. "I will do you a favor as you are a guest under my protection, I won't let my guards apply the punishment as they are known for being a little too rough in their treatment of prisoners. I will do it myself. What do you prefer?" Cao Pi pointed at several tools of torture that were put orderly side by side on a table nearby.
Zhao Yun stared at them with an unreadable expression and said nothing.
"Let me choose something for you then…"
xxx
Zhao Yun was kneeling on the floor, with his head low, leaned sideways to the wall for support. His arms and shoulders were marked with red and his exposed back was being punished repeatedly, displaying several cuts. Contrasting with the deep red marks that seemed to be spread around the wounds, the rest of his skin seemed to be very pale. Zhao Yun supported everything obediently as Cao Pi found it surprisingly refreshing to see the muscles of the warrior's back tremble with the contact of the whip. He was about to land another blow, when he was made to stop by a familiar voice.
"Don't you think you went too far?" said the disapproving voice.
Cao Pi turned and saw a short man with a fragile look, but a strong presence. He was dressed in a red and white kimono and his silky reddish hair adorned his delicate face. He was frowning deeply and had a cold stare when his eyes met Cao Pi's.
"What are you doing here, Mitsunari?"
"Preventing you from destroying an agreement with our ally."
"Oh… I didn't know we were allies, I mean, Liu Bei was asking for a favor, he is indebted to me. It doesn't mean we are allies."
"He made us keep one of his best men to guarantee that he wouldn't turn against us, and if I am correct, we don't want a new enemy attacking us because we didn't do our part of the agreement."
"Of course we did, we granted him passage."
"You know what I mean," Mitsunari eyed him darkly.
"He will be alive at the end of it," Cao Pi glanced at Zhao Yun.
"Oh this is the end of it," Mitsunari warned. He stared down at warrior of Shu crouched form and felt sorry for him. He could tell the man was trying to keep some sort of composure, but his body still trembled with the impact of the last blows. He had the sudden urge to lean in his direction and his hand almost reached his shoulder in a gesture of sympathy, before a hand circled his thin wrist and prevented him from doing so.
"Don't you dare touch him!" Cao Pi said as he grabbed Mitsunari's hand and pulled it towards his direction.
Mitsunari stared at Cao Pi with indignation and pulled his hand back abruptly to escape from his grip. "Don't you ever do this again," he boldly hissed.
Cao Pi stared at him slightly surprised, but then smirked. "Alright, my dear advisor, I was getting a little tired of it anyway." He left the whip on the table and stared again at the shorter man. "Now, shall we go somewhere else or are you going to stare at him in pity all day?"
"I'm not staring at him in pity," Mitsunari turned his head. "I just don't agree with some of your methods."
"Then why are you still at my side?"
"Do I have anywhere else to go?" he whispered softly, even though he intended to sound irritated. He rolled his eyes in annoyance at Cao Pi and glanced one last time at Zhao Yun's crouched form, before heading to the exit of the prison, being followed by Cao Pi.
xxx
It was very dark in Zhao Yun's dreams. With his eyes closed, he saw blurred shadows and heard sharp sounds, rhythmic and painful. It was then he felt a sudden silence, very thick and heavy, before he heard a slow sequence of a dripping sound. He felt a soft breath against his face and the cool touch of something wet against his skin. Slowly he woke up from his dark dreams to the dark reality of his cell. He could hardly discern anything in between the thick stone walls, only a face before him. Zhao Yun blinked in surprise when he recognized the face faintly illuminated by the light of a small lamp. He could hardly believe in what his eyes were seeing and for a moment, that gentle face felt like it burned his eyes.
Zhao Yun was a man who rarely kept hatred in his heart, even for his enemies. He almost never felt a burning and blinding anger for someone, but that person in front of him was one of the few exceptions. It seemed the kind eyes and smooth face of the youth ignited a dark flame in his soul, one he didn't know could exist. There was a time, one of the few times he crossed the battlefields in pure rage, rage for the one who was responsible for the attack that made his lord be in such a vulnerable state, one that he would never recover from. At that time, in that battle, as he ran madly in the flames, he felt he really hated the person who had schemed that cruel and venomous attack. Nevertheless, there he was, the one he had hated so much, leaned over his with the aura of an angel with the delicate veil of the silver moonlight, gently treating his wounds. Zhao Yun was there, paralyzed, disarmed of all the hatred. There in front of him was one of the greatest strategists of the enemy kingdom of Wu, the one who brought the Shu army to its knees at the battle of Yiling, the young man with the boyish face and warm brown eyes.
