Warning: This is probably my first 'M' rated fic, because there's sexual activity, use of alcohol, and some language.
The Stuttering Stallion: Eye of the Storm
Author's note: Looking back, it becomes clear to me that I left out a crucial part of Deng Ai's life: his wedding and the relatively small period in which Wei, Shu, and Wu had peace. 15 years is a short time in a hundred year war, but it shouldn't be ignored. Also, I feel as though I created Chen Xin as a character, but only gave her time to shine in Blazing a Trail, where she's already in her mid thirties at least. As Deng Ai's wife, she definitely deserves more screen time. Shi Zuan, Yang Xin, and Sima Wang are also given not enough respect as it is, in my opinion, even though I made Sima Wang (Zichu) Deng Ai's best friend. So, here, I will give all these characters some time to show themselves.
This fic is basically a prequel to Blazing a Trail, and a side story to The Stuttering Stallion. Since it's not based on war, but more on family relations and friendship, I guess you could consider it the filler episode between Chapters 14 and 16, which is right before the branching point where The Stuttering Stallion either enters the Blazing a Trail timeline or sticks to the "historical" one.
Chapter 15 happens during this time, and that was basically a filler for the main story, but most of these events will happen after Chapter 15.
So, with all that said, let's begin:
------
I slowly walked away from the ceremony grounds.
After all, it would be intrusive to stick around. Those two needed their privacy, didn't they?
"Hey, skinny stick!" A deep voice yelled, and suddenly I felt a massive weight on my neck.
I glanced to the side, and Shi Zuan was smiling at me. His massive bicep was wrapped around my neck, and I yelped as he slammed my head into his own.
"What. Is it?" I gasped.
"I'm gonna get a drink tonight! We should celebrate since Shizai's finally gettin' some!" Shi Zuan gave me a big smile while Yang Xin shook his head as he approached us.
"You know, man, you don't have to if you don't want to. I know you're more of the modest type." Yang Xin muttered at me.
I just smiled, and laughed. "Well, I don't see the harm in going a bit loose for once. You're right, our best friend just got married, and since he's spending time alone with Xin, we ought to celebrate!"
"That's the spirit!" Shi Zuan slammed his fist into his palm. "Let's go find ourselves some booze. Wait. I know the perfect place!"
Yang Xin turned to me, with a surprised look on his face. "Are you sure you're into this? You can still back out, you know."
"Don't worry about me." I chuckled. "I'll be fine."
--------
I pressed myself against his chest, and smiled.
We were finally married after all these years, and now that Wei had come to a peace agreement with the other two states, we could finally spend some quality time together.
But I sighed. Fifteen years might pass so quickly. Our oldest would be at most fifteen himself when Shizai would have to go on another campaign. (1.) Damn it. It's in times like these when I realize my mom feels, I guess. At least father's still alive...
But, I couldn't help it. I glanced up at him and my ill feelings just melted away. I blushed slightly. Didn't I use to be proud that I was independent, that no guy could chase after me and live to tell the tale? Why was I so giddy around Shizai? A part of me started to snarl, remembering those guys who used to laugh whenever they saw me. They called me the Spider Queen of Changan, the girl who would definitely eat her mate if she were to ever get lucky enough to find one.
But Heaven was kind to me, and I got to meet Shizai. I got to love a man who really deserved it, for Shizai, like father, was not some disgusting pervert who thought of me as an object. No, Shizai wasn't like those other boys. I married the best guy I could find, even if, thanks to him, I knew some other good men as well. If you ask me, I found the best catch, no matter how awkward he is.
----------
A sword came flying through the window, startling both Xin and I awake.
I grabbed my wife and pushed her to the ground, trying to keep her from getting hit.
Throwing my robe back on, I grabbed my old sword from under my bed.
"Xin, stay here. I'll take care of them."
"Shizai, you idiot! Now's not the time for stupidity. I'm going with you."
"No. It's too dangerous. If you were to get hit by an arrow now, you'd."
"I'll be fine!" She yelled.
