Disclaimer: I don't own anyone. If I did Yaners would be mine.
He watched the pregnant woman call out to her husband. Zhuge Liang waved at her, the feathers of the fan generating a breeze. As the couple embraced, the masked warrior had to turn away.
It had once been said that time healed all wounds. He had known the couple now for over thirty years. Apparently time had decided that a few generations needed to go by before it would begin to ease the ache in his heart.
He gave a soft growl. Would she ever guess of her effect on him? If she were to ask he would attack all the armies of the world for just a simple kiss. It wasn't just her body he hungered for, though it didn't help matters any. Even from this distance he could easily see the physical assets that had always attracted him. The armor that she insisted was practical showed off more curves than was health for a man in his fifties to look upon. Could she not even be ugly when expecting a child?
It wasn't just that though. Everything about her was perfect. She was still as beautiful and deadly as ever. Age had not slowed her ability to mow through the enemy lines, nor had it managed to dim her looks in any way. What an odd thought. She never considered herself beautiful and would give a belly laugh at even the idea. But he had always considered her in that light, and nothing could change it. Not even the night when Zhuge Liang had confronted him.
It had been autumn then, and Yue Ying had been absent from the battle against Wei. That detail alone should have alerted him to the fact that something was different. The lady seldom left her husband's side. He had been much younger than, and a fool to boot.
For once, the strategist had not been sneaky. "You love my wife."
The accusation had startled the masked general. Were his emotions that transparent? It wasn't as though he hadn't tried to not love her. But it was almost a compulsion. Hanging his head, he answered truthfully. "Yes."
"You are not welcomed near her anymore. Is that understood?" Zhuge Liang had remained calm, but one hand gripped his fan as though ready to create a magic spell to destroy the unwanted admirer.
The masked general had understood that the woman loved her husband, but it was not until that moment that he understood that the strategist loved his wife. What could one do? Tears clouded his vision. He would never be allowed in her presence again. How could he possibly live like that? With a creak of emotion, the word seemed to drag itself from his mouth. "Understood."
"Dismissed." The fan was waved once.
Numb. It was the only word to describe what was spreading through his soul. He took one step, stumbled, and fell.
A sigh barely reached his ears. "Wei Yan. Wait. Perhaps I am a bit hasty."
He wearily got to his feet and turned to Zhuge Liang.
The strategist's brow puckered. "I can not fault you for loving my wife. She is an extraordinary woman. I would be a fool to punish you for something I feel myself. If you could find yourself a woman to marry and have children with, then I will allow you to be under Yue Ying's command instead of my own."
"Trick?" The question had slipped out of his mouth before he could stop it.
"No. This is no trick. As long as you are married I will not fear for my wife' virtue. Once you have been under her command for some time, you will forget your crush, and devote yourself to your own wife."
Freedom. The strategist was promising him freedom and didn't even know it. No longer would he waste a whole day arranging things so he could catch one small glimpse of her. Nor would he need excuses to go see her for wounds. He would no longer worry about her while in the midst of battle. He would finally have his life back.
He had agreed and quickly found himself a wife. There was one thing that he had not considered though. Zhuge Liang could be wrong, so very terribly wrong. The woman he wed was sweet and pretty, but still he found himself coming up with reasons to pass Yue Ying in the hall. All was lost. Treasonous dreams haunted him leaving behind questions about the taste of her lips and the feel of her skin against his own.
And now she would be taken from his life forever. She was saying her goodbyes now to all the generals who had been placed under her care. Did she even know the pain she caused? She would go and raise her children. No, not her children, her and Zhuge Liang's children. The thought made his stomach churn. How many times had he wished for her to look at him with the adoration that she only graced Zhuge Liang with? Too often.
Hiding was the only solution. While it was usually not in his nature to be a coward, he could not watch her leave his life. No, he would find a seclude spot and lick his wounds in private.
"Wei Yan! Wait!"
It was her. No other voice could be so loved, yet so unwanted at this time.
"Didn't you hear me? Stop!"
He froze, turning to see her crossing the remaining distance between them. "Yes?"
She flew into his arms, embracing him. "I wanted to see my favorite general before I left." Her smile could put the sun to shame with its radiance.
The masked general tried to return the grin, but found his lips would not move as he squeezed the woman. He had never been this close to her before.
She ruffled his hair, then pushed away from him. "Won't you come see the baby once its born?"
There would be no acceptable excuse that he could come up with that would allow him away from the front lines and near where she lived. "Of…course."
"I'm so excited! I can't wait to see if it's a boy or girl. I've been trying to think up a name since we found out." She took one of his arms and steered him further away from the camp. "What do you think?"
"Zhan." The word came unbidden to his lips. He had always wanted to have a son with that name.
She gave a belly laugh. "How remarkable! Zhan it is then!"
His heart lurched. This woman would kill him yet.
"There is something I meant to ask before I left", she turned to him, her face solemn.
"Yes."
"Will you watch my husband for me?" Grey eyes looked up at him with hope clearly written in them. "He doesn't take care of himself. I always have to remind him to eat. Could you make sure he takes care of himself and eats well?"
No it was worse than he thought. Yue Ying would eat his still beating heart before she left forever.
"Promise."
"Thank you Wei Yan!" She reached up and placed a whisper of a kiss on his check. "I have to go now. If not the carriage will leave without me." With a wave she raced back towards were the crowd awaited her.
He stayed on the hill where she left him long past the time when the carriage had faded from sight. Finally with a sigh he started back towards the camp. He had to remind Zhuge Liang to eat dinner, after all.