"What are you doing here?" Zhao Yun asked in perplexity.
"I live here now," Lu Xun smiled amusedly seeing the way the warrior was staring at him. "I had been alone and surrounded by enemies once and I received the unexpected help of Cao Pi's forces. I am indebted to him, so now I serve him as his strategist."
Zhao Yun could smell the cool scent of what might be medicinal herbs mixed to the water in a bowl beside him. Lu Xun dripped a cloth into the unguent and then pressed it gently to one of Zhao Yun's wounds, to repeat the same sequence again.
"I hope it's not hurting you," Lu Xun said softly as he cleaned a wound on the general's shoulder. "I think you are very brave," he said after he finished with the wounds on one shoulder.
"Why do you say so?" Zhao Yun asked in a quiet tone, still mesmerized by the way he was being treated by his past enemy.
"For being able to show your feelings, even though… it was a very risky move…" Lu Xun started to brush the wet cloth gently to one of Zhao Yun's arms.
"I didn't think about it… I just did what my heart told me to. I know it was a very reckless way to behave, but I just couldn't stop it. Now that I think about it, it may have seemed like a very terrible thing to do, but I meant no harm. I had never thought of bringing dishonor to anyone."
"I think I know what you mean…" Lu Xun pondered upon Zhao Yun's words as he brushed his fingers on the warrior's skin.
"But you wouldn't do what I did, would you?"
"I think I would never have the courage… Although I have been thinking about it… How it would be like to reveal my feelings… Maybe one day I'll have the courage…" Lu Xun stopped his movements slightly and looked away, but then resumed his task, treating Zhao Yun's other arm. "Tell me, is it good to love someone?" he smiled shyly at his own question.
"It is a dream as much as it is painful."
"Painful… So you suffer?" he stared at Zhao Yun's eyes. The warrior of Shu remained silent and Lu Xun moved his hand up his arm to reach his wounded shoulder. "I… I feel worried sometimes… I wonder where that person is…" Suddenly he stopped again to stare at Zhao Yun's eyes once more. "Do you know where he is? The young strategist of Shu?"
"You mean…"
"Jiang Wei. Is he with the Shu army?"
Zhao Yun stared at Lu Xun's eyes and felt bad for destroying the gleam of hope in them. "He was not with us. I still haven't heard of him until now."
"I see…" Lu Xun stared down in visible disappointment. "I also haven't heard of him." Suddenly, however, his expression seemed to brighten considerably. "I won't give up on searching for him though. As soon as a find a clue, I'll follow it, until I find him," he smiled a precious smile.
"I hope you find him," Zhao Yun whispered. He could never hate that determined boy again.
"Now, can I treat the wounds on your back? I know they must be really bad from what I heard, they need to be taken care of. Do you trust me?"
Zhao Yun nodded and turned slightly, showing several cuts crossing his back.
"Oh it doesn't look so good," Lu Xun said sincerely. "But I think you will recover from it," he said with certainty and started to work on the first wounds on the top of his back.
xxx
The spacious room was filled with cabinets full of books and scrolls and the tables were covered by several maps. One of those tables was then occupied by two young men looking over a map. They were sitting one in front of the other and had been talking about strategy all morning. Mitsunari was explaining how things were in the kingdom for the new strategist, who listened to everything eagerly.
"You can see that we are in a relatively safe position from our enemies. Our territory is surrounded by the mountain range in the north, the sea in the east and the desert in the west."
"I see that the south might be a vulnerable point," Lu Xun said pointing to the said place in the map, "But as you said, it is protected by a garrison under the control of one of our allies."
"Yes, the one protecting it is… an old friend of mine…" Mitsunari gained a pensive air.
"Are you sure this friend of yours won't try to attack us in the future?"
