Dehyarzad

"Don't worry, my guardian knight."

- Dunyarzad to Dehya, during Archon Quest Chapter III: Act II.

Dehyarzad is the femslash ship between Dehya and Dunyarzad from the Genshin Impact fandom.

Canon
Dehya and Dunyarzad are first introduced in the second act of the Sumeru Archon Quest: The Morn A Thousand Roses Brings. Dunyarzad is the daughter of the Homayani family, a prestigious and respected family in Sumeru City. Dehya works as a mercenary, specifically as a member of the Corps of Thirty, who operate mostly within the city walls. Because of Dunyarzad's poor health, her parents are constantly worried about leaving her roam the city on her own, and opt to hire a significant number of bodyguards to ensure her safety at all times. As one of the bodyguards, Dehya often accompanies Dunyarzad on her trips to the city, as well as occasionally keeping her company at the Homayani Estate. The two have developed a strong friendship, even within the bounds of their formal arrangement of employer and employee.

The first time the two interact on-screen is in Lambad's Tavern, after Dunyarzad had successfully escaped from the other bodyguards looking for her. Dehya, however, is able to find her easily, and tries to convince Dunyarzad to head back home— lest she loses her job. After explaining herself, Dunyarzad is able to convice Dehya to let her stay in the City for the Sabzeruz Festival, on the condition that the Flame-Mane keeps an eye on her. Their arrangement proves to be beneficial, because Dehya will be the one who later protects Dunyarzad from being kidnapped.

After the Samsara starts, every day the encounter between Dehya and Dunyarzad's kidnappers plays out the same, with the only difference being her improving her skills with her new greatsword. Since with each cycle Dunyarzad's health worsens, the Traveler and Paimon seek Dehya's help, using her unusual skill as proof of the existence of the time loop. Dehya believes them, having sensed that the Dunyarzad she was interacting with during these loops was off— way more tired and sad than she should've been. Despite not being able to physically see the unconscious body of the real Dunyarzad, the Flame-Mane feels her presence, and quickly comes to the conclusion that her lady is in great danger. Wanting to protect Dunyarzad, she agrees to help and find a solution with the Traveler. This attempt does not work, but eventually the Samsara is broken and Dunyarzad is safe. After the Festival, the two part ways for a time, with Dehya leaving for the Desert.

The two reunite again at the end of the last act of the Sumeru Archon Quest in Port Ormos. Dunyarzad is free from her illness, and doesn't need Dehya's protection anymore. Likewise, Dehya wants to go back working as a mercenary outside of Sumeru City— specifically in the Desert. They both are saddened by Dehya's imminent departure, and so have decided to spend their last week together doing everything that Dunyarzad could not do while sick. The last time they're seen interacting on-screen is at Zubayr Theatre, at a feast organized by Nilou. They spend their time celebrating their victory over the Akademiya and enjoying the food and company as much as possible.

Quotes
"My lady, who are these two?"

Fanon
The pair quickly rose to popularity following the release of patch 3.0 and the first two acts of the Sumeru Archon Quest, becoming the most popular ship for both Dehya and Dunyarzad. Their dynamic of bodyguard and protected reminded fans of the popular 1992 movie The Bodyguard, which automatically coded their interactions as romantic in the eyes of the shippers. Furthermore, their canonical affection for each other fueled the ship even more. The two have also quite contrasting personalities, with Dunyarzad being cheerful and sweet despite her circumstances, and Dehya being the more cynical and jaded of the two. Only recently, Candehya has emerged as a rivaling ship.

There are currently 40+ works on AO3, most of which depict the pair as romantic.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

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