[Deep breath] Okay, guys, this is rough. I mean, really rough. As in "most of this was thrown together late last night and not even proofed" rough. But I wanted to get this out there—especially since there's no XingYue in my next DP chapter. So here's the opening of my next story, "Awakening." Calling this a story is quite generous as I'm not even close to having this world well-defined yet. On the plus-side, however, that means that y'all will have the chance to shape the direction of the story to a degree by telling me what you want to see in it. I'll let y'all read this and then I'll give a few more points at the bottom.

Yuwen Yue stood at the railing of the highest floor of the pavilion overlooking the Qing Shan Yuan courtyard, flute in hand as he looked up at the moon and stars. He normally checked in on his grandfather at this time before sleeping, but something about the night had called to him as it sometimes did—and the odds of there having been any change in his grandfather's condition since last night were slim.

The night itself wasn't what called you, and you know it, his logical mind chided him.

He pursed his lips and raised his flute to them, determined to drown out the voice in his head and the worries in his heart with music. Inhaling a deep breath, he shaped his lips around the flute and prepared to blow gently into it.

Instead of the high, pure notes of his own instrument, however, the somewhat harsh, droning sound of the bi li pierced the previous silence of Qing Shan Yuan. Yuwen Yue lowered his flute with a scowl, his face forming the same expression it always did when he contemplated the image of the woman he loved—for such he'd known her to be for many months—placing her lips where Yan Xun's had once been and playing the instrument the young prince had given her.

But she didn't leave, his logical mind reminded him as it always did when he indulged in such thoughts.

Yuwen Yue had long held onto that truth like a lifeline, and now was no exception. He thought of the document he'd stamped only a few moments before leaving his main room, the giving of which would likely change his life forever one way or another. The spymaster didn't know which way his life would change, however, and he had to acknowledge that the thought terrified him as few things ever had.

Rather than dwelling on the potentially unpleasant events that might occur in his near future, Yuwen Yue instead found his mind returning him to another night months ago that had changed his life forever—a night not unlike this one in many ways.

"Has there been any change?" Yuwen Yue asked Zhan Mou as he did every night.

"No, Master," Zhan Mou replied with the traditional answer. "I continue to take care of him to the best of my ability, but he never shows any signs of awakening."

Yuwen Yue nodded at his grandfather's faithful right hand, the sadness he felt inside not making its way to his face, which was as serene as ever. After all, his grandfather had trained him in the art of concealing his feelings, and he had learned those lessons well.

"I'm sure that he'll awaken soon, Master," the old warrior said, offering the same reassurance that he'd given Yuwen Yue since the night his grandfather had been poisoned.

"Logically speaking, he should wake up any day now," Yuwen Yue said. "His body is sound. We gave him the antidote for the poison quickly. He's a strong man and a tough kill."

"Indeed, Master," Zhan Mou said, dipping his head. "Any day now."

Yuwen Yue said nothing, staring down at his grandfather's motionless body in the bed that had been prepared for him in the secret lair that was attached to Yuwen Yue's rooms at Qing Shan Yuan. While his grandfather had not been the most emotionally demonstrative of men, Yuwen Yue had still known that his grandfather had cared for him a great deal. Months had passed since his grandfather and his faithful servant had been poisoned by the box, rods, and spider, and his grandfather had shown no signs of improvement.

The spymaster's ears perked up suddenly as they detected the tell-tale sounds of footsteps approaching the entrance to the secret lair. He identified them as Yue Qi's, and he shoved all thoughts of his grandfather aside as he realized how quickly his captain of the Yue guards was walking. The door swung open and Yue Qi strode quickly inside, his face intent and serious. He clasped his hands and bowed to both Yuwen Yue and Zhan Mou.

"Master, Yan Xun has fled Chang'an and is believed to be heading back to Yanbei," Yue Qi said without preamble. "We've been ordered to help join in the search."

Yuwen Yue was unable to completely keep the shock from showing on his face—or his mind from instantly flying to his bedchamber maid rather than his best friend. He'd been hinting to Yan Xun for weeks now about the importance of going back to Yanbei, but he'd assumed that his friend's feelings for Xing'er would keep him from leaving Chang'an. The obvious reason for Yan Xun's departure was staring him in the face, and his stomach clenched at the thought of the empty room that might be waiting for him in the servant quarters.