"No… he gave me his word that he wouldn't do that, besides… Yukimura doesn't have the power to overcome Cao Pi's army."
"Oh I heard you and Yukimura were very good friends."
Mitsunari frowned slightly at that, but let the frown quickly vanish from his face, "Yes, maybe I could say we were good friends."
"Wouldn't he join our forces instead?"
"Although Yukimura won't attack us, he won't join us either."
"What prevents him from doing so?"
"To put it simply, they don't like each other. In fact, it's Cao Pi who doesn't like him for… some reason." Mistusnari rolled his eyes at the thought. "That fool…"
As soon as he said those words, the one he was referring to entered the strategy room with a smug look on his face. "I see our new strategist is taking an effort to do his homework."
"He learns quickly, though he speaks overly too much about fire attacks," Mitsunari said.
"But I didn't-" Lu Xun tried to defend himself and was cut off by Mitsunari's words.
"Twice this morning."
"Oh that… I was just mentioning it briefly…"
Cao Pi chuckled. "Yeah, I heard you're famous for your fire attacks. As long as it's directed towards the enemy, I'm not bothered by them. Now…" He walked to the table. "Would you leave us alone for a while?"
"Of course," Lu Xun stood up without a question, bowed slightly and left the room.
Cao Pi waited for the door to close and sat in the chair the young strategist had been sitting, facing Mitsunari, "What do you think of the new assistant I brought you?"
"Very eager to learn… though his enthusiasm unnerves me a little."
"Oh… don't you think he is quite an endearing company?" Cao Pi asked mockingly.
"Yeah," Mitusnari said sarcastically. "Like a puppy."
Cao Pi laughed at the comment. "I thought you would like to have a pet."
"I think I prefer cats."
"Do you want me to bring you a cat?" Cao Pi laughed amusedly and saw Mitsunari rolling his eyes.
"Why are you here?" Mitsunari asked, cutting Cao Pi's laugh.
"What do you think?" The laughter died down and Cao Pi stared at Mitsunari's eyes with a serious expression.
Mitsunari remained silent.
"I'm here to have your opinion about some things I've been thinking."
The red-haired man sighed deeply and then remained silent, just staring with an intense and attentive gaze.
Seeing Mitsunari's silence, Cao Pi decided to continue on what he intended to say, "What do you say about we letting Liu Bei walk freely in our territory to attack Zhong Hui in the north?"
"It prevents Zhong Hui from attacking us, as we all know that was what he had been planning the whole time."
"But what about Liu Bei? Oh noble man who attended the call of the ones in need. He had been there roaming with his army, with nothing to do, with no land, of course he would be kind enough to save the poor people from their cruel king. I'm sure he wouldn't refuse the pleading for him to become the ruler of such prosperous and rich land if he won the war. If he wins the war, will we agree to live on good terms as friendly neighbors?"
"If he wins the war, we should, as he would have more power and we both know that he has a greater army than us."
"He may have more soldiers, but I'm sure he will suffer some losses as Zhon Hui also has a significant army. I'm also sure he would need some time to regain his forces after such a fierce battle, if he wins it… Whoever wins it would need some time to recover." He saw Mitsunari staring deeply at him with an unreadable expression. "Let them battle each other, I don't care about which side wins, I just wish they will battle with all they can. They will destroy each other with luck. I say, let us prepare ourselves until them."
"We don't have enough resources and men for a battle yet," Mitsunari warned.
"Let us hurry then, we need to attack them when they least expect us to, as soon as the battle is over, they won't be ready for another fight. It's our opportunity, if we let the one who wins recover their forces they will attack us next. What do you think about my plan, Mitsunari?"
"It is too risky… and it's brilliant."
"Do you think we can do this? Do you think we can gather enough forces with the time we have?" Cao Pi asked seriously.
"It will be hard, but it's possible."
Cao Pi stood up and put a hand on Mitsunari's shoulder. "Can I trust you to plan it?"
The red-haired man stared at him with a look of disbelief. "Do you even need to ask?"
"Good," Cao Pi squeezed Mitsunari's shoulder and saw him staring down slightly, as if pondering about something. "Is there a problem?" he asked in concern.