Then our house shook as I heard a boom.
"They're using battering rams! What kind of bastards are out there?!" Xin hissed, and I could sense the fear in her voice.
It's funny, normally she's the confident and brave one while I'm careful and hesitant.
"Xin, stay in here." I ordered..
She looked surprised, but immediately closed her mouth and nodded.
Normally, I'd never order my wife to do anything, but this was a different situation. If we were to act normal in times like this, then she'd get killed and I. I wouldn't be able to survive without her. I had to keep her safe, even if I'd act no better than those lousy excuses for men.
I slipped out the door and immediately closed it behind me. I heard her draw her own blade, and I let out a sigh of relief. If any idiot thought of invading our bedroom, well, he wouldn't be breathing any longer.
Flying down the stairs, I saw our front door burst open.
A thousand soldiers came pouring into the room, and I leapt at them.
Those bastards! If they thought they could invade the home of one of Wei's greatest Generals, well, then they were here to die.
As I slashed back and forth, several groups of them slipped past me and moved towards my bedroom.
"Xin!" I thought to myself, but the roars of my enemies made it difficult to call out to her.
I heard a scream, and another, but suddenly I heard a more high pitched one.
"Xin!" I thought to myself.
I heard my wife scream as they did unspeakable things to her.
I grit my teeth in rage as I plunged my blade into the next helmet.
A thousand spears came flying at me from every which way.
And I. I...
I shot up from under the covers, and my eyes warily scanned my surroundings.
Here I was, at home, on my beloved mat of straw.
To my left, I heard my wife stir.
I shook my head. What kind of dream was that? Why would I have such a dream on my wedding night, of all times?
I felt myself blush. The woman I married, the woman with whom I had just shared such a special moment would never be defeated so easily. If anything, she'd be the one who could easily slip through the enemy and take down its leader, like she had nearly done to General Ma Dai.
"Shizai?" I heard Xin mutter sleepily as she rose to face me.
"Go back to sleep, Xin." I said to her, turning to her with a light smile.
"Is something wrong?" She tilted her head to the side. "You should tell me if something's bothering you..." She gave me a light, nervous smile as well.
I kept my smile, though I knew that I might not be able to hold it for long. "It's nothing, really. I just can't stay asleep, I guess... Must be the chill of the night..." I spoke reassuringly.
Her eyes narrowed. I sensed danger, like a pot about to boil. Her rage, like the scathing foam that tries to escape the pot, may very well start showing itself. Needless to say, my wife could see right through me, and she was not amused.
"Shizai, stop lying. I feel fine, and we've made this house as cozy as possible. Something's bothering you, and if you don't bring it out of your chest you'll be even more stressed than you already are. Tell me what's wrong." She ordered as her eyes narrowed even further into slits.
I gulped. There was no point trying to hide it from her any longer.
"Xin, I... I, er, had a nightmare..."
She raised an eyebrow. Oh, boy, here she was in "detective" mode. My tongue had to be extra sharp, otherwise she'd either attack me or call me an idiot.
"That our home was attacked, and that enemy troops entered and they... They hurt you... I couldn't bare having that happen to you, so I immediately woke up... I... I couldn't imagine myself letting you get hurt..." I shivered and let my voice crack. It was horrible when I thought about it, but exaggerating how I felt about the matter would definitely save me from her wrath.
"Shizai..." Her voice softened. She shifted closer and pressed herself against me again, slowly rubbing my back with her soft hand. "It's ok... The treaty would never let such things happen, and you know as well as I do that no idiots could possibly break into our grounds without anyone noticing them."
"Xin..." I couldn't help but blush. She wouldn't give anyone else that warm face, even to our close friends. I still found myself deeply in love with the side that she shows only to me.
"Besides." She laughed and punched me in the back. "You and I wouldn't go down that easily. If anything I'd die before I'd let any bastard do such things to me... I'm yours, and you're mine, and that's final."
"Xin..." I couldn't help but smile back at her.
She grabbed the side of my head. "You idiot... Come here..."
