A Gift of Love

I was going to include En and Ran in this, but I couldn’t figure out why they would really care that much. The Wei family would only begin serving Ren’s daughters (if any at all), so it really doesn’t concern them.


Notes: “Dúotai” means “abortion” in Chinese.

Just to reiterate. Rong’s parents are NOT EVIL. They’re just clinically insane. Yes, there’s a difference.

Special thanks to Hikari for her insight on Chinese culture.

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A Gift of Love – Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Way of the Wei

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HoroHoro looked at the girl to his right as they entered Tao Castle. Rong was clutching his hand as she stared at the ground, her eyes low and blank. He’d never forget the look of horror on her face as they listened to Ren’s message. She had been so happy after coming home from the movies, but the news of her parents’ arrival had killed that happiness.

“This is it,” she said. “Either they’re going to force me to have an abortion or claim the baby for themselves. You may have nothing to worry about.” She smiled weakly.

He had tried to reassure her that everything would be okay, that he didn’t mind taking care of her, but she had kept shaking her head.

They walked down the entrance hall not speaking. Rong looked like she could cry at any moment.

“I had finally gotten used to the idea of being a mom…”

HoroHoro looked forward as the thoughts raced through his mind.

I’m going to have to step it up. No jokes. I have something to protect now. I won’t let either of them down.

A set of large double doors was in front of them, and Rong looked up. Her hand pushed against one of them, opening it, and they walked in.

A man with choppy dark red hair looked at them. He was dressed in light armor of grey and red with the Wei family symbol on his back. Beside him stood his wife, a tall and slender woman with a beautiful face, blonde – almost white – hair, and red and white robes. Ren and Pin-Mei stood to the left of her parents. Li was standing to the right.

The couple stood just past the doors. HoroHoro looked at her face. It was pale. Either she was feeling sick, or her parents really did terrify her. He looked at the icy stare of her guardians. They didn’t look like people who would tuck their children in at night with a loving kiss on the cheek.

“Rong,” the man boomed. “Come here.”

Rong swallowed as she gave HoroHoro’s hand one last squeeze and made her way over to them. As she stood in front of them, she looked up, her red eyes full of fear.

Out of nowhere, her mother’s hand appeared and slapped her across the face, sending her to the floor.

“Rong!” HoroHoro cried. He ran to go help her, but the woman saw him out of the corner of her eye.

“Li, restrain him.”

“Yes, mother.” She appeared behind him and held him in a full nelson.

“Let me go!” he shouted as he struggled against her.

Even Pin-Mei tried to run to her, but Ren held her back.

“Don’t interfere,” he said. “I’ll step in if she’s in danger. Until then, stay back. You’ll only cause her more trouble.”

Reluctantly, she nodded. She looked on with fear in her eyes. This was the person who had cared for her since she was a toddler. Who had washed her, and dressed her, and coaxed her into eating when she refused. Now, when this person needed her, she could do nothing to help.

Rong slowly stood, ignoring the stinging in her cheek. Another hand came and slapped her other cheek, sending her to the ground again. Again, she slowly got up, trying to ignore the pain.

“How dare you…” her mother growled. “Are you trying to set a bad example for your sisters? If their eldest sister won’t follow the rules, why should they?”

Rong said nothing.

“Rong,” he father said, seemingly attempting to sound reasonable. “Why have you done this? Do you have any idea of the severity of your actions?”

Rong said nothing.

“Speak,”

Her mother was seething with anger. “You used to be so obedient. Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?!”

Rong’s eyes widened in pain. “I’m still here, mother,” she whispered.

“My Rong would never disobey the rules. She carried out her duties like a member of the Wei family should. What’s happened to you?”

“I’m sorry,” her daughter said. “I didn’t expect this to happen. I was just as surprised as you are.”

Her father was still trying to make sense of what was going on. “It was rape, wasn’t it? Just tell us who did this to you, and we’ll have him executed. Then we’ll ‘take care’ of the baby, and things can go back to the way they were.”

“No…”

“‘No’ what? Don’t worry about that wretched man’s life. Rapists don’t deserve the same treatment as normal people.”

“No…It wasn’t rape…I’m keeping the baby.”

He smiled nervously. “Rong, what are you telling us?”

