Ying walks me to the room since the heavy robes made it inconvenient for me to move swiftly. She guides me to the bed, and I take a seat. Bureaucratic motions and conversations are tiring once it extends over more than ten hours. Although I was sitting most of the celebration, I had to properly exert the disposition of someone worthy to be Demon Queen.
"The children?" I ask her, letting a weary sigh escape.
"They've tired themselves out and are resting."
"They must have had fun today with all the performances and food. We don't often get this many guests in the Azure Aurora Palace. Did Jun'er enjoy herself?"
Ying nods. "Yes, the princess appears to have had fun along with her brothers."
"What about you?"
"It was indeed a magnificent celebration."
"Did the Heavenly Emperor came just to speak with you today?"
"His majesty was here to congratulate you and his highness, Demon King," she quickly refutes.
"Ah Ying, I won't butt into your matters. If you want me to stop my nephew from pursuing you, I can make it happen. I understand the past is complicated and just because I'm his elder doesn't mean I know everything but since it's a matter between lovers..."
Bowing to bid farewell, Ying ends our conversation, "I will take my leave." She disappears in a blink of an eye using a teleportation spell.
Someone enters the bridal chamber with careful steps. I can tell who it is based on the aura. It sends a fluttering wave to unravel in my chest as if I had not accompany this person for the last few centuries. As if I'm a blushing bride meeting her husband for the first time.
The door closes behind him, securely locking in place as he advances towards me. A golden frame blocks the view of the bed, and red decorations added a mortal festivity for the special occasion.
Melting my nervousness, his eyes fall on mine, sparkling delightfully even after a long day. He sits down and holds my hand, his thumb gently caressing.
Observing my facial expression for any sign of discomfort, Zi Huo asks, "Was it tiring? Are you fatigued?"
"I'm fine. You? You stayed to greet everyone before returning."
"I'm used to it."
"For my sake, you even shortened the ceremony to one day, making it even more troublesome for a shorter amount of time."
"It was mostly a formality to officially name you as my queen." He lowers is gaze and inches closer. "Although you've been my wife since the beginning."
I smile and slither my arms around his waist. Falling into his embrace, I close my eyes momentarily.
"And you've been mine."
"The triplets are still young. I don't want to stress you out with all the rules. The elders only need to recognize you, and the needlessly irritating alliance with the Heavenly Empire has already been secured. We can now focus on raising our family."
"Our family..." I mutter.
"What?"
"It's crazy to think that all those lifetimes ago, I was basked in solitude and couldn't even imagine living a life as a mother. Sometimes I still think of myself to be incompetent."
"You're an amazing mother. These are our children together, so we will learn to be good parents over time." Zi Huo pecks the top of my head and tightens his hold. "I should have hurried the wedding before the triplets arrived."
"Well... We didn't know they were coming." I scratch my head.
It was true. Even I didn't know that I was pregnant at the time. Zi Huo had gone to the Mortal Realm for a few years. Yi Fei scolded me harshly when she discovered I was with child and was recklessly tackling down demonic beasts.
"I wished I could have spent time with the children today. Ying said Jun'er had fun."
"That's good to hear."
Zi Huo and I are especially attentive to our daughter, Jun'er. She's a bit different compared to her brothers, Yang Bo and Yang Bing. Ever since they were born, Jun'er doesn't smile, cry or throw a fit as children would often do. On the other hand, Bo and Bing were quite the troublemakers. They are currently over just a year old but because of their cultivation, their mobility is much more energetic and chaotic than mortal toddlers. Jun'er is the only calm child who clings to me or Zi Huo.
Finally out of our wedding garments, Zi Huo and I lie on the bed side by side. He pulls up the blanket for me, patting it down. "My dear wife, it was hard on you to give birth to three babies all at once."
Remembering the pain, I grimace. "You did tell me giving birth to demon babies was not easy. Next time, you be the one to give birth."
"I'm fine with just three children." Zi Huo smiles with eyes teasing.
"No! I disagree. We must have more, but you will be the one bearing child birth."
"Please be merciful, dear wife. As you know, men cannot give birth anyhow."
"I'm the Divine Creator's incarnation. I can make it happen if I really try."
With this, I see the look on his mocking face turn meek. Hugging me close to his body, Zi Huo pleads, "I will do everything I can to be the best husband. Let's live with just three? I vow to look after the children then. My wife can do what she wants."
I can't contain my laughter when facing the Demon King's silliness. "All right. If my dearest husband will look after the children then that will slightly relieve the pain of what I went through."
"Only slightly..."
A few conversations later, I'm about to fall asleep. Zi Huo wanted to talk longer.
"Yuxing?"
"En?"
"Do you remember when Yi Huai and Mu Dan got married?"
Why is he talking about them?
"Yes." Not knowing where he is going with this question, I'm not curious enough to follow along as sleep is about to sweep me under.
"I had thought you forgotten their shabby wedding all this time."
"I didn't forget... I just thought we were playing. Mu Dan didn't realize it was a real ceremony, and I guess then... I was too angry with you to remember correctly."
"But now we are married for real." He asks like he wants me to affirm that we were indeed tied together in matrimony.
