Kingdom of Moutan

Present: Late Spring, 1472

Gen brushed his light-coloured hair out of his green eyes, staring woodenly into the distance as the youngsters practiced in the training ground. His gaze was turned to the north, fists clenched at his sides.

Is she hurt? Is she eating? Will I see her again? he wondered. His thoughts filled with Feiyan.

Xia frowned as he watched Gen from the side, but decided against throwing a rock at his head. Then he sighed, recalling a time when he too had waited helplessly in the south, waiting for news of those who had left to fight, to protect him because he'd been a weak child...but war was on the horizon again, and soon Lord Mu's shadow guard wouldn't have the luxury to reminisce or long for those who had left. Xia's expression hardened with his resolve.

This time...this time, we cannot...must not fail.

"That's enough for now," he said to the children. His heart contracted, noting how they'd grown over the last few months. They scuttled away, nudging each other and whispering, as they headed off to their next training session. He sighed again. He hadn't intended on being so sharp with them today, but his anxiety about their safety had made him stricter than usual.

He turned away, unable to watch them leave. At that moment, a warm breeze stirred the wisps of hair escaping his long dark braid.

"It's spring..." he muttered and golden eyes hooded thoughtfully.

"But it feels like years since she left..." Gen said, voicing what Xia had only been thinking. He glanced up to see Gen striding towards him. He nodded slowly.

"That's true."

It had only been the autumn when they'd stood in this very training ground throwing knives at Feiyan. It was now late spring and the cherry blossoms had already bloomed and shed their white petals, covering their surroundings with a snow-like carpet.

The breeze picked up again, rushing around them, as if to remind them that time would continue marching ahead. Gen grimaced and Xia raised his arm in surprise as he was pelted in a shower of petals.

A shower of cherry blossoms...

"That's a good look on you..." murmured a voice behind them. Xia turned to see that it was the crown prince.

Both Gen and Xia made a move to bow, but Xiao Feiyu waved them off.

"Be at ease," the prince said. He noted the slight colour on Xia's cheeks, but didn't want to embarrass him by pointing it out.

"How are the preparations?" he asked with a smile.

"How are your preparations, your Highness?" a voice sharpened by annoyance inserted itself before Xia could make his reply. Lord Mu entered the training ground with a decidedly sour look on the lower half of his face. "Your Highness visits here far too often these days..."

The silver mask glinted in the sunlight.

"Lord Mu," Xiao Feiyu grinned in greeting, not at all ruffled by the Grand Chancellor's censuring tone. "I cannot be remiss in my inspection duties...now that we are so close to the completion of our big plans..." he responded blithely.

"Now that your health has recovered you have grown sly, your Highness," Lord Mu retorted, straightening a sleeve.

"It is best that I become sly for the sake of rebutting those at Court and to prepare for what lies ahead. Would you have preferred that I stayed silent in my courtyard, admiring my flowers, books and gowns?"

"Yes, I much preferred you in your gowns pretending to be a simpleton, your Highness..." Lord Mu answered coldly.

I just prefer him in his gowns regardless, thought Xia naughtily.

Xiao Feiyu chuckled at Lord Mu, shaking a frame that had grown tall and wide. He'd filled out incredibly fast over the last few months, as if his body had decided to catch up all in one go. Having triumphed over the weakness of his childhood, his current appearance made it impossible for Feiyan to have remained his body double.

"Age has not improved your temper, I see," the prince observed, dark eyes sparkling.

Though Lord Mu's expression did not change under the mask, his lips twitched slightly.

Xia coughed, trying to supress his laughter. He was not unused to this fiery banter between the Crown Prince and the Chancellor, indeed as Xiao Feiyu grew more confident, it was becoming quite apparently that he had hidden his real personality all these years. Much like his father, he had quietly bided his time, pretending to be a calm mild-mannered weakling, but the truth was that Xiao Feiyu was a cunning person....and Xia been taken in. Not that he was complaining. The Xiao Feiyu that stood before him now was in the full flush of adulthood and more attractive than ever.

"How is her majesty the Queen?" Lord Mu asked politely.

