Wolf King and his Fox Consort [BL]

The Queen Dowager watched from her tower as the large group of Xiongnu gathered in the main courtyard, while her grandson the King, and his Consort bid them safe travels back to the grasslands they called home.

In all her years, she never expected to see such a colourful group gathered in the royal palace of Haolin. Zui was never a hospitable country, never too kind to foreigners. In all her planning she hadn't foreseen this particular development, although she welcomed it.

The young Xin prince who had brought about this fortuitous meeting stood facing his brother, no doubt saying his goodbyes. And they would be long ones. She doubted the two fox brothers had ever gone so long without seeing each other as they were about to. Discover wonders at m-vl-em-py-r

Her sight failed her most days, but it seemed to her that the younger fox was radiating happiness. Perhaps it was related to the strapping Xiongnu man standing next to him, perhaps only the result of setting out into the world on his own.

"Have they left yet?" A ragged voice asked, coming up behind her slowly.

She didn't need to turn to recognise Tang Fan, his careful gait and the sound of his walking staff alone would have alerted her of his presence. He walked up to her side, standing by the open window, his lined face turned towards the breeze.

His ears must be as good as he claimed, because even despite his blind eyes, hidden beneath the white bandage he wore, his face turned towards the muted sound of voices in the courtyard.

"Not yet," she answered him. "They're saying goodbye. Your student seems quite happy to be leaving."

Tang Fan scoffed. "Despite all I've taught him, he's still going to leave to be someone's husband."

She understood where he was coming from. No one better than her understood Tang Fan and his pain. He took possession of it now, hoarded it all for himself, but for a time it had been her pain as well. It still was, but she didn't tell him that.

It was still hard to believe he had stayed around. She expected him to be gone as soon as the contract had been fulfilled, but she should have known he would want to take her to task. She had told him she had gotten revenge on his behalf, and he wanted proof of it.

"I don't know," she told him, while she watched the proceedings on ground level. "I think your student has learned his lesson. From what I understand the Xiongnu have somewhat different views. It seemed his young man was very taken by your student's assassination attempt."

Tang Fan wasn't so easily placated, he scoffed, shaking his head in disappointment. The very picture of the old, wise master seeing his most brilliant student throw away all his promise to chase worldly pleasures. "Then I'm sure he could have joined them on his own to offer his talents, instead of becoming the Wise Prince's betrothed."

She couldn't help her smile. "Maybe he'll bring as much change as his brother brought to Zui."

Another scoff. "And does his elder brother know he was brought here as a result of your careful manipulation?"

"I'm sure he can figure it out. He's smart enough. But even if he doesn't. His uncle will soon inform him. It must be apparent to the King of Xin, at this point, that my suggestion to send over his nephew to destabilise Zui, with the intention to serve it up on a platter for him, was all a lie."

Tang Fan hummed. "He'll want to retaliate."

"A problem for my grandson to solve. He has a throne, heirs and a husband. I've done my part."

And she had. The gods were witness to how much she had sacrificed over the years to achieve her revenge. All the humiliation she had suffered in silence, all the heartbreak and heartache.

She wouldn't say it was worth it. That wasn't the right word. It was necessary. Her revenge was ensuring hers and Tang Fan's tragedy would never happen again.

That wasn't something that could happen in a few years. It took a lifetime, a reform so deep by the end of it the court she had married into would have been unrecognisable.

She couldn't have done it on her own, and she acknowledged the role fate had played in putting someone like Gu Wei in her path. He was just as bruised as her, and just as eager for revenge.

Maybe Chu Yun knew by now that nothing about his pregnancy was miraculous, or even the simple result of a father anxious to secure the throne for his son. If so, by now he should have also realised that both him and Xiao Zai were just stones in someone else's chessboard.

But maybe he understood the necessity of his sacrifice. Maybe he wouldn't change a thing about his current situation if given a chance. He surely seemed content, from what she could tell. His and Xiao Zai's reforms were even more daring than she had hoped. So ambitious as to be almost foolish.

But then, if anyone could see them through it was her grandson, and his stubborn husband.

"I suppose you're feeling very proud of yourself," Tang Fan said, startling her out of her own thoughts.

"I think I deserve to be proud," she told him, "I've accomplished what I set out to." She turned to him, touching his wrinkled hand over the windowsill. "But more than that, I'm happy. I never thought I'd be happy again, until I saw you, after all these years."

Tang Fan tried to fight it, but the smile was stronger than him. "You always were a smooth talker."

"Most people would describe me as dry, sour, even sharp. Only you ever said anything about me was smooth."

His other hand covered hers, he sighed, from deep within his chest. "Neither of us has many years left, A-Su, but let's wait and see how all this change you brought forth turns out."

She leaned her head against his bony shoulder. They were of a height. Two short omegas, made even shorter by age. "Yes, the seeds have been sown, now we just need to wait for the harvest."