Taoist Master

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It was summer in the mortal realm and normally she loved to visit during the warmer months because it was busy and entertaining. It was the best time of year, because it also brought many of the travelling plays into the town where her holiday home was. Situated in the heart of a sprawling city, she could watch the world pass her by though the open door, or she could go out and join them.

Only she wasn't there for a holiday, but a chance to escape with her thoughts to really dwell on her future and whether Mo Yuan actually had a place in it. And being in the mortal realm, meant she could take as much time as she needed while only a few days would pass in her world if she decided to stay on.

So settling in, she ignored the rush of chatter passing by outside and sat down with a fresh pot of tea and several of her official records which she needed to acclimatise herself to again. There were many rules and protocols that governed the naming of a new King and Queen and many of those were safe guards to protect her people from outsiders taking the throne, yet she was positive she had seen a similar codicil to the one her father had added to the marriage agreement and if that was in fact the case, then she had work to do.

As the sole ruler of Qing Qiu, she was still within her rights to change all laws and protocols even though she knew her father would disapprove seeing as he and his father before him, had laid down every law which for the most part, worked for everyone.

But if she was going to live a happy life with a man she loved dearly, then she had to pave the way forward for them both, and that was exactly what she intended to do. To her mind, a marriage to Kunlun Mountain was out of the question if such a codicil did in fact exist and so losing herself to the books on the rights to govern, time moved fast while her own world had barely lost a few minutes.

It would take several days before she found what she was looking for, only her father and his father had written it in such a way, that making any alterations was near impossible. In fact,it was almost word for word in her marriage contract, which only had her placing the book to the side to look out the window at the crowds who were hurrying about their business. Stalls were lining the streets, shopkeepers were calling out their wares, and several groups of women could be seen haggling over the prices, while the men sat about in the many restaurants talking business, taking their ease or eyeing the women if they weren't already married.

Her view of the scene outside was actually very good. She could see up and down both sides of the street and normally their happiness would have her smiling and wanting to join them. Only the sight of the women grouped together in their little friendship groups, only had her wondering if that was what marriage actually meant. She could see a few eying their husbands out of the corner of their eye while also imagining their conversations were on the social events they would be attending in the near future. And this was based on the kinds of things they were buying.

New hair pins, new dresses, a little extra makeup and even small gifts for their hosts. It seemed to her that this what marriage would also mean for her. Not only would she become one of the socialites of her world, she would be expected to host gatherings, join many of the festivals and banquets and of course be the kind of woman a War God needed at his side. He might be a solitary figure in their world, but he was an elite one. He attended all the great functions so of course, as his wife, she would have to be the kind of woman they would all expect her to be.

Gracious, welcoming, entertaining and knowledgeable in every subject that interested the worlds elite women. And the thought was so obscene to her, that she quickly rose to slam the shades down so she wouldn't have to look at the fake smiles or hear their fake conversations.

In fact, the thought was so abhorrent to her, that she began to cry. Mo Yuan needed that kind of wife, and her marriage contract heavily suggested that if she wanted him, then she not only had to lose her quiet solitary life of isolation and join the fake social gatherings, but she also had to breed the perfect family for him too which only made her cry more, because deep down, she was actually willing to be that kind of woman if that was what he needed, only she couldn't reconcile the two to bring a compromise that would also suit herself and being a woman who had always done things her own way, she really couldn't see a way around it unless she was willing to lose everything she had ever known.