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It's been nearly two months since the unplanned encounter that astounded both you and Wu Zixu. But you didn't talk much about it. In fact, you haven't talked about it at all. You nearly forget the whole incident several days later as your fully recovered body has been pushed around again by all the messes that crashed in. But Wu Zixu seems even more worried after that, his somber silhouette castes a deeper shadow at the court; and there were several times you find him watching you when he thought you didn't notice.
But you haven't let yourself be bothered by those nuances. After all, this difficult time for everyone is enough to aggravate Wu Zixu's gloomy nature. Not until three days ago you went to your royal healer for a continuous headache that had been torturing you for a week.
Your healer cleared his throat nervously. "Congratulations, my liege," he said with an unnaturally high voice with no merriment on his grayish face, "you are pregnant."
"Hum. Alright." You were dumbfounded and awestricken. "So that actually worked."
You applauded the efficiency of you both in your head. Wasn't this what the encounter all about? But why there was a trace of disappointment in your heart? Did you expect another interaction with your chancellor? Absurd.
Your very experienced royal healer quickly recovered from his little panic and gave you some critical tips for pregnancy, which in fact you'd already learned most of them while you were still a princess as you ought to be married away if your brothers hadn't been killed by the dragon god. The healer also wisely avoided the topic of the child's father as you hadn't mentioned him.
You've been wondered in the next three days. Does that make Wu Zixu your lord husband now? Probably not since your relationship hasn't been ratified by the court yet. Or is he your paramour? But do you even have a "relationship" to begin with? At least it's cheerful to think that those old dogs at the court definitely would have a stroke if they knew what you had done. Anyway, Wu Zixu's unquestionably your old man, now and before and after, no arguments about that to the least.
You are still trying to figure out what was going on in his head that day. You were pushing hard yes; but was he just indulging his wayward liege to get the preposterous idea out of her head, or did he decided taking things into his own hands by jumping to the chance no matter how ridiculous it was after finally losing his patience with you for all your dithers, or was him simply persuaded by your bullshits of all the "as the best candidate you should do it yourself" thing?
Of course, there are no answers in your own head. Then there is a court meeting again.
Wu Zixu stays to help you with the memorials after the court. He'd stopped doing that for a while before the worsening divine seal rapidly deteriorates your body to a point that it becomes impossible to deal with all the files on your own. But still, he carefully avoids overstepping by confining himself to only highlighting the critical information he thought would help you make the decision, rather than leaves his own comments and suggestions on the memorials like before.
He's contributed greatly to shaping you into a proper king, you've noted that long before. And his persistence never ceases to amaze you as now both of you are well aware that maybe you actually couldn't live long enough to reach that level of kingship. The seal is burning your life out these days.
"My liege." You jump at the sudden voice of your chancellor like an inattentive student in the class, "Is your headache better today?"
Definitely not, you humph. You raise your head from your memorial, which the bamboo sketches haven't been unrolled for a while now.
You watch him watching you. He always seems concerning too much for you and always frowning. Will he have to bring up a young king again if you deceased?
"Yep. And it won't stop for a while." you say lazily, chuckle when his expression turns even warier, "There is something you need to know though, my chancellor."
"I'm listening." Your chancellor says. Now he's so rigid that reminds you of those sitting terracotta warriors.
You stretch your arms but don't say anything yet, just enjoy messing with him a little longer. You start to enjoy testing his limits as you are better at it these days.
As his expression turns darker, you know it's the time for you to do the speaking.
"I'm pregnant." You say.
The expression change on his face is phenomenal.
Wu Zixu rarely shows strong emotions other than different shades of angry. But now he is plainly shocked. He is so shocked that the wall he carefully pulls up around himself for years now is shattering down right before your eyes. There's a softness in his gaze that you don't even remember you've witnessed before. When he opens his mouth trying to speak, it's like he's still drowned in disbelieving.
"I..."
He looks so bare right now even in the decorous robe you made him for the court, he seems...
Vulnerable.
You give him a lopsided smile, can't help but push him a little more. "You are indeed very capable in all fields, my chancellor."
Wu Zixu humps, looking aside. Is he blushing?
But suddenly he stands up. It nearly takes your breath away while sitting here, watching him towering over you while focusing all his attention on you. You watch him walking around your table to your side, then sitting down on his knees in front of you with a solemn expression on his face. For a man strong like a tiger, the only noise you've heard is the delicate rubbing sound of his brocade court robe.
"My liege." He says stoically, his voice low and vibrating, "can I hug you?"
You are surprised.
Then you giggle. You throw yourself to the still-very-serious-Wu Zixu before he extends his arms to you. You dive in his hug while his powerful arms encircle you tightly to draw you in. You feel him bury his head in your neck. You feel his trembling breath.
His white hair feels unexpectedly soft under your palm.
"My liege, I am.." he tries again, "Ah-Yu..".
It's so unusual for him, Wu Zixu, an infamous orator, not to be able to get his words straight.
You lay your head to his shoulder. His body is warmer than you think, now you realize. His palms are so hot on your back.
When he raises his head to look at you again, his eyes are reddened.
"Stop worrying," you murmur, cannot but reach out to touch his cheek.
But he's still frowning. He looks down at you. You don't know what he actually seeks in you but feel his gaze reaches to the very bottom of your soul.
Then his eyes close. He lowers his head, touches his forehead with you.
"Zixu," you exhale, your headache was forgotten beyond. You raise your chin, kiss him on his lips.
He kisses back immediately and fiercely.
The kiss is long and deep. Your breath mix, your tongues tangle with each other. It's nice to feel him this way. It's more than nice.
It's addicting.
When the kiss ends, you are nearly out of breath. Even Zixu is breathing heavily.
"You are a father now, think about it." You snigger, amazed by the idea that your scary chancellor becomes the father of your child he was pushing so hard for.
"I've been a father long enough." He humps. "Now I've just got another child."
"Yeah?" You smirk, watching his face tainted by an even darker shade of blush as he realizes what he just said. It's so unfair that his dark skin covers up most of his beautiful blushes.
"You'll be the death of me, my liege." Wu Zixu sighs, holding you a little tighter.
"Take it back." You say softly, "We'll both live long enough to witness our children leading a powerful country and having their own children."
Wu Zixu chuckles, leaving a kiss on your forehead, "as my liege command."