"Assemble the Yue guards immediately, Yue Qi," Yuwen Yue said. "We will, of course, do our best to capture the prince alive and return him to where he belongs."

Yue Qi clasped his hands and bowed again.

"Of course, Master," he replied, his eyes twinkling slightly. "In fact, we'll have to make sure to personally inspect every man's uniform and weapons before we go on such an important assignment. We can't allow anyone to say that the Yue guards weren't properly prepared for such a mission."

"Your diligence is commendable—and appreciated," Yuwen Yue replied, hesitating. "I'll leave the inspection in your capable hands, however; there's something I have to look into first."

Yue Qi looked at him in question before his eyes widened in comprehension. He hastily bowed and made his exit from the dimly-lit secret chamber. The candles flickered in his wake, the gloom of the room suddenly seeming more oppressive than comforting. Yuwen Yue took one more look at his grandfather and his faithful servant before swiftly retreating through the large stone door, closing it behind him with a grating rasp.

He strode swiftly through his quarters, his graceful stride taking him out into the now-busy courtyard and to the slave quarters. No light emanated from Xing'er's room, but he hadn't expected to see any regardless of what was—or wasn't—inside. Yuwen Yue hesitated in front of the doors for a moment before rapidly pushing them open, ashamed of his weakness.

"Master!" a familiar feminine voice said from the darkness. "What are you-? Is everything okay?"

Yuwen Yue stood in Xing'er's doorway, knowing that the shock he was experiencing was written all over his face. As his eyes adjusted to the gloom, they took in Xing'er's wide-awake state—and the bi li she held in her hand. His mouth tightened in disapproval.

"Yan Xun has fled Chang'an and is presumably headed back to Yanbei," he said flatly.

"Really?" Xing'er asked him, her eyes wide with innocence.

He stared at her intently, causing her to eventually shift her gaze away from his. She twirled Yan Xun's bi li absentmindedly in her hands.

"What a coincidence that you seem to have been thinking about Yan Xun yourself at this time instead of sleeping," he said, glancing pointedly at the bi li.

"Oh, this!" Xing'er said, smiling brightly. "Yan Xun gave this to me awhile ago and taught me to play it. I knew he wanted to go home soon, so I tried to give it back, but he told me to keep it—and to play it every now and then in his honor. I told him I would, of course."

"Of course you did," Yuwen Yue muttered. "I'm sure you were completely unaware of his plans."

"Why would a prince like Yan Xun tell me of his plans, Master?" Xing'er asked, wide-eyed. "After all, I'm just a simple maid."

Yuwen Yue scowled at the flippant response that she so frequently gave him—that they both knew was a falsehood.

She's never been a simple maid and she never will be—especially not to me.

He shoved those feelings to the back of his mind, careful to keep them off his face and out of his eyes. Instead, he gave her another of his intense stares, hoping that she'd volunteer more information. She didn't.

"Naturally, our Yue guards have been tasked with joining the search for Yan Xun," he said.

"Naturally," she responded. "I wish you well, Master. Would you like me prepare you some tea before you go?"

"Do you really think I'll have time to drink tea before leaving, Xing'er?" he asked wryly.

"I know how susceptible Master can be to the cold, so I was simply looking out for your welfare," she said, somehow managing to convey insincerity in her tone and expression without being overtly disrespectful.

"Your obvious care for my well-being is duly noted," he said. "Sadly, I'll have to decline as I wouldn't want to delay my departure too long."

"Mm," Xing'er said, nodding once. "Anyone watching might draw the wrong conclusion from such hesitation, which would be a problem."

"Indeed it would, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said. "In fact, I've already wasted too much time just by standing here—unless you could make my time here worthwhile by telling me which way out of Wei Yan Xun would've taken."

"I'm flattered that you would think I'd possess such information, Master, but surely your own tracking and problem-solving abilities are such that you could never need such simple help as what I could provide."

Yuwen Yue couldn't decide if he wanted to throttle Xing'er or kiss her senseless.

Of course you can, you liar, his inner voice said snidely, making Yuwen Yue scowl even harder.

