Disclaimer: I don't own Dynasty Warriors or Three Kingdoms. Koei doesn't own the figures, but they own the games. There are many Three Kingdoms games not by Koei that don't own it either.
A/N: I've been meaning to do a Valentine Day fic to make up for not updating Romance of the DW Pairings 3. Here's a light hearten one shot feature Cao Pi and Zhen Ji. Even thought, I don't honor it… For Gamecity Koei Card Collection Valentine Day event.
Nice Flower
Spring is the beginning of a new year. It's the beginning of all things reborn. Red and pink petals start fertilizing on the earth after the old life. Flowers, though they've gone fickle in the fall, they reborn into fresh perfection on the new year.
"Nice Flower"
The woman, whom old life was gone, had already settled her new one. The man folding both of his warms on her pale neck watches her reading a book he planned to finish before due.
Literature is the art of reading and writing, the two things that set the model for creativity and education. Most well educated and creative people are such people who have power to get anything they want; the power to change people's lives. Literature is such that…
"Nice Flower"
If literature were for everyone, then those lowly could have obtained that power. But, like the flower, power can grow fickle just like what happened to the Yuan family. Heavens, she tried to forget about the Yuan family, but power can change families just as it changes people.
"Your scent, your fragment, it's different from yesterday," Cao Pi said when he teases her neck while reading with her.
"Your mother came here yesterday and wanted me to try her makeup. Did I tell you about why your mother loved the way I sing?" she set the book on her lap and felt Zihuan's chin teasing her sensitive neck.
"It was when you were showing my father and the ministers your form of dance. He never stops talking about it during the expedition at Tong Gate. You are his favorite daughter," He chuckled after the last sentence.
"This book you're about to finish, I am thinking about the meaning of it," Zhen Ji gaze at one page of the book she couldn't stop reading that.
"Hmmm," he saw the page she was staring at and grinned. He is willing to put an anode into it.
"You don't have to explain it to me…" She sighed.
"Ah…it's that complex. Even my father will find that part hard to understand," Cao Pi said.
"I'd like to see your father's works," she smiled after saying that.
"His were either burned or need rewritten," he shrugged.
"Why? I can't imagine him having a hard time with his writings," Zhen Ji pouted.
"His critics, or to be frank, those upsetting him made him burn one of his precious journals," the arms are now unfold and she freely got off the bed placing the book on it.
She knows Cao Cao a feared person, but to have him put into such a state and make him burn his books seems unheard of.
"And when he returned to mother, she always reminded him to control hisself. What he did was uncharacteristically out of control," He added.
Looking at her model pose when standing, it reminded him of why she is perfect. Her tall height, her clean skin, and the way she don her hair is exalt of perfection. He can't believe this beauty truly exists. This perfect flower…
"I have an important assignment to be given to my officers, so I came to bring you a gift. It's our anniversary, Fu," it's now time for him to announce his surprise to his wife.
"A gift? My lord, people of noble clans have been giving me these exquisite gifts. I wanted to sell some of them at the moment," she hides her frown because this is supposed to be a happy moment between them. It's their anniversary and a couple that lived forever lasted forever.
"Why sell them? Those are a token of their loyalty to me as I am now the vice chancellor with my father," Cao Pi then walked to call out one of his officers, a member of his political faction.
A man appears from the court yard of the palace. He seems abit ill looking, but nonetheless fine and on his hands is this 'gift' her husband talking about.
"Kept me waiting, my lord," the man said and bowed to him.
"Ahem…" Cao Pi gave a warning look and the man shrugged and turns to Zhen Ji who was staring at him.
He bowed to her after Pi.
But, Zhen Ji waved her hand weakly, "You don't have to bow."
"He bows to you," Cao Pi stated with a stoic look, "and those who support me as the successor are ordered to bow to you whenever they made contact from me with you. Is that clear, Guo Huai?"
"Yes, Vice Chancellor," Guo Huai response.
Cao Pi takes the red pouch on Guo Huai's hands and ordered him to return outside till he finish.
After he left, Zhen Ji confirms her husband, "That's one of your officers who supports you."
He nodded and opens the pouch, in it reveals a neck unquestionably rare from such fine forging. It has seven rubies with an enormous red jewelry on the center attached to the golden locket. Such gold, such design, the smithy must have worked this hard to refine such a rare necklace. This is her gift from her husband.
She wanted to gasp out loud, but quietly she took a look at the necklace when Pi showed it to her hand, "How did such a thing being forged like this?"
"Behold, the power of your fortune, my dear," Cao Pi chanted.
She continues to glance at the red ruby, all seven, but one. She couldn't reconsider this because this keepsake is the height of her husband's love. If she meets the smithy who forges this necklace, she wanted to give him something in return.
Minutes passed by and she is still looking at the ruby. Her husband awaits to do the honor of putting it on her neck. She returned her gaze towards Cao Pi's face and in return he kissed.
The taste of her rosy lips smells of satisfaction, he quickly put the necklace on her, but slowly not force the issue on her questionable look. He's been waiting for this gift to her since his visiting at the blacksmith. After the disaster that led to the discontent in the Ma Chao campaign, he waited for the appointed time for finishes to his gift.
"Happy anniversary my dear, my wife, my flower," finally with the precious jewelry attached on her.
"This…but why?" She thought.
"Our love will be eternal. Once this war is over and when Sun Quan reconsider an alliance with my father and acknowledge his authority over the government, I will write our happy love history," he looked at her hazed eyes and think about the first time they met. Fate can change people and she changed his life forever.
He's giving her so much, but she has yet to give in return. Cao Pi wishes eternal and no other loving couple before or after them shall rival it. The Qiaos lost Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, and only she remains the rarest flower in the land.
"Xie.." she returned a smile assuring her husband's happiness. They embrace their arms into a hug as Zhen Ji cherishes the sincerity from her husband's love with that gift.
"It's time for me to finish my business with the men. Guo Huai is still waiting. Cao Zhen and Xiu are at the city gates waiting for the departure to Luoyang. I'm going to meet my father there," Cao Pi release his grasp on her and prepares to leave.
She watches him get his dual sword and they lock their gazes at each other one more time. To treasure such flower before him shows his happiness. He wanted nothing more than his happiness for her.
When he left, she returned to staring at the red ruby on her necklace. What is on her mind? Is it too much or it didn't have to be this rare. She never told her husband her type of jewelry, he just gave her the best of quality and abide by it.
"This is his love…" she thought. No other jewelry rivals this gift. If there's a duplicate, it will be too fake as the red ruby on her is the rarest of seven rubies on this necklace. It has a meaning and that meaning is Cao Pi's power over her.
The rarest flower will bloom the entire land when prosperity returns from the chaos that scatter it. But, flowers will get old and become fickle.
"Nice Flower"
How much is that love truth?
"Nice Flower"
It hasn't gone fickle yet.