AN: First I would like to thank...Oh, forget it. You're not going to read this. Go read the wedding night. Go, go, go!
Yuwen Yue strode across the empty courtyard of Qing Shan Yuan, his handsome, grand appearance having the opportunity to benefit nobody but himself due to the circumstances. All of his servants were busy tending to the wedding guests, who would likely be celebrating his and Xing'er's marriage for hours yet. They had seemed perfectly content to send him to his bride, and he had been perfectly content to allow them to continue to drink his fine wine and eat his delicious food—especially since he knew that he was getting the better end of that deal.
A flash of his red robes caught his eye as he walked, adding to that sense of unreality that he'd had the entire day. While the occasional, brief moments of wondering whether he was still in the icy lake or bleeding out in the infirmary had lessened as the weeks had gone by, the red robes he was wearing had brought that feeling back with a vengeance. Seeing his beloved dressed in her own wedding robes had made him wonder if he were dreaming, and the knowledge that he was finally going to make Xing'er his wife in every way did nothing to decrease his sense of unbelief.
Shaking off such ridiculous notions, he turned his mind instead to the wedding night plans he was going to execute in order to make tonight as perfect for Xing'er as he knew it was going to be for him. This was, of course, one of the most important nights of his life to date, and his master plan was guaranteed to help them both make the most of the occasion regardless of how tempted he was to cast aside his plans for tonight and skip straight to the finish.
He stopped in the middle of the courtyard where Xing'er had knelt in defiant deference years ago and spared a moment to remember the people they'd been. Even then, he'd been drawn to her; even then, he'd been able to tell that she'd felt something for him even if she hadn't understood the meaning of those feelings. Yuwen Yue remembered how wide Xing'er's eyes had become as as he'd approached her, her nervousness warring with the urgent desire to be with him—even if only for the safety of herself and her sisters.
A bit of nervousness had appeared in her eyes this past week, and Yuwen Yue had at first been almost afraid of what that look in her eyes had meant. Had she already begun to regret deciding to marry him? Did she want to change her mind? Was there some misunderstanding between them that had yet to be resolved? He saw no evidence of such reservations in her interactions with him, so her occasional wariness left him confused for several days.
The answer, when it had come to him, had warmed him due to its mundane ordinariness. Simply put, the woman he loved was nervous about marrying him and all that that entailed. He'd scowled as he'd thought through some of the likely reasoning for her nervousness, however, as he'd realized that she'd probably either overheard some of the things that that idiotic doctor had said about her scars or that he'd made a few subtle comments of his own to her. Even if she hadn't known of the doctor's opinion of her desirability, there was always the chance that she was self-conscious about the physical toll that the Battle of Xiuli Mountain had taken on her body.
Of course, the odds of him finding his new wife unattractive in any way were even lower than the likelihood of him being upset about her wiping out the entire third branch of his family, but such fears were rarely about logic anyway. In fact, he acknowledged that he had some insecurities of his own in regards to Xing'er, although none of them had to do with his appearance. Yuwen Yue knew that he still feared the possibility of his wife leaving him someday, and he wondered if he'd ever be able to feel wholly confident in her commitment to stay by his side.
Not that I doubt her love for me or her desire to be my wife, but there may come a time when…
The spymaster once again shoved his unproductive thoughts to the side as he unfroze himself from his position and stalked up the stairs leading to his rooms. Worrying about anything other than the immediate future was pointless, and he was determined to put aside all thoughts that didn't have to do with bringing out the passionate side of his wife that she'd shown him multiple times since agreeing to spend the rest of her life with him.
Yuwen Yue pushed open the doors to his rooms, appreciating that everything looked as well-kept as it always did. Even though he was supposed to be in the adjacent quarters tonight, his servants had, per his orders, kept his room ready for occupancy this night "should the need arise." He had a feeling that some of his servants may have misinterpreted his meaning, but they had done their duty nevertheless.
A whoosh of wings and a soft welcome squawk alerted him to the presence of his beloved parrot, who had clearly been waiting for him to arrive. The bird flew excitedly around Yuwen Yue's head before landing on the master's shoulder.
"Xing'er! Xing'er! Xing'er!" the bird softly but enthusiastically chirped in his master's ear.
Yuwen Yue gently caressed the parrot's head in gratefulness for his years of friendship when such loyalty and love had been in such short supply.
"You know what to do," he said to the bird, who squared his shoulders and dipped his head.
"Go away! Go away! Can't come in! Can't come in! Master's orders! Master's orders!"