Yue Qi strode up to Yuwen Yue, clasping his hands and bowing. "Master, I've carried out the inspection as you requested. Are there any other preparations we can—I mean, that we need to make?"

"No, Yue Qi," Yuwen Yue said, "we need to be leaving. I was just asking Xing'er if she knew which route Yan Xun might've taken, but she professes not to know anything."

His right hand gave a start at the realization that there was actually someone in the room; clearly he'd believed it to be empty and had been trying to ignore the ramifications of that fact. Yuwen Yue was both annoyed and touched by his subordinate's attempt at willful ignorance.

"I tried to tell Master that a simple maid like me wouldn't know the first thing about where to look for Yan Xun, but he doesn't seem to believe me. Can you believe it, Yue Qi?" Xing'er asked innocently.

"Master's ways are too mysterious for me, Xing'er," Yue Qi said, his eyes twinkling slightly. "After all, I'm just a simple Yue guard."

"You're far too modest, Yue Qi," Xing'er said, simpering. "Surely a man as smart as you are would be able to figure out that Yan Xun would never take the main forest road out of Wei but would take the other-"

Xing'er's eyes widened comically in what Yuwen Yue was certain was the worst acting job he'd ever seen.

She's playing with us—with me, he acknowledged, irritation and attraction warring within him. She wants me to know she's lying, that she knows which road Yan Xun's taking, and that she knows I already know his probable escape route, too. Well, Xing'er, two can play at this game.

"Yue Qi, tell the men that we're not taking the forest road out of Wei," he told his house guard captain.

"We're not, Master?" Yue Qi's eyes widened. "I mean, of course we're not!"

Yuwen Yue almost smiled as he saw Yue Qi figure out what he was doing.

"Of course we're not," Yuwen Yue echoed. "We've been given a tip from one of our sources that Yan Xun is more devious than we thought and that he's sneaking out of Wei by an unusual method."

"Searching the surrounding villages for evidence of Yan Xun's passage will take us all night, so we'd better get started, Master," Yue Qi said, grinning at Xing'er as he whirled around and went to rejoin the men.

Yuwen Yue couldn't resist a touch of smugness from appearing on his face as he took in Xing'er's surprised expression. He also felt a stab of disappointment that his protege hadn't yet learned to look beneath the surface—or to understand his motivations.

"Do you want me to stay up so I can make some warm tea for you when you return, Master?" Xing'er asked him in a soft tone of voice he'd never heard her use before.

He stared at her intently, his long-held desire to trust her warring with his reservations about her own motivations.

"That won't be necessary, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said, giving her a final intense look. "I already have everything I need."

She drew in a sharp breath, and he wondered if she'd truly caught his meaning.

She didn't leave, he reminded himself as he turned to face the night again. She could've taken all Yan Xun was offering and left, but she didn't. What I don't understand is-

"Xing'er, why didn't you leave?" Yuwen Yue suddenly found himself asking. "And what did you tell Yan Xun to make him leave you behind?"

Xing'er stared at him for a few moments, her face as unreadable as a message from an Eyes of God operative before the special powder had been applied to it.

"I told him I already have everything I need," she said quietly, her gaze unwavering.

Time seemed to slow down for Yuwen Yue as he tried to process the meaning of what she'd just said. Suddenly, he felt like the one who needed to work harder at seeing what was beneath the surface. Without a word, he turned around and left, closing the doors firmly behind him before realizing that she'd only answered his second question but not his first.

Or did she? he couldn't prevent himself from thinking as he walked quickly back to his rooms so that he could retrieve Po Yue Jian.

As he grasped the scabbard of the sword that had been wielded by the leaders of the Eyes of God for generations, he couldn't stop himself from feeling a faint glimmer of hope about the wielder of its mate. In the dimness of Xing'er's room, he'd seen the dully-gleaming hilt of Can Hong Jian resting against the side of Xing'er's bed, ready for her to grab at a moment's notice.

She may have been holding Yan Xun's bi li tonight, but it'll be my sword that she'll be practicing with tomorrow—and every day after that—because she didn't leave, he thought, the corners of his mouth twitching into some semblance of a smile before reverting to their typical stern lines as he strode out of his rooms to join his men.

Suddenly, he found himself eager to be done with the farcical search for his close friend that he and his men would be conducting so that he could return to Qing Shan Yuan to explore other more interesting pursuits.

