A Tear Frozen in Time

Confusion

In his arms and in tears, she merely clung onto his robes as he lightly stroked her hair until she had cried it all out.  For hours she had merely hung on every memory she had of him and the reason why he was there now.  That he was planning on extending the den was obviously not his real intention, she got that, but to literally force his way into her own marriage trial with another who she saw as a means to an end, only had her realizing one thing.  Mo Yuan would not let her go, no matter what she did, and that only had her wondering how on earth she was going to force him out of her life, when he was one of the reasons for a plan that had taken root thousands of years before.

And for a time, she had allowed those reasons to fully occupy her mind.  He had all but deserted her at her most vulnerable state, even informing her that he loved another before thoroughly breaking her heart.  But for Ye Hua to do the same thing and for them to be twins went beyond betrayal, they had both shattered her spirit and killed the last hope she had of ever finding resolution and just moving on.

Yet here she was once again, in his arms and feeling safe, as if everything that had gone before was nothing but a trial and she was still that little girl standing in the rain revelling in a different ending.  

"I'm sorry." he whispered into her hair where his head was now resting.  "I know that what I did was unforgiveable, but I'm asking you, to forgive me.  GIve me another chance....." he said softly as one hand continued to stroke her hair and the other pulled her closer.

He could feel her body relaxing into him and the anger ebbing away as her hands loosened against his robe and for a moment, he also felt a rush of compassion in the way her hand lightly pressed in against the left side of his chest, right over his heart.  But he also sensed her hesitation and seeing as she was now prepared to listen, Mo Yuan continued in the hope that she would see sense and drop this sham of a marriage trial and return with him.

"Please Seventeen." he begged a little more forcefully.

"I wish it were that easy....." she whispered against him and suddenly feeling an overwhelming desire to just give in and let it all go.

"Why is it not?" he asked as his lips slid down over the soft warm cheeks where they lingered a little longer in both hesitation and ecstasy that she was finally allowing him this close to her.  

"Is it because of Ye Hua?  Seventeen, I know what happened, but you don't understand....." he began only to sigh heavily when her entire body went rigid in his arms.

And as if he had hit her with lightening, the mention of that name instantly killed what little lee way he had made with her.

Of all the things he could have said to her, this was by far the worst.  Mo Yuan knew of her trial and the horrendous way she had been treated, but after his talk with Ye Hua, he had a very good idea of what had happened and why fate had chosen to throw both brothers at her.  But the way her body was fully in defence mode and blocking him out said he was no longer in control of the situation, not when that distinct cold she had the ability to create took hold.

"No, you don't understand." Her voice hardened while her entire body slowly lifted out of his arms before rising unsteadily to her feet to look down at him.  "There is no place for either of you in my den.  Not now, not ever!" she replied with that ice face that was beginning to anger him, especially having come so close to winning her back.

"I understand all too well.  You are angry because you were hurt by us both.  Be angry if you must, but aligning yourself with the Demons because of a trial that was arranged by the Heavens will only hurt everyone in the end, and none more than you and yours." HIs voice also hardened as he too found his feet to tower over her.