Rong looked him in the eye, suddenly fearless. “About three and a half months ago, I fell in love with someone. I wanted that person to know how I felt about him, so I gave him all of me until there was nothing more I could give him. Because of that, I became pregnant. That is all.”

Her parents looked at her, then at each other.

“Tai…she’s ending up like Shan…” her mother whispered. “What are we going to do with her?”

Tai looked past his daughter and saw the blue-haired boy that was being restrained. “Is that the father?”

Rong stopped herself from looking. “No. He’s no one. Just an escort.”

“Really?” He looked to his other daughter. “Li, bring him here.”

Li did as she was told and threw HoroHoro to the ground in front of her father. Tai went to his belt and unsheathed a sword that hung there.

“This boy means nothing to you?”

Rong’s breathing hitched. She knew denying him was wrong, but she justified that she was trying to save him. If they knew he was the father, he might be susceptible to punishment – even death.

“Absolutely nothing.”

HoroHoro looked up at her. He seemed to understand what she was trying to do, but the pain was still present in his eyes. Tai raised the sword.

“Then you won’t mind if he dies, will you?”

Rong’s eyes widened as the blade began to fall. Ren’s did as well.

Shit! He grabbed his Kwan Dao and began running over. Then he stopped. The blade had stopped as well.

Rong had dropped to the ground on top of HoroHoro, using her body to protect his head and neck from her father’s blade. She was breathing heavily with tears in her eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Horokeu…I didn’t think he would do that…I’m sorry I denied you…I’m sorry…Please forgive me…I love you…I’m sorry…Just please forgive me…”

“It’s okay…I know you were trying to protect me,” he whispered. “But don’t be reckless like that again, alright? You have to protect the baby.” He felt her nod lightly.

Tai sheathed his sword. “At least now we know the truth,” he sighed.

“Rong, this boy has given you a child as well as the ability to lie? Why are you associating with someone like this?” Dúo asked.

Rong and HoroHoro stood. She stepped in front of him.

“The only thing he has given me is the ability to know that what I’m doing is right…and I don’t care what you think.”

Her parents’ eyes widened. Tai studied the boy.

“An Ainu…” he whispered. “You, boy, do you honestly think you’re capable of taking care of a child?”

HoroHoro thought for a moment. “Yes. Yes I do. Even if we aren’t, the people in my village always band together to help each other. I’m going to take care of her and the baby. I’ll put everything I have into them.”

“Are you sure?” the Wei head asked.

HoroHoro tensed. “What do you mean?”

“Do you have any idea, the slightest notion of what being a father entails?”

“I…”

“Waking up every two hours to feed the child, listening to their cries knowing you can do nothing to silence them, raising them to act how you want them to, teaching them what is right and what is wrong…dealing with their rebellion.” He looked at Rong. “You’re still a child yourself. You don’t have what it takes to be a father. Once things get tough, you’ll run away and leave her. This is an unwanted pregnancy. You never asked for a child, so why carry on this charade any longer? Just allow the child to die. Having mere children as its parents will only cause it to suffer.”

HoroHoro was silent as he stared at the ground. Rong lowered her eyes. The thought of him leaving, the thought of her waking up one day to find the space beside her empty while a baby cried on the far side of the room…it was haunting.

“Yeah, I’m not even eighteen yet, so what? It doesn’t change the fact that I have a commitment to someone,” her lover said. “Yeah, I’m the reason Rong’s pregnant, but as I told her, I don’t regret sleeping with her, not in the least. If you want to keep talking shit about our choice, then just keep in mind that we won’t be listening.”

He clenched his fist harder and his eyes flared.

“And don’t you dare call this child unwanted. Unexpected? Yes. Unwanted? No way in hell.”

Tai sighed and looked at the ground, closing his eyes. “I suppose then that we will end up raising the child ourselves. Now Rong, after the child is born, we will come and…”

There was a flash of light. He looked up to see what looked to be almost a shield of ice in front of him. Eyes looked over it at him, full of hatred and malice.

“If you want to get anywhere near that child, you’re going to have to go through me,” HoroHoro said in a low voice.

Rong stared at him. “Horokeu…”

He looked back at her. “This is what a father’s supposed to do, right? Protect his kid?” He turned back to her parents. “Sure, I was scared at first. I still am. But I’m staying with her, whether you believe in us or not.”