If Xing'er truly wants to stay here, to learn from me, to become my best spy, then maybe…

Yuwen Yue presented as businesslike a visage as ever to his Yue guards, but as he rode out with his men in the opposite direction that everyone else would be going, his thoughts stayed behind in Qing Shan Yuan—and behind a certain pair of closed doors that might open themselves to him someday.

The sound of silence suddenly brought Yuwen Yue back to the present. Xing'er had apparently finished playing Yan Xun's bi li, and the cool night air of Qing Shan Yuan returned to its previous quiet state. Yuwen Yue had originally planned on talking with Xing'er the next day, but an impulse took hold of him as he raised his flute to his lips and blew into it, this time without interruption.

The high, haunting sound of his own instrument wafted over the courtyard of his ancestral home, calling out to his beloved. Whether she would heed his call was up to her; it always had been. She'd decided to stay with him several times already, but this time...this time was different, and he had no idea how she would react to any of what he was going to tell her.

Yuwen Yue was tempted to not go through with his plans, especially since he knew full well that their implementation could bring him more heartbreak than he'd experienced since his mother died. The intervening months between Yan Xun's flight and now had been the best of his life, but their goodness had made tonight's actions necessary.

The moon and stars shone brightly in the sky, bathing Xing'er in their light as she suddenly appeared in the courtyard below. She still had the bi li in her hand, but her focus was entirely on the source of the music. Her white outfit looked radiant in the moonlight, and his breath caught as he realized once again just how beautiful his beloved was.

As she strode towards the stairway of the pavilion, Yuwen Yue was taken back to memories of Xing'er practicing her writing at the nearby table. That memory led to a cascade of others, brief, vivid flashes of him teaching her reading, writing, philosophy, logic, and other disciplines. She'd taken a chance on him by not leaving him for freedom, so in return, he'd taken a chance on her and had truly begun to mold her into a woman who was as educated in intellectual pursuits as she was in martial arts.

While the young master of Qing Shan Yuan knew that Xing'er still had much to learn from him, he was proud of how far she'd come from the brash, reckless woman she'd been when she'd first come through the gates of his home. He knew that she would always likely have an impulsive streak that would get her into trouble, but he felt that her intense training over the last several months especially had tempered her rash nature with some self-control.

Xing'er reached the top of the stairway and stopped; Yuwen Yue could feel the heat of her eyes on him, but he stayed facing the courtyard. He allowed the final notes of his song to fade away before slowly dropping the flute from his mouth. Footsteps sounded behind him and Xing'er was soon at his side.

Perhaps for the last time, his mind grimly told him.

He ignored such pessimistic thoughts and focused on the task at hand. Xing'er was staring out at the courtyard like he was, seemingly content to pass the night in companionable silence with her master. There was a tension to this silence, however, that he could tell his bedchamber maid had picked up on. She said nothing, obviously waiting for him to speak when he was ready.

"Your musical skills have improved," Yuwen Yue said, breaking the silence.

"You mean I'm no longer giving you headaches, Master?" Xing'er asked, a slight smile playing about her lips.

"Not from your bi li-playing, anyway," Yuwen Yue responded.

Xing'er scowled at him, but her eyes were twinkling.

"I'll have to make you some of that tea that you like to drink for headaches, Yuwen Yue," she said sweetly. "I know it's your favorite."

"Oh, yes," Yuwen Yue intoned. "The bitterness in it always serves to remind me about the nature of life itself."

"Life hasn't been too bad lately, has it, Master?" Xing'er said softly.

Yuwen Yue was silent for a few moments.

"Actually, life has been better than usual lately," he admitted. "That makes me nervous because it always means that life is going to take a turn for the worse later."

"Mm," Xing'er grunted in agreement. "I know exactly what you mean. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy lovely nights like this one, right?"

The casual banter between them both soothed and tormented Yuwen Yue as he plotted his course. They had set aside their wary hostility months ago and had recently begun to develop a genuine closeness, one that seemed to go beyond…

"Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said so seriously that she looked up at him with widened eyes.

She continued to stare at him expectantly.

"Xing'er," he said again, "you're ready to begin your next stage of training."