Mitsunari remained silent for a moment more, but then asked, "What about the general in our hands?"
"Oh…" Cao Pi narrowed his eyes slightly in thought. "I think we don't need to worry about him so much anymore… unless he ended up knowing about the plan and went running to his master… Oh but he couldn't do this, because we guard the only way he could reach Liu Bei. Even so we need to be careful with him… What should we do to him… Should we silence him so he'll be unable to tell such a thing?"
Mitsunari stood up suddenly and took Cao Pi's hand off his shoulder. "Oh you won't do such a thing. He doesn't know anything."
Cao Pi chuckled in amusement, "Oh don't you get so upset about this matter, I haven't decided yet."
"Just make sure you consult me before doing anything."
"Oh… of course, I'll try not to forget about it…" Cao Pi stared at Mitsunari and waited until the anger in those eyes died down. "I need to go now, see you soon."
Mitsunari saw Cao Pi turning, letting out a deep sigh of relief when he left the room. He asked himself again why he was serving that man and wasn't so pleased with the answer.
xxx
The night had fallen upon the castle and the rooms were full of shadows and darkness. Most of its inhabitants had been soundly asleep as it was quite a late hour; one of them, however, the very owner of that castle, walked through cold corridors with troubled ideas running through his mind. There was a strange sense of anxiousness that coursed through his veins and made him feel restless. It could be the proximity of the imminent war he had schemed that made him feel that way. He must have been eager to command his army to battle, but apprehensive at the same time. There was another issue that concerned his mind at the moment, which must have been why his footsteps led him through the narrow corridors of the castle's prison. He could find his way easily with the torches on the walls illuminating his path and soon he was in the last cell of the corridor.
Cao Pi picked the metal key he had obtained with the guard and opened the door slowly. The hinges whined softly as it opened and then stopped silent again. Even though there was no illumination inside the cell, Cao Pi could clearly discern most of it by the light of the full moon that invaded the room through the window. He saw the warrior of Shu resting against a wall, sleeping on the floor. Cao Pi crouched beside him and inspected him. It seemed his wounds had been treated, because there wasn't any trace of blood and the wounds seemed very clean. He had heard from the guards that his new strategist had come to the cell. Cao Pi smirked slightly at the thought; he had ordered Mitsunari not to get involved, but said nothing about Lu Xun.
Looking closely at his captive's face, he could see that Zhao Yun didn't have the expression of one who was suffering; instead, he seemed to be very calm in his sleep.
"What should I do with you?" Cao Pi whispered as he stared at Zhao Yun's face, "Should I release you? Was it punishment enough?"
Zhao Yun slowly opened his eyes, "Do whatever is your heart's desire," he simply said.
That answer made Cao Pi feel a little perplexed and he didn't know why. "What I desire…?" he asked more to himself. There was a man completely at his hands with no will to do anything to complain about his fate. The reason told him to keep him locked, but he was losing his will to keep him as a prisoner. Cao Pi sighed in frustration with his own indecision. He inspected the general's wounds once again and felt a little sorry for inflicting them, but them he remembered the liberating feeling of punishing that flesh. He couldn't deny it was quite a thrill to make someone submit to him, even more someone so… Cao Pi stared at the parts of Zhao Yun's body that wasn't hidden by the light robe. Even after the rough treatment he had received, he was still a stunning sight.
Cao Pi felt a mixture of defeat and excitement as his heart beat faster with his instincts. Suddenly an idea came to his mind and he surprised himself with it, even though his astonishment didn't make him stop as it was in his nature to act on impulse. He leaned over his captive's exposed torso and inched his face down until he placed a kiss on his navel.
At first, Zhao Yun thought it was just a crazy dream, because he could never imagine himself in such situation. He only stared wide-eyed as Cao Pi moved up his body in a trail of kisses and he still couldn't believe in what was happening.
Cao Pi took some more time to place a slow kiss on the middle of his chest and then moved up to reach Zhao Yun's neck, sliding his lips over his Adam's apple and chin, until he reached his mouth. Cao Pi was surprised to feel sharp pain in his lower lip. He guided his hand to his mouth and felt his blood coming out of a small cut. "You bit me," Cao Pi said in perplexity, he wasn't expecting that. "How dare you?" he stared at Zhao Yun feeling his face heat up in anger.
