AN: This chapter is fairly lengthy, but all of them are going to be long from here on out, probably, since I want to get this story wrapped up. I know that some of this stuff might not be interesting to y'all, but since I'm writing this story for me as much as for you, I felt the need to conclude these story lines for my own peace of mind. Of course, I also do my best to give y'all the kind of scenes that I know you want, so if you're only here for the XingYue, you can skip down to the respective sections since they begin with "Chu Qiao" and "Yuwen Yue," respectively. I feel like I should warn y'all that one of my story-telling choices has compelled me to bust out my new, handy-dandy "Historically-inaccurate Fan-service" tag. Yes, I realize that YWY and CQ would likely not decide to do what they decide to do near the end of this chapter if they were being historically-accurate. No, I don't care. The opportunity was too good to pass up, and I regret nothing.
As the light of dawn began to paint the sky and snow a rosy hue, He Xiao decided that a good morning's sleep was in order—after checking on Chu Da Ren, of course. He could see the next rotation of guards making its way towards the barracks, grim determination on the soldiers' faces as they prepared to protect their beloved general. He Xiao walked the short distance to the door and pushed it open, stepping over the threshold before stopping in complete shock.
In the dimness of the filtered light, he could just barely make out not one but two bodies huddled in his bed. He stepped closer and was able to make out Chu Da Ren's form and, as he'd suspected, that of Young Master Yue as well. His initial reaction was to scowl at the realization that this man had managed to bypass all of their security measures in order to get to Chu Da Ren, but he shrugged his feelings off with the explanation that Young Master Yue was capable of sneaking anywhere he pleased—especially if said location was also Chu Da Ren's.
Obviously, he pleased to...assist Chu Da Ren with her recovery first-hand, the warrior thought, smiling softly. At least I can rest assured that no one but the best of the best got past us.
He Xiao scowled again as he realized that the fire in the small brazier had gone out, so he went outside to gather some supplies to relight it. After all, he knew that both Chu Da Ren and Young Master Yue needed warmth and comfort in order to heal properly.
Considering the position in which I found them, however, I figure that they probably have enough warmth to satisfy them, he thought as he walked back outside.
Some of his men looked up at him in question, obviously wondering what had taken him so long. He looked at them meaningfully as they gathered around him.
"When I went to check on Chu Da Ren, I first discovered that the fire in her room had gone out," he said pointedly at the rest of the guards, who looked shame-faced. One of them immediately took off at a run to fetch some firewood and a torch.
"I also learned that Young Master Yue decided to pay Chu Da Ren a visit this morning," he said, emphasizing the time of day for the benefit of his men. "He's currently sitting beside Chu Da Ren's bed, talking with her."
Their eyes were wide as they read between the lines of what He Xiao had said, but he could see that they'd all received his message loud and clear.
"I assume that your orders are that no one is to interrupt their...talk, sir," one of the men said.
"Of course," he said. "Nobody but doctors or-"
A flurry of royal greetings rang out behind him, causing He Xiao to mentally sigh in resignation. He and the men turned around and paid their respects to Prince Xiang, who simply looked at He Xiao in question. The warrior nodded once, and the prince's shoulders sagged slightly in obvious relief. His Highness strode through the men without comment and waited for He Xiao to open the door of the barracks for the prince.
Prince Xiang walked into the room and frowned at the temperature within, eyeing the young soldier who had just run into the room with the fire-building supplies. He stammered a greeting and apology to both the prince and He Xiao before turning his attention to his task. The young Xiuli quickly got the fire burning and left the barracks quickly, leaving He Xiao and Prince Xiang to stare at the sight that met their eyes in the extra light provided by the fire.
Young Master Yue had clearly propped himself up against a variety of cushions, pillows, and even, to He Xiao's amusement, his black robe, which was currently supporting his head—from the back, anyway. Chu Da Ren was nestled safely in Young Master Yue's lap and was being held in place by his arms, which were firmly wound around her middle. Her hands were resting over his under the covers, and her head was resting on his right shoulder away from his chest wound. His head was being supported not only by his robe but also by Chu Da Ren's neck and shoulder. The blissful expressions on both of their faces told He Xiao—and his guest, if he were not mistaken—all he needed to know about just how welcome Young Master Yue's presence was to Chu Da Ren.
The prince stayed by the brazier, staring at the couple with an inscrutable look on his face. He was obviously not as thrilled by this development as He Xiao was, especially given Chu Da Ren's family history and her previous actions in Chang'an. He Xiao knew that, if the prince had his way, Young Master Yue—and Prince Yuan Song, for that matter—would both marry women who were more suitable in the eyes of society.
The warrior almost rolled his eyes at the notion of Young Master Yue marrying some high-society woman who would either drive him to drink or murder within a week. And the younger prince—should he marry some empty-head who would merely tolerate his one arm and scars for the sake of money and power? He Xiao was not ignorant of the way the world worked, but he felt he'd seen enough of the world to recognize the brokenness of some of its supposed workings.
A fierce face filled with a proud fire crossed his own mind, and he admitted to himself that he was heading down the same path as Young Master Yue and Prince Yuan Song—at least in terms of the type of woman in which he'd become interested. No, he would never settle for a pretty face that masked a dull personality, either.
Without saying a word, the prince exited the room and the barracks, gesturing with his head for He Xiao to follow him. He walked slightly behind the prince, not surprised when he stopped at the edge of a nearby ridge that overlooked the icy lake and its shores. Such spots were, after all, convenient for reflection, and he'd seen many soldiers take advantage of the stark beauty of Xiuli Mountain while trying to deal with their demons.
They stood at the edge of the ridge together in awkward silence, the commander wondering why the prince had bothered to invite him along since His Highness clearly found his company undesirable. His Highness seemed to be struggling with something, and He Xiao was at a loss as to how to proceed.
"Maybe you can help me to understand something, He Xiao," Prince Xiang finally said.
"I am, of course, at your disposal, Your Highness," He Xiao said, clasping his hands and bowing.
Xiang waved away He Xiao's formality and forged ahead.
"Could you explain to me what appeal a woman like Chu Qiao holds for a man like Yuwen Yue? Now don't get me wrong," the Prince said, obviously seeing the look of indignation that had formed on He Xiao's face. "I mean no disrespect to your general. I know she's a good at teaching, leadership, and inspiring loyalty—a little too good, in fact. But what about her would make a man like Yuwen Yue- General of Wei, leader of the Eyes of God, and inheritor of the Yuwen fortune—actually want to marry her?"
He Xiao wished fervently that he was sitting in the infirmary talking with Xia Chong or standing guard outside of the barracks or doing anything but what he was currently doing.
I'd even settle for trying to have a conversation with Phoenix again.
"I am just a simple soldier and am much too humble a man to be able to speak for one such as Young Master Yue," He Xiao said. "I can, however, speak for myself—at least in terms of why I've dedicated my life to serving Chu Da Ren. As for love, I can't explain that, either, beyond the loyalty I feel for Chu Da Ren."
Xiang nodded impatiently in understanding.
"I like to tell people that Chu Da Ren earned my loyalty the day she came back for me—for us—at the gates of Chang'an, but in all honesty, I knew I was hers when she was willing to take my punishment for me in the Xiaoqi Camp. Commander Xue had framed me for embezzlement and was trying to kill me again, and just as he was about to execute me, she rode up and just...took over. She set Xue back on his heels, knelt down next to me, and then promptly passed out due to what I later learned was a wound similar to what Miss Meng suffered when she fought A'Jing. So there I was, seemingly having escaped death yet again, and then Young Master Yue came up to the platform with this look on his face...I knew then how things were between them—at least on his part. He lifted her so tenderly and took her away..."
