In Darkness

Altered Plans

AN: This chapter was going to be a lot darker, but our poor MY and BQ are in need of at least a bit of a break before sh*t hits the fan. The pace of this story is going to pick up now that they've been better established.

Daiyu looks up when she hears familiar, soft footfalls outside. Su Jin, still attempting to rest, completely ignores the noise and remains in bed. Sighing softly, she rises and walks over to the entrance before giving the Fox Queen a proper curtsy, "Your Highness, what brings you...?"

Daiyu watches, surprised, as Bai Qian wordlessly enters the small hall without little more than a glance in her direction. It wasn't like her -- Bai Qian can be cold and sometimes even hostile, but she'd never been impolite enough to outright ignore her.

"Su Jin," Bai Qian's voice is calm and gentle, and the warm smile on her face doesn't wane when the pregnant woman flinches and turns back to face her in alarm. Instead, she sits down on a nearby seating area and sets the basket she brought in down on the nearby table. Lifting the lid, she takes out the tea she prepared carefully before continuing to speak, "I spoke with High God Mo Yuan and the Medicine King. They'd like you to drink more tea to keep you awake."

By the time she turns to bring a cup to her bedside, Su Jin is looking at her in utter disbelief.

Bai Qian sits down on the bed, looking every bit the elegant and righteous queen that Daiyu remembered her to be, "My family is worried as well. After all, should you give birth to a son, he will hopefully be the next Heavenly Lord."

"Su Jin knows that A-li is supposed to be the next Heavenly Lord," Su Jin states warily, watching Bai Qian like a hawk. Without being able to see her eyes which are covered by a piece of white silk, she can't completely gauge her motives.

"Su Jin," Bai Qian murmurs, gently handing her the small cup of tea, "A-li belongs to Qing Qiu, he will one day be one of its kings if I have my way. We both don't want him to rule. Can we not just get along for the sake of the realms?"

And then, Daiyu sees it.

A small, almost imperceptible glow of warmth comes from Bai Qian's hands when they touch.

She's laid the enchantment spell of the Nine-tailed Fox tribe on Su Jin, and she doesn't know whether or not she should be jealous of the attention or excited over the idea of her finally making her move.

o~O~o~O~o

The Swan Queen's home was outside of Northern Qing Qiu, as far as she could possibly get from the God of Cranes without traveling to the end of the realms. On a mountaintop that was always snow-covered, she chose her specific location so she could easily overlook her people while remaining undisturbed.

Not because she sought peace, however. Far from it, in fact.

She chose to remain out of the public eye because of her lover (The Moon Goddess Chang'e's daughter), who had fallen ill from Qing Qiu's demon plague. She keeps her hidden behind the white stone walls of her palace that blend in perfectly with the snow. Deep underground, her lover has remained out of sight for centuries.

She was out of control for her; the moment she fell ill to the plague, she knew she should have sent her to Qing Qiu... but she couldn't. She couldn't give her up even when the God of Cranes willfully broke from the pact of the Forest Clans over her inability to surrender her. They had been the oldest of friends and raised as siblings; but for her, she would willingly give up her own brother.

Leaving her balcony that overlooks the beautiful, mountainous area where her people resided, she takes off her feathered cloak and silently picks up an unmarked bottle of wine before heading further into the palace, to that one secluded area deep underground where she kept her.