Zhao Yun closed his eyes instinctively, expecting to receive a blow or a slap, but instead, he felt Cao Pi reach for his mouth again. It was his time to feel a sharp pain as teeth sank into his lower lip. He opened his eyes and stared at Cao Pi in surprise, as he felt the taste of his own blood.
Cao Pi had a smirk on his face, seeing the look of astonishment in Zhao Yun's eyes. He guided his hand to the side of the warrior's neck and slid the side of his lip that wasn't hurt over the skin.
Zhao Yun put both hands on Cao Pi's arms and tried to push him, but the man didn't move away and bit on his neck. Instead of pain, Zhao Yun only felt a hot breath and the teeth sliding over his skin gently, sending chills down his spine. He tried to push the man away with more insistence, but it only made Cao Pi press his body closer. It was then that Zhao Yun grabbed his arms with force and pulled him to the floor, inverting their positions, pinning him down. Cao Pi felt the heavy impact of his head and back colliding with the hard stone of the cell's floor and gasped in pain. He was really surprised to see Zhao Yun over him, holding his wrists in a strong grip. Cao Pi struggled to be freed, but he was even more surprised to see the warrior didn't even flinch with his attempts, Zhao Yun only stared down with an unreadable expression as it seemed he was making no effort to keep them in that position, even with his wounded body. Cao Pi had never found himself in such a situation, pinned down on a cold cell floor with a man above him; it was so humiliating for him.
"Let me go," Cao Pi hissed and saw no reaction in Zhao Yun's face as he kept holding him down. Slowly, however, the general loosened his grip and finally released his hold on the lord of the castle.
Zhao Yun stood up and stared down with a blank expression.
Cao Pi stood up and stared at Zhao Yun coldly, there was anger behind that stare, there was hurt pride behind that stare, but there was also something else there, a feeling of hurt those eyes could barely hide. More humiliating than the feeling of being humiliated was the feeling of being refused.
"You will suffer for this," Cao Pi left the cell and called the guards.
xxx
Mitsunari was on his bed wearing a simple red yukata, concentrated on analyzing some financial documents, when the sound of his chamber's door opening abruptly called his attention.
"Don't you know how to knock?!" he said with irritation to the person who entered and closed the door behind him with a hard thud. He stared at the very familiar face of the man he served and watched as Cao Pi reached for a bottle of sake on a table and served himself, drinking it fast, to serve himself another round. Mitsunari could tell he seemed rather agitated and had a slight disheveled appearance that was so uncharacteristic of him. "What did you do this time?" the Japanese man inquired.
Cao Pi left the sake on the table and walked heavily to the bed, collapsing near the edge of it, across from the mattress. His gaze wandered at the ceiling and he remained silent for a moment more, until he finally spoke, "I think I decided what to do with our guest of Shu."
Mitsunari was a little taken aback by the topic, but his voice seemed emotionless, "What have you decided?"
"It's better if we silence him, that way he will never tell of our plan to his lord," Cao Pi said it in a very slow way, as if he wasn't so sure about his decision.
"Why did you come to this conclusion at this time?" Mitsunari asked carefully.
"He's almost dead anyway," Cao Pi lifted the upper portion of his body from the mattress and sat.
Mitsunari lifted himself from the bed and stood in front of Cao Pi with and angered expression, "Do I have to keep an eye on you all day for you not to do any stupid thing?!" he boldly inquired.
"You know that if it were any other person talking to me like this I would order to have their tongue cut out." Cao Pi rolled his eyes and looked away.
Mitsunari just ignored the comment, "What happened this time?"
Cao Pi seemed to ponder upon his words, until he calmly said, "There was a little incident…"
"What incident? What that man could possibly have done, he's in a prison cell!" Mitsunari inspected Cao Pi's face. "What is that?"
"What is what?" Cao Pi glared at Mitsunari.
"On your mouth."
Cao Pi guided his fingers to his wounded lip and could only say, "Ah…this." It would seem rather stupid if he answered that he bit himself, and he would never tell what really happened, so he remained silent.