Rong stared a few moments longer before looking at the ground. Her bangs fell to cover her eyes as she walked past him.

“Oi, Rong! What are you doing?!”

She didn’t reply, only looked up at her father.

“Father, why does it matter to you if I have this child or not?” she asked softly.

He got an uneasy look on his face, as if he himself didn’t know. “Well…”

She turned to Dúo. “Mother, if you loved your children, wouldn’t you want me to experience that same joy?”

Her mother just stared at her, not saying anything. Rong lowered her head again.

“Shan wanted children. I saw it in her eyes every time she looked at Lady Hua. She even told me once that she envied her. Not in a malicious way, but in a way that said she wished she could have that same happiness as well. To be able to bring a new life into this world and care for it.”

“Rong, she knew the rules, as do you. It’s forbidden,” her mother reasoned.

Her daughter ignored her. “In the weeks before her death, Shan fell in love with one of the guards at Xu-Fan Castle. They had an affair. It was one more reason why you approved of her being killed.”

“Sister! Where are you going?” Rong cried as she ran up to her.

Shan turned and smiled at her sadly. She was in chains. The guard with her pretended to ignore her so that she could have a few last moments with her sister. She knelt down, tears in her eyes.

“I’m not coming home tonight,” she said.

Rong looked up at the guard. “But what about Yunxu? Where are you going with him?”

“He’s taking me on a trip,” Shan said after some hesitation. “We’re going very far away, and you won’t see us for a very long time.” She couldn’t tell her four year-old sister what was really going on. Instead, she kissed her forehead. “Never fall in love…Just follow Mother and Father’s rules and you’ll survive.”

Rong blinked. “Okay…”

Shan reached to her belt and removed a sectioned chain. She handed it to her sister. “Take this. I know I wasn’t able to spend time with you and teach you how to use it, but I know that you will find some way to fight with it.”

“Thank you,” Rong said solemnly. She had a feeling something wasn’t right.

Shan stood and forced a smile, then waved. “Goodbye, little sister.”

Rong watched her sister and her lover walk into a steel cell. She couldn’t see into it or hear any sounds that came from it. Patiently, she waited for her sister to emerge.

She never did.

“When you went into the cell, you found not only my sister dead, but Yunxu as well,” Rong said. “He was given the job of killing the woman he loved. He could no longer live knowing what a crime he had committed, and took his own life as well. That was the worst sort of punishment you could give two lovers.”

She waited for her parents to say something. There was silence.

“Why doesn’t that story make you cry, Mother? Knowing that your own daughter was killed, and you could have done something to stop it?”

Dúo looked away from her.

“Don’t you miss her?”

“I do…”

Rong clenched her fists. “Don’t bullshit me. You don’t love me. You didn’t love Shan. You don’t love Li. Or Yu-lan. Or Geming…”

“Silence, Rong! You’re upsetting your mother!” Tai cried.

“Or Ju. Or Mei. Or Ru…”

“SILENCE!”

“Or Heng. Or Junbao…”

“SILENCE I SAID!!”

He slapped her across the face, sending her to the floor once again. Rong stood slowly, a smirk on her face.

“I landed on my back to protect my child,” she said. “Would you have done the same, Mother?” Silence. “You have nine children…How many times have you told them you love them?”

“Ch…Children don’t need their parents to tell them that! They should already know!” her mother cried, obviously uneasy.

“Maybe…But then why don’t I believe that the both of you love me?...I’m getting sick of all this silence. The both of you obviously don’t have anything to say.”

Her father’s face creased with rage. “Rong…if you wish to remain a part of this family, I suggest you bow right now and beg for forgiveness. Your mother and I will not tolerate this insolence any longer!”

“Fine. Disown me.”

“Wh-What?!”

Rong reached up into the cabinet and got down a glass, then moved toward the sink to fill it with water. As she turned the faucet on, arms gently wrapped around her midsection. She pretended to ignore it as the glass was filled. When she turned around, he took it from her and placed it on the counter, then kissed her gently. When it ended, he gave her a quick squeeze.

“I love you,” HoroHoro whispered in her ear.

She blushed as she pushed him away. “What was that for?”

He smiled and hugged her again. “’Dunno. Just felt like saying it.”

Rong looked at the ground. “I don’t want to be in a family where it’s considered wrong to have someone come up to me and hug me and tell me they love me for the sole reason that they ‘felt like it.’”

