SiZhui couldn't believe what was happening to him. A week had passed and that stupid idiot hadn't returned. Was he really going ahead with it? How could he? Was he really in the dark about how SiZhui felt for him? And why was this so difficult?

SiZhui felt betrayed.

Out of the blue, the news of this wedding had knocked him out of his stupor, lighting the slowly growing flames of love, which apparently was one sided. Only one other knew of his affections, but even he expressed a few negative emotions upon hearing. JingYi thought he, SiZhui hadn't been at all clear in telling Jin Ling how he felt. Was that true?

He had tried, he was sure of it. He had presented Jin Ling with a flower, the first of the new magnolia blossoms, even climbing the great tree to get it. That had been a feat in itself, the branches too high to climb without steps. Too late, he had realised that he could have gotten his precious flower while balancing on his sword, but surely there was something to be said for anything gained through perseverance.

Jin Ling had accepted it, too. Wasn't that a sign? There were other things, perhaps small and inconsequential to anybody else, but after that, he expected Jin Ling to understand, when he kept asking for his presence during night hunts, when he offered to clean his arrows and such.

The truth was, he didn't understand what was going on in Jin Ling's mind. He didn't even know who he was marrying? Why not? And another fear took wings: was he being forced to marry?

It was not unheard of, especially since Jin Ling was the next Leader of JinLinTai. Many sects preferred arranged marriages for two reasons; first the semi guarantee of future heirs, and secondly, it maintained some semblance of control regarding who entered the family and clan, ensuring a pureness of lineage.

SiZhui hadn't really given thought to marriage yet. But ever since Jin Ling mentioned it, it was all he could think about. Would he make a good husband? He liked to think so, especially if it was all about the best interests of your spouse.

He sighed dreamily. His only experience of a married couple was his parents. Even he could tell that they had something special, a connection that went way beyond their bodies. It was in the way each held the other, the silent communication without words that resulted in perfect understanding. How one would move out of the way of the other, a continuous dance based on their expectations of where the other would be.

They rarely needed to talk, his father Zhan being less vocal was his nature, and yet father Wei spoke often and a lot. He knew his father enjoyed the sound; he had once found himself looking his way while father Wei was speaking. The complete rapture on his face, his whole attention on the words coming out of his mouth, his eyes resting on that well loved face. It was something he would never forget.

Father Wei transformed his other father. His face would soften, filled with love. It was a face that did not show what the wearer was feeling, but in those small instances, his features opened to reveal his heart.

Father Zhan had a similar effect on his father Wei. To anyone else, it would seem that father Wei was just as talkative, animated and lively with his husband as with anyone else, but SiZhui knew different.

Father Wei showed his true feelings in other ways, in the twinkle of his keen, silver eyes sparkling with love. How he would curl into his husband, craving physical touch. The way his hand always searched for the other's, even unconsciously. They were always touching, SiZhui reflected.

Whether that was because of their forced separation or just because neither could stand being far away from the other, but SiZhui knew better. He remembered waking up at night and seeing his father, alone in bed and crying in his sleep. His father had suffered so much.

His child mind had not understood why his father's back was bleeding so much, but he was well aware of the pain. At first he had presumed it was because of his physical injuries that his father was always upset, the pain never leaving his eyes. But as he grew up gradually, and the wounds became scars, his father's grief grew worse and the little boy realised his pain was due to something else.

Everything made sense when he saw his fathers together. When they looked at each other, there was no one else. You could not describe their feelings as love; the word seemed pitifully inadequate, because theirs was so much more.

Could he have something like that with Jin Ling?

He was brought out of his thoughts by a disciple who said his father was asking him to come to the Jingshi.

When he got there, father Wei explained what they were doing.

It was only when his sister asked to see the same things and his father agreed, that SiZhui had his first doubts.

When she screamed, he slapped the talisman on her body and hoped it wasn't too late.

******

Wei Ying heard her. His heart pounded painfully at the sound of her fear. He looked around and saw that they were in the same place as his past visits. So was she scared of the water?

Hui Gai appeared next to her, tail swishing, eyes red and shining with anticipation. But he too looked around and saw Wei Ying holding her hand. Her eyes were squeezed tightly and she was shivering in fright.

"Little rabbit, what's wrong?" Wei Ying bent down to ask her, but seconds later they were back inside the Jingshi. Hui Gai had returned with them. He looked wary.

"We're home now, you can open your eyes." Wei Ying continued patiently, speaking as softly as he could.

Her eyes briefly snapped open, when she saw him, she climbed into his lap like before, holding him tightly.

Wei Ying put an arm around her waist holding her to him, and the other he placed at the back of her head, stroking her hair. He had learned early on, that this action represented safety and love to his little girl.

Slowly she calmed down. He helped her sit back so they could see her face. Lan Zhan wiped her eyes and SiZhui handed her a cup of water, which she sipped gratefully.

"Little rabbit, you have to tell me what's wrong. Otherwise how can we help?"

Her big blue eyes shined with unshed tears. Wei Ying saw flecks of reds and greens in her irises, something he hadn't noticed before. She was looking at him with so much trust, it broke his heart.

"I have dreams." She whispered. "Bad dreams."

"And there's water? Like what we saw?" Wei Ying correctly guessed, smiling gently at her when she nodded. "What else?"

"Bad people. They always try to pull me into the sea. They look a little different from us, and fierce." She shuddered. "In my dreams, I'm always fighting them, but somehow...somehow, I always lose."

"Hush now, child. You don't have to think about it." Wei Ying pulled her closer to his chest. "It's okay to be scared of things, even places. It's natural."

"Are you scared of any place?" She asked him innocently.

He couldn't help it; his mind transported him back to the Burial Mounds.

The fearsome winds of deep resentment invading his mind and his body, broken from that fall from the sky. His limbs torn, bones broken, no, shattered as he lay on the ground.

And the voices.

They were clamouring for his help, they wanted revenge.

Black wisps of resentment energy began to fill his pores, fixing the broken pieces, building him back again, one nerve at a time, while his still warm blood seeped into the ground under him. And all the while the wind blew, stealing his breath and his will. He could not fight them any more.

"Wei Ying! WEI YING!"

Hot lips stole his breath, kissing him with an urgency. Teeth bit into the plump cushions, causing him momentary pain, but it was licked away seconds later, the assault on his senses continued until his eyes blinked open.

Why was Lan Zhan kissing him?

Wei Ying pulled away, his emotions in turmoil as he gasped in air to replenish his starving lungs.

Lan Zhan was still staring at him, panic in his eyes and fear on his face.

"Children?" Wei Ying panted out.

"Sent them away. Wei Ying, panic attack."

"Oh."

Lan Zhan handed him a cup of water. He downed it in one go. His eyes were sore, so he pressed the heels of his hands on them, trying to relieve the gritty feeling.

"What happened?"

"Burial Mounds."

Lan Zhan pulled him into his arms so fast, he didn't have time to blink.

"Not alone. I am here."

The deep words were spoken into his ear, the echoes humming in his head. Wei Ying felt so tired, as if all the strength from his body had been sapped away by that awful place.

Lan Zhan picked him up and placed him on their bed, immediately following him in. He wrapped strong arms around the shivering body and held his husband closer, until he fell asleep.

But Lan Zhan stayed awake to watch over him.