Just to clearify, since I know that at least a couple of you haven't seen the movie, Wentai and Prince Tuo Ba Hong are the same person. It never stated exactly why he went by a different name while in the army, but after some research I think it could be that Wentai is his style name, given to men when they come of age because the man's true name is a private thing from only close relatives to use. But it also could have just been a nickname he used to be inconspicuous as a prince among his people.
Thanks again for the reviews! They truly do keep me inspired.
"Aim for the top. There is plenty of room there. There are so few at the top it is almost lonely."
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She gazed at the image in the mirror with critical eyes, examining every inch of her reflection. Noticing a crooked string of beads, she deftly straightened it. Everything had to be absolutely perfect today, on the day that her dream was finally going to come true.
Up until this moment, she hadn't allowed herself to acknowledge that it was finally happening for fear that something would go wrong, and if that happened she thought she'd die of the disappointment. But now, standing on the ornate footstool in the centre of her dressing room with the attendants putting the finishing touches on her wedding regalia, she allowed herself to beam giddily at the mirror. It was finally happening, she was finally marrying a Prince of Wei.
In her dreams, it had always been the emperor's eldest son who stood next to her on the dais, and she'd ruled from that day on as the Queen of China. But when she'd met Prince Hong she'd discovered that not only was the heir twenty years older that her, but he already had two wives, a dozen mistresses and at least twice as many children. Now, if she'd pushed for it, she could have become Honorable First Son's third wife, but that just wouldn't due. As a third wife, she'd simply fade into the background, just one of the future Emperor's harem fit only to bare children who would call another woman mother until he lost interest in her. She would not settle for that. She would be the only woman in her husband's life of any importance, that she would demand.
Unfortunatly, every one of the Emperor's sons who were of marriageable age were already married or betrothed. With the exception of the one who'd led the attacks against her people for the past decade; the nobleman's daughter whom had been engaged to Prince Hong since childhood had been married off to another man while he was at war.
She waved the servant women away; they bowed lowly and exited silently. When the sound of their footsteps faded away, Wude stepped forward from where he'd standing against the wall, she held out her hand as he approached her. Drawing level, he gently helped her down off the stool without disturbing her carefully arranged outfit. When her slipper-clad feet were safely on the tile floor with the trailing robes settled around her, he made to move away, but she clutched his hands tighter to keep him beside her.
"Wude," she said softly, looking up into his delicate features, "Are you going to sing for me today?"
Her hands were tiny in his and he couldn't manage to meet her eyes. He takes a long time to answer, like he always does, searching for the right words to string together his answer. "Lady," he began hesitantly, "You want…me to sing? At the wedding?"
"Yes, it would please me very much if you would." She scrutinized his face looking for clues of what he was thinking about, "You haven't sung for me in a very long time, I miss it." She sighed with exaggerated sadness to enforce her point.
She could see him struggle to come to terms with this. He always did hate to see her miserable. It made her feel bad to manipulate him in this way, when she could tell that he didn't want to sing, but she needed his voice today.
"I'm nervous Wude," She continued, letting him have his hands back, "I've been waiting so long for this, and now it's really happening. I should be happy…I am happy…but I need you to be here for me." The tremor in her voice was genuine, as were her words, "If you sing today, I'll feel better, braver. I'll feel more at home." She twisted her hands anxiously, dipping her head and waited for his reply.
"I…I will sing." He said after a minute. She lifted her gaze and graced him with a smile, which she saw made his morose eyes light up a little.
"Wonderful!" She murmured, looking back into the mirror. "Oh, something's missing."
Wude hovered briefly before moving to the massive closet that took up an entire wall of the room. He rifled through the endless silk and satin, toward the dark, farthest corner. He withdrew from a shelf there a fine hairpiece made of carved elk bone and fringed with Snowy Owl feathers. She smiled delightedly at the sight and reached to take it from him. It had been a gift from her father for her sixteenth birthday. She traced the intricate details fondly. "Perfect," She decided, "will you put it in for me?"
She stood still as Wude fixed the pin into place, making sure the feathers lay in a flattering position. She smiled at him gratefully and took his arm as they walked out the door.
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The square in front of the Palace was packed with people so thickly that not a single patch of pavement was visible. She'd never seen so many in one place before, and these were just the lucky members of the nobility who'd been deemed for one reason or another, good enough to be invited to a royal wedding.
