Chapter Two:

Sun Ce and Zhou Yu were speaking with Qiao Xuan when the girls entered the room–Da and Xiao side by side with Mai Li more or less unnoticed behind the girls. "Ah, my daughters! And Mai Li! It is well that you have come, for I was going to summon you as well." Qiao Xuan exclaimed as they entered the room and bowed.

Zhou smiled at the look of surprise and instant infatuation on his best friend's face. The Qiao sisters were indeed as beautiful as rumor proclaimed, but he couldn't bring himself to care overly much. Sun Ce, however, had always been one to appreciate a woman. No, Zhou was more interested in the woman behind the sisters–Mai Li?–who seemed to be more or less trying to hide. He had overheard a few things about her already since he had been here, but hadn't thought that he would get the chance to meet the girl who had the weapons teachers scrambling to find something new for her to learn with her knives. They had talked about bringing out daggers, just for something slightly diverting, and then they had walked out of Zhou's hearing.

His interest had been sparked–not many women were interested in the art of using straight bladed weapons, and he was not interested in women who were more interested in their looks and pretty clothes than anything else in life. He wanted a woman who would spar with him, who shared the same love of the feel of a blade in his hands, and he had yet to find one.

As if feeling his gaze on her, she looked up, the hand holding her fan lowering for a moment so that he saw her face. Her eyes widened and she quickly dropped her gaze again and raised her fan–as was proper for a woman. A smile turned the corners of his lips up, and he wrested his attention from her to pay attention to what was being said.

"It has been agreed," Qiao Xuan said to Da, "that you, my eldest daughter, shall be wed to the lord Sun Ce two years from this day. When the caravan leaves in two days, you will go with your new fiancé to the capitol and live in Sun Jian's own palace."

Zhou spared a glance for Qiao Da, who bowed to her father. She showed no trace of emotion in her eyes–the only part of her face seen for the fan that covered the rest. So, the girl wasn't exactly thrilled to be married. He couldn't blame her–she, after all, knew nothing about her future husband and now she was engaged and leaving all that she knew behind with barely enough time to bid it all farewell.

"Am I going to go to the palace as well, Father?" Qiao Xiao asked excitedly. Zhou had to suppress a smile at the obviously younger and immature girl's rudeness.

"No, Xiao," her father said sternly, and she immediately quieted, lowering her eyes in shame. "However, I will send a companion with you, Da," he said more gently. "Mai Li, you have been a great friend to my daughter for a long time, for which I thank you. I would ask you one thing, however. Will you accompany my daughter and continue to be her friend in the unknown?"

Mai Li stepped forward and bowed before Qiao Xuan. "It would be my honor, sir, if your daughter will have me," she replied. Zhou couldn't help but feel a tingle of pleasure at the sound of her voice. It was rich and velvety, pleasing to the ear as she was to the eye–though he noted with amusement that her long hair was simply tied back in a knot rather than wound intricately up on top of her head.

"It is settled then," Qiao Xuan stated simply. "I will send a message to your father, Mai Li, to have your things brought here as soon as possible."

Everyone stood, then, made all the appropriate bows, and the women left the chamber, followed by Sun Ce and Zhou Yu.

While the Qiao sisters and Mai Li returned to their rooms, Zhou and Sun Ce went to the caravan. "She's beautiful, Zhou, I can't believe it," Sun Ce was saying.

"What, did you think the rumors were exaggerated?" Zhou asked teasingly.

"Well, you never know!" his friend exclaimed, a bit defensively.

They parted ways when they reached the caravan–Sun Ce to give the orders for their moving out in two days and Zhou to his tent to retrieve his sword. He had a feeling that Mai Li would emerge from the sisters' quarters soon enough to go to the training room.

Xiao chattered about how exciting it was that her sister was engaged to be married and how she was so disappointed that she wouldn't be going with her, and what was she going to do with her sister and Mai Li gone?

Da was very quiet and thoughtful, and Li was concerned for her friend.

"Xiao," Li said softly, and shook her head, motioning for silence. Xiao quieted as they entered their quarters, and almost immediately excused herself to go into her private rooms.

"Da?" Li queried her quiet friend. "Are you all right?"

Da smiled–forcedly–and replied, "Yes, Li, I'm fine. I think I'll go start packing, if you'll excuse me."

"Alright."

Da went into her private chambers, leaving Mai Li alone in the outer room. She sighed with concern, and then decided to change into her leggings and the shift she wore when she trained with her knives. A bout or two with her knives would do her good right now, she thought.

A few minutes later, fully changed, she laid Da's dress–neatly folded–and slippers on an end table, and left the quarters to go to the training room, braiding her long hair on the way.

He hadn't been waiting long when she entered the room, clad in form-fitting cloth leggings, a simple sleeveless shift, and worn boots, her hair now bound in a braid that reached down her back all the way to her thighs. He approved of her prudence–she obviously wasn't one for unnecessary decoration, and wore clothes that allowed full freedom of movement. He also approved of the figure she cut in the clothes. She was lean and lithe, with all the smooth grace of a leopard.

She didn't seem to notice him until she went to pick up her knives, and when she saw him sitting there with his sword unsheathed across his lap, she froze–again reminding him of a leopard, unsure whether he posed a threat.

"I hear you're quite good with knives, Mai Li," he said, and she relaxed a little–only a little–and nodded warily. "Have you ever worked with long daggers? A sword?" She shook her head to both questions. "Then we shall have to see what you can do with the knives, first," he said and stood up smoothly.

"Since you seem to know me, it would be only fair if you would give your name and explain what you mean by that," she said tartly.

He smiled. This was a girl with fire behind those dark eyes! He was beginning to think that he could immensely enjoy her presence. "I am Zhou Yu. Stand on your guard!"

Alrighty, chapter two completed. Any thoughts?