The spymaster's eyes gleamed with appreciation and affection for his companion.
"That's right," he confirmed. "Nobody comes in here or in Xing'er's rooms—especially not Yue Qi."
As the parrot launched himself off of Yuwen Yue's shoulders and flew through the open doors, the spymaster smiled as he remembered the conversation he'd had with his loyal guard.
"Yue Qi," he'd said that morning, frowning fiercely, "I don't care if the vengeful spirit of Yan Xun storms the gates of Qing Shan Yuan at the head of 150,000 ghost soldiers and demands my head in a silken sack; you are not to interrupt me this night."
"What if Liang decides to take vengeance for the death of Xiao Yu tonight?" Yue Qi asked, his face serious but his eyes twinkling.
"Then take advantage of the bevy of martial talent that you'll have at your disposal," Yuwen Yue had replied. "You'll have some of the greatest warriors in all the land at Qing Shan Yuan tonight—so use them."
"What if the royal court needs you to solve a serious problem?"
"Tell them to solve their own problem," he'd said. "I'm tired of fixing everyone else's problems. I'm going to spend every moment of tonight with the woman who will soon be my wife and I don't care if all of Wei falls into shambles as a result."
"I'll give your regards to Prince Xiang, then."
"Please do, Yue Qi. In fact, if trouble arises, let him solve it since he didn't show up at Xiuli Mountain in time to do anything other than cause problems. So help me, if any man interrupts me tonight, I'll make him a eunuch on the spot—crown prince or stable boy."
Yue Qi had given Yuwen Yue an exaggerated shudder followed by a sketchy bow, laughter dancing in the depths of his eyes.
Yuwen Yue reflected in amusement on the multiple times in the past couple of weeks that his personal guard had interrupted him and Xing'er. She'd admonished him multiple times about his need to give Yue Qi a raise of some sort, and he figured that he'd do so—after he'd settled into life with his bride at his side, of course.
He took one last look around his room, his eyes lighting on the bed and staying there. If tonight went as he anticipated it would, he and Xing'er would soon be returning here to bring their relationship full-circle where everything had truly begun between them. Yuwen Yue could finally say that he understood Xing'er, so he was reasonably certain that she'd prefer to spend tonight—and every other night—in this bed.
While he could hardly wait for the inevitable conclusion to this night, he found himself hesitating to go to his bride and realized with a sense of disbelief that he himself was nervous. He examined himself for a logical reason but could find none, so he concluded that he was experiencing that irrational wedding night anxiety that he'd heard others talk about but had always mentally ridiculed. His own feelings only served to amplify his desire to ease Xing'er's own nerves and get them both in the proper state of mind.
Yuwen Yue stalked towards one side of his rooms and walked through a small door that led to a little pathway that would take him back to the main courtyard if he walked its length. He crossed over it instead, arriving at the side entrance to his wife's rooms—and the site of the bridal chamber he'd had constructed therein. Xing'er had agreed to have the rooms turned into a bridal chamber since she'd been content to sleep in her old room with her two sisters, who had come back from Yanbei with her for the wedding. He wouldn't be surprised if the two young ladies decided to stay at Qing Shan Yuan indefinitely since they'd seemed to enjoy being around their sister without the constant threat of death looming over them.
Aside from wanting to spend time with her sisters, his beloved had likely elected to sleep in the servants' quarters because she didn't yet feel comfortable in the suite of rooms that were now her due as the Da Fu Ren of Qing Shan Yuan. He knew that she would become accustomed to her new quarters—and her new role—in due time, but for now…
Yuwen Yue grasped the side door and pulled, opening it soundlessly and slipping inside as if he were infiltrating an enemy's lair on an assignment for the Eyes of God. His mission was a simple one, however: He simply wanted to gaze at his bride for a few moments before making his presence known.
He crept down the short hall and slowly walked into the red-decked room, his eyes skimming past the vivid decorations and landing on his wife, who had apparently grown tired of putting up with her veil and had pushed it away from her face. The spymaster didn't mind in the slightest since he now had the opportunity to etch the sight of his beloved Xing'er dressed in her wedding gown into his memories. He took the time to memorize everything about the scene before him, savoring it before executing the next part of his plan.
Her hands moved slightly, and Yuwen Yue realized that she was holding something in them. When he realized what he was looking at, his eyes widened slightly in surprise. Xing'er froze and looked up as if she'd sensed his presence. Their gazes locked, and Yuwen Yue felt himself freezing, too, unable to take his eyes off of his wife and the large jade ring she was holding.
