Choices

6 - Twists

With blank eyes, Donghua gazed at the rows of immortals and demons kneeling before him, awaiting punishment, and thought that he should have expected this.

Leading the line is, of course, Zhonglin. "Dijun, Her Highness Bai Fengjiu was discovered missing a few hours ago. As you ordered in case this situation arose, the alarm was raised and search parties scoured the entire demon realm as soon as her disappearance was discovered. She has not been found still. Your servants await punishment for our negligence."

They ought to, the incompetent lot of them, but what good would that do? "Stand up and don't waste any more time. If she isn't in this realm, then search for her elsewhere."

Zhonglin, ever dutiful and reliable, accepted the clemency with a bow of gratitude and proceeded to do as he was told.

As the servants and guards dispersed, Donghua went to the gardens to think. As much as he didn't like to admit it, the only plausible conclusion was that she had escaped to chase after Yan Chiwu; after all, wasn't it for the Green Demon Lord's sake that she came to the Southern realms in the first place? Donghua had done everything possible to separate them; he couldn't really blame her for running away when the opportunity presented itself.

He had hoped that by tearing them apart, he could somehow make a space for himself in her heart. He was a fool. He didn't manage to make a mark on her a millennia ago, even when there was no competition. Why did he even think he could do so now, when her affections clearly belonged to someone else?

In truth, he first saw Bai Fengjiu one thousand years ago, when she stayed in his domain along with other fairy maids that Tianjun regularly sends as some form of tribute. He didn't know who she was back then, disguised as she was and without the tell-tale birthmark on her forehead. In fact, he wasn't even aware of her existence for the first few months or so; it was only after the other maidservants had made the obligatory appearance in the doors of his chambers that he counted and found that it was one girl short.

Contrary to what the world might think, Donghua wasn't as absorbed in the matters of the flesh as his reputation would imply. It was only the currrent Tianjun's assumption, which Donghua had not the time nor inclination to correct. The girls could come and go as they please, anyway; if he wasn't so inclined, then they get thrown out of his chambers like countless others before them. On the very rare chance that one catches his eye, then he indulges until the novelty fades and someone else interesting comes along.

Donghua hadn't found anyone interesting in a very, very long while, so much that he could be considered a monk by now.

In Xiaobai's case (because that is what he had always called her in his mind, from the very first moment he saw her), his interest was piqued by the fairy maid who broke protocol and so sought her out. After several days of scouting about, he found her in the kitchens, relegated there by his foster sister Zhihe for the entirety of her service, presumably to keep her away from his sight.

That day, under the anonymity of an invisibility shield, Donghua spent the entire afternoon watching her with great amusement and rising fascination, as Xiaobai frantically attempted to salvage dinner -- sweet and sour fish, with the carp burnt into a charcoal-black crisp, because she fell asleep while minding the fire.