Disclaimer: Wow, I'm getting sick of these. ;-; I don't own Dynasty Warriors. Jia's mine, Lixian's mine, blah blah.
Okay, guys, here's the thing. I really love constructive criticism, and I've reread this story so many times that it makes me sick. The more I read this story, the more I hate it, so I need you guys to continue encouraging me so I can find the motivation to keep writing. Please, I beg of you, criticize me!
The drunken concubine burst through Dun's antechamber door to see him with just a robe on, half erect. She giggled when she saw his nearly naked body. Dun, a little rosy cheeked himself, grinned at the drunken girl.
"Why are you so happy?" He watched her twirl around, taking special notice of her breasts, which were bouncing to and fro with every movement.
"I don't live in the harem anymore," she said nonchalantly.
Dun's eyebrows rose. "You're happy about that?"
"I'm sure I won't be as happy tomorrow, but right now there's something else I have my mind on," Jia bit her lip and looked Dun up and down, spending a little too much time looking at his lower quarters.
"Where are you going to stay?"
"Oh, I don't know," Jia floated to Dun, making sure to stand extra close to him. "Maybe with someone who would want to take me in?" She put her head on his chest and played with his rippling pectorals.
It took Dun a moment to register what she was doing. "Are you suggesting that you stay with me?"
Jia stepped away from her lover and crossed her arms. "Well, if you don't want me anymore, I guess I can throw myself back at Cao Cao and be admitted back into the harem."
"No," Dun said instantly. "No, that is not happening."
"Then what?"
"You're staying here."
Jia grinned and threw her arms around Dun's neck. "Thank you!" She pulled him into a quick kiss before pushing him toward the bed. "Lets go, I'm hornier than bitch in heat."
Jia woke up the next morning, her body tangled in Dun's silk sheets, her hair impossibly knotted. Her head ached beyond words, but at least she was with Dun… or so she thought.
She rolled over to see her lover, only to find a vacant space. She panicked. Where was he? He didn't leave for battle already, did he? With the sheet clutched around her body, she slowly got up and crept over to the antechamber. She found Dun scribbling away on a piece of parchment. He was practically nude; the only cover was the robe he wore last night, which hadn't bothered tying.
"Dun?" Jia's voice was quiet; if she spoke any louder, she'd worsen her headache.
"Hm?" Dun's voice was indifferent, like usual.
"What are you doing?"
"Writing a letter."
"Xiahou Dun," Jia crossed her arms, careful to keep the sheet around her body. "You're being vague."
"I'm writing a letter to the guards informing them of your… change of quarters."
Jia's eyes narrowed as she stared down the back of the general's head. "You don't sound very happy. What's up?"
"Oh, I don't know. It might have something to do with the fact that you took advantage of my lack of sobriety to weasel your way into my private life."
Jia snorted, she did not "weasel" her way into anyone's life.
"Excuse me, General Xiahou, but I'm pretty sure that you were the one who gave me permission to stay. And I'm pretty sure that you did it out of your own free will."
"You used my insecurity against me."
Jia scoffed. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying you're con artist."
Jia turned away from him. "You're no fucking prince charming yourself."
Jia saw Dun begin to turn to look at her, before she fully adverted her eyes from him, her head refusing to even look in his general direction.
Dun let a breath of air out. "Sorry, I'm just anxious for battle. Lets not argue, I really am happy that you're staying with me."
"No you're not."
"Jia," Dun's voice was loud, which made the woman's head throb. He was close now, Jia could hear his breath. "I'm sorry, I really do want you to stay here, to stay with me."
Dun turned Jia's face to look at him, and he saw the rage dying in her eyes. He smiled and hugged her. "Look, I even brought all your stuff in."
Jia looked to where Dun had gestured, and sure enough, the wooden chests from the night before were all stacked near the door of the antechamber, waiting to be unpacked.
She looked up to Dun, her head still resting on his chest, and smiled. She thought about saying thank you, but words would have just ruined the moment. There was always something nice about making up, Jia thought. She and Cao Cao argued often, and she always thought it was beautiful when they could come to an understanding.
Speaking of Cao Cao, Jia thought it would be a good idea to go see him off some time that day, that is, if she managed to sneak away from Dun. If she expressed her want to see her former lover, she was sure Dun would keep her distracted from doing so. But how would she do it? Just creep away while his back was turned?
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"Dun we've been in bed all day," Jia complained, her back against the headboard.
Xiahou Dun's mouth worked all along her neck, trying to kiss every piece of exposed skin that the woman had to offer. "What's wrong with that?"
"I'm bored out of my mind."
"Jia," Dun stopped kissing his lover. "I'm going to be away at war for months. I won't get to touch you for god knows how long. I need to stock up on memories now, or I'll be so alone for the whole campaign."
Jia looked down at him. Dun was exceptionally horny for the time of day and she couldn't get her mind around it. How many times could this man possibly want to have sex? She honestly had had too much of this room in the past few days and needed a breather. Cao Cao never called for her every night.