And she forcefully kissed me, just like our first one.
------
I really didn't expect to see Shizai again the morning after his wedding. After all, he had finally married Chen Xin, the girl of his dreams. Quite frankly, I was a bit jealous, but as his best friend, did I have a right to be? He could finally share countless happy moments with the girl he loved, and I was happy for him because of that.
With that in mind, I thought he'd want to spend some alone time with her. But, seeing as how he showed up at my doorstep at 10 in the morning, I guess he found it acceptable to spend some time with his 'buds. (2.)
"Shizai?" My jaw nearly hit the floor when I opened the door.
"Zichu." Deng Ai grinned.
"Erm, it's great to see you, and all that... However, shouldn't you be with Xin?"
And with that Deng Shizai merely crossed his arms. "Do you think I'm the sort of man who would abandon my best friend even when married?"
"Well, thanks, but wouldn't Xin feel bad about this?"
"Bad about what?" The girl I had just mentioned peered out from behind Shizai. Great Heaven, I didn't think that she could hide so skillfully behind her husband.
"Wait... You two decide to spend your honeymoon with me? Is there something I should know?" I stroked my chin with a smirk.
Xin's eyes narrowed, but I could tell from the look in her eyes that she wasn't truly angry. Shizai just gave a hearty laugh.
"I'm sorry, Zichu, but I'm taken, and we're not so keen on a threesome."
I blinked. Yes, I had hoped for that answer, but to have him state it so obviously... It didn't seem like him.
Xin noticed this too, and glanced at him strangely.
Even though Xin showed her deadly skepticism, Shizai kept his grin.
I stroked my chin. There could only be one explanation for this:
He finally got laid.
But I wasn't stupid enough to blurt that out, otherwise Xin would likely kill me for being a "pervert." After all, it wouldn't be her to take that as a compliment.
Xin took one look at me, and one look back at Shizai, and simply rolled her eyes. "I don't want to know."
Shizai just kept his goofy grin, while I stepped aside. "Come in, you two, before my neighbors see you."
Xin sighed. I guess she realized that she had no good retort for that.
And Shizai just kept his stupid grin. Geez... How much more did he have to torment a single guy like me, anyway?!
----------
We found ourselves wandering the market place together, just the three of us. Here, in Changan, the Marketplace was especially huge. It was funny how I'd lived most of my life in Henei, so to find things here so spectacular in Changan was rather new to me. But, come to think of it, Changan was the Capital of the Empire once, so it shouldn't have been that surprising.
Even then, I continued to look around in awe, while Xin just smirked at me.
"Zichu, if you keep that up, people will think you're the son of a relatively well off peasant."
As I spun around to face her, I noticed that my mouth was wide open.
Geez, I looked like an idiot, didn't I?
Xin just smiled. "You've never been to such a large marketplace, huh? Hmn... I guess that's the bad thing about being a native here. I just don't find these kinds of things so amazing..."
Shizai just shrugged his shoulders. "Zichu, you've been to Runan's marketplace plenty of times, right? It's not that much different."
"Well, that's not exactly true..." I found myself blurting out, and Shizai just looked a bit confused.
My eyes darted around for something to save me, and I found it. "Look, you wouldn't find a rug like that in Runan, right?" I pointed to an Arabian looking thing. The material wasn't silk, and though it was some form of cloth it wasn't anything I could really identify.
Xin and Shizai both walked over to the rug I pointed out, and as they felt it, it seemed as though they couldn't identify what that material was either.
"See? This marketplace is special. All these trading routes would never reach Runan." I crossed my arms victoriously.
But Shizai just shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "Hmn... I guess..."
And I felt my face droop after seeing his lack of enthusiasm.
--------
Zichu was a good man, I thought. He wasn't necessarily someone who had a lot of interesting hobbies or such, but he was a nice guy. I didn't mind being around him at all, even if Shizai wasn't around. Such a man was the kind of guy who was perfect for a best friend.
