Author's Note

Hello, lovelies! We're finally winding down on this one, dears. I know it's taken entirely too long for me to finish this one, and I'm sorry for that. I promise I'll be publishing more regularly in future, as long as I have story ideas. I have one percolating in the back of my mind right now, as well as an original project I'll be starting shortly. I've been looking forward to this chapter for a very long time, my dears. I hope you like it!

End Note

Bai Jaw Long smirked at Su Li, "So. All this time you've been acting as guard to our…illustrious kings." Su Li nodded nervously. "And all you have to tell me is that the brothers have taken in the human girl and have guards on her night and day so that we cannot feasibly capture her?" His rage simmered in his eyes as he glowered at the young dragon in front of him.

Su Li shifted uncomfortably, "Well…Not entirely, sir. The Palace is hosting a coming-of-age party for Jui Gui's daughter. It's a masquerade, sir. Every eligible man from all of the finest families in the clan will be in attendance, sir."

Jaw Long grew very still for a moment before a slow, evil smile crept across his face. "Oh, is that so? A room full of masked strangers, you say? Excellent. We will bring these boys to their knees in one swift blow. They will never see you coming. Kill the girl. As dramatically and publicly as possible. I was the entire clan to watch Wen Tien's world crumble."

Yao Yao bustled through the Great Hall with a huge grin on her face. They'd been obsessively planning every detail of this masquerade for weeks, and now the day had finally arrived! She still hadn't met Jui Gui's daughter in person, though. They would give Jui Gui any plans they'd made, he'd take them to his daughter, and she'd send him back with approval or alterations. The ball was bound to be the social event of the century, and she couldn't wait. The plan was for the ball to be going in full swing before the lady of the hour would be presented in a dramatic moment where all music would come to a halt and fanfare would sound, announcing her arrival. The double-doors would open and she would be artfully arranged at the top of the stairs on the far end of the room, dressed in a modern gown of all white with red silk accents, and an exquisite white swan mask, while all the available men (Wu Dao included, much to his dismay) would be dressed in elegant black suits and wearing black swan masks. The discerning eye would spot slight differences in cut, fabric, and patterns of each suit and mask. But at first glance they were all identical. Throughout the night, she was to dance with as many of the eligible men as possible, before working back to the man of her choosing, and at midnight they would unmask. It was all ridiculously romantic, and Yao Yao truly hoped that the young lady would find what she was looking for.

Yao Yao's smile faltered for a moment, thinking about Wu Dao. I can't help but feel a little sorry for him, she thought. All this frivolity and talk of love in the air can't be easy for him. He probably thinks I haven't noticed him sneaking off to the butterfly garden all the time. I guess he forgets I know what he's feeling all the time. Out of curiosity, she felt around in her mind for the part that always felt like "Wu Dao" and focused on it for a while. It was a trick she'd learned during her training with the Dragon King. There was always a presence of Wu Dao in her mind, and if she focused on it hard enough, she could pick up immediate details, rather than the fleeting, intrusive feelings when he was experiencing intense emotions. She'd learned that, while focusing in this way, she could even see through his eyes. There was even a rudimentary sort of communication. She focused a little harder, and she felt him notice her presence. The silent conversation went something like this:

!...? Yao Yao?

Yeah. You ok?

Fine. Just…(a series of images passing between them. Yu Die, her quick smile and bubbling laughter. The butterfly that he missed, her grave, seeing her father. Watching her die, a forced smile on his face. Images of what she may have looked like in her later years. Finally, her grave again and a sense of emptiness.)

I know. Thought so. Here if you need me.

(A small smile) I know.

Yao Yao came back to herself, realizing she'd closed her eyes to better focused; several servants were watching her strangely, whispering behind their hands about her. Seeing her eyes flutter open, they scattered and began to return to their assigned tasks with a nervous energy, like a child who's been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. She sighed softly to herself. Ah, well. At least he seems to be doing better today. We'll see how he does tonight, though. Should be interesting, at least. I don't think I've ever seen him dance before, come to think of it. That, by itself, is more than enough reason to go.

