Part 4, Chapter 33

Coming home

Ch 33

They stepped out of the thick mist and into the bright clearing that held their small town. Shun, Taiwu, and the children were waiting to meet them. Beibei rushed to Xiaomin who swung her up, laughing. Chenhe stood next to Taiwu, who had Chenyuan in his arms. The twins stared at the man holding their mother’s hand, uncertainty keeping them in place. 

“Is daddy?” Chenyuan asked. “Momma, is daddy?” 

Chenhe stuck his thumb in his mouth, a habit he had outgrown years before and held more tightly to Taiwu.

Xun smiled at her children, kneeling to take Chenhe’s hand away from his face. “Chenhe, don’t you want to meet daddy?”

Chenyuan started to wiggle in Taiwu’s arms. “I want meet! Taiwu, down!”

Taiwu set the girl on her feet and she trotted over to Jianyu, who had been watching the scene in stunned amazement. Xun had told him about the children during their journey, but seeing them in real life was a little overwhelming. 

The little girl bowed solemnly, “Welcome Emperor Daddy. I Chenyuan.” 

She smiled up at him and he bowed in return. “Greetings Chenyuan, your mother has told me so much about you.”

Chenyuan turned back to her brother, who was still hiding behind Taiwu, despite Xun’s coaxing.  “Emperor daddy not scary,” she yelled. “No be scared!”

Chenhe shuffled a little closer. “Sure?” He asked.

Chenyuan ran back to her brother and tugged him forward. “You meet Emperor Daddy now!” She said, pushing on the back of his head to try to get him to bow.

Chenhe scowled at his sister and bowed to his father. “Welcome Emperor Daddy. I Chenhe.”

Jianyu bowed to his son. “I’m glad to meet you, Chenhe. Since I haven’t been here before can you show me around your village.”

Both children grinned at him and grabbed one hand each. “We show!” They crowed excitedly. 

Jianyu glanced up at Xun, who smiled at him and urged him to go with his children.

As the trio left Taiwu turned to Xun, “Where is Jingyi?” he asked worriedly. 

“He’ll be back soon,” Xun reassured him. “He is escorting the Fire Lord and his father here for the negotiations. Don’t worry, we wouldn’t let anything happen to him. Has everything been alright with the village?”

“Yes,” Taiwu said, shooting a nervous glance at Shun. “Keeping the barrier up has been hard on Shun though. Beibei fusses over her like a mother hen. I’m glad Xiaomin is back to watch over them.”

Xun felt contentment settle over her. “It’s good for families to be together.”

Taiwu nodded, looking a bit wistful, and he and Xun followed after the Emperor and his guides, leaving Xiaomin and Beibei to fuss over a worn, but happy Shun.