The day starts out with an argument and a desperate daughter who longs to see the outside world.
-Years Before The War-
All alone she sat, under the cheery blossom tree. She watched as each individual petal fell from each flower, like snow in the wintertime. She sat, weeping for her long lost love. Oh, so broken inside was she that she engulfed her face into her hands to stop the shed of tears. She gasped for breath every chance she could. All else was beautiful, all but her tears.
She was indeed so fair. Her silk black hair hung low beneath her back. Her eyes glow purple like the most beautiful sapphire. Her feminine body so slender, but she carried a stomach so plump and round. Could it be that a new baby was to be expected? Was this her reason for tears?
Alas, the father of her child would already be wed. She had refused to be present at his pre-arranged marriage. It was her beloved, and no one else's. Perhaps this is why she had never believed in "true love". Her tears had come to cease. All had calm, but there, on the lake's horizon line in the distance was a boat. Among it was her love, and only her love.
As he neared the shore, she helped herself up onto her feet. The tears fell again, though not as strong. As the boat reached the shore, the man jumped over the edge to the ground. He ran to her and stopped only a few feet away. He stared in disbelief that he had come this far.
"Lord Sun Jian…" cried the women, softly.
"Lady Wu… It is you I love, lady Wu. I want you as my empress. I wish to have no other."
Softly, she shed another tear as she ran into his arms. Such an embrace it was to make the night warm again. Such a sight it was to bring the warmth back to her heart. That night they were wed, and over a period of time did they bare three children. As all great stories do come to an end, this one also dies… Only to be reborn a new story, two generations later.
-A Time of War; The Wu Kingdom Untold-
In the sparring ground, two men practiced. They were the two men who are rivals, yet greatest of friends. Ling Tong, and Gan Ning. Sword and numb chucks clashed as the battled raged on. More warriors were there to watch, and all were awed at their performance. Even those who weren't present still watched, such as the girl who stared dreamlessly out the window of Sun Ce and Da Qiao, who were, again, arguing.
"It's my kingdom! Don't tell me how to run it!" Sun Ce yelled at his loving wife.
"Sun Ce, if you do that, you'll lose half of your army! Don't seek revenge! Your father wouldn't want that!" Da Qiao yelled back.
The one who sat alone by the window continuously listened to the two argue. She was tired that they couldn't agree upon anything. Why do they even get married if they knew things, as such, would happen? These arguments made her lose her place in the book that she had been reading for some time. Eventually her temper had stretched to its limit, and the girl was about to burst. Grinding her teeth together, she finally snapped.
"Can't you two ever get along?" She said, trying to hold back her anger.
The two looked at the girl, their daughter, and now noticed that she was where she could be seen to the outside world. They turned to her and began to scold her for her mistake. Her secret life has made her lust for the world beyond, but the war had endangered her life and she is to never be known to the outside world, other than her close, very close, family.
"Sun Qiao! Get away from the window right now!" Sun Ce scowled at her.
With an evil glare she still sat at the window. She closed her eyes for a second as she stood. Opening her eyes, she slammed her book on the table that stood before her. She kept her stay by the window.
"Why does it matter if the world knows of me or not? Why!" Sun Qiao yelled back at her parents.
Da Qiao had spoke in place of Sun Ce, " Qiao, Listen to your father!"
"No!" Sun Qiao yelled at her mother.
Sun Qiao was the only person in perhaps all of China to not know of the war. She wanted to know why she had to stay in her parent's room all her life. She wanted to know why only few family members could know of her being. She wanted friends and to love like in the books she read. She wanted to see the outside world, and share the warmth of the sun and the cold of the night. Why couldn't she be normal like everyone else?
"Why can't I be normal like everyone else in this damn world?" Sun Qiao asked bluntly.
"You really want to know why?" Sun Ce questioned his daughter, and she nodded. "You really want to know? Well it's because we don't want you involved in a war! We are doing this for your safety, and you'll never be as normal as anyone you read about. You a princess for god's sake! This is more normal for you than being a princess ever would be!"
Sun Qiao felt bad. Her father had never raised his voice to her. He stormed out of the room, and Da followed after. Sun Qiao sat back down, and looked back out the window. The two men were done sparing. The audience had left. All but one man had stood in the sparing grounds. He had sabers, and was slashing them at a tree. It was Lu Xun, and Sun Qiao had found herself very interested in the man's fighting stance.