Her relationship with Wen Tian had become the topic of hot gossip in the clan and around the palace in the few weeks since she'd been here. Her father had returned to their world two weeks ago, saying that someone had to keep an eye on the dig site. She knew her father was really just trying to give her some time alone with Wen Tian, and she loved him for it. They were going together to the ball tonight, and they were both wearing modern Chinese outfits in red and gold. The masks were particularly spectacular, both resembling butterflies, his perfectly masculine, hers perfectly feminine – each mirroring the other exactly. The design of the masks was echoed in her dress, while Wen Tian would be wearing a tailored suit in matching colors. He looked spectacular in it; more regal than she'd ever seen him look.

Yao Yao spent the next few hours helping with the finishing touches in the Great Hall before three ladies' maids came bustling in to hurry her off to get ready. She felt herself buzzing inside with excitement. In direct juxtaposition, she could sense Wu Dao's irritation and lack of cooperation with his manservants. Yao Yao chuckled and sent a silent chastisement to him. He acknowledged it with ill humor, but she sensed him become more pliant thereafter. In her own quarters in the palace (which both Kings had insisted on giving her) she stood on a platform in front of a full-length mirror while the three women arranged her dress (which was slit to her thigh) and perfected her hair and makeup, arranging her hair in a beautiful half-updo, leaving a great deal to tumble gracefully down one shoulder to her elbow. Her makeup was elegantly beautiful, and the gold of the mask was echoed in her eyeshadow and the blush on her cheeks. She wasn't sure how, but they'd even echoed it down her neck and chest. She hardly recognized herself. If she didn't know any better, Yao Yao would have thought she was looking at a Dragon Queen in the mirror; someone who'd been born to rule, not some destitute archaeologist from Shanghai.

Finally, it was time. She was escorted out of her chambers towards the Great Hall, meeting Wen Tian halfway. He looked as devastatingly handsome as she thought she would – like one of those Chinese actors in a period piece. He was wearing a special crown, just for tonight. It was gold with red accents, and the design was more elegant and gentle than his usual crown. It was a piece of art that she couldn't help but evaluate in her head. Yao Yao had to repeatedly remind herself this wasn't a movie; it wasn't a tv show. This was real, and this was her life. Wen Tian stopped in his tracks the moment he saw her, the eyes behind his mask going wide. "Wow. You're…Stunning." Was all he could manage. Even so, Yao Yao blushed and curtsied gracefully (which was an accomplishment in five-inch heels.) She'd gotten less and less clumsy the last few weeks as the changes she'd been experiencing settled in; they were starting to feel natural, like a kind of secondary puberty or something. She almost felt like this was always how she'd been intended to be.

Hardly taking their eyes off each other, Wen Tian led Yao Yao to the Great Hall, her hand cradled gently in the crook of his arm, his teeth bared in a massive grin. Her ladies left them a few paces from the massive double doors, giggling to each other and whispering excitedly. With her new senses, she could hear one of them remarking on how handsome Wen Tian looked and how lucky Yao Yao was. Another agreed and began congratulating the other two on their work with Yao Yao. The three of them agreed that she had been a joy to work on and had turned out even more beautifully than they'd expected. Yao Yao smiled to herself and stopped listening in. They seemed like very nice girls; she genuinely hoped she'd get to know them well in the future.

Wen Tian and Yao Yao glanced at each other for a moment before nodding at the guards stationed on either side of the double-doors. The men snapped a quick salute before silently opening the doors for them. The moment they did so, fanfare echoed through the Great Hall and the music fell silent. Their presence was announced, "His Majesty Wen Tian and Lady Ding Yao!" A wave of applause and a great deal of approval swept through the room at their appearance. The entire Dragon Clan knew of Wu Dao and his butterfly, and everyone knew that their butterfly theme tonight was a silent tribute to the ever-missed Yu Die. The pair of them stood on the balcony for a few moments, standing regally together before turning and gliding down the stairs together. The crowd parted before them with not a few jealous glares – from both genders to Yao Yao's very great surprise. A space in the center was made clear for them so that they could have room to dance. She and Wen Tian had been working for weeks on a beautifully choreographed Tango just for this moment. As the music began, they entered gracefully into the well-rehearsed dance, never breaking eye contact with each other. Before she knew it, the dance was over and the Great Hall echoed with applause and even a few catcalls, which were answered with raucous laughter. Yao Yao guessed that when you lived forever, there were certain parts of "civilization" that seemed somewhat silly. As the ball progressed for the next thirty minutes or so, Yao Yao began to relax. There was every kind of dancing you could imagine – classic ballroom dances, hip hop, round dances, even a few people who'd started an Irish step dancing line! Everyone was just having fun with people they'd known for thousands of years, and freely being themselves away from the prying eyes of humans. It seemed that – for tonight at least – Yao Yao was being treated like she was already part of the Clan.