At any rate, though, after our marriage things started to settle down, and yet I couldn't spend all the time I wanted with Shizai. He had so many tasks to do as an officer of Wei, and Sima Yi seemed to be able to find a dozen different tasks to throw at him. Even with the help of Zichu, Shi Zuan, and Yang Xin, Shizai just didn't seem to be able to juggle them so well.
Which is why he tended to come home late, and I found myself missing him often...
I blushed once as I thought about it one spring afternoon. Why was I being so clingy now? Didn't I use to be so proud of my independence? I shook my head. Would Shizai recognize the girl he married if I were to tell him about this?
---------
It was stressful, and we three could barely stay sane.
So was it any surprise that Shi Zuan and Yang Xin found solace in alcohol?
Zichu and I, we were more responsible, naturally. After all, no matter how diligent Yang Xin was, he'd always end up drunk by the third consecutive day of repetitive labor.
Honestly, did Sima Yi intend to have us start getting either exhausted or leading an official revolt? I could see that the rest of us officials, the myriad of clerks, and any other scholar working for the court could barely stand their current workload. It was as if Sima Yi decided to take a complete vacation and not do anything... Damn him and his rank of Prime Minister...
But anyway, there came a moment where we just couldn't take our jobs any longer...
Xin and I were about to have our third anniversary, yet somehow she wasn't pregnant yet. (3.)
Now a lot of people like to jump at Xin for this, saying that she clearly was unfit to be a wife, and she was quite upset over all this. She even chased some of the younger men who taunted her with a broom, and, quite frankly, my beloved was more than a match for any three of them, let alone a lone idiot who thought he could taunt her and get away with it.
So, come to think of it, I guess it should have been a no-brainer why she acted like she did...
It was summer, and it was sizzling hot, in more ways than just the weather. Shi Zuan had been snooping around lately, coming to work late and sometimes showing up looking quite ruined. It was clear that he had been drinking, but he couldn't have looked any happier.
Yang Xin was the first to be suspicious of him, though Zichu and I knew that something definitely wasn't normal, if it was right at all.
"Dude, what the hell is up with you?" Yang Xin spoke in the least cordial manner possible.
Shi Zuan just gave him a wide smile.
"Are you ok?" Sima Wang spoke worriedly.
Shi Zuan just turned to him. "I've never been better."
"Eh?" Zichu looked confused.
"You guys sick of this slave chamber yet?" Shi Zuan asked us.
Yang Xin and I shared a glance. To be honest, I also felt suspicious of Shi Zuan, though I decided not to be rude about it like Yang Xin.
"I sure am." Zichu was the first to speak. He seemed a bit more eager than usual today.
Yang Xin glanced at me, and nodded. "So am I."
I smirked. "Make that three people."
And so, we slipped out of our office of sorts and followed Shi Zuan as he maneuvered through the streets of Changan.
I was expecting him to head to a bar, but, instead, he approached a large, reddish building.
"What are you...?" Zichu hissed, as what would be expected from him.
This building was, after all, the most famous brothel in town.
------
I couldn't believe that Shi Zuan would be shameless enough to lead us to that filthy place.
But, somehow, my nether regions didn't seem to mind. It was rather, well, invigorating to be in such an environment.
Beautiful girls greeted us as we came in, and they quickly served us wine for each person.
Shi Zuan was obviously broke, for he quickly began to whisper something to Yang Xin that made the latter's eyebrow twitch.
Shizai looked slightly uncomfortable here too, though he accepted the wine eagerly. I guess he wanted something to help soften his tongue, but at the same time he didn't want to betray Xin in a place where it would be so ridiculously easy to do so.
Shi Zuan continued to beg Yang Xin not so secretly, and when he finally complied our good friend looked like a merry dog, groveling before the other commander.
Both men soon disappeared behind some curtains set up in the lounge, each with a girl in his arms, and I could only imagine what they were about to do.
Shizai, meanwhile, rambled on about how he despised my uncle's administration. Though I did agree with him, I wanted to silence him for safety reasons. Heaven knows that my uncle's ears are almost everywhere, and he'd try to get rid of those who would stand in his way for power.