"Yes, yes, that's a very touching story, Commander," Prince Xiang said. "But you still haven't answered my question. I understand the desire to serve someone who saved your life multiple times. I also understand the loyalty that a soldier can feel for a comrade-in-arms or a superior officer; I have, after all, been a soldier myself for quite some time. What I don't understand is how this affection and loyalty can lead to a life-long commitment like marriage—especially when such an alliance does nothing but harm to the Yuwen family's already-damaged reputation."
"Once again, Your Highness, I can't speak about romantic love, but I can say that Chu Da Ren was the first person who treated me like a man—like a human being—since I left Yanbei that first time. In her eyes, I was worth something—I was worthy of saving. We all were. Kneeling on that platform, I reminded my men that the greatest honor a soldier can have is to die in battle. Chu Da Ren gave us the means to do that, both in Chang'an and in Yanbei. For her, I killed your people; for her, I killed my people. Now where else would I go if not with her?"
"But Yuwen Yue's not in that situation," Xiang said in exasperation. "He's not desperate. He doesn't need saving."
"Isn't he?" He Xiao asked softly. "Doesn't he?"
"No!" Xiang said. "He could have almost any woman in our land, and many women from other lands would be happy to share his life—among other things—as well. He could've even had my sister if he'd have wanted, and maybe..."
He Xiao stared out at the icy lake, giving the prince time to regain his composure. The last thing he wanted was to spark a confrontation with the leader of the forces that had come to Yanbei to kill him and his people.
"The look that Young Master Yue had on his face that day at the platform...I've seen it numerous times since," He Xiao said, his face pointed towards the icy lake. "He may not be desperate for money or power or influence, but he is desperate for her. And he does, sometimes, need saving; Chu Da Ren rescued him only a few days ago, in fact—not to mention during the battle. He also needs saving from the loneliness and despair he feels when she's not by his side—a loneliness that Chu Da Ren would now share were they to be parted."
"This is getting us nowhere," Xiang said in frustration. "If you can't provide me with a solid answer as to why Yuwen Yue would be willing to give up everything for a woman like Chu Qiao, then maybe you could at least tell me why I should trust her not to betray him for the right price. Why should I trust her, He Xiao?"
"Trust?" He Xiao growled, knowing that he was on the verge of saying something foolish but not being able to contain himself. "Who are you to dare to accuse her of being untrustworthy? You are a royal of Wei. Your people—your father—are responsible for the unprovoked slaughter of tens of thousands of innocent Yanbei citizens. You murdered our ruler and his entire family—including his youngest son, whose soul you ripped out that day, leaving nothing but a husk of a man behind. You allowed the nobles of Wei to slaughter them all for political gain and because of personal vendettas. You tricked us into opening the gates of Hongchuan for you, thinking that you'd come in peace. Then you butchered us like cattle for no reason other than you could. And then you had the gall to blame us for the entire affair and to treat us like we were the traitors when you were the murderous liars all along."
He Xiao took a deep breath, trying to stop the harsh panting sounds he could hear wheezing in and out of his lungs. Prince Xiang was shocked into silence by He Xiao's tirade, so the commander figured that if he were going to die today, then he may as well earn his death by defending his beloved general to the best of his ability.
"So here you are, standing before me and questioning her loyalty to the man she never even got the chance to love until now in part due to the actions of your people. Of course she wanted to run away from Wei. To you, she was a slave, but to us, she was—she is—our leader, our general. We offered her freedom. You offered her enslavement. Even when she was free, she wasn't, not really. None of us were."
"Which is why you all betrayed us, I suppose," Xiang said, sneering.
"Ah, yes. Our rebellion. Why did our rebellion succeed? Because we knew exactly where you were going to waylay our prince and slaughter him and his retinue like dogs on his wedding day—and your own sister's wedding day, too. Your father murdered her that day, too, didn't he? His own daughter. Yes, Chu Da Ren is clearly the untrustworthy one here. Chu Da Ren might not always make the right choices, but she's never betrayed someone who didn't betray her first. She's never deliberately harmed the innocent. She's never turned her back just for the sake of convenience on someone she loved or felt responsible for—like your own sister and brother, for instance. All of the mistakes she's ever made, she's made due to lack of information, not due to lack of character. Can you say the same thing on behalf of your family, Your Highness?"
He Xiao felt a sense of peace come over him. After all, he'd said his piece and had stood up for his general to a man that would likely do his best to try to destroy the happiness she'd finally managed to find.
"If that's how you really feel about us, then why should I believe that you really want to stop fighting with us?" Xiang asked into the silence.
"Why did you decide to make peace with us instead of seizing what was there for the taking?"
"Because my brother convinced me that making peace instead of causing more bloodshed was the right thing to do."
"Just so, Your Highness," He Xiao said, nodding. "I hate your family for what you did to us, but I love my people and my homeland even though they don't feel the same way about me and my men. If all of you Wei royals caught some dreadful disease and died tomorrow, I wouldn't shed a tear for any of you—except Prince Yuan Song, of course; he's the only one of you that seems to have a shred of integrity. But my people—they don't have the means to fight another war. All they want to do is live in peace and put the past behind them."
"So the same people who condemn you for doing what you had to do to survive are themselves willing to hold their own noses and do what they need to survive while justifying it in the name of 'peace'?"
He Xiao smiled humorlessly.
"People are people wherever you go, Your Highness. Chu Da Ren discovered that as well, to her dismay. She wanted so desperately to believe in the ideals of Yanbei, but so many of our leaders were just as corrupt as those in Chang'an. Maybe that's why I've pledged myself to Chu Da Ren's service: She's the only one who's ever proven herself to be worthy of it."
"Worthy? I guess so, from your perspective," Xiang mused, his mask firmly back in place. "What makes her think she's worthy of Yuwen Yue's love, though?"
"In all honesty, I don't think that Chu Da Ren has ever thought of her love for Young Master Yue in terms of worth. Once she realized her love for what it was, she simply accepted its presence in her life and went on from there. Besides, Young Master Yue's love for her was so obvious, why would she want to hurt him more than she already has by denying him her love out of some selfish sense of selflessness?"
"So she's willing to hurt him socially and politically? That doesn't sound very loving to me."
"She probably feels that anyone who would look down on Young Master Yue for marrying the woman he loves is likely not worth much. Or perhaps she would say that Young Master Yue's happiness matters more to her than the opinions of others, and that if he's willing to sacrifice power and influence for their love, then who is she to deny him the chance to have what she wants to give him?"
"What could she possibly want to give him that any other woman in all the land couldn't give him better? Or maybe she already has given it to him and that's why we found them in their current positions."
He Xiao looked at the prince in disappointment.
"That's a most unworthy thought for one such as yourself, Your Highness. Must I also defend the man who is supposed to be your friend from your attacks?"
"Yuwen Yue is my friend, which is why I'm trying to save him from making the biggest mistake of his life."
"Something tells me that he wouldn't appreciate your help in this matter."
"Not at first, but once I got him to see that Chu Qiao couldn't be trusted, that she'd turn on him if given the offer of something better..."
He Xiao goggled at the prince, unable to follow his logic.
"Whatever you're planning won't work, Your Highness," he said. "Not if you're going to try to trick her into renouncing her love for Young Master Yue. You saw the expression on her face just now. Is she such a great actress that she's able to look so blissfully contented even in sleep?"
"I've learned to never underestimate her," Xiang said, scowling. "If anyone could show the world a pretty face while plotting its destruction, it would be Chu Qiao."
"Chu Da Ren can be quite good at destruction when she puts her mind to it," He Xiao agreed, "yet she never destroys anyone else's world unless that person has tried to destroy her world first. I would advise Your Highness to not attempt to destroy Chu Da Ren's happiness with Young Master Yue; you won't like the results."
"Your blind loyalty to your general is heart-warming, I suppose."
"My loyalty to Chu Da Ren is anything but blind, Your Highness—unlike some I could name who serve others out of family obligation or fear no matter what horrible things those in charge do."
Prince Xiang's lips tightened.
