"Fa Mulan?" The Matchmaker scanned the women bent down before her.
"Present!" Mulan stood to her feet.
"Speaking without permission," the woman scribbled on her tablet and turned to the doors through which she came.
"Oops," Mulan placed her palm on her forehead then nervously followed the woman inside.
Fa Li, Fa Zhou, and Grandmother Fa waited impatiently outside for the results.
Mulan's mother and father prayed to their ancestors while her grandmother explored nearby bushes in search for "lucky" crickets.
"She needs all the help she can get," said Grandmother Fa to passing strangers who questioned the old woman and her odd behavior.
There was a loud crash followed by a deep continuous screaming inside.
The Matchmaker busted through the doors.
"Put it out! Put it out! Put it out!" she screamed in panic as flames rose from her backside.
Mulan splashed the remaining tea from the pot in her hands onto the woman.
The fire ceased.
Mulan, embarrassed and ashamed, hid behind her mother and father.
The Matchmaker, upset at the recent events, pointed a finger at Mulan, "You may look like a bride, but
you are not worthy of being one!"
Mulan cast her eyes to the ground.
"If anyone opposes, speak now and you shall be wed," the Matchmaker called out to the people gathered around.
Silence broke out in the crowd.
Mulan's eyes stayed on the ground; her face still.
Fa Zhou looked around at the young men, hoping and praying that one would speak up for his daughter.
"I oppose!" a voice spoke from behind the crowd.
"Come forward," Fa Zhou called out.
A man emerged from crowd.
"Fa Zhou," the young man bowed before Mulan's father.
"I am Tao, son of Zian. I am a farmer here in town and would, with your approval, marry your only daughter."
Fa Zhou, without consulting his daughter, nodded to the young man, approving his inquiry.
"Mulan," her father spoke gently to her, "We will meet you back at the house."
He bowed to Tao and started home with his wife and mother.
Mulan softly bowed to Tao and began on her way.
"That's it? That's all I get? Not even a 'thank you' for saving you?" Tao followed the young lady.
"Who said I needed to be saved?" Mulan clapped back.
"Did you miss the whole part where you dumped tea on the Matchmaker?" the man inquired.
Mulan stopped and turned to the man, "If you're such a hero, then why didn't you have a match yet?"
She put her hands on her hips.
"Because I'm not like the other men in this town; I don't need a gorgeous match or a..."
"Is now the part where I am suppose to thank you?" Mulan picked up her speed.
"I didn't mean you aren't..." Tao stuttered over his words.
Mulan lifted her hand.
"I can handle it from here," she left her match in the street and walked back to her home.
As Mulan approached the gate, there stood three large horses.
On each horse sat an important-looking man.
The two men on the ends carried orange and red flags with a dragon crest in the center.
In the middle rode the emperor's adviser; Chi Fu.
The crowd began dispersing.
Mulan tapped on a man's shoulder, "What's going on?"
The man ignored the girl.
"What happened?" Mulan looked around at the people entering their homes.
"Whoa!" Chi Fu commanded his horse while pulling tightly on his reigns.
Mulan turned to see his horse only inches from her.
"Watch where you are going woman or next time I won't be so generous to stop my horse," Chi Fu huffed at Mulan.
Mulan stepped away and bowed to the adviser.
"Humph," Chi Fu turned his head away from the woman.
Upon command, the three horses trotted away.
Confused, Mulan entered her home.
"But you've already fought in the imperial army," Fa Li told her husband.
Mulan listened from the doorway.
"What do you want me to say Li? I am the only man in this house," Fa Zhou responded.
Fa Li began to cry.
"It will be alright," Fa Zhou pulled his wife into a hug.
"I have made it through before. For now, let's keep this from Mul..."
Creaaak.
"Mulan? Is that you?" Fa Zhou inquired from behind the wall.
"Uh...yes. I just came home," his daughter replied.
"Come in the dinning room, we want to talk to you about something," her father called her.
Mulan joined her family at the table.
Fa Li quickly wiped her tears from her face.
"We would like you to invite Tao over for dinner tonight," Fa Zhou held his wife's hand.