"Were you brawling with that general in his prison cell?" Mitsunari asked in disbelief.
"Sort of…" Cao Pi grunted his answer. "It was an accident…"
"I thought that this madness of yours had stopped…" Mitusnari sighed in frustration and sat on the bed beside Cao Pi. "Wasn't that punishment enough?"
"I confess things got a little out of control… and now… I can't think of anything else to solve this problem."
"Couldn't you just leave him be?"
"I don't know… I'm still mad at him."
"Don't do anything to him anymore… not before I think of something."
"What more can we do to him?" Cao Pi stared at Mitsunari. "It's not like we can send him back to his lord in that state."
"How bad is he?" Mitsunari asked seriously.
"Why do you care so much about this man?" Cao Pi asked darkly.
Mitsunari ignored the question and insisted on his one, "How bad is he?"
"Not very good… I think the guards took their orders very seriously…" Cao Pi closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "I think we should end this now."
Unexpectedly, Cao Pi felt a hand on his wrist and stared at Mitsunari again—the man's eyes stared at him in a silent pleading manner.
"Don't do anything yet," Mitsunari whispered.
xxx
Yukimura needed to stop because the horse could advance no longer with the heavy layer of snow that covered the ground. The weather was getting much worse too with the sky covered in gray and snow falling profusely. He had to dismount his horse and find a place for shelter. Yukimura looked around and was desperate; there was only snow and wind everywhere. Finally he found some rocks at a distance, that wouldn't be of much protection, but at least they could form some sort of barrier against the wind. He carried Zhao Yun in his arms and made the horse follow him, as he walked to the rocks' direction. Yukimura took off the cape he was wearing to protect them from the weather and laid it on the snow, laying Zhao Yun gently over it. His heart was devastated at the sight, the man didn't seem like he was alive. Zhao Yun was very pale, as pale as the snow that surrounded his body, only his dark hair contrasted with the white. His eyes were closed and he was very still. He seemed like a statue of white marble, something heavenly sculpted. Even though his body was covered in bruises, he looked as good as ever if it was possible. Yukimura couldn't comprehend how the man could look so appealing in that condition, but he leaned in and kissed his pale and cold lips.
xxx
Zhenji heard the door to her room opening slowly and prepared herself to receive her husband. When Cao Pi stepped into her private chamber, she was standing in the middle of it, staring at him with a sweet smile on her face. She was an astonishing sight to behold, dressed in a tight fitting purple dress that favored her curves; her silky dark hair was lovely adorned with decorated pins and flowers, making her look very pretty. Cao Pi waited at the doorstep in silence and Zhenji could feel there was something troubling her husband's mind, so she walked toward him slowly and gracefully and stopped in front of him, "Good night, my love," she whispered sweetly.
"Good night, flower," Cao Pi stared at his wife and kissed her forehead.
"I'm glad I finally have the honor of having your presence here once more… You seem so distant lately…" Zhenji took his hands in hers and brought him to the center of the room.
They just stared at each other for a long moment in silence.
"Am I bothering you?" Cao Pi finally asked.
"Of course not," Zhenji made an expression of surprise and stared at him comprehensively. "Do you want to talk about something?"
"I don't know," Cao Pi said.
"I heard you had… a busy day," she said carefully.
"There were some issues to take care…"
"Oh…" Zhenji feigned surprise. She was unsure to press the subject; she knew by her husband's silence that he was uneasy to talk about it; even so, there was something, a restless feeling in her chest. "I know you have the right to do the things you do, but don't you think you went a little too far this time?" she asked boldly.
Cao Pi stared at her with an unreadable expression, but then whispered softly. "It was necessary."
"Ah… I see…" Zhenji feigned comprehension, although Cao Pi could sense she seemed to be uneasy.
"What's wrong, Zhen?"
She stared at him deeply and her expression seemed to darken slightly, "I just… fear for myself," she avoided his gaze and confessed in a whisper, "What you would end up doing one day."
"I would never do anything to hurt you."
"Are you sure?" she stared at him in some kind of defiance.
