For Lack of a Better Wife.
Prologue -
THUD.
Sun Chan flumped to the floor again for what must have been the tenth time in that span of ten minutes. And yes, for lack of a better word, she flumped – since there was no delicate or lady-like way to otherwise put it.
She gave a light groan, looking up from the tiled surface and blowing a stray lock of brown hair away from her eyes irritably.
"Umm… I guess there has been some improvement…" drawled the tall, lean man who stood beside her, twirling a wooden practice pole around with the fingers of his left hand, his right placed on his hip, in a pose which suggested that he was actually trying to understand the mechanics of why women and fighting did not slot together so easily.
A small silence followed as Chan attempted to jump to her feet, fell once again, thought the better of her adventure and clumsily lifted her body off the ground. "Really, how?"
Her gullibility amazed Ling Tong.
"Maybe now we have an excuse to re-tile the floor?"
A growl was shot at his snide remark, though Sun Chan was in no mood to hold a five minute grudge, and with a whiny painful sigh, she kicked her pole across the floor and tossed her hair grumpily over her shoulder. "I'm sure I'll master this eventually."
Ling Tong spoke in a mutter as she flounced off into the direction of the corridor. "Because you have so much patience…"
Leaving the training halls, the pair strolled through the halls of the palace of Jiangdong silently, walking in a comfortable silence, an early morning atmosphere spreading calm across the building. The large wooden doors of the great hall loomed directly in front of them, and they drew to a halt, ready to turn separate ways.
"Well I'm off to take care of strictly officer business!" Ling Tong joked with a grin, knowing that excluding Sun Chan in the gentlest way possible often had hilarious results.
She gave him a lazy scowl in return. "Well I'm off to take care of strictly… my own business?"
"Like brushing your hair and reapplying powder?"
As per usual, he was granted a playful punch in the arm.
"Ow!" Ling Tong gave his shoulder a rub, along with a wince, raising an eyebrow delicately. "You know, I think all this training is working."
Genuine compliment caused Sun Chan to beam up at her best friend; "Really?"
"Would I lie to you?"
A pause.
There was a laugh, then, "you know, don't even answer that."
"Answer what?"
Ling Tong and Sun Chan were startled by the voice of another general. They turned to notice for the first time that the hall doors had quietly opened, the grand architecture and bold, royal colours of where Sun Chan's uncle, Sun Quan, spent the majority hours of his time, now visible.
However the main attraction for Chan was the young man leaning casually against the huge doorframe. Golden-brown tousled hair which floated casually in front of topaz eyes, strong, however gently built arms folded across a tanned chest. A smile from her husband lifted Sun Chan's spirits even higher.
"Man, why do you have to walk around topless?" Ling Tong joked, poking Lu Xun irritatingly in the head as the young, golden boy walked towards Sun Chan.
If you've got it, flaunt it?
Chan cursed her mind for wandering off once again.
"I went for a run around the gardens, excuse me for staying healthy!"
He turned away from Ling Tong's silent mimicking and smiled calmly at his wife.
"Morning, Chan."
"How was your run?"
"Perfect. The gardens are beautiful this time of year."
It's not just beautiful outside…
And again, she needed to mentally scold herself.
Ling Tong was still on his rant. She tuned back into planet 'right now'. "…you know, if I strutted round with all my glory showing off, no one would be able to focus on anything else."
A general grimace swept around the corridor, and Sun Chan and Lu Xun rolled their eyes at each other.
"Well, thankyou for the lovely imagery, Ling Tong. But it's time for us to go?"
After a couple of minutes of goodbye exchanges, the two officers disappeared into the great hall, Lu Xun swinging the ornate doors heavily to a close behind him, not before throwing Chan a large smile and a wink.
The girl smiled to herself, standing stock still for a second, staring at the doors as if they held every answer, fixated on the spot where her husband had stood just seconds before.
Eventually, able to relieve herself, she turned to stroll back down in the direction she had previously walked with Ling Tong. However she passed the training hall and continued on to find herself outside, in the palace gardens, taking in a large breath of sweet countryside air and revelling in the cool morning breeze.
Before her, the mountains stretched in the distance, snow atop the highest peaks, glistening in the rays of sun, huts and houses on the plains below jutting out sweeping silhouettes.
Gravel and pebbles crunched gloriously beneath her sandals as she stepped out onto the pathway, the arms of plants reaching out to stroke her shoulders as Chan glided past them peacefully. Lu Xun was right. The gardens were beautiful – a vast array of pink blossoms, orange lilies and purple hues of flowers surrounded her in this paradise.
The air was tranquil. So much like the relationship of that of her and her husband now was. There was no real fighting anymore; though there was still a shyness. She still couldn't capture him as her own, because she was too scared to lose him if she ever managed to become close to him. Everytime there was any chance of an intimacy, she would drag herself away. Chan could not understand what was drawing her back from what she really wanted.
There was a feeling inside her that her husband still thought she was the immature little spoilt princess whom she had been when they had first been married.
Really, the little spoilt brat was still inside her. She knew it. She had been raised like one – to have others take care of her troubles for her and to never have to lay a finger on anything representing hard work of any kind.
But she would break out of this image. She was going to show Lu Xun who she really was. All that was needed was her new secretive training, the perfect opportunity, and the ability to convince a certain pirate of a few favours.
Her chance was on its way – just not in the form that she ever dreamed it would take.