He watched the pregnant woman call out to her husband. Zhuge Liang waved at her, the feathers of the fan generating a breeze. As the couple embraced, the masked warrior had to turn away.
It had once been said that time healed all wounds. He had known the couple now for over thirty years. Apparently time had decided that a few generations needed to go by before it would begin to ease the ache in his heart.
He gave a soft growl. Would she ever guess of her effect on him? If she were to ask he would attack all the armies of the world for just a simple kiss. It wasn't just her body he hungered for, though it didn't help matters any. Even from this distance he could easily see the physical assets that had always attracted him. The armor that she insisted was practical showed off more curves than was health for a man in his fifties to look upon. Could she not even be ugly when expecting a child?
It wasn't just that though. Everything about her was perfect. She was still as beautiful and deadly as ever. Age had not slowed her ability to mow through the enemy lines, nor had it managed to dim her looks in any way. What an odd thought. She never considered herself beautiful and would give a belly laugh at even the idea. But he had always considered her in that light, and nothing could change it. Not even the night when Zhuge Liang had confronted him.
It had been autumn then, and Yue Ying had been absent from the battle against Wei. That detail alone should have alerted him to the fact that something was different. The lady seldom left her husband's side. He had been much younger than, and a fool to boot.
For once, the strategist had not been sneaky. "You love my wife."
The accusation had startled the masked general. Were his emotions that transparent? It wasn't as though he hadn't tried to not love her. But it was almost a compulsion. Hanging his head, he answered truthfully. "Yes."
"You are not welcomed near her anymore. Is that understood?" Zhuge Liang had remained calm, but one hand gripped his fan as though ready to create a magic spell to destroy the unwanted admirer.
The masked general had understood that the woman loved her husband, but it was not until that moment that he understood that the strategist loved his wife. What could one do? Tears clouded his vision. He would never be allowed in her presence again. How could he possibly live like that? With a creak of emotion, the word seemed to drag itself from his mouth. "Understood."
"Dismissed." The fan was waved once.
Numb. It was the only word to describe what was spreading through his soul. He took one step, stumbled, and fell.
A sigh barely reached his ears. "Wei Yan. Wait. Perhaps I am a bit hasty."
He wearily got to his feet and turned to Zhuge Liang.
The strategist's brow puckered. "I can not fault you for loving my wife. She is an extraordinary woman. I would be a fool to punish you for something I feel myself. If you could find yourself a woman to marry and have children with, then I will allow you to be under Yue Ying's command instead of my own."
"Trick?" The question had slipped out of his mouth before he could stop it.
"No. This is no trick. As long as you are married I will not fear for my wife' virtue. Once you have been under her command for some time, you will forget your crush, and devote yourself to your own wife."
Freedom. The strategist was promising him freedom and didn't even know it. No longer would he waste a whole day arranging things so he could catch one small glimpse of her. Nor would he need excuses to go see her for wounds. He would no longer worry about her while in the midst of battle. He would finally have his life back.
He had agreed and quickly found himself a wife. There was one thing that he had not considered though. Zhuge Liang could be wrong, so very terribly wrong. The woman he wed was sweet and pretty, but still he found himself coming up with reasons to pass Yue Ying in the hall. All was lost. Treasonous dreams haunted him leaving behind questions about the taste of her lips and the feel of her skin against his own.
And now she would be taken from his life forever. She was saying her goodbyes now to all the generals who had been placed under her care. Did she even know the pain she caused? She would go and raise her children. No, not her children, her and Zhuge Liang's children. The thought made his stomach churn. How many times had he wished for her to look at him with the adoration that she only graced Zhuge Liang with? Too often.
Hiding was the only solution. While it was usually not in his nature to be a coward, he could not watch her leave his life. No, he would find a seclude spot and lick his wounds in private.
"Wei Yan! Wait!"
It was her. No other voice could be so loved, yet so unwanted at this time.
"Didn't you hear me? Stop!"
He froze, turning to see her crossing the remaining distance between them. "Yes?"
She flew into his arms, embracing him. "I wanted to see my favorite general before I left." Her smile could put the sun to shame with its radiance.
The masked general tried to return the grin, but found his lips would not move as he squeezed the woman. He had never been this close to her before.
She ruffled his hair, then pushed away from him. "Won't you come see the baby once its born?"
There would be no acceptable excuse that he could come up with that would allow him away from the front lines and near where she lived. "Of…course."
"I'm so excited! I can't wait to see if it's a boy or girl. I've been trying to think up a name since we found out." She took one of his arms and steered him further away from the camp. "What do you think?"
"Zhan." The word came unbidden to his lips. He had always wanted to have a son with that name.
She gave a belly laugh. "How remarkable! Zhan it is then!"
His heart lurched. This woman would kill him yet.
"There is something I meant to ask before I left", she turned to him, her face solemn.
"Yes."
"Will you watch my husband for me?" Grey eyes looked up at him with hope clearly written in them. "He doesn't take care of himself. I always have to remind him to eat. Could you make sure he takes care of himself and eats well?"
No it was worse than he thought. Yue Ying would eat his still beating heart before she left forever.
"Promise."
"Thank you Wei Yan!" She reached up and placed a whisper of a kiss on his check. "I have to go now. If not the carriage will leave without me." With a wave she raced back towards were the crowd awaited her.
He stayed on the hill where she left him long past the time when the carriage had faded from sight. Finally with a sigh he started back towards the camp. He had to remind Zhuge Liang to eat dinner, after all.