"Did you finally grow tired of listening to the fawning of people who hate you and remember you have a wife?" Xing'er asked, a sharp edge of nervousness in her voice.
"I never forgot I had a wife," Yuwen Yue replied, stalking closer to the bed with an intense look on his face. "I never will, Xing'er."
He stared her down until he saw her gulp and then fumble with her veil one-handed as she tried to put it back into place. Yuwen Yue reached out a hand and gently clasped hers, stopping her from covering the face that he never wanted to see hidden from him again. His wife's eyes were as wide as he'd ever seen them, and they stayed that way as he gently removed the veil fully and placed it on a nearby table.
"You still took your time coming here, Yuwen Yue," she said, her voice slightly shaky.
"Of course I did," he replied. "After all, I had to spend time with our guests—many of whom don't hate us."
"Many of them do," she muttered, looking down and fiddling with the large ring in her hands.
"Yes, many of them do," Yuwen Yue readily admitted. "I must confess I enjoyed watching all of them having to pretend to be happy for me as they wished me good fortune."
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," she muttered, scowling.
"I know why you're acting like this, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said, putting that pensive look on his face that he knew his wife both loved and hated.
"Why is that, Husband?" she asked sweetly.
"Because you want to be alone with me, Xing'er," he murmured, unable to keep from reacting to hearing her refer to him as her husband for the first time even as an insult.
"Who wants to be alone with you, Yuwen Yue?" she retorted, a small smile shaping her lips in spite of her words. "Maybe I was just anxious to show you the wedding present that Xiao Ce sent me—in an entire box of lip balm tubs, no less."
The last thing Yuwen Yue wanted to do was to talk about Xiao Ce on his wedding night, but he understood the significance of that ring not only for his wife but for several of their friends as well.
"Did he send a note with the ring?"
"There was a piece of paper in the center of the ring, but it just had a single word on it: Viper."
He simply stared at her in question.
"She was the Underworld agent who was driving my carriage the day I fell into the river. I thought she'd died, but Mister Wu nursed her back to health. Apparently she teamed up with Xiao Ce to get vengeance for Luo He."
"Is Viper young and attractive, by any chance?"
"Why? Are you interested?"
Yuwen Yue gave his wife his best intense stare.
"I'm sure that Xiao Ce has enjoyed spending time with her," Xing'er finally said.
"I'm sure he has," Yuwen Yue said. "Now let's stop talking about Xiao Ce before I get the wrong idea."
Yuwen Yue found himself under Xing'er's own focused stare as she let him know with her eyes what she thought of his joking accusation. His wife slowly deposited the ring on a nearby table, never breaking eye contact with him. She stood up from the bed, her upturned face close enough for him to kiss if he just brought his a little lower. He held himself in check, wanting to carry out his plan first.
"Xia Chong and Meng Feng were in here earlier with my sisters offering me...encouragement," she said, blushing. "I showed the ring to them and they were relieved to not have the threat of Zhan Ziyu hanging over their heads. Phoenix just smirked, which led me to believe that she'd already known of Viper's success."
"Apparently Prince Xiang also received a special gift from Xiao Ce," Yuwen Yue said, barely able to keep his lips from twitching. "His was a mustache wrapped in paper—and tucked away in a box of mysterious items that he asked me to identify."
Xing'er stared at him in confusion for a few moments before her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open slightly.
"He didn't."
Yuwen Yue withdrew a tub of lip balm from his red robes.
"He did. He sent Xiang an entire box of lip balm with no explanation whatsoever. Xiang had no clue what it was, so he asked me if I knew."
"And?"
"What do you think I told him, Xing'er?"
"Obviously not the truth."
"Of course I told him the truth," Yuwen Yue said, straight-faced. "I told him that the men of the Southlands use this balm to keep their lips from getting cracked and bloody at the front. After all, how else did the crown prince manage to keep his lips so plump and smooth on Xiuli Mountain while our lips were so chapped?"
His wife gaped at him in astonishment before breaking out into a huge grin that made her look even more beautiful. Yuan Song had been right all those years ago when he'd said that Xing'er's smile was like the sun coming out. Yuwen Yue couldn't restrain himself from reaching out a hand and cupping his wife's cheek, and he barely held himself back when she leaned into his touch.
"You're going to be single-handedly responsible for the spread of lip balm use among the soldiers of Wei."
"Not just the soldiers of Wei," he said, caressing her cheek with his thumb. "Xiao Ce sent an entire box for our house guards as well. Yue Qi was perplexed, but he said that if someone as manly as He Xiao could pocket these tubs so enthusiastically, then they must be useful."