"Dun, while you're away at war with your country girls and back alley prostitutes, I'll be here, holed up in your room, making tea cozies and scarves. I'm going to be a fucking nun until you get back!" she crossed her arms stubbornly. "But I'm not crazy for sex, am I? Lets just enjoy the rest of the day doing something nice… maybe a walk in the gardens."
Dun pouted like a little boy who had just been reprimanded for not eating his peas. He threw his body off of Jia and lay on his stomach.
"Fine, have it your way."
Jia smiled and kissed his head before tugging the sheet to get up with her. "Good, good," she strutted over to the pile of clothing, knowing that Dun's eyes were hungrily following her every movement. "Let me go freshen up, then I'll come get you when I'm ready, alright?"
"Whatever," the grown man pouted like a child and rolled away from that tantalizing body. The last thing he needed was a hard-on that he knew couldn't be relieved.
Jia rushed to the bathhouse and took the quickest bath she had ever taken in her life. She needed to see Cao Cao in a reasonable amount of time, so Dun wouldn't get suspicious. With her hair still wet, she left the bathhouse and scampered across the palace.
She checked Cao's bedchamber first, but only maids and servants were there. She checked the dining hall, the harem, and even managed to sneak around to Lady Bian's room. But she still couldn't find him. She was on her way back to Dun's, all hope lost, until she passed a room; a room she nearly hit herself for not thinking of.
Jia stood in the large doorframe of the library watching Cao Cao sit happily in front of a fire with a book and a cozy blanket. She entered the room and quietly closed the door, for privacy. Cao Cao was no fool, despite Jia's attempt to surprise the handsome lord, and looked up to the woman, a smile stretching from ear to ear.
Cao Cao looked her over; her hair was damp and her clothes hung tightly to her body. Her breasts fell and rose with every breath, and her curves danced with every movement. He was lost in the alluring look in her eyes and stood up for no apparent reason. He neared her as she neared him, their bodies touching softly as they collided.
Jia touched his chest gingerly, did she honestly miss him this badly? Dun was a great guy, but she barely knew him. She knew how he liked his sex, but not what he liked to talk about, what his pastimes were; she knew almost everything about Cao Cao. They had been so close before, and he just tore a big hole between them.
Cao Cao wanted to speak but words left him. He embraced Jia roughly, as if his life depended on contact with her. He feared her initial reluctance, but her welcoming embrace afterwards was more than a reward; it was a blessing.
"Mengde," Jia searched for the right words.
"I've missed you," Cao Cao said, brushing a piece of hair away from the woman's face.
Jia looked up to him. "I…I…" The look in Cao Cao's eyes egged her on, but she couldn't say what she really wanted to. Hell, she didn't even know what she wanted to say. "Come back from battle safely, my lord."
Jia put some space between herself and her former lord and lowered her eyes. She couldn't do this, not to Dun. She didn't know him, but she owed him a chance.
"Xiaojia," Cao reached a hand out to his former lover. He saw the pain in her eyes when she moved away from him, the strength it took not to reach out to him. He wanted to hold her, ease her pain, but he knew what she was thinking; she did not want to hurt Dun. He knew she cared for his cousin, but she cared for him also. Cao Cao knew it was all his fault that she was in such pain, but he never realized how much he loved her, at least, not until after he let her go.
"I have to be going," Jia's voice was quiet, afraid.
"Xiaojia…"
"Goodbye, your highness. This consort will await his Majesty's arrival home. Be safe."
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Jia wiped a rogue tear from her eye as she neared her new home. She opened the door of the apartment slowly and peeked inside for any sign of Dun. She found nothing, but lit candles and various flowers littering the antechamber. A bouquet of golden daffodils awaited Jia with a note. The courtesan picked up the gift and read the note carefully.
Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman.
Jia laughed; how corny was that? Oh well, it was the thought that counted. Jia walked carefully along a path of rose petals to the bedroom chamber. She opened the bedroom door quietly and peered inside. The curtains were drawn and flower and candle arrangements littered the area. The aroma of the atmosphere finally hit Jia, and it was like walking through paradise. But, it wasn't quiet heaven yet; Dun was nowhere to be found.
Jia walked over to the bed and touched the sheets. The blue linen sheets had been replaced with white silk, huh. Strange as it was, this was a very nice surprise. As Jia placed her daffodils on the nightstand on her side of the bed, she noticed the white rose petals that littered the whole surface of the bed. She knew Dun had done this all for her, but where was he? He couldn't just set up a romantic atmosphere and then not show up to enjoy it with her.
Jia gave out a soft sigh and sat down on the bed, but a figure clad in white caught her eye. The lighting was too dim to see the person's face for sure, but Jia knew who it was.
"I thought I asked for a walk in the gardens," Jia said, eyes closed.
"I brought the gardens in for you."
Jia laughed again; he really needed to learn how to be less corny. As charismatic as he was, he really didn't have much talent at using his words to seduce a woman. All Cao Cao had to do was say "Hey there" and women threw themselves at his feet.
