. . .

The carriage trails turned around far away, for it could not continue the journey beyond. The figures walk away drifting to be enveloped by fog leading to nowhere.

--

DRIP

DRIP

DRRIIPP

A crimson Bloch drips on the white snow as it seeps in to form distorted rose patterns. The white ground of the new snow is adorned with blood-red trails as the wind strongly flows past covering some of them fluttering along with robes of the two men in white cloaks. They walk discreetly past the secluded path of the market in the remote village within the mountains. Heads covered their fur-edged hoods making it impossible to look at the faces beneath, leaving just the lips visible, Bitten in the frost, dehydrated and flushed red in the cold. They seem to walk for days. The man in white staggers to lose his balance, falling in his diminished qi.

"L.." The other man almost rushes to him but halts as the other signs him to stay where he is. Balanced by an ethereal white sheathed sword he crouched for the moment before he forces the sword onto the white ground to rise from his position. The force was so overwhelming that puts his inner qi at the limits of exhaustion. Blood seeps to show beneath all the layers of robes to through to drip to his clenched fists holding the sword. If it was not for the dripping blood the figure of this man stood so upright to perfection that it was impossible to tell that his qi was at his limits. The other person's eyes widen to the evident blood dipped through to stain the pristine white grounds as he rushes to hold the other's hand hidden behind.

"La.."

"We need to go farther."

Before he could say anything the person with the deeper voice interrupts shoving him aside. With an exasperated sigh, the slightly shorter man rushes to his side just closer enough only for the other to see the plea in his eyes as he holds to support the man at his waist.

"I...I am tiredddd.. Please let's stop by an inn." He pleas as they still keep on waling at a steady pace. "LA..n" Before he could utter any more the gaze of the colder person makes him realise they were still outside there might be no one yet there may be ears within the wind.

"Er gege, We are farther miles, Even though I do not know the ways I know this. Stop being so anxious, lets stop by an inn." He calls the other somewhat sternly but to no avail as the other keeps on walking responding nothing.

The other man stops in his tracks eyeing to acknowledge the stoic person he was with. A smirk appears on his lips with mischief. He rushes closer again but this time he hugs the other from the back lifting him off from the ground. The stoic person is quite stunned as the other goes on rambling about how much he tired cheekily, with his giggles not quite well suppressed.

"Let me down" The other orders but the cheeky one is sure enough to take his pleasure in letting the other taste his own medicine as he quietly holds the other quite firmly, somehow making it awkward for the taller man.

This was awkward and was surely invading his mind more in comparison to any of the scars that were exhausting his qi much faster than normal. "Wei Ying" He turns to face his mate whispering in a plea just audible enough to the other to let him down.

Wei Ying lets him down they stand in front of each other. "Let's stop by an inn, okay." He holds the other hands as he draws in close pleading.

The wind rushes past bushing across their cloaks revealing the ethereal men beneath the hoods. The pale ones gaze into the darker orbs staring at the messed hair in front adorning his slender face. The other pulls his mate's hood covering his face again before he pulls his own.

"Will get caught" the crown prince whispers looking into the dark orbs in worry. Wei Ying holds his head down not being able to argue more before he smiles to a certain thought as he leans in mischievously.

"Fine, you asked for it" He states as he forcefully pulls the other to saddle onto his front this time. The abrupt action made the stoic person's eyes twitch in awkward embarrassment. But before he could protest his exhaustion finally takes a toll on him. Wei Ying carries the second price as Lan Wanji rests his head on the other's shoulder slightly.

---

The wind rages blowing off the snow that rested, making it harder to see through where they were going. Lan Wangji has completely rested on his shoulder. Wei Ying moves forward shoving his foot on the snow creating a grip of his walk through the hill. His breath is heavy, he had warped his cloak's edges to Wangji not just because this person has sacrificed his very being to him, but just because...he wanted his husband to rest warmly.

The winds of the snowstorm grow stronger, not knowing what to do he creates a barrier of foxfire shield around. Walking above with great difficulty he walks gritting his teeth exerting his concertation to the shield. But the more he tried the harder the frost with snow and ice hit against. Being brought up in warm waterways naturally, he does not know what to do. A sharp frost passes through making a cut beneath his eye.

"Ah " He winches waking Wangji up.

"Blizard! Down now " Wangji commands looking. He does not know how he fell asleep, his mind wanders but for now, he transforms channelling his qi turning up to a jade dragon.

Flying above the dragon curls in the air growling in energy to make nature at rest. After all, he is leaving his home. The nature is sure to retaliate. The warm blue aura surrounds the deserted hill as the Jade dragon channels his core ying to absorb the warth, calming the nature for he is bound to the heaven and earth.