Xing'er started shaking with laughter just as Yuwen Yue had intended, and for a brief moment, he wondered if maybe he wouldn't have to go through with the rest of his scheme after all. Testing that theory, he tilted his head slightly down towards his wife's and leaned in as if he were going to kiss her. Wariness and desire warred in her eyes as he saw he steel herself with determination.
No, my love, he thought as he pulled his head back and pocketed the lip balm tub for later. You won't approach our wedding night as if it's just another battle to be won or another sacrifice to be made.
You mean like you're doing, oh hypocritical spymaster? that snide part of himself sneered. You need to loosen up and enjoy the moment yourself, you old stick-in-the-mud.
Yuwen Yue ignored that inner voice and looked down at his wife's puzzled face, knowing that his own enjoyment would come soon enough. He dropped his hand from her cheek and walked over to a table and two chairs that he'd had set up just for this occasion. The spymaster was proud of this gift he'd gotten for his beloved and was already anticipating her moment of realization about its significance. He sat down in one of the chairs, flaring his red robes out and settling himself comfortably.
"Make me some tea, Xing'er," he said calmly as if this were just an ordinary day at Qing Shan Yuan.
"What?" she asked in startlement. "You mean...you want me to…?"
"I had your sisters prepare everything just so," Yuwen Yue said. "I told them what I wanted and they knew exactly what to do."
His wife blinked at him in confusion but walked over to the small cooking area where warm coals beneath a small fire were already waiting for the placement of a pot filled with water. Her eyes landed on a small clay pot and widened in disbelief. She picked up the pot, sniffed its contents, and verified them, the image searing itself into Yuwen Yue's memory.
"You were actually serious about me making Yanbei clay pot tea?" his wife asked.
"Of course I was, Xing'er," he responded. "I told you that I wanted you to make that tea again, and now would be the perfect time to do so."
"Oh."
His wife set about making their special Yanbei clay pot mint tea, and the sight of his wife going through these familiar yet special motions tested his resolve anew. Yuwen Yue could see his bride relaxing a little as she carried out this routine process that she'd done so many times. As she grew more and more absorbed with her task, Yuwen Yue indulged himself in watching his beloved, the red of her robes shimmering softly in the low light provided by the small fire and the lit lamps.
Her breath caught in her throat as she turned around with the tea tray in her hands and saw the expression on his face. Yuwen Yue didn't even bother to try to hide his feelings as his wife carried the tea over to the table in shaky hands. He remembered that night in the cave when she'd poured him tea with a similar lack of composure, but he reveled in the different flavor of these emotions compared to the ones they'd felt that night.
"Here, Husband," Xing'er said breathlessly, holding the cup of tea out to him.
He took it from her, his eyes leaving hers only when he closed them to inhale the scent of the tea, which smelled almost identical to what Xing'er had brewed in the cave. Yuwen Yue placed the cup to his lips and drank, savoring the flavor of the beverage as it sat on his tongue. While the tea would never win any bedchamber maid competitions, it did take him back in time—and make a nice introduction for the next part of his plan.
"Do you recognize this table and these chairs, Xing'er?" Yuwen Yue asked, his eyes still closed.
He could envision her look of part confusion and part concentration as she examined the set more closely.
"I thought that it looked familiar earlier but I couldn't figure out why. It's a lovely set; did you have it made for me, Yuwen Yue?"
"I suppose you could say I had it remade for you, Xing'er."
"It reminds me of the table and chairs from the cave at the base of Xiuli Mountain. That furniture was battered and scarred, though, so I guess I'm just being silly. This table is almost perfect except for this one...deep..."
His wife's voice trailed off as she slowly lowered a finger to the table and traced a deep groove marring its otherwise perfect surface. Yuwen Yue opened his eyes, not wanting to miss the look of wonder that he knew would appear on his wife's face as she realized that the lovely table and chairs she'd been admiring were the same scuffed, damaged ones from the Yanbei cave.
"It can't be..." she whispered, her eyes scanning the table with new eyes.
"It is, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue confirmed. "Before we left Yanbei, I found a craftsman who agreed to restore that set."
He'd also agreed to reinforce the table so that it would be able to bear the weight of two people, but the specific plans Yuwen Yue had for this table would, like so many others that he'd made over the course of his life, have to wait until later to be carried out.
"But why did you…?"
"Why did I have a master craftsman restore some old, beaten-up furniture from a cave when I already have access to some of the finest furniture in all of Wei?"
"Mm."