He ignored the startled choking noise she made and continued.

"Over these past months, you've worked hard and have advanced well beyond where you began. While you are by no means through with your training, you're ready to take the next step towards becoming a full-fledged spy for the Eyes of God."

"Oh," she said, the wideness of her eyes gathering in the light of the stars.

"The problem, however, is two-fold," he said, squaring his shoulders and making sure his face was perfectly blank. "First, I don't allow slaves to be real Eyes of God spies. And second...I have to tell you a couple of things because I know that you'll find out about them eventually, at least in some measure. I'm honestly surprised you haven't found out about one of them in particular yet."

Yuwen Yue had never seen Xing'er truly speechless before. He'd seen her deliberately holding her fury in check. He'd seen her unable to speak coherently because she'd been overcome with emotions. He'd never, however, seen her unable to talk simply because she had no idea what to say. He wished he could derive any enjoyment from this rare occasion, but given the things he had to say next, he couldn't do so.

"In my room, I have three documents for the release of slaves. Having a spy in the Eyes of God who isn't free to make his or her own choices is a liability and a security risk I cannot allow. If you are to truly become one of us, to know the things we know, to do the things we do, then you'll have to decide to do so of your own free will—not because you're a slave or because you're scared for the well-being of your sisters."

Tears had begun to flow down Xing'er's cheeks as the enormity of what had just happened hit her. He tried to decipher the myriad emotions visible in her eyes but was unable to do so. In all likelihood, Xing'er was having the same trouble, so he couldn't be too angry at himself for not being able to define the undefinable.

Yuwen Yue knew that his grandfather would've cursed him for a fool for allowing such a valuable asset her freedom. Of course, he also knew that his grandfather would've quickly picked up on his feelings for Xing'er and done everything in his power to thwart them. His grandfather wasn't here to put a stop to his relationship with Xing'er, however, and Yuwen Yue felt an immense wash of guilt at the stab of gratitude for his grandfather's condition that that thought brought him.

"You're free, Xing'er," he said, unable to keep a husky rasp from entering his voice.

"Master-" she said, looking at him in question as he slowly shook his head. "You're free, remember? Call me by my name."

"But even those who serve you freely call you master," she said in obvious bewilderment.

"Okay," Yuwen Yue said, "then call be by my name when we're alone."

He stared into her eyes intensely, noting with pleasure the way she reacted to his gaze. While Yuwen Yue wasn't as well-versed in the ways of women as many of his peers, he still felt that the look Xing'er was giving him now went beyond the look a woman would give a man she considered a friend.

"Okay...Yuwen Yue," she whispered.

His eyes darkened further, the sound of her lips shaping his name setting his blood afire.

Enough of that, genius, his inner voice scolded him. After she hears the rest of what you have to tell her, her eyes might not look on you so warmly.

As usual, his inner voice served as a bucket of water to the face. He forced himself to continue.

"You and your sisters are all free," he said in a businesslike tone. "Should you choose to leave here, I'll give you an amount of money that will allow you to establish yourselves somewhere—or to help you find husbands if you so desire."

Yuwen Yue couldn't keep his voice from tripping slightly over the word "husband" no matter how hard he tried. He could tell that Xing'er caught his slip, but she gave none of her emotions away.

"Do you want me to leave, Yuwen Yue?" she asked softly, tears still tracing their way down her cheeks.

To his great surprise, his hand reached into his robes almost of their own accord and pulled out a handkerchief—what he'd come to think of as their handkerchief, in fact. His hand then proceeded to gently dab at the tears on Xing'er's face with the handkerchief, automatically adjusting when Xing'er took a step closer to him.

Her movement broke him out of his funk, and he swiftly stepped back from her, inwardly wincing at the flash of hurt he saw appear in her eyes before she erected her walls. His heart ached as he realized that he was now going to hurt her even more.

"No, Xing'er, I don't want you to leave," he said, attempting to return to his previous businesslike state. "But you might want to leave once I tell you the truth about two secrets—or one great secret intertwined, perhaps."

Her large eyes were as luminous as ever, but they now contained a measure of wariness that he was perversely glad to see because he knew it would serve her well. She waited silently for him to continue, and he couldn't help but be proud of the watchful self-regulation that was allowing her to stay calm now. Yuwen Yue knew that that relatively recent progress would soon be tested.

