Aftermath (A series of ELOD one-shots)

XXXIX: Undoing (Part 2)

A/N: A god queen's thought processes. Or, how DH's beloved, clever, nine-tailed fox ended up being his undoing.

I would like to believe that in this timeline, DH is not yet as revered or as feared as he was three hundred thousand years into the future, hence the daring attempts against him and his family. This, coupled with the emotional challenges of loving someone for the first time, would make him react differently from his older, wiser counterpart (though, technically, they are one and the same).

Warning: ANGST *sorrynotsorry* *runs* *hidesuntilnextchapter*

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About a month after Dizhou left for the war camps, a loyal servant of Lady Chu Yi's (one who had been vetted by Fei Wei himself and had been to Bihai Cangling several times before), arrived with happy news -- the hatching ceremony for her mistress' first child, born a year ago, will be held in a week's time. Can Dihou be bothered to pay a visit and give her blessings as honorary godmother?

By this time Dihou and young master Gungun had been to Chu Yi's home in Wenyuan Valley several times, and the possibility of paying a visit when the child is hatched was something that had been discussed with and earlier approved by Dizhou. A travel plan was even laid out, with the safest route determined, and specific instructions laid out for Fei Wei to observe when the time comes.

And so, Fei Wei did not think to dissuade Dihou when she agreed and proceeded to prepare for departure with an excitement reminiscent of the first months of her arrival in this timeline. In fact, seeing Dihou thus delighted pleased Fei Wei so; it had been too long since she had seen a view other than the gardens and springs of Bihai Cangling, or the tents of battle encampments in between Dizhou's war campaigns.

As the closest aide of Donghua Dijun's family of three, it had become clear to Fei Wei that Dizhou's happiness was directly proportionate to Dihou's well-being, and so it became paramount to keep Dihou satisfied at all times.

And so off the three of them went, on a journey that took only half a day, following a path that they had taken a dozen times before -- a relatively safe route unknown to their enemies and far away from the immediate danger of war, to a territory which, in all respects, was a place of peace, a protected territory of Donghua Dijun's.

Everything went well, at least in the beginning. Lady Chu Yi herself welcomed them, and led them to the nursery where the babe slept, unaware of the festive fuss that was being raised on her account. Then they were ushered to the banquet hall and given the seat of honor, and given just the right amount of regard and entertainment without the suffocating formality and deference that other immortals tend to show Dizhou's wife and son.

(Fei Wei did wonder at the way Dihou stiffened, ever so slightly, as soon as her foot stepped over the threshold of the crane fairy's home, but chalked it up to anxiety at seeing so many immortals gathered in one place. It had been too long, in Fei Wei's opinion, since the crowd-loving god queen had enjoyed the company of other people, she and the young master having kept to themselves most of the time since their arrival in this timeline.)

When the sun began its descent and Lady Chu Yi asked if Dihou would be so kind as to stay another day, so as to witness the actual ceremony to be held tomorrow when the babe's grandparents have arrived, it did not surprise Fei Wei when Dihou agreed. He did make it a point, though, to suggest, "should we send word to Dizhou that we would be staying another day in Wenyuan Valley?"

Dihou shook her head. "No need. War camp is at least a few days away, we would already be home by the time he receives the message."

What she didn't say, Fei Wei knew, was not to bother Dizhou at this point in the campaign, which to his knowledge involves a surprise assault on an important command post of the demon and ghoul armies. This quality of Dihou, after all, is one that Fei Wei admired the most -- her uncanny discernment, the sensibility that was so rare among women of her stature and generation.