"Speaking of family obligations, how do you suppose Chu Qiao will handle having to share Yuwen Yue with the other women he's sure to marry later in life? Surely she won't expect him to limit himself to only one woman—especially as she ages and loses some of that beauty to the ravages of age and childbirth."
"She'll expect him to do so because she trusts him. While Chu Da Ren is often suspicious of most people and their professions of goodwill, I doubt she's skeptical of Young Master Yue's love for her—or his desire for her and only her."
"What does taking multiple wives have to do with love and trust? What makes her think she has the right to demand such restraint of her husband?"
"Would you expect any woman you married to be faithful to you?"
"Of course!"
"Well, then, why wouldn't Chu Da Ren feel herself to be worthy of the same consideration?"
"Because she's a woman, and women have to accept their place in society for the good of the family unit—and thus the entire country."
"So women must be loyal to their men even if their men aren't loyal to them?"
"Of course men should be loyal to their women. They should make sure that their women have good food to eat, nice clothes to wear, healthy sons to raise, and, of course, money for makeup and baubles. In exchange, the women give their men their loyalty—and their bodies."
"Chu Da Ren would likely say that she wouldn't feel obligated to remain loyal to a man who was unwilling to give her the same promises of loyalty and fidelity that she was expected to make to him and that if she wanted to spend time around untrustworthy, disloyal men, she could simply remain a general."
Prince Xiang chuckled darkly as he nodded in agreement.
"She probably would, at that. Not that that's a point in her favor."
"We'll simply have to agree to disagree on that point, Your Highness—as with many others."
"Would you be willing to marry just one woman all of your life, He Xiao? Really? After all, you're a man of some means. You're a commander who could surely be a general in the new regime despite your reluctance to do so. You're a war hero now, one of the men who helped forge peace between Wei and Yanbei—assuming that the peace holds together, of course. You have the support of some highly-connected officials here. You're not high-born enough to marry a noble, but you could certainly have at least several well-to-do wives if you wanted to, you know."
A single face flashed through his mind, and he smiled wistfully.
"I think I already know what I want—and yes, I would be content with marrying one and only one—if she were the right one, of course. I've always felt that all of those men who married multiple women simply never found the right woman and were trying to make up for that lack with pleasure. As far as I've seen, all most of them ended up with was a houseful of bitter, vengeful, jealous women and their equally spiteful children. Honestly, I think Young Master Yue and Chu Da Ren have the right idea."
"Come on, He Xiao," Xiang scoffed. "Men like us don't marry for love, affection, and the like. We marry for power or money or obligation. Oh, maybe we have our favorites among our wives, and we spoil them accordingly, but we don't get to make them our first wives—or even our wives at all, necessarily. Sometimes we just have to take what we can get and accept our own lots in life."
He Xiao's face hardened.
"One thing I can promise you about Chu Da Ren is that she will never settle for being some man's afterthought, something that he can take, use, and then discard at a whim. Not that she'll have to worry about that with Young Master Yue, of course; his devotion to her is obvious. No, Chu Da Ren has found one of the few men in the world who is worthy of her and who will treat her as well as she deserves."
"Your loyalty to your general is commendable, He Xiao," Prince Xiang said coldly. "You may leave first."
He Xiao clasped his hands and bowed, retreating gratefully. His mind was already turning to Xia Chong—and his desire to avoid the fate laid out for him by the prince. On the one hand, He Xiao fervently hoped that Prince Xiang wouldn't make trouble for his general and her beloved. On the other hand…The warrior grinned fiercely into the early-morning chill as he envisioned the results any attempt of Prince Xiang's trying to get Chu Da Ren to give up Yuwen Yue for power or money.
On the other hand, I hope he does make a move against Chu Da Ren—and that I'll be there to see it happen.
Chu Qiao slowly glided up from unconsciousness, the scent of her beloved filling her with every breath she took. She was so comfortable and warm that she forgot where she was for a moment as she tried to reconcile her last memories with her current circumstances.
Are Yuwen Yue and I married? Are we in bed at Qing Shan Yuan? If we're married, why don't I remember the wedding?And what happened to Yanbei, my Xiulis, the royals, and the Underworld? And why do I still hurt from the arrow wound?
Part of her decided that she didn't care about any circumstances other than the delicious sensation of being cradled in her beloved's arms. She tried to listen to this part of her mind and fall back asleep, but something kept pricking the back of her awareness and preventing her from losing consciousness again.
It's light. Why is it light? When you fell asleep in Yuwen Yue's arms, it was dark, wasn't it? He asked you to marry him, then Xiao Ce appeared, then he asked you to marry him again, and you said yes, and…
She drifted off into a pleasurable haze of remembrance as she recalled the feeling of being kissed thoroughly by the man she loved after she'd officially agreed to become his wife.
And then I must've fallen asleep after he resettled us...And now it's light.
Her eyes popped open and bugged out as she registered not only the presence of light coming through the windows but also from the freshly-lit brazier that was now providing heat and light for the room. The implications of the brazier also brought heat to her face as she realized that at least one person and probably more had seen her and Yuwen Yue in bed together.
She quickly put aside such unimportant musings out of concern for her beloved given that allowing such a thing to happen was highly out of character for him. Was his illness being triggered by the cold? Had his wound gotten infected, giving him a fever? Was he suffering from some other sickness unrelated to everything they'd already been through?
Chu Qiao slowly rotated her head until one of its ears was resting against Yuwen Yue's chest, and she sat there listening to the reassuring thump of what sounded to her like normal heartbeats. His breathing also seemed to be strong and regular with no traces of rattling or wheezing. She tilted her head up slightly and saw to her immense relief that his face was free of any signs of beaded sweat or physical discomfort. In fact, he looked more relaxed and content than she'd ever seen him.
Now that she knew that Yuwen Yue wasn't sick, the embarrassment that she'd initially felt over the likelihood of their having been discovered in their current position returned. She had never been a stickler for tradition, but even she realized that him getting caught in her room could damage both of their reputations. Of course, her reputation was already not the best anyway, so why should she care?
Especially considering that I already told the entire battlefield I was in love with him and have now agreed to marry him. They're going to have to get used to the fact that we're together anyway. No, I won't allow them to take away the happiness we've gained at such a great cost.
While Chu Qiao had now come to a place of acceptance about the fact that the two of them had gotten caught, she knew that her beloved likely would be bothered by it upon awakening. She knew that Yuwen Yue always took such painstaking care to do everything just so, and getting caught in bed with the woman he loved but had not yet married would likely cause him immense consternation.
Well, there's no point in waking him up at this point, she reasoned. The damage is already done, and I know that he needs to sleep as much as I do—if not more. Besides, who knows when I'll get to enjoy this feeling again?
Feeling somewhat rebellious, Chu Qiao shifted herself around again so that her face was almost next to Yuwen Yue's. He instinctively settled closer to her, returning his head to its previous perch in the crook of her neck and tightening his arms around her. Chu Qiao was glad that nobody else was in the room to see the sappy look on her face since she knew that it would likely have shattered her tough reputation.
Chu Qiao decided to put the matter out of mind entirely, not particularly caring what others thought of her at the moment. She carefully leaned her head against her beloved's, doing her best to not wake him up. Closing her eyes in contentment, she decided that if she had her way, she'd never have to wake up without him again. Not that she expected to have this opportunity again for awhile; she knew that both of them had many things to accomplish before they would be able to get married.
Will we even be allowed to get married? she thought, irritated with her inability to banish these unpleasant thoughts from her mind but unable to keep them at bay. After all, his grandfather might be dead officially, but his opinion still carries a lot of weight with Yuwen Yue, and I know Yuwen Zhuo hates me. And then there's Yuwen Yue's father, who's likely someone important and who would probably hate me on general principle anyway.