"As you know, a man in my position has many secrets—many more secrets than almost anyone in the world, maybe," he began. "I share very few of these secrets with anyone because I know he damage they can do if placed in the wrong hands. Someone in my position must have not only the skill to collect secrets but also the discretion to hold onto them without using them unwisely."

"Mm," she agreed, nodding once.

"However, holding onto a secret for too long can have a danger all its own. What happens when someone discovers all or part of a secret suddenly with no warning or context?"

"Confusion?" Xing'er replied hesitantly after his pause conveyed that the question had not been rhetorical. "Rash decisions made due to lack of information or too much emotion?"

"Right," Yuwen Yue said. "If you were to find out suddenly that something—or multiple somethings—that you'd believed to be true wasn't true, then you might react badly before you've had a chance to think things through."

"So..." Xing'er said, trailing off in confusion.

"So I'm going to tell you the truth about how and why your brother died, and you can decide whether you want to stay or go."

"Mas...Yuwen Yue, why would I want to…." she went quiet as her keen mind started making connections. "Go on," she said, her voice colder than he'd heard in months.

"I'm assuming that you're still clear on who the guilty parties are," Yuwen Yue said.

"As far as I know," Xing'er said. "Yuwen Xi and Yuwen Huai were behind the sending of the box; they'll pay for their sins one day. Jin Zhu gave the box to Linxi; she's already paid for her sins—albeit not directly by my hand. Zhu Shun might've been the one to physically hand her the box, but I cannot prove it."

"And I killed him," Yuwen Yue said.

"After he'd already been poisoned," Xing'er said. "There was no way to save him...was there?"

The suspicion in Xing'er's voice cut him to the core, taking him back to a time before they'd become as close as they'd been only a few short moments ago. She was right to be suspicious, which made the situation all the more painful.

He was poisoned with Quian Hun powder," Yuwen Yue said.

"You haven't taught me about that poison, so it must not be local," Xing'er said, obviously trying to keep control of herself.

"You're right, Xing'er," he said. "It's from Persia."

"Which at least implicates someone wealthy and connected if not your lovely relatives directly."

"Yuwen Huai has been known to have commercial dealings with the Persians," Yuwen Yue confirmed.

"So a poison as exotic and rare as that...does it have an antidote?"

"Yes, but it's very costly."

"So you didn't have any that night...or did you? You did or you would've said so already. That means..."

Yuwen Yue's face was a mask of indifference as he watched his dreams go up in smoke. He could see all of the closeness of the past few months disappear like incense from a burner as the woman he loved worked to decipher the truth.

"There was an antidote, but there was only one," she concluded. "Since the life of your grandfather was naturally worth more to you than that of a common slave, you gave him the antidote and left my brother to die."

She laughed humorlessly as tears started to trickle down her face again. He didn't even know if she knew they were there.

"I honestly can't say I blame you for that, Yuwen Yue; after all, were the positions reversed, I would've given the antidote to Linxi and left your grandfather to die in a heartbeat."

"I know you would've, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said, a thread of wryness weaving its way into his tone.

She looked at him sharply, clearly not appreciating his attempt at humor.

"So you killed Linxi instead of letting him die horribly, as you said. But you framed him, allowed everyone to think he was a traitor and a murderer."

Yuwen Yue said nothing. What was the point?

"Okay, so...what's the other secret? Knowing how twisted your family is, it's probably a really good one. If it's intertwined with Linxi's death...of course. Yuwen Zhuo is alive. Maybe he's been pulling the strings all along. Maybe he's been pulling your strings all along. I'll bet he'd love to have some outsider he could convince to kill his brother for him."

"You're right, Xing'er, but only partly right," Yuwen Yue managed to say calmly. "Yuwen Zhuo is still alive, but he's not awake. He's still in a coma. I don't know if he'll ever awaken again."

"Pity."

Yuwen Yue's mouth tightened.

"What? Were you expecting sympathy from me? My brother died and was dishonored for him, after all; I think I've given him enough."

With that, she whirled around and walked towards the stairs, bi li still grasped tightly in her hand. His face stayed placid even as his insides roiled. He knew his grandfather would've been smugly sympathetic.