Cao Pi closed their distance and held Zhenji in his arms, "You are my most precious flower." Zhenji felt something in that embrace, as if Cao Pi was holding onto her to give him strength. "I would never…" he lifted his head from hers and stared at her. "Do you think I was wrong?"
"No…" Zhenji comforted him. "It was… just something that happened…"
Cao Pi nodded and caressed her arm. "I wanted to stay with you for the night, but I need to go. I have to rush with some plans I had due to how the situation developed with that incident."
"Don't worry, my love, I'll be fine."
Cao Pi smiled slightly and turned to leave, he was almost reaching the door when he heard a sad melody. He turned again and saw his wife rested on the windowsill, playing the flute. "Are you going to play tonight?"
Zhenji turned to him, "Yes, is there a problem? My music keeps me company."
Cao Pi remained silent for a long moment, only staring at her with some emotion hidden behind his face, before he finally answered, "No… there is no problem." He stared for a moment more as his wife started to play the flute again, it seemed she was playing that sad tune to some mysterious point in the distance.
xxx
"Listen," Zhao Yun said in Yukimura's arms, surprising him.
The warrior of Shu had been silent for hours without saying a word and it was the first time the Japanese warrior saw his eyes opened. It seemed Zhao Yun was staring at some point in the sky, seeing something that was beyond Yukimura's imagination.
"Listen," Zhao Yun said again, "There is someone playing the flute."
Yukimura couldn't listen to anything but the cold whistle of the wind. "I don't hear any song…" he whispered in concern.
"It's there… it's beautiful… and sad…"
The Japanese warrior was really worried about Zhao Yun's state of mind by then and his reaction was to hold him close to try to warm him and protect him with his body. Yukimura thought about the amount of blood the warrior had lost, the blood that he drank, and he felt guilty for having Zhao Yun's blood in his body instead, the Chinese warrior's precious life coursed red in his veins when it should be warming its owner's body. The snowstorm had ended, but the night was still cold. The dark horse lay trembling on the ground, refusing to continue in that weather. The sky was then deep black, as dark as it could be, with no stars and no moon to illuminate them. Yukimura stared around at that desolated place and saw only white as far as his gaze could reach, an infinite amount of snow under the never-ending veil of darkness. Never had he felt so small and powerless. He stared at Zhao Yun once more and the man was quiet again. His eyelids were half closed and his eyes seemed very far away.
"Master Zhao Yun?"
The general blinked, but did not answer.
Yukimura held him tight, even tightly than before, "Master Zhao Yun, be strong, we need to get through this night."
Zhao Yun only stared at him.
"Do you hear me?"
Zhao Yun closed his eyes again and Yukimura felt desperate. He thought he had never been so afraid. "Master Zhao Yun, don't give up now. Promise me…" He buried his face on his chest and murmured to him, "We only have to get through this night…"
In the middle of the wind and snow, they stayed together like that throughout the night. At a moment, somehow, Yukimura's vision of darkness was replaced by a more vivid image. He saw himself in the middle of a very green field. The vegetation was tall, getting past his knees and it danced with the breeze in a very gentle way. There was a brilliant sun shining in the morning sky, illuminating the world in a kind smile. He could see lazy thin layers of clouds swimming in the clear blue sky, brushing the top of the mountains in a playful manner.
Yukimura realized he was not wearing his armor, only a simple and light cotton garment. He turned and saw brown and white horses eating contently behind the wooden fence beside a simple white cottage. There was a small river at the other side and a watermill rolling slowly with the movement of water.
He walked towards the cottage and opened the wooden door. There he found Zhao Yun lying on a bed, as if he were sleeping peacefully. He couldn't deny he was surprised to see him there, but he couldn't find words to speak. Yukimura stood there for a long time in silence, he wanted to move closer, but he was afraid to disturb the man in his sleep.