The reassuring sound of Yuwen Yue's breathing brought her out of her negative musings. Chu Qiao could feel the gentle rising and falling of his chest behind her back as he continued to breathe steadily, and she concentrated on the feel of his arms around her. She wished she could go back to sleep, but nothing seemed capable of stopping her mind from conjuring up these potential pitfalls to happiness.
Would I actually be permitted to go back to Qing Shan Yuan with Yuwen Yue after everything I've done? Even if Yuan Song puts in a good word for me, would Prince Xiang actually pardon me when refusing to do so would give him what he wants? He probably hates me, too, after all, and would likely do anything to keep Yuwen Yue from marrying me.
Another truth smacked Chu Qiao in the face, almost making her flinch from its reality.
I've always maintained that I didn't belong at Qing Shan Yuan, so do I really want to try to fit myself back into a place—into a life—that felt wrong from the start?
Her mind's response was swift and united.
I would do it for him.
Chu Qiao knew that thought to be true; she would be willing to do anything for Yuwen Yue—even forcing herself to endure living in a place in which neither she nor her values was welcome. She was also savvy enough about politics to understand that Yuwen Yue's marriage to her would be viewed as at best a political liability and at worst a disgrace by many people in high places.
If Yuwen Yue is willing to accept their condemnation in order to marry me, then I can do no less. Besides, he's the one who cares about marriage. I've never cared about titles, chains of command, or qualifications. As long as I get to stay at Yuwen Yue's side till death, I don't care if I do so as his wife, his concubine, his bedchamber maid, his spy, his Yue guard, or his official brewer of Yanbei clay pot tea.
Yuwen Yue shifted slightly behind her, and Chu Qiao held her breath, wondering if her beloved were going to wake up. He didn't seem to do so, however, as he went still again, his head still tucked near her neck. She almost wished that he would wake up so that they could figure out what to do about their current situation—and so that he could distract her mind from these unpleasant thoughts.
No wonder I'm not particularly fond of introspection, she mused. I'd much rather go back to talking to Yuwen Yue—or kissing him.
The thought brought her up short as she realized just how much she'd changed in such a short span of time. She tried to imagine the Chu Qiao of a few weeks ago actually wanting—craving, if she were honest with herself—Yuwen Yue's kisses and touches to this degree but was an unable to do so.
Did I really tell him to keep kissing me? Did I actually admit to loving the way he says my name when he gets emotional? Did I grab his hands and wrap them around my middle underneath the blankets? Did I casually talk with Xiao Ce while sitting on Yuwen Yue's lap? Did I initiate his second proposal and kiss him back so enthusiastically?
She grinned in satisfaction as she answered all of those questions with a proud "Yes." Chu Qiao had never been one for back-tracking, and she had no desire to return to being that unhappy, fearful woman she'd been just a few short weeks ago. Those days were completely behind her, and she looked forward to continuing her journey at the side of her beloved.
Or in the arms of my beloved, she thought, smirking. That works quite well for me, too.
To her delight, she felt that tell-tale pull of unconsciousness start to tug at her again. Once again, she concentrated on the evenness of Yuwen Yue's breathing, the warmth of his body wrapped around hers, and the soft shushing sound his breath made as it entered and left his body.
If Yuwen Yue wants to marry me, then he's probably going to have to be the one to make it happen. Or maybe I can change things somehow, just like I did back in my palace room what seems like another lifetime ago.
Chu Qiao shuddered as a vision took hold of her, her mind playing out for her what might have happened had she chosen to stay with Yan Xun instead of acting on her misgivings. She knew that Cheng Yuan would've escalated hostilities eventually, probably sooner rather than later. She also understood that Yan Xun would never have stopped his quest for vengeance—against Wei or against Yuwen Yue. Eventually, she would've had to have chosen between the two men no matter what—and she knew what her choice would've been then, even without the time she and Yuwen Yue had spent together in the cave.
Was there actually a time when I was unsure about my feelings for either man? she asked herself as sleep once again pulled her under. How silly...
Yuan Song had been able to tell from the set of his brother's shoulders and the thinness of his lips that something had perturbed him. They were currently sitting in two wooden chairs in his brother's large tent, sipping tea in awkward silence. The young prince figured that his brother likely hadn't summoned him to this private space in order to talk to him about palace redecoration or royal wardrobe selection.
"So how's your morning been so far, Brother?" Yuan Song asked, smiling in encouragement.
Maybe I can get him to tell me what's wrong so that we can either end this awkwardness or address it.
"It's been...instructive," Prince Xiang said, scowling.
"Ah. I'm...glad to hear that, Brother. Learning new things can be good, right?"
"That depends on the nature of what you learn, doesn't it, Yu'er?"
"I know what you mean. So was what you learned good or bad?"
The frown marring his brother's face told him the answer.
"I see. Do you think that what you learned about is going to cause problems?"
"It might, Yu'er," Prince Xiang said, sipping his tea pensively. "It just might—especially if she..."
"'She' who, Brother? You came back from the mountain, didn't you? Is A'Chu alright? Or is it Miss Chong?"
"Both women are in good health as far as I know," Xiang said stiffly. "It's Yuwen Yue that I'm worried about."
"I heard he'd gone missing," Yuan Song said, grinning impishly. "I take it you found him up on the mountain?"
"As a matter of fact, I did."
Yuan Song's grin stretched further across his face.
"And?" he asked eagerly, wanting to know every detail.
"And I found him. That's all you need to know."
"Come on, Brother! You can't just tell me that you found Yuwen Yue up on the mountain without telling me exactly where you found him.
"From your tone of voice, you already know where I found him—and you would do well to remember that the walls of my tent are thin enough to warrant discretion."
"Of course, Brother," Yuan Song said, affronted at his brother's implication. "I would never say or do anything to endanger either of their reputations. Besides, I can't imagine Yuwen Yue doing anything too inappropriate."
"I suppose that depends on how you define 'inappropriate.'"
Yuan Song's eyes widened at his brother's pronouncement.
"Did you find him in her room, Brother?" he whispered.
Xiang nodded curtly. Yuan Song's mouth dropped open.
"Was he...standing in the corner watching over her?"
His brother shook his head.
"Was he...sitting in a chair between the bed and the door, guarding her?"
His brother shook his head again.
"Surely he wasn't..."
Reluctantly, his brother nodded his head.
Yuan Song was thankful that his eyes were attached to the inside of his head because he knew they would've fallen out otherwise.
"They were both, as far as I could tell, fully-clothed—mostly, anyway."
The young prince drained the teacup in an ill-mannered gulp and wished for something a little stronger to counteract this latest shock. Suddenly, he broke out into a toothy grin.
"You realize what that means, right, Brother?"
"It means that, for what's likely the first time in Yuwen Yue's life, he failed to wake up in time to escape from someplace he wasn't supposed to be," Xiang said wryly.
"It means, Brother," Yuan Song said as if Prince Xiang had said nothing, "that Yuwen Yue has likely asked A'Chu to marry him—and that she's said yes!"
"That's what I'm afraid of," Xiang muttered darkly. "Not only does she fail to bring the Yuwen family any good connections, she brings only bad connections—and no fortune to speak of. She's a political nightmare, a social outcast, and a disreputable rebel."
"I know," Yuan Song said, grinning. "A'Chu is the best—for Yuwen Yue, that is; not for me."
Yuan Song blushed as he realized what he'd admitted, but he figured that if this conversation ended up heading where he knew it would, then he needed to practice being a man in front of his brother.
"I was blind to his feelings for her, you know, Brother. I always miss those kinds of things. Everyone else knew that he was in love with her but me. And then in Chang'an, she...There was so much I didn't understand then, so much I had to learn..."
"Yes, Yu'er, I can tell your taste in women has improved significantly since those bygone days of a few months ago."
Yuan Song felt a prickle go down his spine and his face grow cold.
