A Phoenix Rising - An Untamed Story (Book 1 In Series)

Chapter 07

Lan Yuan was thrilled. Not only to see this father after so many days of not knowing where he was, but to finally be able to acknowledge him as such in public. "I wish you a happy wedding day."

Wei WuXian hugged his son's shoulders a little tighter. "Come have breakfast with us. I'm starving. And then I need a nap. The last time I stayed up for three days and nights I was your age."

"You don't have time for a nap," Lan Yuan's other father reminded him as they started walking to the dining pavilion. "By the time you finish eating, it will be time for you to bathe and get dressed."

Lan Yuan struggled between wanting to respect his fathers' privacy and curiosity. "Why were you awake for three nights?"

Wei WuXian smiled. "Your grandmother had a gift for me. It took us a while to go get it."

Lan Yuan abruptly bowed before his fathers. "Please forgive me. I did something I'm not sure you will like." When his fathers only looked at him with curiosity in their eyes, he bowed his head lower and added, "I brought Jiang WanYin and Jin Ling here for your wedding. I saw that they were not on the guest list, so I invited them here for a few days. I also invited Wen Ning to enter Cloud Recesses later this morning. I haven't told them about the wedding, yet. But they're the only family you have, XianBaba.... I thought they should be here."

Wei Ying reached out to raise his son up out of his bow. "Did you think I'd be angry? If they find out today or next week, it makes no difference. I'm not planning on hiding that I'm married.... Or who I am married to. I was planning on inviting Wen Ning, so it's good that you did it for me. As for my brother and nephew.... They'll make a scene or not." He looked over at Lan Zhan, who nodded. "I'll tell them before the ceremony, so they can decide on attending or not."

The three continued on to the dining pavilion where they were joined by Jiang Cheng and a yawning Jin Ling. As they sat to eat, Jiang Cheng skipped preliminary small talk and asked, "Where have you been the last few days?"

Wei WuXian gave him the same prepared answer he had given to his son. "Lan Zhan's mother had a gift for me. It took us a few days to get it."

Jiang Cheng was not as easily put off as A'Yuan. "His mother has been gone for years. She's never met you; how would she have left a gift for you?"

"She knew my mother when they were younger." Wei WuXian smoothly lied. "This was a gift she prepared for me after she had heard of my birth. But for various reasons, she was unable to send it to me. Lan QiRen found a reference to it in an old document, and so we went to go get it." Lan Zhan placed a hand on Wei Ying's sleeve. "Ah, yes. Lan Rules: no talking while eating." The hand moved back to its lap. This was one day, one time, that Wei Ying was glad for the no talking rule. He and his brother and nephew had not exactly parted on amicable terms. They no longer wanted to kill him, hopefully, but they also didn't seem to be welcoming him with open arms, either.

Lan WangJi excused himself after eating citing matters he had to attend to with Lan XiChen. Wei WuXian nodded, "I'll see you at nine, then." After Lan WangJi bowed and left, Lan SiZhui also bowed and made his excuses to leave. Left alone with his relatives, Wei WuXian rubbed at his nose, muttered 'traitors' under his breath, and motioned for his brother to go with him. "Let's go to the Jingshi to talk. I have to bathe; we've been away from civilization for three days and I'm sure I stink." They entered the Jingshi to see Wei WuXian's wedding clothes hanging in front of the privacy screen, waiting for him to wear them later.

"Uncle Wei," Jin Ling asked, "Why are there wedding clothes in your home?"

Wei WuXian gave his nephew a sharp look, but declined to answer. The boy would figure it out soon enough.