Suddenly the general's eyelids opened and Zhao Yun stood up, staring at him with an unreadable expression. The man wasn't wearing his armor also and was dressed in a similar way as him. Yukimura finally gathered the courage to walk in his direction and stopped in front of him, confusion still written on his face when Zhao Yun pulled him closer and whispered something in his ear. The Japanese warrior couldn't hear a word and tried to ask something, but he just couldn't find his voice. It was then Zhao Yun closed his eyes and pressed the side of his face to Yukimura's lips. The Japanese man stared wide-eyed and opened his mouth slightly, feeling his lips brush Zhao Yun's skin with the movement. Then Yukimura felt his left hand being lifted and kissed right before a hand held the side of his neck and made him turn so Zhao Yun could kiss his cheek. Yukimura closed his eyes and murmured in contentment at the tender display of affection. He opened them again slowly, but instead of what he was expecting to see, he saw only white.
There was a whiteness that spread itself throughout the horizon. The fields were all white and the sky was all white. There was a faint yellow glow, however, coming from above, illuminating the plains. The area was so clear it almost blinded Yukimura's eyes. He blinked and tried to adjust his eyesight to amount of light and it took him a moment to get used to it. He stared down and saw Zhao Yun in his arms, his eyes were closed and his expression was very calm. His body was very cold and his skin was very pale still.
For a moment, Yukimura just stared, paralyzed, too afraid of what that morning could bring him. He didn't dare say a word until he saw eyelids opening slowly.
"Is it morning already?" Zhao Yun whispered slowly.
Yukimura let out a sigh of relief and gently answered, "Yes."
x
x
A/N: I didn't want to make some things blatantly obvious in the story, so I'm going to answer some questions to the ones that may be a little confused. It may seem that the conflict is between Cao Pi and Zhao Yun for a while, but in fact it was not xD The conflict is between Cao Pi and Yukimura. I really don't remember if they had a good or bad relationship in WO. Yes, Cao Pi and Mitsunari are involved, it wasn't stated, but I want to think it became obvious at some point. Yes, Zhenji is lonely because her husband spends more time with Mitsunari and she knows it. Cao Pi is very possessive and he can't stand Yukimura because he is jealous of him for what happened in the past between him and Mitsunari. It's not stated what kind of relationship they had, it is said they were friends, but Cao Pi believes they became romantically involved at some point. I believe they ended up sleeping with each other in a night of loneliness (and had some kind of awkward morning afterwards xD), but they didn't develop a romantic relationship. What they had is open for interpretations though, I leave it for your imagination. Yes, Mitsunari was the one who warned Yukimura of Zhao Yun's situation and the one who told Lu Xun about Zhao Yun's state in the prison cell and he is the one who has more influence over Cao Pi. Mitsunari would be mad at him if something happened to Yukimura, that's why Cao Pi refrains himself. It was Mitsunari who planned Zhao Yun's escape. Is there anything else to be explained? xD
Zhenji/Cao Pi is my favorite het pairing and I practically didn't make them be together. Cao Pi is more jealous of Mitsunari =\
I like Cao Pi/Zhao Yun and I think it's kind of a love or hate pairing. It doesn't make much sense, but I have my reasons for pairing them up. It is one of my favorite pairings and I made it really terrible for them =\ I guess I knew things couldn't work for them in this story.
One thing that impressed me was how easily it was for me to make Mitsunari and Cao Pi interact. It was so fun to make them argue that I had to prolong Mitsunari's appearance. Even though it surprised me at how I liked to write about them, I still feel guilty for not being able to write a story for them. It is kind of the same reason why I had to decline the request for a Sun Quan/Lu Xun. I can make them have a romance, but I can't write about them having sex xD Lu Xun is never in a sex scene in my stories, I just can't write about him having sex with Lu Meng, Gan Ning or Sun Quan. I could only do this with Jiang Wei, that's why I made Lu Xun have a crush on him xD (It doesn't mean I will write it, I tend to feel uncomfortable writing smut for very young characters). The reason is that I search for some kind of balance in couples. Their age difference is very small and they are both strategists and pretty boys. I would feel so sorry for Lu Xun if I let some other character fuck him… xD It's the same thing for Mitsunari… he's so small and pretty o_o I can read what other people write, but I can't write xD I would feel sorry for him if I were the one writing with my tendency for power tops x'D
I actually played with Cao Pi, Mitsunari and Lu Xun forming a team sometimes xD
A happy ending in my angst story xD Sort of :D