Chapter Text
“Have you ever been in love, Mr. Zhongli?”
Morax blinked, lowering his teacup as he glanced at Xiangling, smiling as she set down his bowl of soup. “Hmm?”
Ah. That was a question he had not been asked in a long time. Not…not since he had shed the trappings of rulership and stepped down from his throne to walk amongst his people. His Adepti all knew the answer to that particular question, and none (aside from his children) ever brought it up out of respect for his grief.
The humans had forgotten the role his mate had played in his life, forgotten the circumstances that had forced them apart. And even so…
He played the part of Zhongli these days, who held no outward connection to the dead Archon Morax aside from the vision he bore. Zhongli, who worked at the funeral parlor, who always forgot his Mora, who always had the time for a story or three.
Zhongli, who had never spoken of a partner or any kind of romantic entanglements, and had never shown interest in another.
He supposed it had been only a matter of time until the question came up.
“Mr. Zhongli?”
“I was wed, a long time ago.” He hummed, gazing into the amber liquid in his cup. “Sit down, Miss Xiangling, if you have the time.”
Xiangling plopped into the seat next to him, leaning forward. “I’ve got some, don’t worry!” Curiosity shone clear in her voice. “I didn’t know you were married! I guess that answers my question.”
“That it does.”
“What’re they like? Can you tell me about them? Oh! What’s their name?”
“Liu Retuo. His…his name was— is —Retuo.” Azhdaha’s second name fell easily from his lips, just as sweet as the last time he’d tasted it. It wasn’t even entirely incorrect, because the division between Retuo and Azhdaha had always been minimal, based on impressions and appearance and what was left unsaid in the hundreds of thousands of conversations he must have had in his many years at Morax's side. Not like Zhongli and Morax, or Morax and the late Rex Lapis, who had similar yet distinct personalities and habits, enough to define each as separate .
“That’s a really pretty name!” Xiangling beamed. “Uh…oh, I have so many questions! Where should I start?”
Morax smiled, taking a sip of tea. “Wherever you’d like. It would do me some good to reminisce.”
“Hmm…I want to know what he likes to eat! That way, if I ever meet him, I’ll know exactly what to make. Or no—actually, tell me something that he can’t stand so I know what to avoid.”
“Something he could not stand? He hated coffee. So much so that he banned it from our household. A mutual friend had purchased me some, and I confess that my children and I went…a little bit overboard.”