Riddlesrulebook

AU where Beidou has to watch Ningguang getting married off to a nobleman... and it breaks her heart. All whilst she wished the girl she really loved would only have given it some time and... chose her. // Ningguang x Beidou

The wedding venue felt colder than it should have.  

Beidou’s fists curled by her sides as she took in the scene before her. Her Ningguang was up there at the altar, her usual golds and dark blacks swapped for a red and gold Qipao with a feather-light train. Her lips were painted red which only seemed to enhance her eyes. Her beauty. Beidou would’ve blushed if she was anywhere else but here. 

Her Ningguang was getting married. But not to her, never to her. Instead, a nobleman was there, with her Ningguang. 

Saying heartfelt vows and meeting her magical-looking crimson eyes with those precious lashes. And Ningguang was keeping her posture tight and straight like she always did in public. Beidou would know, she’d been the one who studied her ways, her behaviour, spilled secrets to the Tianquan and planned to love her until the end of their lives.  

She wondered why Ningguang never let her in the same way, even though she always promised to be polite and not to mess up her affairs, perhaps it was because they were both girls. A Tianquan had never married someone of the same gender before... or even someone as low as a pirate like Beidou. Ningguang was always one to do things by the book, after all. 

When Beidou had asked her why, she looked stressed. Why? She was wary of watching her career tank for the sake of love, running variables and consulting her personal advisors. Talking to them. Watching the tides of Liyue culture for any changes in attitude, like Beidou watched the waves to see if a storm was coming. 

But Beidou always knew. 

Ningguang looked at her the way you do when you really really loved someone.  

As she was choosing which Nobleman to marry. 

As she met with the Pirate Captain to discuss trade. 

The way her eyes lingered... Beidou knew if she only gave it some time, they could.. But she never did. Such was the nature of the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing, she struck when the Iron was hot and didn’t look back. And here she was on the altar, next to that nobleman. 

Beidou schooled her emotions. No, no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t rip the man’s throat out or shout an objection. Ningguang trusted her too much for that. And the last thing she wanted to do was lose her friend. She had already lost her girlfriend.  

To that thing at the altar.  

The thing with nicely trimmed black hair. 

And that perfectly tailored outfit. 

And that smile.    In reality, he was a man. Not a thing. A man. A man that had just kissed Ningguang to seal the marriage amid a sea of cheers from citizens at the ‘most influential wedding this year’. It made her sick. 

Beidou could feel the tears beginning to prick at her eyes, not happiness for the new couple. No these were made of jealously and utter selfishness. She only blinked them back when she reminded herself of what Ningguang would say in the moment. 

‘Honey, don’t cry.’ 

Don’t cry for someone who had made their choice. Someone who had already left and spilt the milk. Keep a level mindset. Move on from the affair that had consumed her entire world for the better half of two years. Through the death of Rex Lapis and the arrival of the traveller. Through lantern rites. Through rain and fall. 

Beidou glanced back, steeling herself in reality. Members of her crew who had opted to attend sat behind her, along with Kazuha himself who had waxed poetry since that morning since he felt inspired by the tale of love finally coming together. The kid never made poetry on demand, so Beidou could tell he cared or atleast to the extent that you cared for your friend’s friend. She had to keep up appearances... couldn’t have their captain bursting out in jealously. No, she had to portray herself as strong for the sake of the crew. Just a friend... Coming to wish her girl- no, friend a happy married life. That’s all it was now. 

She studied Ningguang’s face, the slight shift in her eyes betraying her carefully masked true mood. She was scared... For her future. She was having second thoughts too, racing through her head, hiding her honest opinion. The way that Beidou lived in her head. Oh, Beidou was that lonely too, Ningguang in her head too. 

The world was cruel.  

And in the end, none of them could see how they were waiting for eachother. 

How Beidou had knocked on Ningguang’s door, panicking. The moment she had heard, laying low until she had left the ship to not arouse suspicion from sleepy crewmates, hoping to find sanctuary in Ningguang’s arms. 

To ask her why. She could never be angry with Ningguang no matter what she did, could never harm a hair on her head, because she was in love. In love so deep she blinded herself to reality. Living in the daydream that the Tianquan would choose to defy tradition for her sake. 

What a silly childish dream that was. 

It didn’t matter who Ningguang really really loved inside, how much time they gave it, it would turn out in the same fashion. Atleast this was the least painful option. 

The moment Beidou realised that, she was outside the venue, and the tears fell from her cheeks freely behind the shade of a single tree. So much for being a brave captain in these stormy waters.  

The light in her life had vanished. She’d probably go on some far off voyage to drink away the pain.. Ningguang would never open up her eyes. Liyue society wouldn’t. 

Why was everything turning so cold? The feathery honeymoon of falling in love had long turned to stony mourning. She felt Kazuha put an arm around her shoulder, slowly guiding her back to the ship. 

She was alone.