The courtesan opened her eyes and found her lover standing but a few feet in front of her. She grabbed onto the translucent white robe, which served no function other than creating a very sexy aura around the general, and playfully pulled her lover onto the bed with her.
It was a dreary night, but Jia was forced to stand outside on the dew-covered cobblestone. She couldn't feel her toes, but she was warmly wrapped up in various furs. She was lined up with the families of the higher-ranked officers of the Wei army. Only one woman, Lady Zhen, separated Jia and Lady Bian.
"Is this the first time you've ever had to see someone off?" Lady Zhen asked Jia in a barely audible whisper.
"Yes, thankfully, Luo," Jia smiled sorrowfully at her friend. She had probably seen Cao Pi off too many times before.
"It will be your last," Lady Bian interred from the other side of Luo. "General Xiahou will find a new girl and you will be thrown from his bed."
"And back into your husband's, my Lady," Jia whispered, equally vicious.
Before either woman had the chance to strangle the other, Zhen Luo straightened out and held her head highly in the air as the various generals saluted their troops and dismounted to give a farewell to their families. Jia looked sadly to the family to her left; it was a wife with two crying children. It pained her to see the scene.
Jia witnessed a loving embrace between Luo and her husband, Cao Pi, after Cao Pi had said his goodbyes to his mother. She was shaken from her thoughts as Dun placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head to look at him.
The two lovers looked at each other a good moment before embracing one another fondly. Jia's head turned to look at the family next to her. The two children were hugging their father, and the mother was hugging her adult son, who was leaving for war as well. She felt a pang of guilt for Lady Bian; how many children had she sent off to war? How many had she lost?
"Return soon," Jia whispered to her lover.
The courtesan pulled away from Dun to look him in the eyes. She drank them in one last time, the warm honey color that drew her in like a moth to a flame. She kissed him tenderly, fearing that she might not ever get to do this again.
Jia heard a war horn sound and all of the officers pulled away from their families at synchronized times. Jia and Dun's kiss fell short as Dun regretfully pulled away. He stayed with his hand in hers for a moment before the father of the family to the left of her came up to Dun and touched his shoulder.
"Brother, we have to go," the man said. Brother? Jia had heard of Dun's brother. His name was Xiahou Yuan; a big man who had deadly accuracy with a bow and arrow.
"Come back soon, alright?" Jia said softly.
Dun gave a mock salute. "Yes ma'am."
Dun turned away with his brother and walked off. Jia felt alone all of a sudden, and a creeping coldness touched her spine. Then, one of the children next to Jia ran after her father and the mother had no hope of catching the child. Jia quickly ran to the screaming little girl and scooped her up before she could put herself under the dangerous hooves of the horses.
Dun and his brother looked back to Jia as she stood up, the girl crying into her furs. She smiled at Dun, and then looked to Yuan. She earned a big smile of thanks from him.
"General Xiahou Yuan," Jia called. "Look after him for me."
Jia smiled to the general before turning back to return to daughter to her mother, who waited calm as ever. She gave the child to her mother and resumed position in the line. Her eyes were drawn to the always handsome Cao Mengde. His curious eyes followed her every movement from afar, and suddenly, Jia found herself wanting to be with him, in the warmth of his arms, in the warmth of his bed, wrapped up tightly in his many silk blankets and exotic furs.
As Cao Cao turned his horse back to the road ahead, the women all bowed in an eerie synchronization. Jia told herself she wouldn't cry, not in front of the other women; it would be very unprofessional of her. As the army retreated out of sight, Jia and the women all turned back to the now quiet kingdom.
Jia threw herself on Dun's bed as soon as she got back home. Her skin was moist from the wet weather, but she didn't care. She curled up with her quilt and cried. She cried for Dun; she cried for Cao. What if one of them didn't return? What if both? Where would she turn next? Seeing Cao Cao, and Dun, disappear into battle effected Jia much more than Cao's previous way of going off to war; "Hey, Jia. There's a battle coming up so I don't know when I'll see you next… and I bought you a new necklace!".
No, this was much more personal, much more devastating.
Seeing Dun off hurt her, too. She had known him for what? Less than a week, and she was already so attached to him, and she couldn't just send him away like that. It hurt a lot to be close to someone and just have to watch them walk away to their possible death. Sure, Dun explained that the chance of him dying in this particular battle was slim to none, but what about the next? And wasn't Lu Bu supposed to be there? She knew that they went to go take Xia Pi back, and Jia wasn't stupid. She knew Lu Bu was there, and just how powerful that man was.
Jia held her breath in attempt to stop sobbing. She focused on her daffodils on the bedside table; how she wished Dun would be able to spend just one more night with her. Jia hated to be alone; ever since she was a child, she hated that feeling, like if you died, no one would notice, no one would care. Before she always had the harem to keep her company, and Lixian to soothe her at night. But now she had no one. She looked out to the moon and the stars, but on this night, not even heaven would give her a sanctuary
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