Just a short'un for you ^^. I am so stressed out it actually hurts. I hate recording equipment with a passion. Anyone want to give me some advice? You're welcome to. Sorry about the shortness. Have started writing the next chapter and it should be up pretty soon.

Thanks my lovelies. xx

I poked the sleeping body with a timid, shaking finger, my nail jabbing into the pink squishy flesh of Dong Zhuo's cheek underneath his eye. I squirmed inwardly at the touch and suddenly felt quite disgusted. There was no movement, sound, or protest at my daring little action; though I'd hardly expected any retaliation, the lardy old man had been out like a baby for as long as I could remember, and the only sounds which had been there for comfort during a sleepless, maddening night were his obnoxious hefty snores, and believe me, by the time golden light slipped through the window on the far side of the room, the irritable pig-breaths had faded into the atmosphere. Servants, maids, dancers and officials alike had been scurrying past the wooden sliding doors since first light; though I'd never felt so alone. I pushed up from the bed and let my silky hair fall softly over my shoulders, dropping to place in the small of my back. The cold morning made me shiver as I reached delicately for the robe hanging over the wicker chair by the window and wrapping it about myself; the effect was instant and I suddenly felt warmer. I glanced back to the bed where the sheets heaved several inches before drooping down in time to a grunting snore and curled my lip in distaste. A morning walk in the sun would solve everything.

Stepping out onto the wooden patio outside Dong Zhuo's room granted me a little shiver of contentment. The cool air practically hit me as I entered the great outdoors; a beautiful contrast to the stuffy room I left behind.

The gardens, which spread for miles and miles in front of me, were practically deserted. Whilst servants aplenty fussed about inside, I had this whole small country of bamboo, birch trees and pink clouds of colour all to myself; and I revelled in it.

I spent a good hour treading softly amongst the dewy blades of grass – enjoying the fact that no one could actually see my bed-head look, night-robes on and make-up, long forgotten about, smudged across my face.

I wondered what Yun was doing…

The past few days had been a complete blur of absolute irrelevance. I had been whisked away to this estate in the blink of an eye, barely able to give my father a disgusted grimace as I had clapped eyes on the sleeping beauty whom I had just abandoned. Dong Zhuo was not on my top-ten-men list, and seducing the oaf was not something I had particularly enjoyed doing.

And I hadn't seen Zhang Liao once since my arrival.

My stomach churned and released a million butterflies as I pondered this; but it was the mysterious, lithe friend of Lu Bu whom I had actually been straining to see. I felt ashamed, but it was all I had thought about - just catching a glimpse of him for but a second…

"Lady Chan…"

Oh God.

A huge, muscled man stepped into my path, stomping onto a large patch of rather pretty white lilies, goggling my obvious bewilderment and unfortunate dress situation.

"Lord Lu Bu," I blushed behind a curtain of hair – entirely real, I hated being in the presence of people when I wasn't properly made up.

Stamping about on the lilies a bit longer, ignoring my cringe, Lu Bu, clad in training cut offs and a baggy, khaki long sleeved shirt, turned to walk beside me. I made an attempt at ignoring his frequent glances over our shoulders back to the estate, but failed.

"Wang Yun promised that you would be sent along to me… how did Dong Zhuo ever intervene in this?" His thoughts aloud made my blood boil… I hated being spoken of as purely an object of affection.

"He was passing in our village yesterday; Wang Yun invited him in, only thinking of his high position… I did not mean to be seen… but that man does not take no for an answer…" I pretended to be mournful, and though my attempt was little more than pathetic, Bu practically steamed with rage.

"Disgusting man…"

I let the cogs of his mind whirr for a little, and turned my view to the battlements in the distance. Soldiers stood silhouetted against the early morning sun, patrolling the walls and inspecting the grounds. As we walked closer, my newly adapted sixth sense caught a high – and I realised that one of the patrolling soldiers was Zhang Liao…

I nearly had a little fit.

"I can't let him see me like this!" I blurted out, my train of thought switching course to my big mouth.

"Sorry, what?"

I had cut Lu Bu off mid-ramble, interrupting his violent curses against Dong Zhuo as we walked.

I backtracked with such vivacity that Wang Yun would have been proud. "If Dong Zhuo sees me with you, he'll surely be mad. I need to er…"

My backtracking wasn't so much tracking as tripping and falling. "…um… we'll have to meet in secret!"

I gathered up my skirts and attempted to make a run for it, though being elegant, witty, embarrassed and seductive at the same time is a pretty hefty job.

Lu Bu stared after me incredulously, before grasping the concept. "Oh…of course, I'll send an envoy to notify you…"

Eh? Where was the delicate romance in an envoy? And he surely shouldn't be notifying me, as much as climbing up my window (though the panelling of the walls probably wouldn't take his bulk…) and declaring his need for me?

I just grimaced to myself and pranced off into a nearby bush, full of bright red roses to camouflage my fiery cheeks, alight with humiliation.

And they say that men find me graceful.