"Yes, now and then we are married. I won't forget." Snuggling close, Zi Huo puts his face against my chest, listening to my heart. His arms not wanting to let go of my body. It is another night I fall asleep with him holding me.
The light of morning hasn't even hit the windows of the palace yet. A pair of tiny hands smother my face and I awake.
"What? Who is this?" I grab the small hand on my cheek.
"Mommy." The voice calls for me in baby babble.
"Jun'er?"
"Mommy!" A flash of blue light flies by but not before stepping on my stomach with full force.
"Ack!"
"Mommy! Wake!" A golden orb then chases after the blue light and my bed turns into an earthquake.
"Children, children. Do not bother your mother. She is resting." I hear Zi Huo coaxing to no avail. The boys continue to play, swirling in the air and bouncing on the bed.
"Bo'er, Bing'er. Come." Zi Huo reaches out his palm and absorbs the forms of the boys in one movement. Understanding they have tested their father's patience, the two are now quiet. "Jun'er, come. Father will carry you."
Jun'er immediately opens her arms to be carried. Collecting my composure due to the rude awakening, I see that Zi Huo's already at the door with Jun'er.
"Sleep a little more. I'll come get you once breakfast is ready." He closes the door and the room returns to a serene tranquility.
This is what life is like now in Azure Aurora Palace. Who would have thought that three demon babies would be running the show? A quite happy family lives here.
My life as Yuxing the Demon Queen differs from the previous mortal lives. It's been such a journey to make it here. I wonder if this was what the Divine Creator was looking for when she relinquished her power and form all those years ago?
Yun reigns over the three realms from the Heavenly Empire. He finds me familiar but doesn't like me completely. Ying is the firefly spirit beast connected to Zi Huo. She is as stoic as before but something has changed in her after being close to Yun. What will happen to these two in the future?
Qin Yu has been reborn as my spirit beast and renamed Qing Cui. He's a green little dragon I've helped cultivated until he took human form. He's been given a new life that remnants of his past self no longer exists. He appears to be happy and a playful uncle to the children.
Yi Fei continues to cultivate and follow immortal rules to elevate her status. She often travels the world to do good. I'm not sure if she has a goal in mind or if it's in her nature to constantly be so giving. She helped me deliver the triplets and cried that day along with Zi Huo who had just returned to the palace. I often tease them about it because I was in so much pain, I should have been the one crying.
"Mommy." Lost in thought, I turn to face a small toddler waiting at the side of the bed.
"What is it, Jun'er?"
"Eat food."
Ah, Zi Huo must have told her to come get me. Are the boys being so unruly that he had to send little Jun?
"Haha. All right, my child. Let's go." I rise from the bed, throwing the covers aside. I pick up Jun'er and we make our way to the dining hall after I washed up and change.
"You're here, Yuxing Jie!" Qing Cui waves to me. Bo'er sits in his lap staring at the food. He finally sees me and wiggles to get free from his uncle.
"Be good, Bo'er," Qing Cui tries to bribe him with drumstick. Bo'er uses all his strength to remove Qing Cui's hand but it is firmly holding him back.
"Bo'er." One word from Zi Huo, and Bo'er stops struggling.
Zi Huo has Bing'er in his lap. The child is happily eating a piece of fruit.
"Grand Aunt." Yun greets me before sitting down next to Ying. She doesn't have a good expression and slides further away from him.
Yi Fei is sitting between Zi Huo and Ying. She beckons for me to head over to the table. "Come sit, Yuxing."
"Sit next to me here, dear." Zi Huo gestures to the chair in between him and Qing Cui.
The meal starts off with everyone's side conversations while eating. Qing Cui bickering with Bo'er about the child's picky food habits. Zi Huo and Yi Fei reminiscing about past missions and memories. Yun ostentatiously flirts with Ying under the table, the push and pull of a romance that is obviously one-sided.
"Mommy," Jun'er touches my face softly. "Mommy, are you happy?"
"En. I am. Why are you asking, my daughter?"
"You're smiling."
"I am, aren't I?" Quickly pecking her forehead, I use my chopsticks to feed her and myself.
Yes, I'm really happy. This moment is so precious that I don't want it to end, for us to be together like this forever. It's no longer a beautiful dream where I am afraid to wake up. It is my reality that I must protect. I will do everything in my power to protect the life I built with Zi Huo, my dearest person. The person who I will choose to fall in love with no matter how many times I am reborn. And the person who will always choose me.
Author's Note:
Kinda wanted to give this story a follow up into Yuxing and Yang Zi Huo's life after the ending. I think this will be the only epilogue for them, although I did want to go into detail about certain things. I think this is a good, brief chapter about what happened to them and other characters.
Yun, Heavenly Emperor, is the ML from Immortal Fairy (my other book).
As you can tell a little bit, Ying is Fa Zhen from Immortal Fairy. In this little snippet, Yun wants to win over Ying.
Qin Yu who is now Qing Cui will have a side story, but I'm not sure when I'll get that ready. It will be relatively short.
The triplets are Yang Bo, Yang Bing, and Yang Jun. The boys are identical while their sister is a fraternal twin. There will be a story following Yang Jun that shows the children's lives when they're grown. Not sure when I will have that ready. I tend to write what I'm most interested in writing in the moment. ^^
Let me know if you have questions about other characters or stories! Thank you, readers!