Sorrow In Autumn

Chapter 23 Three Rings

This chapter coincides with a short story called My Tears In The Autumn Wind.

With how confusing Wattpad is being lately, I'll put the link here:

https://www.wattpad.com/919870829-my-tears-in-the-autumn-wind-chapter-1

I was thinking of adding three other stories to this series...

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Interestingly, the surname Zhao originates from Zaofu. The story goes that King Mu honored Zaofu with the name after he saved the king's life during a battle with the eastern state of Xu. He became the lord of Zhao, a town in what is now in Shanxi Province.

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The early hours of dawn is a time suspended, still carrying the hush of heavy night. A time when anything seems possible.

The storm has passed the prior day, but the grey of the skies lingered with the autumnal promise of misery. Shen Wei watched the morning light begin its immortal combat with the shadows of the night. The world was quiet, a hush over the compound of the Meng Clan before the activities of the day began in earnest.

But silence is something difficult to bear, when your heart is troubled. When worry and fear accompany every thought no matter how powerful your hope or faith.

The unnatural stillness of the room seemed heavy and nothing stirred. In the center of the ornately carved bed Shen Wei lay curled into Zhao Yunlan's side counting his breaths, trying to suppress his own emotions and wandering thoughts. He lay over the covers wearing only his inner robes, his hair cascading along his back in a loose braid, a river of ink black fading into the darkness.

Sleep had eluded him and he had played his dizi for most of the night, rejoicing when Kunlun's power seemed to awaken, the thrum of energy returning to his skin. His own dark energy continued to swirl around his love, long after the final notes had disappeared from the air. Rest was a hopeless thing though. His dark energy would sustain him for days to come, the odd hours of sleep he had stolen over the last few days, more than enough to empower him.

If he closed his eyes he could so easily imagine that he was ten years in the past, listening to Kunlun's heartbeat as he drifted into dreams. When he closed his eyes he was plagued by the fear that this was all a dream or that his love might breathe his last without watchful eyes. The stress of it kept him on edge, as if ready to draw his sword, his heart only eased by Kunlun's undeniable warmth.

He stared at the handsome face of his soulmate and worried. Were his dreams pleasant at least? Or were they nightmares with no reprieve? Was he even dreaming?

Rising onto his elbow, Shen Wei leaned over him and kissed the corner of his mouth, long fingers brushing over his beard. Wondering not for the first time, if Kunlun knew he was here, that Shen Wei was fighting for him. Would it lessen his pain if he knew? Shen Wei sighed lightly his fingers returning to Yunlan's chest, gliding across his soft black robes in a pattern only Zhao Yunlan would understand, he thought with a weak smile

The knock at the door disturbed his quiet study of Kunlun and Shen Wei tilted his head, eyes flicking over to the door.

"Your Imperial Majesty." Butler Wu's voice was soft and surprisingly gentle. Usually he would never dare to interrupt the Emperor, but it was his duty to officially wake the king in preparation for early morning court. Now and then the king would actually be asleep, but on most occasions, the Head of the Imperial Household would find Shen Wei working, already fully dressed in the first three layers of his court robes.

Ignoring this interruption for the moment, Shen Wei tipped his head down and kissed Kunlun with all of the love of his black heart, "Soon my love. Soon you will be free."