Ouch...Xia winced. That's low...

The question took the smile from the Crown Prince's face, but he was still cool and collected when he answered.

"Royal Father secretly moved her and some of the other consorts to the summer palace in the south. We had to stuff Yuna into a trunk..." he said, letting his breath out slowly.

Lord Mu grunted. Princess Yuna was now sixteen and recently engaged to a young army general whom she had stanchly refused to leave. That is...until her brother tied her up and stuffed her into a trunk, ignoring her shrieks of protest.

"Soon this won't be a place for young love..." Gen said, lips flattening into a hard line.

"Yes, she'll be much safer in the south," Lord Mu agreed.

The Crown Prince nodded, but his eyes briefly shifted north.

Everything depends on Feiyan now...he thought. Yet...there's been no word...

***

The Illusion Realm, Ushitora

Present: Late Spring, 1472

Hajoon looked down at the woman in his arms, her head nestled against his shoulder as he carefully picked his way down the cliff path, surefooted as a goat. The corners of his mouth tipped up slightly as he'd realized quite a while ago that Feiyan was only pretending to sleep.

She still has this cute side to her, he thought, feeling a bit relieved.

"If you're tired, you can keep sleeping," he smiled, trying not to jostle her wounded back.

She made a face without opening her eyes.

"Do you see them yet?" she asked.

"Hmmmn," he grunted, finding her tone strange.

"It's a tall man, isn't it?"

"Yes," he answered. "A dark haired one."

"A'Xuan Gege...Oh, that's not right. Feiyan would probably call him Xuanwu, guardian of the north," she said in a silvery, almost dreamy tone.

He frowned down at her, noticing that the eyes she opened were now a brilliant red.

"You! Who exactly are you?" he asked in a low voice, trying not to let his churning emotions leak into his tone.

"There's no need to pretend, Min Hajoon," she laughed lightly. "You heard what the kanabo called me. My name is Hong Yi and I was once the southern guardian god."

"Why are you possessing Feiyan? What do you intend to do?" he asked sharply.

"Do not fear. I cannot harm Feiyan...but...it is very odd that in this life, you should be her lover," the goddess mused, eyes sparkling up at him.

Despite himself, Hajoon blushed and then grew angry.

"Why is that?" he demanded.

"Well...in a previous life, you disliked me the most...but perhaps you mistook love for hate. You always were a bit obtuse that way. But in the end, it's not meant to be. Look here," she said, holding up her hand. She pointed at a red thread tied to her pinkie finger that Hajoon had never seen before.

"How...? No, What is that?"

"Her marriage line. As you can see it's tied to someone other than you. Your spiritual sight is sharpening, so you can see it now...which means you'll awaken soon too...just as she has..." she yawned and blinked. "Oh...it's time..."she muttered, head lolling to the side.

"Wait!! You have to explain this to me!" he roared.

She ignored him and closed her eyes.

"...tired..." she mumbled.

Hajoon stopped and shook her, but there was no response.

He sighed, carefully setting her down against a log. If she wasn't stuck to Feiyan's body, he would have strangled her. Taking a breath to clear his head, he waded out into the surf to help Gamera, who was struggling to drag a large framed man onto the sand.

Once the man was out of the water, Gamera collapsed onto the sand panting. Hajoon folded his arms and waited. He wanted to kill the snake, but Feiyan had expressly forbidden it.

After a moment, Gamera brushed his hair out of his eyes and then crawled over, pulling the unconscious man's head into his lap.

"Thank you..." he said softly. "You can kill me now if you like. Since I've seen his face again, I can die now."

Hajoon snorted.

"Forget it..." he said and turned to walk away, but a hand shot out, gripping his ankle. Hajoon jerked in alarm.

I didn't sense him move!

The man on the sand had opened his eyes and his grip was forceful enough that Hajoon wasn't able to move.

"Wait...I have something to say to you..." he said, tone urgent. Hajoon followed his gaze and noticed that the man was staring at Feiyan who was still unconscious against the log.

"Speak quickly then," said Hajoon.