As she reached the top of the stairs, however, she stopped, her foot poised over the first step. Slowly, she retracted it and turned back around to face Yuwen Yue. The pain in her eyes—pain he knew he'd caused—added to his suffering.

"Am I still free?" she asked.

His heart shattered fully.

"Of course, Xing'er," he said woodenly. "You and your sisters. I wouldn't go back on my word like that."

"No," Xing'er said thoughtfully. "You wouldn't. You're not that kind of man."

The walls in her eyes dropped suddenly, and he was able to see the war taking place within her. He refused to allow himself to hope.

"You're also not the kind of man to allow someone to suffer needlessly—or to pass up an opportunity to use that someone's death to protect those you love. Once again, I would've done the same. And you couldn't tell me because you knew I'd react..."

"Worse than you are now, honestly," Yuwen Yue said softly, hope rising in spite of his efforts.

A small, grim smile shaped Xing'er's lips.

"Yes, you know my temperament well. But I've learned my lessons well, and I've learned from your lessons and bitter experience that nothing good will come from me running off in anger. Mas...Yuwen Yue," she said, clearly making an effort to call him by his name. "I need a few days to think things over. Would you...be willing to answer more questions about this later?"

"So long as the answers don't endanger anyone else, yes."

"Of course you must protect your other secrets," she said.

Yuwen Yue merely inclined his head. Xing'er nodded hers.

"Okay, so I won't leave right away. I'll take time to think things through and ask you any questions I might have. I can't promise I won't still be angry about this later, but I do promise that I won't run off or leave without telling you first. There won't be any need since I'm free."

Yuwen Yue inclined his head again, this time because he didn't trust his voice.

She didn't leave, he thought to himself again. She's not promising to stay, but she didn't leave.

As she turned to go, both of them saw Yue Qi sprinting towards them from the gate. Yuwen Yue had never seen his house guard captain so discomposed, and he could tell that Xing'er hadn't, either. He clambered up the stairs without a trace of his usual self-control; his face was paler than usual beyond what could be explained away by moonlight.

"Report, Master," he said, catching his breath. "One of our spies just told me that the Emperor ordered attacks on Duke Dingbei, his entire family, and Yanbei itself."

His mouth fell open in shock and Xing'er gasped loudly, clutching her bi li in her fist. Yuwen Yue quickly regained control over himself outwardly, but this latest bit of terrible news did nothing to settle the turmoil within. He was almost afraid to ask Yue Qi for the rest, but he did so anyway.

"The duke and his wife survived, but the rest of his family...except for Yan Xun..."

Yuwen Yue's recent brush with heartbreak suddenly paled in comparison to the loss that his closest friend had just suffered. Xing'er had put the bi li down on the railing of the pavilion; Yuwen Yue realized she'd done so in order to avoid breaking the flute Yan Xun had given her by crushing it in her hands. She was now gripping the railing tightly, her face hard as jade in the moonlight and her eyes full of fire.

"Tens of thousands of Yanbei citizens were killed by Wei soldiers who tricked their way inside the city gates," Yue Qi said into the silence. "The Yanbei troops managed to repel them and to protect Yan Xun and his parents, but..."

"But the loss of life will be immense, and a costly, bitter war with Yanbei is inevitable," Yuwen Yue said.

Xing'er turned to face him, fury written in every line of her body language.

"If being a spy for the Eyes of God means helping Wei fight Yanbei, I'm leaving right now," Xing'er said. "I'm not blaming you, Yuwen Yue; I know that you can't risk the lives of everyone here to help a friend who's no longer here. You see, I learned your political lessons well."

"So you did, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said. "So you'll also remember what I said the best way to accomplish any change at the government level was."

"To wait for the right moment and then to take action ruthlessly and efficiently."

Yuwen Yue nodded his head once and waited, his heart in his throat. Yue Qi and Xing'er both looked at him with wide eyes as his meaning made itself clear to them. Part of him still expected Xing'er to run off and join their friend in his fight against Yanbei, causing carnage and chaos in her wake.

"Acting indifferent will be hard for us," Xing'er said softly.

"But not impossible," Yuwen Yue said.

"No," Xing'er replied. "You've taught us well...Yuwen Yue."