The serving girls seemed to agree, as they did not want their business destroyed by Sima Zhongda and the Imperial court. Immediately they tried to placate him, but Shizai simply shrugged them off.
"I'm married, you whores!" I heard him roar.
"Oh, dear…" I thought to myself. This would not end well.
He lashed out, pushing the girls away, and as he continued to act rowdy and violent, I rushed forward.
"C'mon, Shizai, let's get out of here." I shook him.
He stared at me with tired eyes. "Zichu… Let's get the fuck out of here."
A few girls started to grab me, too. "Forget about him… You came in, right? Then you should make the most out of your money."
For a moment, I found myself trapped with indecision.
I was a virgin, and at the age of twenty-five this was a disgrace. Most men were already married by the age of seventeen or eighteen, yet here I was, a single virgin who despite his noble status never had a betrothed or any female companion.
Yet, though my manhood demanded that I stay, my mind proved the victor in that sortie.
"Let's get you home, Shizai." I spoke to my best friend, ignoring the girls and, I feared, the only chance for me to lose my virginity.
After all, someday I'd find a girl who was not married to me out of duty but who loved me for the man I was, right?
Right?
Even if that never came true, my duty to Shizai came first. He was my best friend and Heaven knows that hell would freeze over if I ever found someone else who could fit that role.
----------------
Zichu came to the house suddenly, dragging Shizai with him.
I had never seen my husband look so wasted in his life. My heart sank as Zichu brought him to a couch.
"Zichu… What happened?… Why is he…?"
"You'd better take care of him." My husband's best friend dodged my question.
Perhaps it was because I was extremely worried, but I couldn't accept that kind of answer.
"Zichu, tell me what the hell went on!"
Sima Wang shirked at that order, and merely dodged and fled for the door.
"Get back here!"
"We'll reconvene in the morning, Xin! Take care of him!" He called as he fled.
I felt like killing him. So this was how a man would treat his best friend's wife…
But that was for a latter time. Now, I had to care for Shizai.
I heard him murmur incoherently, and I could feel my heart implode with worry.
"Shizai…" I spoke his name. "Shizai…" Again I mumbled it, with tears in my eyes. Why was our marriage like this? What was happening? He came back so late and Zichu, unlike himself, refused to tell me anything.
With a heavy heart, I dragged him to our bedroom.
And closed the door behind me…
---------------
Images swirled restlessly in my mind as I awoke. I saw the flash of a smile on a woman's face… A woman who wasn't my wife.
I felt the softness of silk on my back, and I smelled alcohol.
Wait, I could taste it, too…
I saw another flash, that of a woman's panties, and I remembered a room of red with trays of wine glasses.
No, I couldn't have visited a brothel last night, could I?
As the silk pressed against my back, I remembered seeing a woman… Feeling her… No, I couldn't have…
I betrayed my wedding vows… I betrayed my wife… I was no longer a man…
Slowly, with the weight of a thousand spears against my chest, I rose from my bed.
My eyes, still groggy with sleep and burning with those images, failed to recognize my surroundings.
And, suddenly, the door opened and I could see the silhouette of a woman's body.
This was probably the madam owner of this brothel, or the whore who pleasured me last night… I was a failure as a man for accepting Shi Zuan's invitation, and I was prepared to kill myself after paying this woman.
But then I heard a familiar voice.
"Shizai? So you're finally awake. Breakfast is ready."
My beloved wife smiled at me as she sat down with a tray of dumplings and tea.
I just stared at her, and soon the room around me became clear. This was our bedroom. The silk under my body was the silk of our bedding, our finest bedding that we used on rare occasions (as Xin would testify that it was a demon to clean.)
Then why did I remember a brothel from last night?
I could feel the blood leaving my face.
"Shizai?" Xin stared at me with concern, and moved forward to feel my forehead.
My blood began to return to my face as I blushed.