"I won't insult A'Chu by putting her down and am happy that she and Yuwen Yue will finally get the happiness they deserve, but I will agree that I have found a woman who suits me better in every respect."
"Well, I suppose she does have the benefit of not being an enemy of the state," his brother said. "At least she hasn't turned out to be the long-missing leader of an enemy spy organization. No, she's just one of the top killers from an enemy spy organization that Yuwen Yue neutralized."
An image of the pain that had crossed Meng Feng's face when he'd called her a killer after building the scarecrow with her flashed through Yuan Song's mind, and he felt his eyes burn hot in his cold face. How he wished he could go back in time and take back what he'd said to her.
"I'm a killer," he said forcefully, pointing at his chest with his hand. "You're a killer. Even our father is a killer."
He saw his brother's eyes flare dangerously, but he was not going to let his brother get away with demeaning Meng Feng while carrying some illusion that their own family was better than anyone's.
"You have no idea what she's been through, Brother. No idea at all. Do you know what happened to her family? They were all massacred by raiders. For nothing. Tell me, Brother, what kind of monsters do something like that? Massacre an entire family—an entire village—for no good reason? Oh, that's right: Our family did that."
"That was different."
"Of course it was different, Brother," Yuan Song said, smiling coldly. "We were the ones doing the slaughtering that time, so it was justifiable. Meng Feng found them, by the way. She came home from making scarecrows in the field only to find her entire family—her entire village—slaughtered. Does that sound familiar, Brother?"
"You're not doing a very good job of convincing me to take a chance on this woman."
"No, I don't suppose I am from your point of view. She was taken against her will to the Afterlife Camp. They poisoned her, forced her to kill or die. She chose life, and she did what she had to do to stay alive—just like I did the day I watched our father and my so-called friends murder one of my best friends while I did nothing to stop it. Not that I could've done anything; Mother made that quite clear. But yes, our own family is obviously too good for a killer like Meng Feng."
"You've changed, Yu'er."
"Of course I have. How could I not? Did you not change after you left Chang'an for the front? War and deprivation change a man—as does falling in love."
Yuan Song poured another cup of tea, bracing himself for more anger from his brother. He was caught unawares when Xiang suddenly changed tactics on him—but he was an excellent strategist, after all.
"Okay, so you claim to love this woman, right, Yu'er?"
"I do."
"Then why do you want to bring her into our family if you find it so repugnant?"
"Because she's strong enough to handle the dirty politics and the assassination attempts—as she's already demonstrated. And because she loves me, too, and wants to spend the rest of her life with me. I wasn't lying to you when I called her my right hand, Brother."
"Okay, so we can compromise, right, Yu'er? I'm not an unreasonable man, and I don't want you to be unhappy. In fact, I've been where you are right now myself."
"Really?" Yuan Song asked, sipping from his tea cup with narrowed eyes.
"Really," Prince Xiang said, smiling. "I've been to the front, Yu'er. I know what it's like. It's you, your men, and a few women who...well, all of you are holed up in the middle of nowhere feeling like you're the only people in the entire world. So naturally you gravitate towards someone. You start to have feelings for her even though you know you shouldn't, and then you..."
"My relationship with Meng Feng isn't like that, Brother—and neither is she. We haven't done anything like...that."
"I never said you had, Yu'er," Prince Xiang soothed, pouring Yuan Song another cup of tea. "All I meant was that I know how that sort of isolation and deprivation can wear on you and cause you to do things you normally wouldn't do—and to form bonds with people who are outside of your social sphere. War truly can be the great equalizer."
"So what sort of...compromise are you suggesting, Brother?"
"The obvious solution is quite simple, Yu'er. Appoint Meng Feng to be the captain of your guard. Have a relationship with her if you must. If you're still interested in her in a few years when you're ready to marry, then you can take a wife of high social standing as you inevitably will and then take Meng Feng as your concubine. Even if some people will suspect you of having had a relationship with her in those intervening years, nobody will care because you will have preserved the appearance of decorum."
Yuan Song carefully set down his cup of tea out of fear that he would crush it in his hand. The raw fury that he felt frightened him due to its intensity—especially when he saw his brother widen his eyes in recognition.
"I will never treat the woman I love like she's some illicit dalliance that I can simply discard after I've grown tired of her," Yuan Song said, his tone as flat and frozen as the newly-formed covering over the icy lake. "She will be my wife, my princess, and the mother of my children—not a slave or a prostitute."
"Surely you know that that cannot be, Yu'er," his brother said, still talking in his condescending "mediator" voice. "You are a prince of the Yuan family and the ruler of Yanbei. By the laws of nature and heaven, you must marry someone who is your social equal."
"Like who, Brother?" Yuan Song asked. "Who would be a more acceptable wife for me? Would you have accepted somebody like Xiao Yu? After all, she was a princess. She was beautiful. She was smart. She was refined. She was powerful—well connected, too. She had great bloodlines; she would've been excellent breeding stock. Just think of what could've been had I married such a suitable woman. Would her status as a 'killer' have bothered you, Brother? Or would you have been able to overlook it due to the economic and military possibilities of an alliance with Liang?"
"Yu'er, you've deliberately chosen the worst possible example-"
"How so? Was Xiao Yu not the epitome of everything you'd want in a wife for me? Would you not consider the same qualities that I just mentioned when selecting my future wife? How would you know you wouldn't be setting me up with another Xiao Yu—or would you not care so long as she had a pretty face and a wealthy family?"
"She would, of course, be properly vetted-"
"By whom, Brother? Who would be your choice of an investigator in this instance? Would you choose someone who had years of experience in espionage and whose information you'd find trustworthy? Or would you, perhaps, be inclined to disregard his advice in this matter due to his own personal choices?"
"I would trust Yuwen Yue to look into such matters on your behalf—if not his own."
"And what do you feel that he would have to say about Meng Feng, Brother? Do you think that he would give her a positive recommendation or not?"
Prince Xiang's mouth tightened again, and Yuan Song smiled on the inside.
"You did say that you would trust Yuwen Yue's judgment in this matter, Brother."
"Maybe I should reevaluate that trust given his own choices as you said, Yu'er."
"Now you're contradicting yourself, Brother. You don't sound very certain at all."
"I'm certain that Miss Meng is not an acceptable choice of bride for you, Yu'er, and that's all that matters. Why are you in such a hurry to settle down, anyway? You're still so young. Why don't you have some fun before you commit to a marriage? You're going to be officially installed as the ruler of Yanbei, after all, and you certainly won't lack for female companionship. I'm not, of course, suggesting irresponsible behavior, but there are certain pleasures to be enjoyed before settling down."
"I could, of course, enjoy many of those 'pleasures' you speak of with a wife—with the added bonus that any child resulting from such 'pleasures' would be legitimate. Sharing those 'pleasures' with anyone other than the woman I love wouldn't be fun, and as for why I'm in such a hurry to settle down...From the moment I lost my arm, I felt...incomplete. I was no longer whole. Part of me was missing. To my surprise, I found a woman who was both a strong right arm and a compassionate right hand who completed me. Meng Feng makes me feel whole, so why wouldn't I be in a hurry to settle down with her? Would you want to spend any more time than necessary without a part of yourself, Brother?"
"Yu'er, I know that losing your sword arm was a terrible blow, and that you're afraid that some women might find it to be a problem-"
Yuan Song laughed bitterly.
"Many women would find my lack of arm and the stump I have left to be repulsive but would probably tolerate them only for the money and influence I could give them. Meng Feng has never seen my handicap as a problem, though; she's always treated me like a man. She makes me feel like a man," he said, his voice softening at the end.
"You shouldn't need a woman's help to feel like a man."
"What could be more manly than choosing your own wife?"
"Choosing a wife that would bring honor to your family."
Harsh laughter rang out from Yuan Song's mouth again.
"Bring honor to our family? When was the last time we did anything to bring honor to our family? By marrying a woman like Meng Feng, I would improve the amount of honor present in our family by leaps and bounds."
"I still don't understand why you can't just hire her as your personal guard and spend time with her discreetly. That's what I would do if I were you."
Yuan Song looked at his brother in sad disillusionment.
"Would you, really, Brother? If you truly loved a woman—not just liked her, not just found her attractive, not just lusted after her, but actually loved her—would you actually force her to demean herself in such a way just to be with you? Would you really demonstrate how little she means to you not just to everyone else but to her as well?"
"That's just the way the world works, Yu'er."
"You're right, Brother," Yuan Song said, draining his last cup of tea and standing to his feet. "This conversation has convinced me that allowing Meng Feng to join our family would be a most unworthy match, indeed."
"I'm glad you finally realize that, Yu'er," Prince Xiang said warily.
"Clearly our family is not worthy of having someone as loving, caring, loyal, sensible, and capable as Meng Feng marry into it. Yes, we are unworthy of her in every respect. I will, however, do everything in my power to make myself worthy of being her husband. Thank you for the tea, Brother; I shall leave first."
Yuan Song clasped his hand to his chest, bowed, and walked through the heavily-beaded entrance to the sitting area only to almost collide with the woman he loved, who was standing mutely in front of the entrance. He paled as the tears in her eyes indicated that she had overheard at least some of the conversation.
At first, Yuan Song tried to glare a hole in the guards, thinking that they had allowed Meng Feng to stay in order to hear hurtful things. She shook her head at him, however, looked at the guards, looked back at him, and smiled meaningfully. Understanding came to him after a few seconds, and he gave the guards a small nod of acceptance. Meng Feng had apparently won over more than just the men of Yanbei, which was no surprise to Yuan Song given the nature of his beloved.
They walked out of the tent together, Meng Feng having wiped her face of all tears and emotions in order to appear casual and at ease. Yuan Song knew that, to the common bystander, she would simply appear to be his personal guard, her eyes ever-vigilant for any threat that might endanger him. To his eyes, however, her inner turmoil was obvious. Fear burgeoned in his heart as he thought about some of the things he'd said about her to his brother. How much had she heard? Would she object to anything he'd said?
Would she even…?
Yuan Song was forced to stop his fearful musings when Meng Feng led him into the practice area, which was empty of anyone at this time of day and located at the fringes of the camp. She drew her sword and proceeded to do a furious set of drills that produced enough proper sounds to convince the few passers-by that she was simply training while her charge watched. He figured that she was also trying to burn off some excess tension, but he couldn't discern her thoughts due to the blankness of her face. Doubts assailed him again, but he banished them by allowing himself to become captivated by the graceful elegance of his beloved's fighting style.
Finally, she sheathed her sword and walked over to him. She leaned her sword against the inside of the crude, three-sided wooden structure that had been erected to provide a protected place for men's belongings—and for men themselves in case of bad weather, although they'd never admit to such unmanliness to anyone else. Yuan Song followed her inside and almost let out a grunt of shock as the arms of his beloved wound around his waist and her head came to rest on his shoulder.
"So many men tell their women one thing and other men—and women-another," Meng Feng said softly. "So few women ever get to hear their men defend them so fiercely—especially to family. Thank you, Yuan Song."
The young prince clasped his woman to him in relief, all of his fears melting away. He decided to address his biggest regret first.
"I'm sorry I called you a killer, Meng Feng," he said, kissing the top of her head. "I've wanted to take that back since I said it because you're so much more than what they tried to make you. We've all had to kill to survive, but none of us could've lived through what you did and come out of such an experience with your gentleness and compassion."
Meng Feng squeezed him harder, and he felt her shake a little in his arms as if she were softly crying.
"I'm also sorry you had to hear the things my brother said, Meng Feng," Yuan Song said. "Surely you know I would never make you do any of the things he suggested."
The woman he loved pulled back from him and looked up into his eyes.
"I would," she said. "If doing so meant being able to protect you, to keep you safe...I would. If anything happened to you because I wasn't there..."
Yuan Song placed his hand on the back of Meng Feng's head and tilted it up slowly, kissing her tenderly.
"That's not going to happen, Meng Feng. Neither thing is going to happen. You're not going to become some...um..."
"Companion?"
Yuan Song scowled.
"That's one way of putting it. You're not going to become one of...those, and nothing is going to happen to me because you're going to be there to stop the flurry of assassins that are going to come down on us like a blizzard on top of Xiuli Mountain."
"Should I add 'killing a flurry of assassins' to the list of benefits that you named when you were convincing me to be your guard?" she asked, smiling tearfully.
"Would that rank above or below 'socializing with Yanbei's oiliest politicians'?" Yuan Song asked, his natural playfulness responding to his beloved's attempt to lighten the mood.
"Oh, definitely above," Meng Feng said seriously before allowing the corners of her lips to turn up. "Of course, there might be some overlap between Yanbei's oiliest politicians and the assassins that will be sent to kill us."
"Naturally," Yuan Song said. "I wouldn't expect anything different. I trust you to keep us safe, though; you always have."
"I always will," Meng Feng vowed.
He leaned in to kiss her again, but the sound of footsteps approaching the practice field caused them to spring apart. Thinking fast, he pulled out the small crossbow that he carried everywhere with him and walked out of the small outbuilding. As the soldiers came around the side of the shelter, he presented them with the image of himself aiming the crossbow at a target and pulling the trigger. To his gratification, the arrow embedded itself in the middle of the target.
Yuan Song turned around and grinned at his woman in pride, his smile widening as she drew her own sword and went over to some of the wooden structures that had been erected for sword practice. He shot a few more arrows before abandoning his training, deciding that shooting someone because he was too busy watching the woman he loved would be bad for his image. None of the soldiers seemed to care anyway, and were, in fact, acting as if they didn't notice his complete absorption with his beloved at all.
We'll find a way to be together, he vowed. I know we will. Together, we can do anything.
Yuwen Yue's internal clock screamed at him in alarm as it realized how much light was streaming into the room. The young master's eyes flew open in surprise and concern as his senses all tried to give him their inputs at the same time. While he knew that he should be most concerned with the fact that the level of brightness indicated that it was now early afternoon, the sensory inputs that he focused on first were those involving the scent, look, and feel of the sleeping woman he was currently holding in his arms.
Although this wasn't the first time he'd awoken with his beloved in his bed, it was the first time that he'd awoken with her in his arms—and on his lap. He was thankful that he was still so weak because he knew that he might have developed some...problems that would've been embarrassing to deal with in front of his beloved.
Even more embarrassing than falling asleep in bed with her and not waking up until the afternoon, he admitted ruefully.
He knew that there would likely be some unpleasantness resulting from his indiscretion, but being upset about anything was difficult when he was able to look down and see Xing'er sleeping blissfully contented in his embrace. While Yuwen Yue had grown accustomed to Xing'er's scent, nothing could've adequately prepared him for the experience of actually being able to see her wrapped up in his arms this way.
In fact, part of him was convinced that his current situation was just a dream or a hallucination that his mind had conjured up as he lay dying on the bottom of the icy lake or on the shores beside it. He could almost see Phoenix standing over him and sneering as he passed out from the cold and blood loss or Xiao Yu grinning in triumph as he drowned in the frozen depths into which he and Xing'er had fallen.
As if she'd somehow heard him thinking about her, his beloved began to stir in his arms. He figured out what she was trying to do and gently helped her to lean her head back in the crook of his arm so that she could look up at him. The love and adoration present in her gaze did nothing to dispel the dream-like quality of the moment.
Yuwen Yue brought his free hand up to her face and used it to trace an eyebrow, a cheek, the side of her jaw...He gently brushed his thumb over her lips and she kissed it softly, her eyes darkening a little at his attentions. Placing both hands on her back in support, he wasted no time in raising her into a favorable position for him to lower his mouth to hers and to ply it with lengthy, languid kisses that had none of the hurried urgency of their predecessors.
We have time, now, my love, his lips told hers. We have time, and a future, and a life to live together.
Whether her lips understood what his were telling them or not, Xing'er seemed to be enjoying receiving his kisses as much as he was enjoying giving them. He did his best to take all of the strain off her muscles and onto his, but she gave no outward indications of discomfort or pain. Of course, both of them had gotten a good night's sleep once the excitement had ended, and it had clearly done them good.
She agreed to be my wife, his mind reminded him. Xing'er is my fiance now, and soon, she'll be my wife.
The word "wife" jogged his memory—or, at least, it tried to. Eventually, Yuwen Yue remembered the small box on the table, and he reluctantly withdrew his lips from his beloved's. Xing'er murmured in discontentment, almost causing Yuwen Yue to forget about the final part of his mission and to lose himself in the lips of the woman he loved again. He steeled his resolve, however, and reached his hand towards the table, snagging the box by touch and bringing it before both of them.
Xing'er had more or less come to her senses and was looking up at him in question. He could tell that she could see the emotion in his eyes and that she had no idea what to make of it. Wordlessly, he opened the box and handed it to her, his gaze never leaving hers. She broke eye contact and looked down, a sharp gasp tearing its way from her chest as she recognized the contents of the box.
"Yuwen Y-, what? Where? But how?" she sputtered in bewilderment, tears misting her eyes as she beheld her coiled feather finger blade ring, restored to its former glory.
She looked back up at him, her beautiful, round eyes wide and full of emotion and confusion. So he told her the story of how he'd recovered it, what he'd assumed it meant, and how he'd buried it with the rest of the few possessions she'd left behind. Before he'd set out for Yanbei as Yuan Song's protector, he'd removed the ring from her supposed burial site and restored it, taking it with him to Yanbei even though he knew he'd likely never find the right time to return it to her.
"Right time?" Xing'er asked. "Why couldn't you have given it to me in the cave? We had plenty of time then."
"Well, Xing'er, I accidentally left it on the Meilin border when my people got attacked while I was gone."
"Visiting Xiao Yu," Xing'er said, pouting adorably.
"That's right, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said. "The visit with Xiao Yu was very fulfilling. She looked radiant in the moonlight as she destroyed the illusion of my pen friend forever and then almost killed me. That was truly a romantic experience to remember."
Xing'er smiled up at him sheepishly.
"I'm sorry, Yuwen Yue; I still have a hard time believing that Xiao Yu was your pen friend for years, masquerading as a man and pouring out her heart to you."
"Well, I'm having a hard time believing that I'm finally giving you your blade ring back the morning after you've accepted my marriage proposal while we're sitting in bed together."
"Believe it, Yuwen Yue," she whispered, looking at him with love as she reached for the box.
He gently stilled her hand with his and reached into the box himself, pulling out the ring by touch as his eyes never left hers. Her breathing quickened as she saw the look in his eyes, and her own sparkled with tears as he gently slid the feather ring home where it belonged. She ran her thumb over the top of the ring in disbelief, and he ran his thumb over the top of hers as the dream-like quality of the moment returned.
"If you left it on the Meilin border, then how did you get it back?" she asked.
"Yue Qi saw it as they were escaping and grabbed it, knowing how important it was to me," he admitted.
Xing'er smiled impishly and grinned up at him.
"Then I will go and say thanks to Yue Qi," she said, repeating the words she'd said to Yuwen Yue so long ago.
Yuwen Yue tried to scowl at her, but he could tell from her reaction that he'd succeeded in making his face go hard but not his eyes. Planning his next move, he placed the empty box and its lid carefully on the table next to their handkerchief.
"Do you really want to get up now, Xing'er?" he asked, turning the full intensity of his eyes on her again and inwardly exulting as he saw her gulp.
"Not at the moment, Yuwen Yue, but I have a feeling that we owe him for more than the ring," she said, tilting her head towards the crumpled handkerchief. "Who else would've thought to wash it so thoroughly and then place it by my bedside? I doubt it was Phoenix."
Yuwen Yue's lips quirked at the image of the fierce Underworld operative laundering their handkerchief and putting it where Xing'er would find it.
"Maybe one of the techniques that she and your mother developed involved removing blood from fine linens," he said straight-faced. "That would, after all, be quite useful in the field."
"Of course it would, Young Master Yue," she agreed. "After all, part of being a successful spy is looking pristine and handsome at all times, which is much easier to do when you're not covered in blood."
"You're right, Xing'er—and you're probably right about Yue Qi as well," Yuwen Yue said, acting as if he were thinking hard. "I should probably go thank him, don't you think? I'm sure he's worried about me. Yes, I will go and say thanks to Yue Qi—unless, of course, you can think of something more important to do, Xing'er."
"Actually, Yuwen Yue, I just realized that I never thanked you properly for this ring the first time," she said, looking up at him innocently.
"What exactly did you have in mind, Xing'er?" he asked, lifting her up higher on his chest again so that her face was close to his.
"I wanted to thank you with my mouth," she said, giving him a look that he knew would've caused him significant problems had he been in better physical condition.
"That sounds acceptable, Xing'er," he whispered huskily, lowering his lips to hers.
Before he could kiss her, however, she put a hand on his cheek, stopping him.
"What are you doing, Xing'er?" he asked.
"I'm thanking you with my mouth like I said I would," she said, her innocent expression returning to her face. She looked him in the eyes and said, "Thank you for the ring, Yuwen Yue."
She closed her eyes and snuggled into his chest, obviously being careful to avoid his wound. He stared down at her in confusion and dismay. Xing'er opened her eyes again, gazed up at him, and said, "I told you I was going to thank you with my mouth, and I did. What did you think I meant?"
Yuwen Yue scowled at her and lowered his mouth to hers, unwilling to let the woman he loved get away with such flagrant teasing. Fortunately for both of them, Xing'er didn't object to his actions in the slightest and kissed him back enthusiastically. For the moment, they had all the time in the world, and he intended to make every moment count.
He had no idea how long he'd spent lost in the lips of his betrothed before he heard several sets of footsteps approaching the barracks. His keen mind readily identified all three strides for him, and a mischievous idea appeared unexpectedly in his mind. Xing'er broke the kiss and pulled back, eyes wide; they grew even wider when he only let her draw back far enough to look into his eyes and read his intentions.
For a few moments, Yuwen Yue figured that Xing'er wasn't going to go along with his unspoken request. He couldn't blame her; after all, what he wanted to do could backfire on them if he'd underestimated any of the people about to walk in on them. Her eyes filled with impish glee, however, and he felt his blood ignite as she kissed him deeply and passionately, obviously wanting to make as much of an impression on their unwelcome guests as he did.
Or maybe she's just tired of us being interrupted all the time.
Yuwen Yue pulled the blankets up as far as he could, unwilling to allow any of their visitors to glimpse any more of his beloved than her head. Of course, holding up the covers also gave him something to do with his hands that was less scandalous than some other possibilities.
The three sets of footsteps stopped as one, but Yuwen Yue didn't react to their presence at all. As far as he could tell, Xing'er was playing her part as well, the two of them acting in perfect tandem to send a message to their visitors by their inattention to them. Yuwen Yue made a mental bet with himself about which man would have the courage to make the first move, and he won his bet a few moments later.
"I'm glad to see you looking so well, Qiao Qiao," the suave voice of Xiao Ce said from the doorway. "If you grow tired of Yuwen Yue's therapy techniques, I would, of course, be delighted to render my own services for you in that regard."
"Thank you for your concern, Xiao Ce, but Yuwen Yue has already made me feel much better than I did before," Xing'er managed to mumble.
"Ah, Qiao Qiao, but I could make you feel so much better, too. Just give it a try."
