Something was not right.
Xing lazily opened one eye and looked over the wall in front of her. Twenty-six dashes. That was how long she had been confined to this prison. She was still alive, sure. But inside, her heart was dying slowly and painfully. Part of it was from the constant presence of Cao Pi, the endless repetition of her days. The other…
She sat up slowly and scratched another mark into the stone with a rock. Twenty-seven. God's how long would this go on?
The door opened, and Zhen Ji strode in with an armful of fresh linen. "How is your arm feeling?"
Xing flexed it a little, wincing. "The bone is healing, I believe. But it is still sore. I will have to retrain myself to wield a weapon in this hand."
'It may be some time before you get the chance." Ji carefully unwrapped the bandage around the rebel leader's arm. "How did you sleep last night?"
"Fine. My dreams have remained untroubled. What time can I expect your husband?"
"Soon. He is having his morning meal with Sima Yi, likely discussing a way to rescue his father from Shu."
Xing nodded as Ji rewrapped her arm. "You know, I believe I underestimated how long your husband holds on to obsessions. Even now, after nearly a full passing of the moon, he persists."
"He will until you give him what he wants." She sighed and stood to go. "I will bring you some food and water after he finishes."
A moment later, she was gone. In an odd way, Zhen Ji had become something of a friend to Xing. Both knew the friendship would never go beyond a mutual respect. It took strength for her to defy her husband enough to care for a prisoner, especially one as dangerous as herself. Xing was willing to bet that the princess was also skilled on the battlefield. She had heard several stories from the prison guards before. She had also been privileged to listen to Zhen Ji play her flute and sing, just a few weeks ago in fact. Yes, there was something mesmerizing about her. That was why Xing was confused about Cao Pi's lingering obsession with her.
Sighing, she stretched out her legs and leaned against the wall. Now that Zhen Ji was gone, her mind returned to her worry. She knew, by now, that Zhang Rui had found and interpreted her clues. She also knew that the other rebel leaders would be out tracking her. Unless Cao Pi had somehow managed to relocate her to another country, they would find her eventually. The visible path had ended. But they hadn't traveled they far beyond it. Something was amiss.
On the one hand, Xing felt that she knew her friends well. They would search for her until their strength gave out, and they had copious amounts of that. If need be, they would ride into the capital of Wei and ravage the countryside until someone gave up her location. Their loyalty had never wavered.
Yet, she could slowly feel her own for them beginning to crumble. Surely it would not take this long to find her. Maybe their strength had already waned, their avenues exhausted, their resources depleted. It seemed unlikely, but then again, so did the duration of Cao Pi's desire.
Xing didn't know what to think or believe anymore. What if they never came for her? What if Cao Pi kept her here for a year and she never knew what happened to them? What if…
"Ah, so the Lady Yang Xing has finally given in to doubt." Cao Pi was standing in the doorway, the usual smirk on his face. She had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't heard him come in.
"Actually, I was hoping that you had finally had enough of me."
He laughed, closing the door behind him. Pi strode over to her and knelt in front of her. His eyes glanced towards the marks on the wall. "Not even after a whole month, my dear. I am not sure I could ever become sick of you."
"This game is growing old, Cao Pi. Every day you feed me the same speech about our similarities and how I can help you achieve what I have. Every day I tell you to drop dead and then you attempt to subdue me with your fists. Would you please think of something different?"
"Would it convince you to stay?"
"Probably not," she admitted. "I have already explained it to you. Neither Shu nor the provinces will look for me forever. As soon as you let me go, I will return to them. If they do not wish for me to stay, I will wander the countryside until I find a good place to rebuild. I will not stay with you."
"Not even when you are destined to? How else do you think I was able to capture you so easily? You were always meant to live in Wei with me. Think of what we could do together, for China."
She smirked at him. "Drop dead, Cao Pi."
Xing barely got the words out of her mouth when she felt herself being lifted up and pushed back into the wall. Pi's hands were on either side of her head. Within seconds, his lips covered her own. Thoughts swirled around her head so quickly that she couldn't make sense of them. What in the name of the gods did he think he was doing?