My wife smiled again, but this time her smile was painted on. I could sense the anger emanating from her veins, and I braced myself to tell her everything I could remember.
"Where were you last night?" She asked me in the sweetest voice possible.
"I was… I'd gone with friends to unwind, and they brought me to a… A…"
"What is it?"
"I'm sorry!" I screamed at her, throwing my tea cup to the ground and groveling before her. "Xin… I'm not the man you married anymore… I… I visited a brothel."
My wife's face turned pale, and I felt like killing myself right then and there.
"But why…" Her voice was less terrified than I thought it would be. "Why didn't I smell perfume or anything on you?"
"Eh?"
"You were dead drunk, but you were fully clothed when Zichu brought you in. If you had done the deed, you wouldn't have looked completely normal…"
"Then why do I remember…?" I cut myself off, feeling ashamed.
Xin took one long look into my eyes, and blushed. "Shizai, I… I couldn't help myself… I needed to make sure…"
"Xin…?"
"I'm surprised that you remember, but last night… Was me…"
I felt a great weight lifted from my chest as I stared into the eyes of my beloved.
"But why would Shi Zuan invite you to a brothel?" She shook her head. "Is he truly a barbarian? I understand that Yang Xin would come along, but to take Zichu and you with them… That's… That's criminal!" She just shook her head and smiled.
"You're not angry?"
"By the looks of it, when Zichu came in I could tell that he was still himself. He would have acted quite differently had he gotten his money's worth. And you're still mine, so there's no reason for me to kill those two, persay."
I nodded, but I began to feel faint, and something began to rise from my stomach.
Xin's eyes widened as she rushed to get me a bucket.
"Idiot…" She sighed as I regurgitated whatever I had in me.
---------
After that fiasco, I bathed myself and purged any of the sickening taint that brothel would have given me. Emerging slowly from the rest room, I found Xin standing before me, her robe hanging loosely from her body.
"Xin?"
"Shizai."
She grabbed me and pinned me to the wall, with her body pressed against mine. Having my back to the wall, with my wife in a forceful position, wasn't exactly comfortable, but I knew that I deserved much worse.
"Listen…" She stared into my eyes with a fearsome look, though I wouldn't call it a glare. I knew better.
"You've spent so much time at work, and when you come back you look exhausted and powerless. I just stand there, somehow being totally powerless, unable to help you at all. I've been hearing a lot in town lately… People say that a man whose wife cannot stand by his side is a man who will go astray… They tell me that many men have affairs because they can no longer handle the stress of life, and their wives can't give them support. I hate myself for being unable to help you, and I know how ridiculous that might sound to you.
"You must be thinking: 'Xin? The girl who prided herself in crushing the manhood of anyone who would be stupid enough to try to flirt with her? The girl who I first saw wearing some dirty robe as she entered her fabulous looking house? The girl whose fiery personality I fell in love with? How could she possibly break down and cry over not being able to be lady-like and wifely?
"I'll be blunt like always: I don't give a damn when others say that I'm not a good wife for you. Who cares about their opinion? But what worries me is that I'm not supporting you in all this… You come back, exhausted from work, and I never see you smile anymore when I'm beside you. I never see you smile…"
My wife slowly backed away, and I could see her breaking down in tears.
"Xin…" I moved forward and grabbed her, holding on tightly.
"Shizai… I love you, and I want to be by your side until I die, but why can't I make you smile again? Why do you have to look half-dead every time I see you?"
"Xin… Spending this moment with you, this is what warms my heart…" I looked into her eyes, and gave her a big smile. Holding her for another moment, I moved in to kiss her once again.
Tears fell from her eyes, and she quickly closed them… Pulling herself deeper into the kiss. My love is truly like a rose. Her thorns are sharp enough to tear through steel, yet she is still as sweet as ever.
Slowly I guided her to our bed, and I broke the kiss. She stared passionately at me, and I whispered to her.
"I need you…"
She blushed, her cheeks covered in red, and she muttered my name frantically. "Shizai… I…"
"Shhh…" I pressed my finger against her lips, and hungrily licked her neck.