Yue Qi's eyes widened comically, but then he did something that seemed out-of-place given the recent circumstances: He grinned.

"Does that mean you're staying, Xing'er?" Yue Qi asked.

Yuwen Yue was unable to keep the longing from his eyes. Xing'er saw, but he couldn't bring himself to care. A potent look passed between them, and Yuwen Yue felt his heart soar.

"Yes, it does," she said firmly. "If there's one thing I've learned about Yuwen Yue, it's that he can accomplish anything he sets his mind to once he's made it up. And if he's decided to..."

Xing'er trailed off, not even wanting to voice the thoughts burning up her mind. Yuwen Yue gave her a small smile of pride, which caused her to look at him in shock.

"I can't promise anything, Xing'er," he said, "except that we'll do our best to help Yan Xun from here. As you said, I must work hard to protect my people-"

"Our people," Xing'er said firmly.

Yuwen Yue looked at her intensely.

"I'm not saying that we won't be talking about the past anymore, Yuwen Yue, but the present and future are much more important now. I won't let the guilty get away with their crimes, but I won't do anything foolish to put our people in danger."

Yuwen Yue was both disappointed and thankful that Yue Qi was standing there with them or he might've done something rash himself.

"We need to get some rest, Xing'er," he said. "You, too, Yue Qi. Tomorrow's going to be exhausting, and we need to do our best to be ready for it."

"Yes, Master," Yue Qi said, clasping his hands, bowing, and leaving.

The young master of Qing Shan Yuan was left alone with the woman he loved—the woman who'd just promised to stay at his side.

"For your first real decision as a free woman, you did fairly well, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said, approval in his gaze.

"I did, didn't I?" Xing'er replied, beaming.

Her face sobered as she once again picked up the bi li. Yuwen Yue realized with shock that he no longer felt jealousy when he looked at the flute, but only sadness.

"Xing'er, why didn't you leave?" he asked her the question he'd asked months ago, the one she'd never answered.

His beloved smiled at him, stepping closer. This time, he didn't step back.

"Because I already have everything I need," she said softly before turning away and heading for the steps, stopping to look at him once again. "And because I trust you, Yuwen Yue, no matter what part of me says."

With that, she left, leaving Yuwen Yue alone with his own thoughts. He allowed her to get across the courtyard before he also walked down the stairs, the various thoughts coalescing into plans in his head. His promise to Xing'er was going to take all of his skills to fulfill and could end up being the death of them all.

Grandfather would be so ashamed. So would Father—if he ever cared enough to find out about it, of course.

Yet the shame of his ancestors was not enough of a deterrent against the power of the drive he felt to help one of the few men he believed he could genuinely call "friend"-and to do anything to keep the woman he loved at his side.

AN: Okay, so there you have it. This story takes place in a world where Yuwen Zhuo hasn't yet awoken from his coma, which at least means that CQ (XE, really, at this point, and so I'll have her refer to herself when writing from her perspective) never runs away w/YX. A couple of people have requested some sort of YX redemption arc in a story; of course, my initial reaction was to snort softly and say "Not in this lifetime," but then I got to thinking that in this world, YX won't have to go completely dark because he'll still have his parents to guide him. He'll definitely go gray and will be full of righteous anger over the slaughter of his siblings and citizens, but this YX won't kill innocents or do anything like that. I'm not remotely interested in redeeming end-series YX, but I loved the heck out of early-series YX, so this YX will be a cross between the two.

Obviously there will be XingYue; as for other pairings, you can pry Meng Feng/Yuan Song from my cold, dead hands, so I'll find a way to make them happen. Otherwise, I have some ideas, but I'm open to suggestions. I'm going to have to rewatch the rest of the QSY episodes so that I'll be able to chart the likely changes caused by YWZ's absence; life is hard;). I feel like the premise of this story will present a fun opportunity to make Chun'er more than she was on the show, too. There may even be a Concubine Lan sighting (since she's everyone's favorite;P).

At any rate, this story is months away from being remotely close to ready. I'm not crazy enough to try to write this one the same time as DP, but I'll definitely be outlining/mapping it out over the next few months. I just wanted y'all to get a peek at this new world I'll be doing my best to craft—and to give y'all some XingYue that you won't be getting from this week's DP chapter.