Solstice Souls

Shattered Trust

Lan Zhan POV

The hardest thing Lan Zhan had to do was leave Wei Ying outside. He caught XiChen's eye and immediately felt so much better. He had been right; getting his brother's support was half the battle...now to face the rest of them.

One last kiss because Wei Ying was temptation solidified...and they both needed this connection. A simple touch from Wei Ying settled any unease he had, filling that empty space he had inside for so long.

Lan Zhan tore himself away and opened the doors.

These were his Elders. They were his family.

He had grown up with these very people, they had stood by his side through thick and thin, blood and tears. They were his people, and they wouldn't let him down now.

Uncle Qiren was sitting in the middle, surrounded by a sea of white. All of them were looking at him with uncertainty on their faces. And it was his job to fix that.

"WangJi, tell us, is it true? XiChen told us that your punishment is to marry that...that Wei urchin?" Uncle Qiren tried to look calm, but his eyes were blazing with righteous fury. "How can this be possible when you testified that you're innocent? Why do we have to accept this judgement?"

The others mumbled their support as the voices got louder.

"It has been ruled." Lan Zhan stated clearly, and loud enough to quiet them.

He had to say more, this was his chance...but he desperately wanted his Xiongzhang there, to speak for him.

And yet, a part of him understood that once he took this step, there was no going back. He had accepted the verdict. He had chosen to marry Wei Ying. Falling in love with Wei Ying was not a conscious decision, it had happened by itself but it was what he wanted and needed. This feeling deep inside his heart told him it was right.

So, he took a deep breath.

But before he could say anything, Uncle Qiren spoke.

"It does not matter. If you are innocent in this, we do not have to accept anything, not less the whim of a loner too cowardly to leave her mountain. We can fight the verdict."

"I do not wish to." His voice was sure and strong. "I want to marry Wei Ying."

Seconds of silence fell before an uproar broke out.

"You can't be serious!"

"We won't let you!"

"He's the son of our mortal enemies!"

"What has he done to you?"

This last question was the most offensive.

"He has not done anything." Lan Zhan glared at the man who dared to suggest something like that. "By going against the Celestial Immortal, we would be inviting trouble that we do not need. And I am willing to accept her judgement." He thought back to the time he had spent with Wei Ying's grandmother, the cave and the fountain from whence their bracelets came.

But something inside him did not want to reveal these secrets. They were a part of him which only Wei Ying was allowed to share, and by making everything public, cheapened it somehow. This love he had for his Wei Ying was still something new, something precious that he wanted to hide away inside his cavernous sleeves.

"That is true. It is said, those who go against the wishes of Immortals do so at their folly. Things are good in Cloud Recesses at the moment." One Elder on the top row said, his brow furrowed in deep thought. "As WangJi said, why invite trouble?"