-----------
She remained tight against me the entire time, letting out little gasps and moans with every thrust.
Inside her, I felt truly at peace. Some would have said that I claimed a Tigress, that her roars would be mere purrs against my touch, but I have to disagree.
She's my wife, the woman I love, not some animal. The daughter of Chen Tai may have the temper and strength of a raging tiger, but she has the heart and soul of a woman… And the body of a goddess.
The release felt so wonderful, so heavenly because it was her… That moment, and future ones, with her would always be far greater than any shattering of our vows. She will always be mine, and I will always be hers. No one can change that.
-----------
We spent the night together, as husband and wife, and with that night our troubles seemed to slip away.
The next morning I awoke to find Xin smiling at me. I glanced at the window and found the sun to be quite high in the sky.
"I'm late for my post, oh well." I shrugged my shoulders and smiled at her.
Sima Yi could try to remove me from my post, but I doubt he'd find someone else who was willing to undergo that kind of slave labor. 'Sides, even if he did fire me I'd likely get hired by some firm out there. The rank of Commander of the Western Legion was a rank that few people have ever earned, and that would work wonders on any resume.
Xin rose and moved towards the kitchen, and I sighed.
Not long ago, she'd have a few maids to care for her, even if she used to insist on doing some of the work on her own when she did bother to stay at home. Now, she was the one who did a lot of the housework, as I had plenty of work to do in Wei's government offices… But, still, she went from being the daughter of a General and quite rich to the wife of a commander who, though benefiting from a stable job, found himself dirt poor in comparison.
But even if her family's richer than me, Xin never complains… Why is that? I… I failed Chen Tai… I swore to him that I'd make her happy for the rest of her days, and yet I can't provide for her what he could… But why do both Xuanbo and Xin support me as her husband?
Again, my heart felt heavy as I thought of our circumstances, yet I also had to give thanks. I had to thank heaven for giving me Xin… I know that few men could ever find a loving wife like her…
I heard a crash, and I rushed over to the kitchen…
---------
My beloved had collapsed on the floor, with a bowl smashed near her.
I quickly picked her up, and carried her to a couch.
"Xin, what's wrong?" I spoke, knowing full well what her answer would be.
She just smiled and shook her head. "I'm fine, Shizai..."
I blinked. She was far more gentle than usual... And she looked rather pale. "Xin!" I covered her forehead with my palm. Though there was no fever, I didn't want to take any chances. "I'm going to get you a doctor..."
And with that, as I rushed out of the room, I could swear I could hear a faint murmur behind me.
"Idiot..."
----------
As the physician examined her, I could just look on in fear.
After exchanging a few questions with Xin, questions which I didn't hear because I was too busy staring at her and fearing the worst, he gave me a strange look.
"Commander Deng."
"Y-Yes, doctor?" I stammered.
The physician smiled. "I can find nothing wrong with your wife's health. Her humors are in good order and the flow of energy is not obstructed by any ill means."
"Eh? But..."
"The reasons for her being pale and delirious are simple: she is pregnant."
"Eh?!" Xin gasped, her face turning bright red.
I started to dance about the room, having finally achieved that which I had always dreamed of.
I was a father...
I was a father...
I was finally a father!
By Heaven, could I have gotten any better news?
-------
1. Shizai is Deng Ai's style name. 'Xin' is the short form of Chen Xin when it's used individually. I'm just posting this for newcomers. :P
2. I'm well aware that most people would be dead drunk and reeling from a hangover on the morning after their best friend's wedding, but do you expect someone like Sima Wang to ever get that drunk? I didn't, and that's what I had in mind for this fic. :P
3. I know that I made Deng Zhong become an officer rather fast, where in this fic he would have been only twelve when Shizai was remobilized to counter Shu's invasions, but this helps add some drama for that couple, no?
This fic was written to help breathe some life into these characters. This is Part One of two chapters, and I hope you've enjoyed it so far.
Thanks for reading, peeps!