“What is this?!”

Rong closed her eyes. “I grew up raising Lady Pin-Mei on my own. Her father had isolated himself from her. She never received words of love from him. I thought that that was the way it was supposed to be. I never questioned it. I never told Pin-Mei I loved her because I figured that since I thought I was fine without hearing those words, she didn’t need to hear them either. But my outlook began to change when I came here ten years ago to be with Pin-Mei…”

“Ren, darling, where are you going?”

“Outside.” He started speed walking towards the door.

His mother smiled at him. “Alright, then. Be careful.” She bent down and grabbed him, pulling him close to her. He struggled as she planted a kiss on his cheek. “I love you, sweetheart.”

He slipped from her grasp, his face red. “Yeah, yeah, whatever…”

Ran was still smiling as he ran outside.

“As I watched them, I wondered how a mother could tell someone I thought was undeserving of it that they loved them,” Rong said looking at Ren. He looked back, understanding the point she was making. “I questioned if I was doing something wrong. I couldn’t think of anything. I had done everything my parents told me to. Still, this boy who seemed to disobey his parents without a second thought was told daily that he was loved. It only confused me more last year…”

Zhang held Pin-Mei’s hand as he walked her to her bed. After she had gotten in, he brought the covers up to make sure they were covering her and tucked her in. Then he removed his long coat and set it on his lap as he sat on her bed. She blushed as he gently stroked her hair, smiling down at her.

“I hope you enjoyed the New Year’s celebration,” he said in a soothing voice.

She nodded. “I did…Thank you for your gifts, father.”

Zhang shook his head. “There’s no need to be so formal with me.”

“Alright…Papa…”

He smiled. “That’s better.” He let out a little chuckle as she turned her head away to yawn. “You get tired so easily, it seems.”

“M-Maybe…”

Zhang looked down at her lovingly. “Well, I suppose I’ll let you sleep then.” He leaned down and gave her a quick peck as he grasped her hand. “Goodnight, Pin-Mei.”

“Goodnight…Papa.” She was unused to this.

“I love you.”

She stopped. Her eyes quivered as tears slowly filled them. “Do you…really mean that?”

He smiled. “Of course I do. I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t feel so strongly about it.”

“But…But Mom…”

His eyes lowered, the smile trying to stay in place. “Yes, your mother is gone…but that’s all the more reason for me to take care of you. You’re her gift to me. She wanted you to live so much, that she chose you over herself.” He looked at her again. “I’m sorry I neglected you all these years, Pin-Mei. I shouldn’t have. You were in pain, just as I was, and I didn’t help you, I didn’t protect you like a father should.”

She gasped as a tear fell down his face. ‘Men aren’t supposed to cry…’ she thought.

“If you just give me the chance, I’ll show you how much I love you and care for you. I’ll show you how important you are to me, how much you mean to me. I’ll make up for all these years. I promise you, I promise!”

Pin-Mei looked up at him, then used her thumb to wiped away a few of his tears. “Papa, please don’t cry.” She smiled. “I love you too.”

“Suddenly…It felt like I was the only one in that house who wasn’t loved,” Rong said bowing her head. “Ling and Shu’s parents would send them letters; ‘I love you honey, hope you’re doing well. Work hard. Love, Mom and Dad.’ I never got any of that. I was told to train, work hard, and protect Lady Pin-Mei. To die protecting her was my destiny.” She lifted her head suddenly, tears in her eyes. “And then…”

“I can’t lie, Rong. Not about something like that.”

Her eyes lowered. “Oh…I understand.”

She was surprised when he kissed her.

“I love you,” he said, smiling down at her.

For a moment, she was confused. He had just told her he couldn’t lie about love, so why…?

As he watched it dawn on her face, he cupped her cheek.

“I love you,” he said again.

She touched his hand as the tears came again. “I love you,” she whispered hoarsely.

“And then…”

“I love you, Cornelia Brunel…”

“I love you, Wei Rong…” He continued kissing her as the credits rolled.

“When those words were finally said to me, I cried. I had started to think that I would never hear them. That I would die without being loved.” She looked to her left as HoroHoro grasped her hand. “Horokeu alleviated the pain that I was feeling. For the first time, I’m doing something for myself. At the same time, I’m doing something for someone else, too. I’m happy. I don’t know when I could last say that and mean it. I’m happy. I have a family now; who needs me more than you do. More than Pin-Mei does. And my services are to them now.”