After the thirty minutes had elapsed, there was another bout of fanfare and the double-doors opposite where she and Wen Tian had entered opened, and in stepped Wu Dao. He was dressed in a very fine set of tails in an elegant midnight black lined in the finest silver, accented with a fine silk shirt of deep gray with a pocket square of the same shade. His mask was black and silver in the shape of a butterfly, but grander and more elaborate that Wen Tian's. His crown had also been made just for tonight; it was the same midnight black as his suit, accented with elegant silver designs and swirls. The entire ensemble made his white hair stand out more than ever. He looked…beautiful. There was no other word for it. She thought at him, Damn. Lookin' good. And was rewarded with a quick twitch of the eye and the ever-so-slight twitch at the corner of his mouth that she'd come to understand was the same as a quick grin from him. The Great Hall fell entirely silent and bowed as one in respect to their ever-grieving King. Though it was a cheerful occasion, there was an air of sorrow about him. He wore it like a cloak; it had been with him so long that it was very like an accessory now. He wore it like a lady wore a bracelet or a fine necklace.

Wu Dao stood for a few moments at his balcony, then made his way towards his brother and Yao Yao. "You two look wonderful," he said quietly as soon as he was near enough. He leaned down and gave Yao Yao a quick brotherly hug. "I already can't wait for this to be over," he complained.

"I know," Yao Yao teased, "But at least you look wonderful, yourself. You've got every woman in the Dragon Clan drooling over you."

She was rewarded with a quick smirk and a quiet chuckle. "Do you mind if I steal a dance?" He asked his brother. Wen Tian shrugged and winked at her as Wu Dao led her to the dance floor for a quick dance she'd only ever seen once or twice – the Foxtrot, she thought it was called. He leaned down and whispered to her, "Don't worry. This is one of my favorites. I'll lead you." He was true to his word. As soon as the piece began, he galloped away, leading her with ease through the dance from one end of the dance floor to the other. They were so good that the other dancers stopped and watched them with pleasure, many of them laughing and clapping along, enjoying seeing their King enjoy himself for once. Yao Yao caught a glimpse of Wen Tian doubled over with laughter, holding on to the arm of a man she didn't recognize, but he seemed to be laughing as well. Finally the dance came to an end and the room exploded in applause as Wu Dao led her into a graceful bow, once to each direction of the room, then led her around the floor once in an elegant posture so everyone could speak to her if they wished, before gracefully leading her back to Wen Tian and surrendering her with an elegant bow of his own.

The Wen Tian and she returned to the dance floor together, being interrupted now and again by Wu Dao when he got bored or by another gentleman who was brave enough to ask. Wen Tian always looked to her before answering, and often she agreed; it was good for her to meet others of the Clan. This went on for many hours until, at long last, the hour everyone had been anxiously anticipating drew near. The room began to buzz with whispers as the hour of Jui Gui's daughter's arrival approached. The one thing that everyone noticed was that nobody seemed to know her name! Many people began asking around, many of them asking the Kings themselves, but no one could answer. It only made the speculation fly faster, and the excitement kicked up another notch.

