A Tear Frozen in Time

Leaders Meeting

Gathering at the base of the Grand Stairway, the Leaders from all over the world chatted quietly among themselves while waiting for the Crown Princes arrival.  The Skylord had yet to take the throne and seeing as none could enter the Grand Parlour until he had, the conversations were soon becoming animated when it was made known that Queen Bai Qian would be attending.

"I hear she has an army and is the Commander in Chief.  Have you ever heard of such a thing?"

"Women can be Generals, why not a Commander in Chief?"

"Because only a man can command an entire army."

"Rubbish, Mo Yuans Mother Commanded several armies under her own steam and all without the assistance his father."

"But they were a different kind of people, they belonged to Heaven itself."

"Admittedly, Queen Bai Qian is a High Goddess, the only one in existence and of the Original Clans, but she can hardly be compared to The Heavenly Mother."

"That's true.  But still, she has an army that no one has ever seen because her barriers are impregnable.  Have you ever heard of a barrier that no man can break through not even the son of the Heavenly Two?"

"I know.  We sent an emissary to request permission to visit her amry, only he never got through the gates, because the the barrier was too powerful.  Only those with links to Qing Qiu can make it past that point before they are then met by the guards on duty"

I heard she has no guards on duty, the barriers are all the safety she needs."

"I say we just wait for the woman of the moment.  For all we know, her presence could be just as commanding as her reputation or as flimsy as your gossip."

"Pfft.  She was born weak.  Even the Grand Parlour has been dimmed to accommodate her poor eyesight, so I ask again, how is it possible that she can command an entire army if she can't even see them?"

"She's not blind you fool.  She merely has weak eyes."

Listening quietly to the conversations going on around her, Bai Qian slipped back towards her family who were yet to be noticed having kept themselves apart from everyone else and being behind them all, they went completely unnoticed, but wanting to get a feel for these Leaders before she entered, she soon returned unimpressed.  Of course she knew that gossip about herself would be rife, she wasn't that secluded to know the world talked about her.

Being the Queen of the largest and wealthiest Tribe in the world, she had to expect the gossip, though hearing the way they were talking about her as if she were a mere blind ruler with nothing better to do than give herself extra titles, irritated her no end and for a moment she considered leaving.

Only the sudden arrival of Ye Hua and Mo Yuan who briefly nodded to no one in particular as they made their way towards the Grand Staircase where everyone else quickly fell in behind, had her momentarily gawking at them.

She knew Ye Hua was so similar in features to Mo Yuan, but to see them side by side was extraordinary.  In fact she was rendered speechless and motionless as she watched the two men whom she had once loved in two different lifetimes, rise up the stairway side by side and for a moment her nerves gave way.

To see Mo Yuan again, had her heart beating too fast and instantly her mind delved back to her horse Daoji who she had fallen head over heels in love with and her Master along with him.  

Back then, she didn't think she would ever find love that strong for anyone or anything, Daoji had saved her life when the pack attacked them, by placing himself over the top of her.  Had he not, Shifu told her, she would have died.