Chapter 7: Making Our Own Path
Diao Chan was swiftly following Ji Jia towards the site of Zhen’s attack. The ache in her back reminded that her injury was still not completely healed. Fortunately, it was scarred over enough to not bust open.
Cao Wu looked furious. With sword in hand, she looked ready to take on the entire encampment for her ‘big sis.’ On her belt was a familiar blue and gold flute.
At the tent, the two bodyguards flanked their mistress. Diao Chan gripped her maces and prepared herself mentally. Ji Jia had informed her of the odds. It was nine to three. Cao Wu had laughed when she said that. “You just worry about Cao Pi and rescuing your true love!” It was the last bit of humor she had before assuming her grim countenance.
Diao Chan trusted the bodyguards could handle themselves. They had yet to fail her or Zhen. The two young women jerked open the tent flaps.
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(moments earlier)
“Why do you refuse me?” Cao Pi sounded completely confounded. The fledgling ruler was pacing in front of Zhen Ji. “I need a beautiful woman to stand beside me. I need a strong woman to bear my children….” He began as his eyes raked over her body. “I can give you the entire kingdom! Won’t you change your mind?”
Zhen Ji, who could feel blood dripping down the side of her face, remained calm. “I don’t want what you have. I’ve got everything I want right now. I’m a powerful general and I have a most wonderful…sister.” Inwardly, she laughed. He had no clue.
Zhen Ji wished she could casually examine her nails as she repeated her answer: “No.” She just settled for her haughty grin, the one that sent terror running through the mind of most men. Cao Pi responded with a stinging slap. ‘I hope Diao Chan’s safe.’
“Such an insubordinate woman! I’ll marry you anyway and break your spirit. I can mold you into the perfect wife. How would you like to bring my tea?” His face leered excessively close. Then, his eyes bugged out. Zhen Ji smirked as she removed her knee from his crotch.
He pulled his weapon from the ground and held it to her throat. His blades gleamed from a recent sharpening.
“You scratch even an inch of her skin and I will be dancing on your grave!” The tent flap had been opened and there stood her love.
“Diao Chan?”
“I’m here, Zhen Ji.” She noticed the bruises and the blood. Her blood boiled. “How dare you harm her! Men, like you should never be allowed near a woman!”
“I’m going to be emperor! I don’t need to worry about what women think. I can have any woman I want. This one is just putting up more of a fight. I’ll break her spirit.” He laughed.
Diao Chan trembled in anger. “You won’t do such a thing! After today, you will be unable to harm Zhen again! You shall be privileged to see my dance of death!”
In response, he laughed and motioned his guards forward. Ji Jia and Cao Wu stepped forward brandishing their weapons. “Do you really think these two small women can take on my elite guards?”
Diao Chan smiled back. “Your guards have not faced women of their caliber before…”
Cao Wu was a blur of motion. The petite girl had all ready finished her way through two of the weaker guards. Ji Jia smiled and waved her fan. A pair of ice crystals shot out and struck down another pair.
Cao Pi was in shock. He raised his dual fang as Diao Chan charged. Their weapons clashed. “We have vowed to live and die together; no one will get between us!” There was a strength to her voice that seemed uncommon to the usually pacifistic woman. The fire in her eyes grew every time she glanced at the bruises on her love’s face. Zhen Ji noticed this and felt special.
As the blows from Diao Chan’s maces sped up, Cao Pi was forced to separate his weapon.
Zhen Ji was in awe. She had never truly watched her love fight before. It could only be described as a dance of death. The moves she used to glide around in elegant performances were now dodges. The seductive hip movements that the enchantress used to tease her, were now shifting the momentum of her maces.
Zhen would almost describe it as beautiful, if not for the dire consequences. This focused her mind. ‘How can I distract Cao Pi without distracting Diao Chan? How about: “You can almost see my undergarments!” No, she would be sure to look then… I’ve got it!”
Zhen cleared her throat to call a little to get some attention. The two dueling were locked up and glaring holes through each other. “Cao Pi, do you want to know why I won’t marry you?” He gave her a glance, signaling his interest. “It’s illegal to sleep with both mother and son!” This certainly caused a reaction. Diao Chan shivered. Cao Pi looked as if someone had impaled him. He gaped at Zhen Ji, horrified. Diao Chan’s maces were swift. One broke his knee, the other slammed into the side of his head, knocking him out.
As Diao Chan began to untie her love, she shook her head. “That was a terrible thing to tell him.”
“It worked. Besides, have you seen the woman? I wish I would be around to see the look on her face when he tries to get her to confess!”
As the ropes undone, they entered a gentle, but firm, embrace. The worry and anxiety that had built up completely disappeared.
Then, Ji Jia spoke as Cao Wu handed over the flute. “Time to go, my ladies. Our exit needs to be hasty.” As the two women separated, their hands joined and they made their exit.
At their tent, a group of horses were gathered; some saddled, others with packs. This didn’t surprise Diao Chan. ‘How long have we been planning this? I guess this forces our hand…’
Zhen Ji wavered a bit in the saddle, still a little dizzy from her abuse. Diao Chan laid a steadying hand on her shoulder. “Do you need to ride behind me?”
Zhen Ji responded with a lecherous grin. “It would be…unsafe since I am still in awe of your heroic rescue. My heart still pounds within me.” The enchantress blushed furiously at the look of love in her warrior girlfriend.
“Hey! You can’t do that until later! We need to go!” Cao Wu whispered loudly. Ji Jia was mounted beside her and looked eager to leave.
Diao Chan coughed. “Well, I guess we’d better be off then…” She urged her white horse forward and led the other 3 women out of the camp at a gallop.
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Once they had gained a respectable lead, the group had slowed their pace to rest the horses. Zhen Ji had moved her horse close to Diao Chan and reached out her hand, which the enchantress took. They shared a smile, they were together again.
They continued to ride a short distance, still entangled. Diao Chan noticed that the other woman general looked as if she were contemplating something and became curious. “Is something wrong, nightingale?”
“No,” Zhen Ji smiled at the loving way her love spoke her nickname. She looked into brown eyes full of love. “I was thinking. We never took that vow that we used as an excuse for Cao Cao.”
“You’re right. But do we want a vow of sisterhood?” Diao Chan was skeptical.
“No. I want something more than that; more of a vow of love and devotion, like wedding vows.” She said, blushing slightly.
“Are you proposing?” Diao Chan gasped.
“It won’t be legal or anything and we’ll have only two witnesses, but I’d love nothing more than to call you my wife, songbird.” Zhen Ji said. Cao Wu and Ji Jia giggled.
Diao Chan leaned over and kissed the woman she loved. Unfortunately, she began to slide off her saddle. Zhen promptly caught her and returned her to her seat.
“Thank you. By the way, that was a ‘yes’,” Diao Chan said as the group burst into laugter.
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The travelers found a grove further down the road. Both women gathered a bouquet of wildflowers for the other bride. They had also taken the time to clean their faces and straighten their hair as well as add some perfume.
Cao Wu stood beside Zhen Ji, who was anxiously waiting for her bride. Ji Jia escorted Diao Chan to her beaming like a proud sister. The joyous couple joined hands before their eyes met. The bodyguards stepped back, but not without Ji Jia wrapping her arms around her shorter girlfriend’s waist. Cao Wu happily snuggled into the embrace.
Zhen Ji supposed that she would start. “That day in the throne room of that maniac, I had no clue that I would meet the most important person of my life. I had almost given up hope of finding another woman to share my life with. Then, I saw you reclining next to that fool’s throne. I knew I had to steal you away. I never knew you would be so willing.” She loved seeing the blush on the other woman’s face. “The past few months have been the happiest of my entire life. I know it can only get better from here. Even though I don’t have anything to give you except my heart, I vow to love you and spend the rest of my life with you, songbird.” Zhen Ji took the bouquet she was given and tossed it into the air, scattering them with a smile.
Diao Chan took this as her cue. “The day we met was like a fairy tale. You were like a hero riding in on your charger when I saw you from the wall of Xia Pi. I was so worried when I couldn’t ride out to meet you. Then, you came to me! True, you were in chains and in a torn dress, but I knew you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever see. All my instincts told me to make sure you would remain safe. In truth, you saved my life. If not for you, I planned to end my own life. But you came into my life and stole my heart and healed it, before giving me yours in return. I never thought I could be so happy. I know it can only get better from here. Even though I don’t have anything to give you except my heart, I vow to love you and spend the rest of my life with you, nightingale.” Diao Chan gracefully flung her bouquet into the air, showing them with flowers.
Then, slowly they wrapped their arms around each other and kissed. Cao Wu let out a cheer and embraced both women as they separated for air. Ji Jia wrapped her arms around all of them. Cao Wu smiled. “We’re like a family now!” The happiness was thick in the air.
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The women didn’t have much in the way of luxury, but they had a small celebration that night. Zhen Ji began to play her flute as Diao Chan danced for her. The general was surprised that she still got a thrill every time their eyes met; even more than when they shared their first kiss.
After a couple of songs, Cao Wu took over playing for Zhen, surprising Ji Jia and Diao Chan who didn’t know she could play. Zhen Ji took Diao Chan’s hands and they danced long into the evening.
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The next morning they moved on. The search for a new home was on.
End
So is the end of my Diao Chan/Zhen Ji & Cao Wu/Ji Jia stuff? Absolutely not. I’m planning a sequel. I just wanted to finish this arc, so I could try to finish some other works. I still can’t believe that I wrote a story for this couple. They were the absolute first shoujo-ai couple I read. (I know I’ve said this before.) It’s hard not to feel sentimental while I’m thinking about them.
I’m working on a title for the sequel, but I’ve got some ideas for it. Not to mention, more shoujo-ai!
Thanks to all you who have been with me thus far! I still can’t believe I’ve finished my second muli-chap fic!
Feel free to review! I get a buzz just thinking about how I sort of finished this!