"Sorry, Xiao Ce, but Yuwen Yue has already offered me unlimited treatments for the rest of my life as long as he's the only one providing me with this type of medicine. I've decided to take him up on his offer."
Xiao Ce clutched his heart dramatically and declared himself to be heartbroken much as he had last night. He Xiao beamed in fierce delight, obviously ecstatic for his beloved general. Prince Xiang just looked awkward, almost making Yuwen Yue feel sorry for his method of announcing Xing'er's place in his life to his close friend.
Almost, but not quite, Yuwen Yue thought, acknowledging that his friend was likely going to try to talk him out of making such a disadvantageous match.
"Now that you're awake, Chu Da Ren, is there anything I can bring you—or you, too, Young Master Yue?" He Xiao asked, squaring his shoulders and stepping into the room.
"I'm thirsty, He Xiao," Xing'er said, smiling up at her faithful subordinate. "Could you bring me some water, please?"
"Yes, He Xiao, please bring Xing'er some water. Her lips are quite dry," Yuwen Yue said matter-of-factly, inwardly celebrating the awkward expressions now worn by their guests.
"Whose fault is that?" Xing'er muttered, pouting up at him.
"Dry lips are a common experience for those who are recovering from serious injuries, Xing'er. I'm just thinking of your well-being."
Yuwen Yue saw his beloved's eyes soften as a look of love appeared in her eyes that was shockingly open given their audience.
"I know you are, Yuwen Yue. You always have."
Xing'er continued to gaze at him, her eyes twinkling with mischief only he could detect. She allowed herself to get lost in her eyes, doing her part to make their observers squirm. Prince Xiang seemed especially uncomfortable; Xiao Ce actually seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, probably due to Xiang's discomfort. He Xiao seemed to have regained his equilibrium, probably due to the fact that he'd already walked in on them kissing once before and was now getting used to such a sight.
"I'm glad to see that you're looking better, Yuwen Yue," Prince Xiang said after clearing his throat. "Since you've had your rest, you should probably think about coming back down the mountain. There are, after all, a lot of delicate issues for us to resolve—especially now that we've been graced by the presence of the esteemed crown prince of Liang."
"So I gathered," Yuwen Yue said. "You are, of course, most welcome here, Xiao Ce."
"I can feel the welcome radiating off of everyone here, Yuwen Yue," Xiao Ce said, smirking. "If I were made any more welcome, in fact, I might think I was back in my harem."
"If the women in your harem look at you like the men around here do, then that would explain a few things," Xing'er said.
"You wound me, Qiao Qiao," Xiao Ce said, causing Xing'er to shake her head and give him a small smile.
"As entertaining as this is, I really do need your help, Yuwen Yue," Prince Xiang said, finally stepping into the room.
Yuwen Yue felt Xing'er shift around as if she were trying to get off of his lap. He didn't want this to happen for multiple reasons, so he wound his arms tightly around her middle and pulled her back into her original position. She looked up at him in question, and he rewarded her with his typical placid expression.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness," he said to his friend, "but I'm afraid that I'm still too weak to get out of bed at the moment. Besides, Xing'er needs my help with managing her back pain, which gets significantly worse when she's cold and lying without elevation. No, I believe I'll be indisposed the entire rest of the day."
"But you had the energy to climb up an entire mountain," Xiang said in exasperation. "How can you still be tired?"
"Because I climbed up the entire mountain," Yuwen Yue said without missing a beat.
Prince Xiang sighed in resignation, obviously recognizing typical Yuwen stubbornness when he saw it.
"Alright, Yuwen Yue, I understand. You've been through an ordeal and have perhaps...exerted yourself a bit more than you should have. I assume that you'll be well enough to resume your duties tomorrow?"
"That depends on how well Xing'er and I feel tomorrow," Yuwen Yue said.
"You can, of course, spend all of the time in my bed you need, Chu Da Ren," He Xiao said, his own eyes twinkling in amusement.
"Thank you, He Xiao. We've already put it to good use," Xing'er said innocently.
Xiao Ce really is enjoying this way too much, Yuwen Yue mused as he noted the barely-contained mirth evident in the prince's eyes.
"Yes, thank you, He Xiao," Yuwen Yue said placidly. "The bed has definitely helped Xing'er to recover her strength and energy."
"So I can see," Xiao Ce said, smirking.
"Actually, I think I feel another nap coming on," Xing'er said, her eyes drooping. "After all, this last little while has been quite exhausting."
With that pronouncement, she slumped over in Yuwen Yue's arms, feigning sleep. The other guests, he could tell, were unsure about the authenticity of Xing'er's sudden drowsiness, but nobody wanted to say anything. Yuwen Yue figured that he'd had enough of his present company for now and that he'd very much like to be alone with his betrothed once again.
"Now that you mention it, Xing'er, I feel sleepy as well," Yuwen Yue said, tightening his arms around his beloved and allowing himself to relax against her. "Sorry...not much control..."
He rested his head in the crook of Xing'er's neck and closed his eyes, slowing his breathing down to mimic sleep. The spymaster was immensely thankful for the years of training that allowed him to make no reaction to the awkward, somewhat clumsy departure of their guests. One of the corners of Xing'er's mouth was quirked, but fortunately it was the one resting on his chest, so he only knew she was smiling by feel.
As the footsteps faded from his hearing, Xing'er started to shake softly in laughter against him. Yuwen Yue tilted his head slightly and whispered into her ear.
"That was the most interesting experience I've had since...since..."
"Since you proposed to me and I fell asleep as I accepted; Xiao Ce snuck in, propositioned me, and begged us to keep Liang from getting attacked by Wei; and you proposed to me and I accepted again?"
He sighed.
"Yuwen Yue, I would ask you how we end up getting into situations like this, but..."
"But we more or less asked for this one, didn't we, Xing'er?"
"Mm," Xing'er said, real drowsiness creeping into her voice. "That's yet another thing we have in common, Yuwen Yue."
"That sounds like yet another good reason to get married," he whispered into her ear.
"Very good," she whispered back just as sleep claimed her. "Very, very good..."
Yuwen Yue couldn't help but agree with her as he held his sleeping fiance in his arms. He was no longer tired, so he settled in for an afternoon of doing nothing more strenuous than cuddling with the woman he loved. Yuwen Yue grinned in contentment at the empty room as he rested his head against his fiance's, marveling at the turn his life had taken.
AN: We're drawing ever closer to the end, y'all. Next week: Last of the mountaintop convalescence. Two weeks: Recovery at the mountain base camp. Three weeks: Showdown with Xiang; fallout. Four weeks: A batch of other loose odds and ends you probably don't care about anyway that I couldn't fit into the previous chapter because I'm too wordy. Five weeks: Wedding night double-shot (Unless I come up with even more material. I'm not going to come up with more material. Please, brain, I beg you: Don't come up with more material.)
Musical selection: "Feel Again" by OneRepublic. My favorite cover of this is by BYU Noteworthy, an a capella group, but if that's not your thing, then Alyssa Bernal has a pretty good cover. What made me think of this song was the realization that the first part of the first line sums up every scene that takes place in this chapter to some extent: "It's been a long time comin'." Of course, the song also meshes well with CQ's frame of mind right now, and some others who have gone through some lonely years, too. Bonus selection: Last week, I considered making "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell the musical selection of the week in YWY's honor but figured it was too cheesy. Given the way I ended this week's chapter, though, why not add a bit more cheese? The lyrics actually match XingYue pretty well, honestly, so enjoy this Motown classic as a tribute to our beloved spymaster.
Translation updates: ddmcmc has posted a new chapter summary at yunshengw dot wordpress dot com. Angel Chua has reformatted her fanfic, "Secret Princess," into chapters, which can be found at princessagents dot wordpress dot com /2017/10/08/the-secret-princess-fan-fiction-by-ac/ (I don't know if that last part will actually post; I guess we'll find out, won't we?)