After another tense thirty minutes of waiting, the final fanfare of the evening was sounded as the double-doors at the head of the Great Hall opened and out floated a stunning young lady on the arm of someone who could only be Jui Gui. She was slight in build and her beautiful black hair was left mostly loose, if gently curled, to brush daintily against her shoulders, which were bare. The dress itself was a work of art and did indeed resemble a swan. Her mask was brilliantly designed: it was covered in white swan feathers and painted to resemble the face of a swan. It was elegantly black around the eyes with just the barest hint of orange around the nose. She looked luminous, radiating purity and innocence. Every unmarried man in the room drew in his breath at the same time, except Wu Dao. He simply looked somewhat bored, as usual. Before long she made her way gracefully down the stairs and to the dance floor. Every unattached male knew this signal and immediately made their way in that direction. Wu Dao sighed heavily before Wen Tian pushed him gently from behind, earning a glare that would have frightened anyone else. Wu Dao begrudgingly made his way to the dance floor, the circle of men making a space for him. For the next hour or two and each of them got their chance to dance with the young lady, the room became oddly quiet. The lady herself had requested that neither she nor her partners speak to each other; they were to get a read off the other simply based on the dance alone. The rest of the room watched each dance with great interest, sometimes whispering their opinion of certain matches to one another. Finally, the moment most of them had waited for: it was Wu Dao's turn. With all the grace and dignity his position dictated, he stepped forward and bowed. She returned it with a graceful curtsey, and the dance began. They were given a slow waltz, and both Wen Tian and Yao Yao noticed a shift in his mood. It was so slight that no one else would possibly have noticed it. He bent just a fraction closer to her and his expression became imperceptibly more intent, as though trying to ascertain the face behind the mask. As their dance ended, he released her with just the slightest hesitation, but it was enough to start tongues wagging.

The evening went on, and midnight began to approach as rumor flew wildly between – and during – dances. Wen Tian and Yao Yao tried to ask Wu Dao what had happened during his dance with the young lady, but he stubbornly remained silent. At last, midnight was near. The eligible bachelors all grouped around in a circle – for the first time, Yao Yao realized how very common white hair was among Dragons. Wu Dao removed his crown and left it with his brother, disappearing into the crowd of black. The young lady stood in the center while the men twisted and danced around her in a dragon-like pattern, a complicated dance that must have been practiced for weeks. They had about fifteen minutes to dance around her, twisting faster and faster until a loud thud echoed through the room and the men stood silently, chests heaving. The young lady had about fifteen minutes until midnight, and she paced silently along, pausing for a second or two before each man before stopping in front of one and held out her hand to him. The pair took to the dance floor as a romantic waltz began and a cheer went up through the Great Hall. The rest of the men rushed to find a partner, and everyone began to dance again. As a grandfather clock somewhere began to strike midnight, everyone removed their masks. Couples kissed in the excitement of the moment, including Wen Tian and Yao Yao.

After a long moment, silence descended, and the crowd began to part. In the center of the room, there were two people left with masks. Slowly, they removed the other's mask simultaneously and a shocked gasp rushed through the room like a great wind. In the center of the room stood Wu Dao, facing the young lady. His face was frozen in a mask of shock as tears streamed down his face. "Yu…Die…?" He whispered. She nodded, tears streaming down her face as she turned to Yao Yao and smiled. Yao Yao's heart froze in her heart. She looked exactly the same as the Yu Die she'd known. Wu Dao gently cupped Yu Die's chin and turned her face back to look at him. For a long, long few minutes, the room was completely still and silent. No whispers, no gossip, hardly even the ghost of a breath. Many of the women had their hands cupped over their mouths, faces wet with tears. Many men were staring, mouths wide open. Finally, Wu Dao bent to her with great hesitation and kissed her. The room would have been quieter if a bomb had gone off, for the sound that suddenly filled it. Everyone was cheering and laughing and crying. Wen Tian and Yao Yao were rushing to the couple, tears streaming down their faces. Wen Tian grabbed his brother in a massive bear hug as Yu Die rushed to Yao Yao, sobbing into her shoulder.

"I missed you," Yu Die whispered.

"I missed you, too." Yao Yao sobbed.

Author's Note

Ahhh, I've been waiting for this reveal since I started writing this one. It feels so good to be writing for you beautiful people again. I really hope this was the buildup I wanted it to be, y'all. I enjoyed writing this chapter. It's nice to write a chapter with nothing but joy for once. The next chapter will follow shortly, my dears! Until then, as ever, love each other and stay safe.

- Lady Darkwind