"What do you think my reasons were, Xing'er?" Yuwen Yue asked, curious about his wife's answer.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say that you rescued this furniture because you're sentimental about it," Xing'er said, thoughtfully running her finger along the scar again. "After all, I can't imagine the great Yuwen Yue, General of Wei, leader of the Eyes of God, and wielder of Po Yue Jian allowing anything less than perfect in his home."
"Does that single imperfection bother you, Xing'er?"
"Of course not, Yuwen Yue."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't mind."
"Why don't you mind? After all, you said yourself that that mark is an imperfection."
"I said you might be bothered by the imperfection, Yuwen Yue; I didn't say that I would."
"So you think I'm bothered by imperfection?"
"Of course," his wife replied, looking down at the table. "As long as I've known you, you've always had to have things just the way you've wanted them. You always demand perfection in everything close to you."
"Including my wife?"
Xing'er's head jerked up, her eyes round with suprise as they met his. Yuwen Yue mentally congratulated himself on having pegged one of the sources of his wife's nervousness even as he imagined a variety of creative ways to send that moronic doctor to the afterlife. His wife's fiery defiance asserted itself as she jutted out her jaw.
"You knew what you were getting when you asked me to marry you, Yuwen Yue. If you've suddenly realized that I'm not the perfect wife you wanted, then that's too bad."
"Does the table's imperfection bother you, Xing'er?" Yuwen Yue asked his bride again, staring at her intently.
"I already told you it doesn't."
"But you never told me why it didn't bother you."
"It doesn't bother me because I don't mind imperfection like you do."
"Are you sure that's the only reason you don't mind the scar, Xing'er?"
"What else do you want me to say, Yuwen Yue? Do you want me to thank you for the table and chairs? Thank you for the table and chairs, Husband. I really like them. Every time I sit at this table, I will think of you and the good times we've had together arguing over cups of tea."
Yuwen Yue's face shaped itself into that expression that he often found himself wearing around his wife when she'd just said something irritating but he also couldn't help but admire her for her impertinence.
"'Admire?'" his snide side said. "Is that what you're calling it now? Are you really going to keep denying to yourself that every time you've worn that expression in the past, you've felt the desire to reach for the tie of her robe?"
"The craftsman who refinished this table apologized profusely for not being able to get that groove out," he said softly, ignoring that voice again. "I told him that that mark actually served my purposes rather than hindered them and he was immensely relieved. Why doesn't the scar bother you, Wife?"
His use of her title softened Xing'er's stance and her eyes regained a sense of openness he hadn't even noticed they'd lost.
"Because this table means something to us, Husband," she replied in kind. "We...we put aside our differences over this table. We came to an understanding over this table."
"In other words, we mended what had been broken."
"Right."
"So, as with this table and chairs, we took a relationship that had been broken and made it into something beautiful."
"Mm," his wife agreed, a wistful smile shaping her lips.
"Can this same lesson not apply to people as well?" Yuwen Yue asked, sharpening his focus as he prepared to drive his point home.
"What?"
"You're not bothered by the mark on this table even though it detracts from the surface's perfection. Are you bothered by the large scar on my chest from the Battle of Xiuli Mountain?"
Xing'er's eyes filled with guilt.
"Yes," she whispered, looking down at the table again. "You got hurt because of me—because I couldn't move Po Yue Jian fast enough to save us. How many times did you almost die that day because of me? How many times have you almost died because of me over the past several years?"
"Yes, Wife," Yuwen Yue said pensively. "I have suffered much because of you. Life with you so far has been a constant trial. I don't know how you're ever going to repay me."
His beloved scowled at him.
"I was being serious, Yuwen Yue!"
"So was I, Xing'er."
"Maybe you want to have your wedding night by yourself," Xing'er muttered.
"What was that, Wife?"
"Nothing, Husband," she said innocently. "I was just thinking out loud about ways I could spare my husband from experiencing my many imperfections tonight."
Yuwen Yue slowly stood up, pushing back his chair and resettling his red wedding robes around himself. Xinger's eyes widened as he stalked towards her and suddenly reached out, cupping her cheek in his hand once again.
"When I asked you whether or not my scars bothered you, Wife, I was asking if you felt that they detracted from my attractiveness in any way."
"Who thinks you're attractive, Yuwen Yue?" she muttered, obviously still irritated with him.
He caressed her cheek with his thumb and waited, knowing his wife would reply to him when she was ready.
"Not that I've seen your scars...yet," Xing'er said, blushing, "but when I do, they won't bother me, Husband."
"Why not?"
