Yan Provincial Roleplay

[Li Dao Wen]

Xun Jiang departed from Ding Yi's presence as soon as they reached her tent, wasting no time. He was totally averse to any more showings of weakness in front of his Queen, preferring to duke it out on his own. When he got to his own tent, he tried to sit on his wooden throne as if there was nothing wrong. It was a testy experience, however, one that soon sapped the man's will away from the demon's pride.

Shaking his head and pulling his face in perpetual inner turmoil, he plodded towards his covered sleeping quarters, undid his soiled boots and helmet -keeping his breastplate on- and thrust himself into the warmth of his bed. Intermittent coughing soon followed him, and he huddled in his sheets like an epileptic due to the cold and pain of his body. All of this, and he still couldn't go to sleep. He was sick; how badly it was, he didn't know. But kingship awaited the next day, and the thought of dying that night was so infuriating that he growled as he thrashed and tossed in the comfort of his heavy blankets.

"Some soup and company would be nice..." he grumbled to himself.

[Meia]

A few quiet minutes passed before the flap of the tent's entrance fluttered open, letting in a burst of cold air. It was quickly followed by the smell of hot food, which permeated the confines of the tent. One of Xun's soldiers had brought a tray of items: a larged covered clay pot with a porcelain serving bowl, as well as a filled flask of tea. He clicked his heels together, standing to attention before announcing, "Your Majesty, I bring stewed broth from the kitchen; it has been prepared specially for you. And freshly-brewed red tea for your enjoyment as well."

The soldier stiffly walked across the tent and settled the tray on a round wooden table beside the throne, saluting before Xun Jiang before preparing his leave.

[Li Dao Wen]

The smell of the broth and tea that pervaded around his tent was mouth-watering, but he couldn't bring himself to look at it. The one who brought it was a soldier, a male soldier. It was not even a female attendant, much less Ding Yi, as he had fancied.

Xun Jiang barely stifled his desire to throw a pillow at the poor soldier, settling for a grunt instead. It greatly amused him how they assumed that he'd be able to do anything on his own; it was his own doing, after all. Precisely what he wanted them to think. But at the moment, he was in a very bad state. He fancied that he was too sick to feed himself, probably to even chew, unless he had some help for the task. As much as it shamed him, his gnarled voice had to say something... Humbling. As humble as a disgruntled but bemused king of Yan could be.

"What? You expect me to feed myself? In this condition?" he roared at the soldier, just as the latter was creeping his way out of the tent. Xun Jiang was suddenly roused from his idleness, propping himself up to sit and face the trooper. "Send for the... Graah! Send for the Queen! If... she's not yet asleep or doing anything, that is."

His face was less ferocious than it was agitated, and he looked at the soldier sternly.

[Meia]

The hapless soldier’s mouth fell open, stunned by his King’s sudden, angry reaction. But he hurriedly clamped his jaw and cleared his throat before replying, “Uh yes..! Right away Your Highness!” He had started to towards the exit, but suddenly recalled that, in his haste, he had forgotten protocol to properly excuse himself. He spun to face Xun Jiang, giving a smart - albeit embarrassed – salute before leaving Xun’s foul mood behind in a hurry.

Several minutes ticked by, much to his impatience most likely, before Ding Yi slipped in. “...I thought you would have wanted to rest without disturbance..” the lady’s voice trailed, looking quite unsure and apologetic while she stood near the entrance of the tent. Her flustered breathing indicated that she had been running.

[Li Dao Wen]

Xun Jiang watched with silent amusement as the soldier scampered away, the man's scared demeanor adding effect to his clumsy movements. Still he kept looking sternly at the man until he had gone to fulfill his request, only dropping the facade once he was alone.

When he saw Ding Yi peek through the tent's entrance, Xun Jiang's face stiffened automatically, though it was by no means an angry face. Contrary to what Ding Yi would have thought, Xun Jiang was in no rush for her to see to his needs.

His hard exterior broke when he noticed her labored breathing. She had been running to come to him; it was a warming thought which brought another odd smile for her to see. "Really? Who told you that?" he snapped at her question, albeit a little playfully. Was he really acting childishly, or was he delirious? He guessed that his Queen would assume it's the latter. "You are by no means a disturbance. Whoever told you that is going to get a stomping from me."