Crouching down in blowing winds Wei Ying's tails cover for protection as he peeps the enigmatic scene. His mate's ties to nature. The way it is responding for Wangji to return home. The light shines upon the scales of the Jade dragon reflecting rainbows. The mana could be felt all over the atmosphere, piercing the snowy whips of frost, ice and water. The blizzard calms down but the jade dragon seems to come down at an immense speed. It was falling down. " LanZHANNN" Wei Ying screams, his heartthrob wildly as he runs to see Wangji almost crashing collapsing in a lifeless tangle from above. Mumbling an incarnation Wei Ying creates a protective barrier to slow down the jade dragon's momentum before it could hit the ground. Running at his utmost might Wei Ying races to the top, even though his breath ran short and his legs seem to be giving up in exhaustion. Even though it doesn't make him cease the speed but rather increases in overwhelming capacity. Tears spills through his eyes as he reaches the top collapsed, crawling through the cold snows towards the faint glow of his layed ethereal creature.

He takes his stoic lover into his arms as his all instincts come to a freeze looking upon the faint breath of the transform semi human. Damn the rules Wei Ying thinks as Wangji has not forgotten clothes right before crashing in exhaustion. But the pity was, it was all soaked with blood from the back. Looking at the state Wei Ying can not fathom what to do. The red blood stains the white grounds of Su mountains as if marking Wangji's sin colluding with the devil. Wei Ying regains his senses as he checks Wangji" Breath, breath" he mumbles like crazy, shaking as he looks for the signs if Wangji could make it was alive. The breath was faint. Tears spill down Wei Ying's cheek as he sobs like a maniac claiming he can not go. He cannot. For his life was nothing without Wanji. He slaps himself realising what he must do. Removing the upper edges to reveal the collar He breaths in gathering his energies as he thumbs the place just beneath the neck caressing in affection. He has planned to give his all. He breaths in closing his eyes as his small fangs grow to pierce into the skin. His cheeks are stained with tears he sobs trembling as he heals transferring his inner energies of Ying to revive him alive. His aura flows through the veins as Wei Ying revisits some of Wangji's memories.

Each lash he took upon, his wait, his pains. ... Wei Ying breaths wiping his lips as he smiles to look at his mate with a constant but unstable Qi but at least he was breathing fine.

"We need to rest." Wei Ying says in a serious manner not trying to think of the blood-drenched back and pains he felt. Drawing an incarnation, he carries Wangji setting towards the direction it showed.

--

As the air, a dark horse gallops through the frozen lake. The wild locks of the man fly in an untamed wilderness through the biting cold of the dusk.
The blood drips on the frosted phoney through a clad wrapped white as the man in black robes he desperately pulls in a small abandoned inn in the midst of the forest of the mountains.

The faint warm glow of the candles flickers as Wei Ying chokes his sobs escaping his mouth. With trembling hands, he takes the herb prepared to apply on his bleeding scarred husband. The whips, it's all because of him. He could not help but blame himself. His eyes brim with water as the memory of what Jiang Shi said plays again in front of his eyes.

Standing on the tunnel's turns Jiyang Shi looks up to her sworn brother.

" Take Care of his highness and yourself," Jiyang Shi utters.

" Yeah sure, I told ya all to not get betrothed this soon. NOW look at this mess. Aiyaa." Wei Ying tries to joke as He can not see his angry lotus so low.

"Seriously, You can joke!! And Out of all times you had to reach your full potential at the banquet, not in front of one-two but all the clans."

"Huh Yeah I did it on purpose ain't it!, and they were too respectful to Shijie if you were there too! Especially that Zwejun of yours"

"You Brat, Shijie does not want to be married! We were the ones to ask them to help us out! Because as if any of us could go against mother empress's wishes."

"WHAT!!, Don't tell me it is because of the peacock!"

"Urgh! I don't know and that is not an issue, We knew this had to turn this way one day or the other"

"It is all.."

"Yeah! It is all because of you, you have the worse timing of all, If the second prince were not to save your sorry ass you might not even .. Whatever. The clan's going into internal hiding and chances are..."

"..That there might be a war, I do not understand, if I am the problem.. then..." He knows no matter how rude and harsh angry lotus acts she cares.

"Damn if you would listen for once, You have a responsibility, understand the incarnation behind your collared choker. And be damn grateful to your 2nd prince. Even though being married to a man especially that ice prince is hella awkward. I still can not believe he called us up for helps days earlier to help you leave here."

"Lea_ve, What do you mean?"

"Oh shut up, it means What it is supposed to mean, keep this!"

The memory fades in as Wei Ying drifts asleep learning onto the bed frame, holding onto a bloody cloth.

The winds blow colder misted in a faint smell of the peonies that bloom in the frosted snows on the edge of the windows, outside the now flickering dim lights of life of an abandoned place of the edge of nowhere marking the wildered outskirts of the northern terrains.

Two lives, a soul, an unexpressed true love blooming in a cold iced world as the ambered peonies seeking the lights of unrestrained truths.

A/N - Stay tuned for the mystery is unfolding. A very late Christmas present to you all.

P.S.- Yeahh I ain't dead, so I will do the juicy dramatic justice this story deserves. It is just hard to live in the fictional world while being full time adapted to a functioning real world. Who else feels so drop your words!