One Tail at a Time

Divine Interference

The day has finally arrived and rather than spend the morning preening before the large mirror that Die Feng has rolled into my chamber, I am instead meditating.  This is the only time of the day that I get to either close down and release everything, or allow my thoughts to wander and it is the latter that sees me lose track of time.

Though my thoughts are not on a girl I will soon take as my bride, but my mother, or rather what I am seeing as divine interference.  From the moment we both made our wishes which I now know was made simultaneously from two different areas of the world and by two hearts who knew nothing of each other, my mother stepped in to grant both wishes.

I will never know why she felt Bai Qian was the girl for me or if she even knew that this was where it would all end up.  Actually, I think she did know, only I don't think she knew exactly what would follow or was obstacles we would meet in order to reach this day.  Either way, had she not, then this day would have continued as any other before her arrival to my mountain.

And it is my mothers interference that has me suddenly rising to drag out her plaque before setting up the candles.  I owe her a gratitude I will never be able to repay, but my heart feels so light and heavy at the same time, that I fall to my knees and lower my head to honour her.  

My greatest regret in life, is not knowing her, so the tears that are forming are for her continued  guidance and care that I never noticed until Xiaobai came along.  It is only now as I contemplate on my lack of a mother and the many instance where I think she may have been around when I was little, that my tears give way.  In fact, there were many instances.  Her fragrance for example.  It is one I remember smelling at the oddest of times and mainly when I was being punished.

I was a normal boy, filled with mischief and always on the outlook for every advantage which always got me into trouble.  But there had been times when I had smelt her fragrance in my chamber when none other was there.  At the time, I had been very young, so I didn't really pay much attention to it, only having met with her in the chaos and recognizing that fragrance, it is now that I realize she had not really left.  She has been with me all this time and I never knew it.

"Thank you mother......" I whisper into the floor having yet to lift my head.

For a brief moment, I actually expect to smell that fragrance, but after a few seconds, there is nothing, but I do feel happier and much lighter having given my own form of gratitude to her and in private, while also hoping that she will attend my wedding day today.  It is my final wish to her, so I let it stand before rising to prepare myself.

I do not allow the usual wedding day revelries.  I am still the master of Kunlun and my students will honour this day, respectfully.  I do not care for the filth that most men are forced to endure, so I have already laid down the law.  Though I am allowing them to wear their own robes in accordance with their ranks outside of the discipleship.

Now bathed, dressed and ready to go, I find them all waiting for me at the entrance along with Di Jun and Si Ming who will document this day for the Celestials archives.  And with the palanquin ready, one that Di Jun had created for us, we are off.

The trip to Qing Qiu is loud with fireworks and laughter which I have allowed, and our banners are flying high as we pass over villages and towns that are still preparing themselves for their day.  Several heads raise to stare and all of them wave and smile as we pass over them, which adds to the festive occasion and all the while, my thoughts remain solely on Bai Qian.

Only it isn't until we reach Qing Qiu, that my tears begin to gather.  The entire blue mountain range is bedecked with banners as is entire entrance and there to meet us is Mi Gu and several of Qing Qius women who kindly gift us all a peach tree branch to welcome us in.  They are a sign of luck and usually given by unmarried women in the hope that they might gain a little of my luck, while also giving me their blessings to marry their Queen.