He chuckled a little bit, then reached for the platter of food with some difficulty. He leaned across the headboard of his bed and sat while he ate, his eyes almost glued to Ding Yi. "Truth is, I don't need to be fed. It's just my excuse to get you to come here. Sorry if you had to run. Take it easy next time."

The food had gone a little cold, but it tasted good all the same. The broth melted in his mouth and scattered the flavor within his mouth. It was a fine meal for a sick man. Thoroughly pacified to have gotten what he wanted, Xun Jiang patted the space beside him, motioning for her to sit closer.

[Meia]

Idly scratching her arm, Yi’s brown eyes blinked with embarrassment as she realised that she had made a wrong assumption earlier… She had returned to her own quarters after visiting the kitchen, only to have a soldier rush to convey that the King could not eat and desired her presence. But now that she knew that she had been played simply for his amusement, she could not help but breathe a muted sigh. She did try to suppress the tinge of unhappiness however, nodding nonchalantly in understanding when Xun Jiang said to “take it easy”. Yi let him have his meal in peace, her eyes wandered randomly at items and personal effects within the tent, aware and feeling quite unnerved by his unflinching stares.

Her eyes followed his hand when it placed the emptied bowl back onto the tray, noting that at least he was no longer coughing. There was a moment’s hesitation when he motioned for her to sit by the bed. After another subtle sigh, the woman relented and settled herself to sit beside him, running a hand over the side of her face and tucking her hair behind her ear, her head tilted downward.

[Li Dao Wen]

Seeing as he almost never removed his eyes from her. he immediately caught wind of the inner disappointment that beset her. What he didn't understand was why she appeared to be. "Did I make you unhappy for some reason?" he asked her quizzically, tearing his eyes away from her to contemplate on what he had done wrong. He then realized that it was something he had never given much thought about before. He used to do anything he wanted to without minding -or caring- about the consequences. But now Ding Yi radiated so much calm it was almost tantamount to boiling frustration.

She must have been expecting him to do something that would be embarrassing to her, but he never laid a hand on her. In fact, the silence became almost palpable because he sat there thinking of what he had done, quiet and immobile as a granite statue. Though he was no more intelligent than the average Joe, he was quite perceptive and keen in analyzing things. He figured that she must be unhappy because of two things: one, she thinks that he had called her simply for fun. Two, she probably thought that he wanted her to finally sleep with him.

It was, admittedly, a thought that had not left his mind. But he had resolved to see to her needs and wants before trying to satiate his own. Till then they had slept in separate tents, and he figured that she wanted things to stay that way. Furthermore, she must have been very tired, and the fact that she did run on his call must have upset her.

A visible frown emerged from his stone-hard face. He wasn't trying to make fun of her by calling her; he simply had wanted her presence near.

After a few minutes, Xun Jiang broke the silence. "Lady Yi, I'm... Sorry if my call had been inconsiderate." There was no begrudging sense of pride in the way he said his apology, it was sincere, almost sad. But how could the skeptical Queen of Yan ever attribute such an emotion to him? He swept his blanket aside and set his feet down on the cold ground, obviously preparing to stand. "If you wish to return to your quarters, I will escort you back."

[Meia]

Ding Yi stiffened when he noticed and queried whether she was unhappy. In response, the lady shook her head tiredly, the speed in which she spoke betrayed her agitation, “There are just too many sides to you. I don't know.. You are so different now from what you were..in Sai. I do not know which to believe.. Your soldier said you weren't able to feed yourself, I thought it might have been something serious..” Yi's voiced cracked a little near the end, as she suddenly felt an urge to cry; the surge of emotion from within was battling against her will to hold back her tears.

Yi appeared stunned that Xun, who had been quietly sitting beside her, was even apologizing; she thought he would be angered. However, she realised he really hadn't hurt or even threatened her since they left Sai. It was the reason she had hesitated to approach his bedside: to block her mind from assuming the worst, even though she had already accepted that sharing a bed with him was ultimately inevitable. She sensed a heaviness in his deep voice, as if he was dispirited, perhaps even hurt..? Immediately she empatized. Whereas the actual words seemed to skim through her ear and were shortly forgotten, the deep sincerity in the apology had indeed reached her, causing a paradigm shift in her perception of this man. Somehow along the way, Xun Jiang must have changed, she thought. No cruel man could have spoken with such humble and heartfelt sentiment.

“No,” Instinctively she raised her palms and reached slightly toward Xun Jiang, ignoring the slight sting of the tears brimming in her eyes. One of her hands dropped to his knee, squeezing lightly while she shook her head, not wanting him to stand. She could feel his feverish warmth through the fabric of his pantleg. “I forgive you and...I'll stay,” she added hurriedly. Then she paused, searching his eyes, wanting to make sure that he heard what she had said. “Let me stay..I just need some tea..*sniff* I'll be fine.” She assured genuinely. Internally Ding Yi was trying to calm her heart which was pounding furiously. While the reason for his calling her continued to elude the young woman, she was determined to re-visit her impression and understanding of Xun Jiang, and perhaps learn to trust her King of Yan.

[Li Dao Wen]

The confession of bewilderment, frustration and confusion was certainly justified in his eyes, for Xun Jiang too was searching within himself for answers. How did this strange series of events come to be? His machismo and bravado have been swept away, replaced by humility and grace. What she said was true, he was indeed different from how he was in Sai. His earliest intention had been to subject her to his whims, to make her understand the power of Chu through brute force and will. But everything suddenly changed with that promise; it made him realize that Kingship and power were privileges that men should not only earn, but things that men should learn about. The responsibility of being an actual king instead of a mere king in his dreams didn't fill his mind with thoughts of grandeur and glory as he had expected; it meant that he was to govern a land and bring its people to peace and prosperity, as per the policy of Chu.

But truth be told, if Ding Yi told him that she didn't wish to be Queen of Yan, if she had told him that she didn't want to be burdened by such a heavy task, it would have led him to two options. One, would be to set her free. The second would be to give up the throne and go away with her, to see the land and to live with her, follow her wherever she may go. There must be someone in Chu's ranks who would make a better king than he, no?

His hand softly found its way to her cheek once more, stroking her gently. "Thank you, milady," he paused as he considered the circumstances, the situation, through her eyes. What was it that made her want to stay? Could it be possible that she wanted something more from him? Something deeper, something he had thought was beyond his capacity to give?

"As for your confusion, Lady Yi," he began, clearing his throat and sniffling in the cold. "You are probably right. There are so many sides to me that even I can't seem to find them all. Where this side of me came from, I honestly don't know."

He paused, breathing deeply before initiating his own confession. This time he would say what he truly wanted to say. "But this I know... Lady Yi, it is you who had changed me. You hadn't done anything tangible, yet being with you, and knowing you had made me realize how poorly I had been living my life. I had never been wont of riches under the banner of Chu, nor glory, nor fame. But you made me realize that I had been starving for humaneness, and for... For something else. The only thing I have never had my whole life."

Her heartbeats were so furious that he could feel them by touching her face. From her chin, his hand slid down again, towards her heart, and gently pressed two fingers on it. "Truthfully, I'd rather be here, Lady Yi, than on the throne of Yan."

[Meia]

Yi closed her eyes briefly just before the moment his hand touched her cheek, bracing herself to the caress and how she remembered it felt. Her gaze then followed his drifting hand, to where it held. '.In..my heart..?' she thought. Then, a moment’s pause. 'Love?' She mutedly mouthed the word, her eyes darting to this conclusion. Also, Yi could scarcely believe what he was saying, that there was something Xun Jiang would rather have above being King. “....you..don't want to be King anymore?” She stuttered dumbly, “but..you have fought all your life for your claim to power.!”

“Please, do not let down the men who have laid down their lives in battle by giving up the throne.” Her hand reached for his, her gaze unwaveringly focused on him. “You can rule with righteousness, for Yan to be a better place for the citizens. That is what I want, for Yan...We can do this..” Yi found herself drawn closer. “Unless you no longer wish to wed, then.. I..” her voice trailed whilst she sat back slowly, thinking about her own future and realising that after all that had transpired, she hadn’t developed the wish to leave him.