The Winter Peony (Young Hanzo x Reader)

The Wilting Sasanqua

"Hanzo," [Y/N] pleaded, tightening her hold on his coat, pulling him from his thoughts. Seeing her with her face pale and her eyes wide with fear, glassy with tears—it destroyed his heart for the second time in his life.

"Yes [Y/N], I'm right here..." He kept her laying as she tried to sit up again, "Don't move too much, it will only make the wound worse...Where is that blasted man?" Hanzo growled, more with sorrow than anger as he looked toward the door. He heard her say something, but it was to faint, he started to get up and go to the door, but she seemed panicked. Clawing at his clothes to make him stay still.

"Hanzo no, please, stay with me." Her voice cracked, and tears streamed down her face. "I beg you, do not leave my side."

"You are safe," Hanzo assured her, putting his hands on hers as he kneeled beside her again. "There is no reason to fear, you will be alright, I will make sure of it."

"Then make sure by staying beside me," She hissed in pain and curled slightly against him, he choked down a sob that was rising in his throat. Closing his eyes, he turned his head away to compose himself when he felt her cold hand on his cheek, feeling like ice against his heated cheek.

"My darling husband," The words caused his heart to stutter and his eyes to open in shock, while they had grown tender toward one another enough to speak of their engagement, they have never exchanged any talk as sweet as what he had just heard. He put his hand on hers and used his free hand to cup the side of her face as he leaned down and pressed his head against hers. "Hanzo, I know," She was trembling under his touch, or perhaps it was he who trembled at her words. "It is not proper, but I beg you...I believe to have heard it from your heart...call me greedy, call me selfish...my fierce dragon..." Hanzo felt a tear leak from the corner of his eye and trail down his cheek. "If you love me, tell me true, by your words."

"[Y/N]..." Hanzo grit his teeth together to keep him from breaking down fully, "Do not speak as if you will pass. The time will come when I tell you, my resilient peony, but I do not wish to soil it with the tragedy. It is meant to be said with tender happiness, not sorrowful tears. Rest for me, let the doctor fix you, and when all is right, I will shout my affections to the gods themselves from the tallest mountain to prove it to you."

"I do not wish to close my eyes," She sobbed, her mouth pressed into a hard but quivering line as tears poured from her eyes like rain from a cloud. "I fear when I open them again my lovely dream will end, and I will be punished with damnation."

"You and your damnation," Hanzo chuckled, a smile spreading across his face as his own tears fell on her face and mixed with hers. "Hear me, you will live. We will wed. And all will be well."

"My sweet blind prince..." She whispered, "I have blinded you to the cruel reality that is our way of life."

"The only thing to have blinded me was the beauty of your smile and your heart," Hanzo whispered back into her ear, nuzzling her gently before realizing she had gone still. He pulled back in worry to see that she had closed her eyes, passed out from loss of blood and pain. He rolled her onto her back and looked up to see the physician running inside the room finally with several servants in tow, carrying bags and towels and two a steaming bowl of water. Hanzo refused to leave her side, just as she had begged until the knife had been removed and her wound tended to.

It had been a hateful wound, but keeping the knife in proved to be the right call, she would need a lot of time to recover before she did anything strenuous, least she open the wound once more and make it easier to infect. She had not woken when the doctor patched her up, she had not woken when a stretcher was brought in, and she was moved into Hanzo's bedroom. When the servants had laid her down on Hanzo's unmade bed he sent them away, he wanted to be alone with her for a few precious moments but to have guards outside the room and an extra set to come and sit with her when he left.