Up on the dais, the Emperor was seated comfortably in his gilded gold throne, the Honorable Consort, Ning Rou by his side. Seated around him were his 29 children and their husbands and first wives and children, and the rest of his very large family. Grouped at the head of the crowd were the highest noble families, the noblest of the noble. Stretching back from there were the less noble ones, in order of importance, with those in the lowest standing at the very back. There were nearly a hundred all together in the yard alone, and thousands of citizens had converged outside the gates, flooding the city streets in order to be close to this wonderful ceremony.
Sarantsatsral craned her neck minutely, straining to make sense of the chaotic order in which the guests were arranged. The decorated military members were over on the right near the front (she only knew that because they all were in full dress uniform) so that's where Mulan would be. Unless she came simply as an honored guest of the family, then she'd be front and centre.
But she couldn't manage to see her in either group. Sarantsatsral felt her heart sink with disappointment. She'd been looking forward to seeming the other woman again, as she greatly admired her for all that she'd done in her life. Perhaps she was just lost among the other generals, she decided, all of them wearing the same armor, and she being so much shorter than any of them…
"Who're you looking for?" She turned to look at Prince Hong, who looked even more handsome than usual in his crimson marriage robes.
"General Hua," she replied. Maybe he knew where she'd been placed, "I don't see her with the other generals, is she somewhere else?" She looked at him imploringly.
The transition on his face was visible, as something unrecognizable slide across his features. His eyes, which had previously been relaxed, staring out over the crowd, widened and darted away, becoming hard and dark. His jaw tightened and she could see the tendons of his slim neck tense. Confused, she moved closer, but he flinched away. "She won't be coming." He said in a quiet, even voice.
"How do you know? Have you heard from her?"
"No, she doesn't write to me. She wasn't on the guest list."
"Yes I noticed." She took her eyes off his face to watch the path of a pair of imperial guards pace along the far wall. "So I had an invitation sent. I really can't imagine the scribes could have forgotten her."
"Well, she won't be coming."
"Why wouldn't she?"
"She…it's her father," He nodded to himself, "He's ill. He's too weak to travel and she refuses to leave him alone. You understand I'm sure."
"Couldn't she have just asked a neighbour to stay?" She pushed.
"No!" he snapped. She blinked at the harshness of his tone. The prince was a gentle man, and had always been perfectly polite when talking to her. He seemed to remember herself a moment later, and smiled softly, "She wouldn't do that, that's not how she is. She'd feel like she needs to be there herself, especially after being gone for so long."
She sighed and nodded. "I suppose." She whispered.
"Hey." She felt his hand, warm and heavy on her shoulder. She looked up and met his eyes, warm again and smiling. Her lips twitched upward as well. Hand and hand they turned to face the crowd of adoring citizens as the priests declared them united under heaven, and their kingdoms joined in alliance forevermore. Thousands of people cheered in deafening support of their new princess as brilliant fireworks exploded in the sky above.
Behind them, standing surrounded by thousands of pure white lilies stood a tall willowy figure. Wude looked at the pair waving over the square. Agonizingly, he opened his mouth, sucked in his breath and began to sing. He sang in the language of his people, the smooth words rolling richly off his tongue, and thousands stilled and listened as he sang a song in a language they couldn't comprehend, in such a way that every one of them could understand.
"The hall becomes empty, making the soul also become empty for a moment.
I need to say so much, but the minutes hurry inexorably.
And I'm naively sending on the words for the farewell dance
In hope to linger in your memory just for several days.
I lit the fire at the edge of insomnia not in vain.
I tried to feel your pain and make you feel mine.
This evening I tried to share my dream with you.
But I don't demand and don't ask you: "Please share my success".
I've got tired of the weakness of pompous phrases.
I searched for the words that would unite us.
Maybe I found such words, maybe I lost them – It's not difficult to guess this from your eyes.
I filled my songs with my soul as best as I could.
Maybe they are filled even with naivety but not lie, that's for sure!
I lit the fire at the edge of insomnia not in vain.
I tried to feel your pain and make you feel mine.
This evening I tried to share my dream with all of you.
But I don't demand and don't ask you: "Please share my success".
Have you again gotten into strange hands?
Or are you free, or, more exactly, lonely again?"
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This chapter sort of felt like a filler chapter. Just needed to get them married and move on. The song at the end is called 'I Didn't Light This Fire in Vain' and Vitas (who plays Wude in the movie) really did write and sing. (so I DON'T OWN IT)
Oh and, I've decided that I'm going to marry Vitas. He is so. Freaking. Pretty. Not so much in the movie, but he IS. And his voice…I can't understand what he's staying but still. The song Opera no.2 is awesome, and the music video is enchanting (he gets naked GO WATCH) I have a Ukrainian friend who speaks Russian as well and she is taking me to go kidnap him some day.