The Water Sprite

Final Preparations.

19,995 Years Ago

Sitting at the stone table with Zhe Yan and Bai Zhen, Mo Yuan and Bai Qian drank wine and talked of the up coming wedding while they waited for her parents to arrive.  With the Announcement of their Engagement already released, they now needed to finalize the date with her parents, though neither could find a reason why it would be declined, if anything it was just a formality.  The real talks would be on the venue and the guest list.

And it was the venue that was on Bai Qians mind.  It had already been explained to her by Lord Pua, that as the Heavenly Lord, his wedding had to be held at The Celestial Palace regardless of her rank as Queen of their worlds most wealthiest land.  She knew this would become a heated topic of discussion, because her mother would insist it be held in Qing Qiu.  As far as she was concerned, The Celestial Palace needed Qing Qiu not the other way around.

But seeing as they were still some time away from arriving, she suggested they take a walk to talk privately before their arrival.

"Good idea." Mo Yuan said.  He was not looking forward to this meeting any more than she had been in meeting with his people.  But it was a necessity which he could not avoid, but a walk would definitely give him some grace to get his thoughts in order.

Walking hand in hand, Bai Qians mind went back to her childhood and their very first meeting.

"You must have thought I was such an insolent child." she said grinning side ways at him.

"Most definitely." Mo Yuan grinned back.

"But you still took me on.  What changed your mind?" she asked. This was a conversation they had not yet had and now seemed to be the right time for it.

With her hand in his, they slowly walked through the peach blossom rain with no real destination in mind.

"I believe fate changed my mind." he said which earned him a soft chuckle in return.

"I too believe that Mo Yuan, but there had to have been one defining moment that changed your mind." she insisted.

Mo Yuan thought back to the day she had rung The Bell of Kunlun and the aftermath that followed.  He knew what the one defining moment was but he couldn't tell her, she would be thoroughly embarrassed by it.  But the memory of her fox paw stroking his face before belching all over his robe was actually the defining moment.

Chuckling softly to himself, his eyes softened at the memory.  He had never seen her in fox form again since that day and suddenly he wanted to see it again.

"Did you know that Mortals believe that Nine Tailed Foxes only appear before a Ruling Deity in order to change his fate?"  he asked looking down at her.

"We do?" she asked having never heard it mentioned and wondering where he was going with it.

"Yes indeed.  They are also said to have Nine Tails which empowers the fox with Nine forms of magical transformations." he said looking at her intensely which was now making her uncomfortable.  That it came from the Mortal world even though this was meant to secret knowledge was not something she was happy to learn.

Bringing them to a halt and placing both hands behind his back, he leaned down over the top of her while his soft eyes held her gaze .  "It is also said the Nine Tailed Fox is known to for its enchantment magic which can lure any man to her by taking on the form of a beautiful woman.  He said smiling just inches from her face. " So you asked what was the defining moment that changed my mind.  Might the question not instead be put to you?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye.