Sorrow In Autumn

Chapter 40. A Walk Beneath The Blossoms

As much as I wanted to throw us all into the Reunion, there were a lot of loose threads and questions I felt I needed to answer, for the three couples in this story.

So this chapter is designed to answer those little stabbing thorns! :)

If you want to skip this bit entirely, head to the next chapter!

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So big ramble time.  Please feel free to skip this.   I've been asked some really hard questions by a few readers and in writing this story, ended up once again addressing grief.

The second hardest conversation to have with a child, is to explain the sudden inclusion of new people - usually this involves a divorce and explaining that is a nightmare. To add ancient times + royalty to that mix and the burden is three times heavier. And its incredibly easy for one parent to give a child instant bias against the new person + this is a temptation too because we are most human when we love.

But, in my experience people with children react to traumatic separation in two ways. They never speak of the missing person or they tell stories about them. The missing person becomes a character the child either loves or feels indifferent about. If this character comes back into their life, its like a fan moment followed by an easy bond if they live up to their reputation.

For Wang Zheng, her silence gives her daughter a life. Her family was murdered by the man she loved and the Hanga Valley people were eradicated in genocide. For Shen Wei, speaking might be hard but Kunlun's name is everywhere. He's made Dixing acknowledge him as a national hero and his achievements are so great he's talked about freely. Its a safe topic and a safe one to talk about (as long as its in praise) in front of the king.  Shen Anujin would have worked out that talking about her father's hero, was a really good way of improving his mood/keeping his attention in the pockets of time free from kingly/finding Kunlun duties.

So she has no clue about Sang Zan, but loves Kunlun and considers him a great hero.

Shen Wei holds two things above everything else. Education and self-defense. He has unaddressed trauma and that trauma is carried on to the next generation. Growing up with two grieving parents, surrounded by grieving people because nearly every generation went to war...there is still that thinking that Dixing must be ready.

For FyreRayne & Irot9791 who adored Shen Anujin from the start. :)  She is based on a little one I know in real life and became something of a Wei Wuxian somehow...

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The leaves of the faintly blue yumao trees, shimmered in the morning light, the long branches  hovering above the surface of the water. A tiny hand reached up for the long plumed blue flower, just out of grasp. A larger hand callused by sword hilts and pole weapons, plucked it easily from above, laying it gently in excited hands.

Shen Anujin smiled happily up at her father as she cradled the pretty bloom, the scent light this close to the first storms of winter. "Thank you baba!"

Only blooming in autumn, they always added a bright spot of color among the bare branches, competing with the vivid feng trees and bazhu bushes with their scarlet leaves.

Shen Wei smiled at her delight and mused that the flowers really did resemble a cluster of feathers.  "I'll show you later how to make it into a bookmark, if you like?" He offered,

She beamed immediately, "That would be lovely. I could give it to mama."

The Emperor of Dixing only smiled, wondering how he managed to have such a beautiful child, but rejoiced in seeing her happiness after such a frightening time for her. An attack on her home, scores of injured in the healing wards, news her father was hurt. Then the separation with only  two letters from either parent to calm her fears.