A Tear Frozen in Time

Tears

For the next few days, Guotin barely kept his head as Mo Yuan literally turned their marriage trial into a joke.  No matter where they went, or what they did, he always found a way to include himself.  Mo Yuan was constantly in her line of vision during the day and when she went to bed at night, her anger at him ensured that he was also the last one on her mind when she went to sleep.

But through it all, The Empress merely watched and listened as the anymosity rose.  She knew it would all come to a head shortly though she was certainly surprised at Guotins restraint seeing as the mans temper could be just as volitile as her daughters.  But that he could keep up the pretense of being unaffected by Mo Yuans relentless onslaught to disrupt their trial was certainly an admirable feat in itself but that he could also remain polite towards everyone including Mo Yuan, attentive to her daughters every need and prepared for anything no matter how much Mo Yuan threw at him, had her estimation of him soaring.

Though she wasn't foolish enough to know that what she had allowed would cause major disruptions among the tribes should they last the two weeks and Bai Qian decided to continue their trial in his lands.  This was a constant source of dissension between herself and her husband who had stated many times that he would forbid it, even taking her soldiers to raid the Demon lands if he had to.

But it was the desperation in Mo Yuans eyes that had her wondering exactly how far he would go to prevent it.  And as much as she wanted to just end it all and send Guotin back to his own lands she knew she could not.  She might have the final say on all decisions, but her daughter was the Queen of Qing Qiu afterall.  She had to be allowed to rule and that meant actively learning about a potential enemy while also creating friendships no matter how vile they might seem to others.  

Leaders the world over did what was necessary to gain the greatest advantages for their people, even putting themselves at risk if it meant their people would live another day, so her decision to allow it to continue was a strategy that not even Mo Yuan could deny and it was certainly working, because Bai Qian had learned plenty from him and much of it unintentional on his part.

Even when he was sitting quietly reading a book in the sun while she sat beside him seemingly staring off into space, she realized that he was never truly relaxed.  His mind was alert to absolutely everything, not even an innocent little petal falling from the tree above his head escaped his notice.  Because no sooner had it left its branch and the breeze stilled just enough to let it flutter down towards him, then a little magic had it swiftly bouncing back up into the air to hover over her own head before letting it gather with the rest of them he sent her way.

"Guotin, is there anything you would like to do today?" she asked as she relaxed back against the tree to look at him.

Placing the book down on his lap, his head turned to look at her.   So far he had seen more than enough of her armies, her lands and the little reserves that dotted the forests where she liked to disappear to when she wanted to be alone, and she had also taken him to the Peach Tree Grove to collect wine where they had then sat on the top of the Blue Mountains to drink, talk and take in a sunset.

But with each excursion or attempt on his part to learn more about the woman herself, Mo Yuan had ensured he was there to completely ruin any chance he had of getting any closer than just a mere guest who was doing his damnest to remain unaffected.  

But he was affected.  The constant rumbling of the den shaking as more masonry was removed, the constant mention of their future wedding, the cribs he was hand scultping for the twins he was positive she would give him and even the constant reminder of past events that suggested they had been far more than just Master and Disicple not the mention the way the man pushed him to the far end of the dinner table so he could sit beside her for every meal, to then visit her in the middle of night only to be thrown out time and time again, was severely grating on his nerves.