"Because I love you," she replied without hesitation, somewhat surprising Yuwen Yue given her recent reticence.
"So why would you think I'd react any differently?" he asked. "Do you still doubt my love for you even after all this time?"
"Of course I don't!" she responded indignantly. "It's just...I..."
"I know you probably know what that doctor said about you, Wife," Yuwen Yue said.
Xing'er's gaze reflected a mixture of negative emotions.
"I know you also know about what he said to Xia Chong given the volume and creativity with which she refuted his remarks."
He got a wan smile for his efforts as his wife obviously remembered the humorous scene of the fierce warrior chasing the babbling doctor all the way out of the lower camp, legendary weapon flashing in the sunlight.
"Dragon Bird almost claimed what surely would've been its stupidest victim that day," his wife said, unable to keep the bitterness out of her voice.
"My biggest regret about that day is that I didn't get the chance to prove to that man how wrong he was," Yuwen Yue said, his eyes boring into his wife's as he mentally prepared himself for the level of vulnerability he was going to have to display.
"Would you have demonstrated your archery instruction techniques for him?"
"And more, X'er," Yuwen Yue murmured, moving closer to his bride and placing his free hand on her other cheek. "This table is beautiful to us in spite of its scars because of its history. We're beautiful to each other because of our history."
"Or in spite of our history," Xing'er muttered.
"I already know all of your flaws, all of your imperfections, X'er," Yuwen Yue whispered into her ear. "I love you anyway."
His wife's eyes filled with tears even as they flashed with the impertinence that told him what her response would be before she said it.
"Just as I already know all of your flaws and imperfections and love you anyway, Husband."
"That can't have taken you long to think about, Wife, since I have so few flaws."
"Hmph," she pouted, pursing her lips. "If I had to list all of your flaws, we'd be here all night."
"Then let's not stay here all night," Yuwen Yue said, his senses sharpening as he realized that the final part of his plan was ready for execution.
Well, the final part of the plan before…
"What?!"
"Let's not stay here all night," he said again patiently, holding out his red-covered arm as his mind briefly went back in time to that lantern festival so long ago. "Come."
His bride stared at him in perplexity before slowly reaching out her hand towards his sleeve. At the last moment, she grasped his hand instead, her posture telling him she'd follow wherever he led her without question.
"Where are we going, Husband?"
Or maybe not without question.
He wordlessly pulled her through the side door and out into the cool night air, neither of them breaking stride as they crossed over the small pathway. Xing'er's eyes warmed in comprehension and she looked at him with an expression that made his heart sing and his blood heat. As he'd expected, his beloved was relaxing after leaving the formality and the expectations of the bridal chamber behind. He knew his wife would be more comfortable in his rooms not just now but for the rest of their life together.
All of the times she'd demonstrated passion towards him had been reactions to situations he'd created, so he'd set out to craft a wedding night that would bring out that side of her that she'd been showing him more and more frequently over the past couple of months. Yuwen Yue had eased his wife's fears and insecurities; now all he had left to do was to make her dance for him, and then he'd be able to claim his beloved as his wife in every way in the place where their relationship had truly begun.
As Chu Qiao entered her husband's rooms, her nostrils flared as his scent surrounded and filled her. These rooms were unapologetically his, and she felt more at home in them than she did anywhere else in spite of—or perhaps because of—the bittersweet memories they conjured up for her. While she knew that she'd someday grow accustomed to spending time in the rooms that were her due as the Da Fu Ren of Qing Shan Yuan, she hoped that her husband would allow her to spend her nights—their nights—in this space that had defined so much of their relationship.
Her decision to take Yuwen Yue's hand and follow him out of the bridal chamber had been an easy one. Gone were the days when she had to deny herself the ability to follow the man she loved on whatever new adventure he had planned for them. Now that she'd pledged herself to him as his wife, she finally felt able to give her heart free rein and to allow herself to live her life without feeling the need to sacrifice it for others.
Which is why my fear and nervousness are so ridiculous, she thought, scowling as she looked at what she already thought of as their bed. After all, I've faced down hundreds of thousands of soldiers on multiple battlefields. I've been mauled by wolves and hunted like an animal. I've been beaten. I've been shot. I've been sliced and stabbed and trapped and poisoned. I've been lied to and deceived and betrayed. So why am I suddenly afraid of showing a little vulnerability and experiencing a bit of pain like some pampered, royal empty-head?
A pungent yet pleasing scent penetrated her senses and tickled her nose, bringing her out of her musings. A small curl of smoke rose up from the incense-burner, dispersing its aroma around the room.
"I would've taken care of that for you," Chu Qiao said, her breath catching in her throat as her husband leveled his intense stare at her.
"I know," Yuwen Yue said, walking towards her. "But you're my wife now, not a servant."
"So I only have to do what you want me to do some of the time?" Chu Qiao asked innocently.
"I wouldn't want to ask too much of you, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said. "I would settle for you doing what I want you to do just a little of the time."
"I'll do my best to live up to your expectations, Husband," Chu Qiao said sweetly but with an edge in her voice that she'd been unable to keep Yuwen Yue from hearing.
The potency of her husband's expression increased as he drew near to her, and the red of his robes only enhanced his handsome appearance. In spite of the tension between them, Chu Qiao couldn't help but feel a sense of rightness about the situation. She belonged in this place at this time with this man, and he belonged in that robe with that expression on his face as he stalked towards her. That understanding helped to calm and reassure her that once she'd gotten through this night, the nervousness would go away and life could move on.
"My expectations are very high for you, Wife," he murmured, stopping right in front of her and bending his head low so that his face was level with hers. "I expect for you love me for the rest of your life. I expect for you face the world at my side till death. I expect for you to be the mother of the many children that we're going to have together."
Her eyes widened on that last point, and she knew that she would've looked back at the bed had she been able to tear her gaze away from his. Part of her wanted to fire off some witty retort, but she felt frozen, her mouth unable to work. He cupped her chin gently in his hand and tilted her head up so that her mouth was almost touching his.
"I expect for you to train hard with me so that you'll always be able to defend yourself against our enemies. I expect for you to live and love and sleep in here with me for the rest of our days. I expect for you to stay with me...to stay with me..."
The look in her husband's eyes was indescribable as he realized that he'd accidentally repeated his anguished words from the icy lake. Chu Qiao's eyes gentled, and she put as much love and promises into them as she could. Her heart thrilled at the fact that her husband was willing to allow her to share these rooms with him in spite of his need for personal space, and she once again felt that sense of rightness as another piece of the future clicked into place. She braced herself for the kiss that would come next and its inevitable conclusion, knowing that she'd never be able to deny her husband anything.
Her body reacted instinctively to the bladed hand that came at the side of her neck without warning as her instincts ripped her out of her husband's grasp and propelling her backwards. She lashed out a booted foot, completely unsurprised when her husband caught it in both hands and pushed her back into a backflip. Chu Qiao landed on both feet and aligned her body in a defensive position just in time to meet her husband's next attack.
It was a familiar one, and she quickly lost herself in the give and take of their sparring routine. The presence of their wedding robes added spice to the experience, giving her and her husband the appearance of dancing flames that flickered both towards and away from one another. One facet of their sparring that hadn't changed was the tension that she felt blossoming inside of her as she settled into the rhythm of the dance. Even when she hadn't understood what her feelings had meant, she'd found herself irresistibly drawn to the man who was now her husband.
He slotted himself behind her and picked her up by her waist and calf, the feeling of his hand on her leg stoking the intensity of her desire for her husband. His eyes bored into hers as he whirled her around in what had become one of her favorite parts of their sparring. This time, however, she held none of her feelings back, allowing them all to shine from her eyes for her husband to see. His own expression for once left none of his emotions—or his intentions—to the imagination, and she found herself wanting to prolong this moment as she suspected Yuwen Yue had done with the tea-serving.
Yuwen Yue planned all of tonight in advance, she realized as she deliberately whipped out of her husband's hold and started employing a complex set of moves that she remembered from her Underworld years. He set everything up so that we would end up back here where we belong and so that I would be more relaxed by time we reached this point. My husband could've just taken what he wanted like so many men would've done, but I never would've married him—and he never would've married me—had he been like most other men.
Chu Qiao knew that many would've called them crazy, but the glint in Yuwen Yue's eyes as he used a technique he'd never used on her before told her that he was enjoying this challenge as much as she was. While she knew that some of fire in his gaze came from his desire for her, the rest of it was his response to facing and besting a new obstacle.
You told me years ago that I like to fight and win, Yuwen Yue, but you're the same way, she thought as her husband caught her own strike towards his head and turned it into a looping twirl as he turned her in place before him.
He trapped her arms and hands in that complex hold that had served them well multiple times over the years and once again spun them around as they attacked phantom enemies through the air. Their red robes flared out around them, creating the illusion of a fire raging out of control. Her husband's eyes echoed that sentiment as they blazed with desire and the intent to finally make his move. Chu Qiao had no desire to stop him, so she allowed him to execute a final familiar move that left her pinned to the bed beneath her husband's strong hands and hooded gaze.
Her mind hazily connected her current position to yet another moment the two of them had shared in that cave, yet the emotions coursing through her now made the ones she'd felt then pale in comparison. Chu Qiao fully understood what she was feeling, and her mind and body were both ready to learn a new set of moves she could use to dance in tandem with her husband in that special rhythm that only he could share with her. As Yuwen Yue's face began to descend towards hers, time and space seemed to slow and narrow down until she was focused solely on the man who was bending over her.
My husband, she thought in wonder as her hand reached up to caress his face, a wave of love and affection washing over her for the man who had loved her for so long, saved her so many times, and cared for her so well-often with no realistic expectations of receiving anything in return.
Her husband stared down at her in question, even now willing to put her wants ahead of his. A hint of vulnerability crept into his gaze, and she realized that maybe Yuwen Yue wasn't as calm and collected as he was pretending to be. She grew even more determined to carry out the final step of this current dance before the next one began, knowing that her husband would complete his part of the dance just like he'd done so far—and just like he always would.
Our wedding was nice and proper, she thought, shifting her hand to the back of her husband's neck and softly tugging downward, but I need for us to make our own vows and promises to one another that reflect who we are.
Chu Qiao stopped Yuwen Yue's descent again just far enough from her face that he could still look into her eyes. She opened them for him completely, doing her best to convey all of the promises of love and commitment and permanence that she wanted to make to him.
"Till death, Yuwen Yue," she said softly, tears filling her eyes as she reaffirmed her promise from the icy lake.
Her husband's eyes erupted in a maelstrom of emotions as he closed the final small distance between their faces.
"For life, X'er," he rasped into her mouth right before he claimed it as his own—this time without interruption.
AN: This is it, y'all. The end. Posting this at the end of one year and near the beginning of another seems appropriate given this different path we've been walking with XingYue; thanks for taking this wild and crazy journey with me. I can't believe this monstrosity is almost 200,000 words long; I honestly never imagined I'd have that many words about any story in me. Even now, my mind keeps conjuring up new scenes/chapters and tempting me to continue. I've resisted that temptation, though, because I feel that this is where the story needs to end—for now, anyway. As with "Lunar Convergence," I won't rule out the possibility of a sequel; in fact, I already know exactly how I would write one. For now, of course, I'll turn my attention to plotting out "Awakening." The second chapter of that one is fairly self-contained, so I might write that sooner rather than later. Or maybe I won't write it for another month. Or maybe I'll write it and several other chapters before I start posting them so that I can stay ahead. I don't know. We'll see.
One generally doesn't write a nearly-200,000-word story in a vacuum, so I probably should thank those of you who encouraged me this far. First of all, there's no way I would've made it this far without Liliumscribe (or 40somethingahjumma on Soompi), who drew me in with her insightful meta posts and then kept me going with encouragement when I was struggling with understanding Chinese culture and PA canon. Thanks for all the behind-the-scenes headcanon musings and Yuwen Yue fan-girling serious character discussions; every scene involving historically-inaccurate fan-service is dedicated to you;). Thanks to Sey KompungCham and reallyseaweed, who were excellent quality control specialists and faithful reviewers; your enthusiasm was welcome and appreciated. Thank you, Jane Dela Rosa, for keeping me straight with your insightful comments (and your translations of those omitted scenes from the novel that I've read a time or two;P). To Lilium, ElvenDestiny, .iris, AnImaginist, and adrenaline1217, thanks for also contributing content to this fandom. Thanks to my other faithful reviewers like Ty, abjanee, linny, Sros, Eilatan Orama, Sonnie Zoom, theary, and the numerous guests who contributed insights and suggestions. (Special thanks to whichever guest requested some sort of Yan Xun redemption aspect to this story; you're pretty much responsible for me deciding to flesh out "Awakening" from a one-shot double-shot short story to what will likely become my next monstrosity obsession longer story. I kind of hate you right now, but thanks all the same.)
Song recommendation: There's always an element of chance here since many of these songs come to me courtesy of Spotify's "Discover Weekly" playlist. Two such songs are "Til Death Do Us Part" by Kait Weston, which is obviously dedicated to Chu Qiao, and "Fight for You" by Grayson Reed.
Translation/fanfic updates: Spring Breeze has translated another half-chapter of the novel at darkstarlights dot wordpress dot com. Angel Chua continues to add to her fic "Secret Princess" at princessagents dot wordpress dot com.