Try as she might, she couldn't push him off of her. Her hands were still bound and pinned between her and Cao Pi. He deepened the kiss. It wasn't one of passion or tenderness; it was filled with a desire that she couldn't fathom. She hadn't seen this tactic coming. Or was it really a tactic? There was something in the way he held her, how he pushed his body into her own, that made her realize what his true intentions were.
Suddenly, he cursed and drew away from her. Xing smiled, her mouth filled with his blood. Cao Pi's bottom lip was crimson and he wiped it angrily. "What was that for?"
"You are never, even allowed to touch me in that manner. Who do you think you are?"
"You are my prisoner, Lady Yang. I may do with you what I please."
She let out a low chuckle. "If that had been a cheap attempt to seduce me, I may have let it slide. But a man does not kiss a woman like that unless he desires something from her. I know it isn't my defection. You want something more."
"You figured all that out from a kiss?" Despite the obvious pain he was in, Pi smirked. "Do you have these interludes with Ma Chao as well?"
"At least he would never force himself upon me."
"Please. Any man worth his weight in gold would do what he could to possess you."
"So I am nothing but an object to you? And yet, you know that I can bite back."
Cao Pi laughed. "You have captivated me, Lady Yang. In all my years in this world, I have never met a woman quite like you. I had thought, maybe, that my words would be enough to convince you to stay with me. It seems I have to show you instead."
Before she could object, his mouth was on hers again. She could taste blood as he kissed her more hungrily than before. He obviously possessed some skill, she begrudgingly admitted. But the sheer vileness of his actions, the fact that he would willingly do this when he had a wife and she had a fiancée disgusted her.
"You know," he whispered in her ear, panting slightly, "you taste sweet."
"And you taste like treachery." Xing quickly hooked her foot under his legs and tripped him. He fell, but not without taking her down with him.
Xing grunted as he brought his fist across her face. "Whore! What is it about women that blinds them to the truth? Do all of your kind enjoy making fools out of men?"
"Who is the blind one here?" she shouted back, raising herself up on her elbows. Her vision was a little blurry from the blow. "You come in here every day and try to make me love you. I cannot, and yet you persist. You think that you can break me? I was broken before you captured me. And my defenses have already been rebuilt by another man. I will not give in to…"
"Silence!" Cao Pi brought his hand across her face again. Fury blazed in his eyes. "You constantly try to beat me down without listening to what I am offering. Would you rather live the rest of your life knowing that you are still an outcast? Shu cannot protect you from the truth, Xing. Ma Chao will never see you the way I see you."
"You are nothing but a fool!" Xing shouted. "Is this your idea of making me want you? I cannot figure out how Lady Zhen puts up with you. Would you throw away your marriage to her for a life with me? It would be no life at all."
"My wife has her purposes, and she knows that. But she can never be the woman you are."
That got a laugh out of her. "She is twice the woman I am. I am rough around the edges, Cao Pi. I fight like a man, talk like a man, and live like a man. I have hardened myself so much that I have forgotten how to be a woman. But Zhen Ji? She possesses a beauty that cannot be matched. She knows when and how to speak, is graceful, and understands the role she is meant to play in life. I also know that she can fight with as much skill as anyone else on the battlefield. Why can you not see that everything you need is right in front of you? No, you persist in hunting me, a complete waste of time."
Cao Pi gave a shout of rage that was inhuman. Xing knew he was screaming at her, but she couldn't make out anything he was saying. All she knew was that he continued to beat her into oblivion. She fought back as best she could, but his anger made him impossible to beat. So she did the only thing she could do. Xing resigned herself to the pain and slipped into the blessed darkness.
Her face felt surprisingly cool. And wet. Jasmine filled the air, and Xing suddenly knew that she wasn't alone. She opened her eyes to find Zhen Ji leaning over her, a cool cloth in her hands. The princess was busy wiping her companion's face as she had done so many times before. "Thank you," Xing whispered.
Zhen Ji only pushed her lips into a thin line, saying nothing. