The Bride of the Serpent is Silent

"Of course, I'll make sure she's safe. Honestly, what does he expect I've been doing all this time? Sitting on my ass drinking tea?" Xi Yang muttered irately as they walked away. The cantankerous grumblings of her guard amusing her mildly, Jing Li's lips twisted into a faint smile as he led her through the bulk of the crowds that had amassed near to the ship's gangway. A ripple of intrigued whispers still heard beneath the soft notes, which were summoned from the instruments that the musicians played from their perch upon the aft of the vessel. 

Xi Yang guided Jing Li to a place along the ship's sturdy wooden railing where she could watch the other boats and lanterns float peacefully along the river. Her prudent guardian, ensuring that there were not many people that were likely to disturb them nearby. Xi Yang made several rigorous checks of the ship's deck, before finally turning to regard her. Appearing ill at ease amidst the flamboyant celebration and pretentious patrons. The scowl, which had dominated his handsome features since their arrival, was only to become more severe as he reviewed Jing Li's face more closely. His thick eyebrows, pinching together to observe the sickly glisten upon her fine brow and a feeble posture, he asked, "Are you feeling alright?"

Although, evident that she was not, Jing Li nodded. Hoping that the feeling would pass if it was denied for long enough, Jing Li propped herself up against the starboard railing of the Jade Emperor's vessel as she attempted to straighten her posture. However, her timid response, unable to convince Xi Yang that there was nothing wrong with her. He let out an agitated sigh as he fished something out from the folds of his robe. Her guard, unexpectedly prizing a delicate handkerchief from one of the pockets discovered within his attire. He wadded up the embroidered fabric, before accompanying it with a gruff instruction, "Use this for your brow. I'll go find you something to drink." 

Throwing the balled-up handkerchief over to Jing Li as he strode off in the direction of the table lined with a plethora of refreshments on the bow of the boat. The water god's bride dabbed at her forehead daintily with the cloth, whilst attempting not to disturb the makeup that Xiao Yu had worked so carefully to apply some hours earlier. Trying to regain her composure, Jing Li took in a deep breath of the temperate evening air. The smells of duck and dumplings, drifting towards her from the stalls on the street. Their sumptuous scents only evoked a sense of nausea from Jing Li's empty stomach as she continued to lean feebly against the balustrade of the ship's immense deck.

Folding the handkerchief that Xi Yang had kindly lent to her back into a neat square, Jing Li opened the drawstrings of the pouch that Lu Qi had gifted her. Noticing that the golden straps had left a vague red ring around the wrist where it had been held, she mused for a moment on the impracticality of the precious material for the use of a handle. However, Jing Li did not dwell on the irritation that the ornate drawstring pouch had caused to her wrist any more than a few seconds, before placing Xi Yang's handkerchief inside and pulling the woven straps closed once more.

Endeavoring to take her mind off of the dizzying spell of nausea which ailed her, Jing Li turned her attention back to the festive display on the streets of the Heavenly City. Watching the reflections of the passersby dance contentedly on the water below and hearing their excited conversations flow together seamlessly. Jing Li was beginning to lament that it was not possible for her to enjoy this experience with Shui Long freely, when someone addressed her from behind.

"Enjoying your evening?" inquired an impartial voice. 

Turning to see a rather stern looking god with skin so dark that it produced a blue sheen within the light of the lanterns. Jing Li felt another wave of dizziness overcome her as she produced a wobbly courtesy in response to the man's sudden greeting. However, the polite gesture, seeming to impress him very little, the deity held out a hand to signal that she should desist from exhibiting the obviously uncomfortable pose before beginning to speak again.

"It is quite cruel to make you endure an ordeal such as this all by yourself." the man remarked, leaning rigidly beside her on the railing. 

Jing Li's brow, wrinkling with confusion upon hearing this comment. Her perplexed stare merely prompted the deity to converse with Shui Long's human bride further as he said, "However, I suppose it is not within that serpent's habits to consider the feelings of others." The man's strict tone, remaining unapologetic towards the overt criticism he had made of the water god's character. Jing Li pressed her lips together as though suppressing an objection that she was aware would not be able to part from her lips as he continued. 

Seeing that Jing Li could not be goaded into making an ill-advised comment in the presence of a god, whose identity was not yet known to her. The mysterious deity showed no inclination to refrain from sharing his own thoughts as other guests to Tian Gong's mid-autumn festivities glided past them on the deck.

"You don't say much do you?" the stony-faced god said, "I suppose, you're very much like your father in that way." The remark barely heard over fireworks exploding in the distance. Jing Li's surprise was lit by the reflection of their cascading light upon the water as he spoke.

The shocking revelation that the man, who stood before her had once known the father that had long since disappeared from her life. Jing Li felt an unsteadiness as her mind became inundated by queries that were too bountiful in length and numbers to ask, whilst the unspecified god continued to provide her with statements that were to elicit more questions.

"He knew that there was power to his words. So, like you, he tended to choose his moments wisely." said the deity. His grave tenor, undercutting the joyous cheers that rose up around them as the firework display began to pick up momentum. Jing Li was unable to resist being drawn in by the god's speech as he persisted to methodically reveal that the father, she had always believed to have abandoned her, was somehow connected to the affairs of the Other Realm. 

Jing Li's eyes, growing wide as she eagerly waited for the mysterious god to tell her more about the father she had never known. The deity, sighing as he sensed her pitiful enthusiasm to grasp at the vague connection to her lost parent; there was almost a mild pity noted in the pleats of his furrowed brow as he continued. "You should have gone back to the Mortal Realm after the warning I sent you." he said, "If you are to stay here, you are more likely to meet the same fate as your late father." A fog succeeding the dizziness that had hindered her previously, it began to cast a murky spell over Jing Li's mind at this moment. 

Struggling to decipher the man's ambiguous confession through the haze of her thoughts. Jing Li's dark eyebrows inched together in mild confusion, until some clarity was finally carved out amidst her daze. Jing Li's face, once again to exhibit a pose of moderate perturbation; once she came to realize that the god, standing next to her now, was the very entity who had ordered the foiled assassination attempt. This, being the only act of sabotage that was yet to be answered for by either Lu Qi or Shui Long's brother. Jing Li had never considered herself the target of this attack.

The revelation that there were those that wished to harm her outside of the residence; not quite as shocking as the news that she had some tenuous connection with this realm beyond that of her relationship with Shui Long. Jing Li desperately grasped at the ship's railing, trying to steady herself as she reeled from the undulating tide of emotions that this conversation had evoked within her. Still grappling with the admission of his plot to have her return to the Mortal Realm, coupled with the fact of her father's passing. The god did not permit Jing Li time to recover fully from this information, before adding, "It would be a shame, if the life that he fought so hard to protect, should also perish due to a misguided love."

His knowing gaze, impartial to the moisture that glistened within the blue eyes that were easily likened to that of her father's. The god's regard fell heavily upon Jing Li as the fireworks continued to thunder loudly overhead. The unknown deity's thick lips, turning downward after reviewing her reaction carefully for a time. He displayed a distinct frown once he saw the severe rash that had spread from the drawstring pouch on her wrist. The irritation, becoming almost purple now, Jing Li pulled the fabric of her sleeve down shakily in an attempt to conceal it, before another grave comment was to descend from the god's lips.

"It seems that my words might have come to you too late." he said. The remark, sounding so solemn that it felt as though Jing Li's imminent death was already promised. The brilliant colors of the fireworks began to fade in the night sky by the time their conversation was to finally be interrupted by the return of her guardian. 

"Ugh, you wouldn't believe the battle I had to go through -" Xi Yang began. Returning with two stemmed glasses in hand, her guard stopped uneasily upon spying the person beside Jing Li on the vessel's balustrade.

"Lei Gong, what business do you have to discuss with our lovely Mistress?" Xi Yang inquired stiffly. His eyes, moving between the two unlikely companions that he had encountered there on the ship's deck with a degree of suspicion. The god, he had addressed as Lei Gong, merely stared back at him with cold indifference as he replied, "As always, chaos seems to follow closely behind in you and your brother, Xi Yang" The god's stern demeanor, remaining unchanged as he glanced back towards the rash on Jing Li's wrist, he added, "Perhaps you should concern yourself more with the condition of your Mistress, rather than the trivial matters of our private conversation."

Following Lei Gong's gaze grudgingly towards the severe mark of the irritation that could no longer be concealed under Jing Li's sleeve, Xi Yang abruptly released the glasses in his hand. Swiftly lifting the fabric to reveal the strange anomaly on her arm. There was a horrified intake of air heard as the purple veins of the rash were seen disappearing beyond the length of Jing Li's sleeve and up towards her heart. Uncertain of whether anger or concern prevailed in this situation, Xi Yang's face scrunched together as he asked, "Why didn't you say something earlier?" The answer, seeming evident as Jing Li blinked back at him silently. Her guard expelled a long hiss in frustration, before releasing the cuff of her sleeve. 

Receiving some more unsolicited advice, Xi Yang once again looked to Lei Gong as he spoke. "You should return back to your estate." he instructed, "Take my carriage if needed and I will notify Shui Long of what has transpired here." The human bride and her protector, surprised to receive the thunder god's aid in this instance, yet not so remiss as to dismiss it, Xi Yang confirmed his acceptance of Lei Gong's offer with a curt nod. Receiving no further knowledge of her deceased father as Xi Yang guided her back through the throngs of people by her elbow. There was another wave of whispers to travel in the wake of their hasty departure, that was to reach even the noblest of deities in attendance that night.