"Oh, you know what, I think he said he had stuff to do tonight," Mulan's voice shook as she lied through her teeth.
"Stuff?" questioned her father. "What stuff?"
"Oh, you know...farmer stuff," Mulan kept her eyes on the table.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Fa family? It is Tao," a voice spoke from behind the front door.
"Mhmmm," Fa Zhou glared at his daughter.
Fa Li gave her daughter an aren't-you-going-to-get-that look.
Mulan unhappily stood from her chair and sauntered over to the door.
"Hello Mulan," Tao bowed before her.
"Listen, now's not really a good time..."
"Ahem," Fa Zhou stood behind his daughter; he raised a disapproving eyebrow at her.
"Because, now is a great time," Mulan continued.
"Please come in Tao," Fa Zhou gestured to the interior of his home.
"Thank you," Tao bowed to Fa Zhou.
Fa Zhou led him to the dinning room, "Have a seat."
Mulan uncomfortably sat next to Tao.
"We were just talking about you Tao," Fa Li told the young man.
"Oh, were you," he teasingly grinned at Mulan.
"Yes, we told Mulan to invite you over for dinner but she said you have farmer stuff to do tonight," she told his as she poured tea in his empty cup.
"Is that right?" he looked at Mulan knowing how uncomfortable this all made her.
"I actually came by to get to know Fa Zhou a little bit better before he leaves tomorrow for..."
"Ah, yes," Fa Zhou interrupted. "And you? What will you be doing tomorrow?" Fa Zhou hinted that Mulan was unaware of the events.
"My usual business," Tao was careful to say.
"Excellent," Fa Zhou nodded.
"Oh," Tao continued. "And I also came by to give Mulan this," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden ring with ancient Mandarin carvings on it.
"Wow Tao. It is beautiful," said Fa Li while inspecting the ring. "Isn't it beautiful Mulan?"
"Let me see that," Grandmother Fa snatched it from her daughter-in-law. "Is this even real gold?"
Grandmother Fa put the ring in between her back teeth and was about to bite down when...
"Mother!" Fa Zhou quickly stood from his chair and retrieved the ring; putting it back down on the table in between Tao and Mulan.
Grandmother Fa winked at Mulan.
Mulan chuckled.
"Is something funny Mulan?" his voice became stern. "Your match comes here and gives you a beautiful ring and you do nothing but sit in silence. When will you grow up?" he banged the table with his fist.
"How am I suppose to grow up when you don't even tell me that you're leaving for war tomorrow?!"
Fa Li began to weep; she stood from her chair and ran out of the room.
"Now look what you have done!" her father followed his wife.
"I actually do have some farmer stuff to do. If you don't mind, I'm just going to..." Tao awkwardly and slowly stood from his chair and headed for the door.
He left the ring on the table.
No one said a word to each other for the rest of the evening.
Mulan sat on the Great Stone Dragon outside in the pouring rain.
She kept slipping the golden ring on and off her finger.
A great anger rose inside of Mulan.
She said a quick prayer to her ancestors then quietly crept into her parents room where they were both sound asleep.
She took the scroll from her father's night stand and replaced it with the golden ring.
Then, Mulan sneaked into the closet where her father kept his armor.
She slowly removed the sword from its scabbard and chopped off her hair.
She lifted her hair into a bun and quietly put on the armor.
Mulan quickly mounted her horse and galloped out of the gate.
Something awoke Grandmother Fa.
She raced to her son's room.
"Mulan is gone!"
"What?" Fa Zhou and Fa Li quickly sat up from bed.
Fa Zhou looked at the ring on his nightstand.
"It can't be!" he raced to the empty armor wardrobe.
"Mulan!" he yelled running outside into the rain.
Fa Li followed behind him.
"No!" he cried watching the gate doors swing in the wind.
"You must go after her," Fa Li told her husband. "She could be killed!"
"If I reveal her," Fa Zhou shed a tear. "She will be."
Mulan's mother, father, and grandmother sat at the dining room table in silence.
"What about Tao? What do we tell him when he finds out that you didn't go and that his bride is missing?" Grandmother Fa inquired.
"She's right Zhou, what'll we do?"
To be continued?