Tai clenched his fist. “Rong! Can you even grasp the volume of the mistake you’re making? If you’re going to keep this child, the two of you must get married as soon as possible! Are you aware of the amount of shame this could bring our family?!”

Rong shook her head. “HoroHoro and I didn’t expect this to happen, and I will not take this opportunity to trap him and force him to stay with me.”

“He’ll run off on you someday, you know that, don’t you?” Dúo cried.

Her daughter remained complacent. She and HoroHoro looked at each other, then at the floor. “If that does happen, if it means that he’ll find someone else to love him and make him happy, then so be it. All that I would want would be that he remain in the child’s life and let them have a father.”

“HoroHoro’s not that type of person,” said Ren. “But yes, if it did happen…”

“She’d stay with us. We would help her,” Pin-Mei said smiling.

Tai furiously turned back to his daughter. “You’re Chinese! He’s Japanese! It’s crossbreeding! The child is going to suffer!”

“The Ainu already have to deal with racism. It’s nothing we can’t handle,” HoroHoro said.

Rong smiled a little bit. “Yeah, plus, I have Shan’s whip, and I know how to use it.” They both laughed.

“How can you two laugh about something like this?!” her parents cried.

“Because,” HoroHoro said. “Kicking and screaming didn’t help.”

“Honestly!”

Rong smirked. “Well, to be perfectly honest, it’s because you two are so worked up about it.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I mean, most people would be ecstatic to know that they were going to be grandparents. You guys are just spazzing,” HoroHoro said with a grin.

Tai couldn’t help stomping his foot. “We could have you drowned! The both of you! Executed! Stoned! Water torture! Something worse!”

Suddenly, a blade was at his chin. He looked to his left to see Ren holding his Kwan Dao at him, a fake smile on his face.

“L-Lord Ren! What is the meaning of this?!”

“I believe you’ve made your point. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like they’ll be listening to you. Kids these days…” He sighed. “But if you’re going to threaten violence here, I must ask you to leave.”

“But-But--!”

“I think you should move quickly. My hand has been known to slip every now and then, and I don’t want blood on the floor. It was just cleaned a few days ago.”

Tai gritted his teeth. He threw down Ren’s weapon and walked over to his daughter.

Before anyone could react, he pulled back and swiftly punched Rong in the stomach.

She crippled to the ground, clutching the place where she had been hit. Her breathing heaved and staggered as she fell to her knees. HoroHoro stared at her, then at her father.

“You bastard…,” he whispered in a low voice. “YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!!”

With a cry, he charged at the Wei head and tackled him, knocking him to the floor. He relentlessly started giving him all the right and left hooks he could muster. Tai soon threw him off and stood up. Dúo rushed to her husband.

“Dear, how could you do that? Even if this is against the law, how could you punch your own daughter like that?” she said in a timid voice.

Her husband slapped her. “Don’t talk back to me! Now I can see where she gets it from!”

She held her cheek, a few tears in her eyes. “Yes, dear…Forgive me…”

Rong looked up slightly. But this is the first time Mother has ever gone against anything Father has done…

The Wei head glared over at her. “You’re no daughter of mine. You’d best find a new surname, because it surely is not Wei.” He turned to his other daughter. “Come, Li.”

She stayed where she was.

“Li, COME.”

“But Lord Ren has not dismissed me.”

Ren smirked. “You train your daughters to obey the people they serve to the point where they won’t even obey their own father. You did this to yourself.”

Tai seethed and then quickly turned, grabbing his wife’s wrist and practically dragging her with him. She kept trying to look back at her daughter, but soon was yanked out of sight. Ren turned away, seemingly regretful that his hand hadn’t slipped.

HoroHoro had recovered and was gently touching Rong’s shoulders. She was coughing nearly uncontrollably.

“Rong, just try to breathe,” he said, though he seemed to be having trouble himself.

Rong covered her mouth, and then coughed once more toward the ground. She whimpered.

“What? What is it?!” he asked, his voice frantic. Rong lifted her head. He saw it.

A large pool of blood was on the floor.

Too much for just one person.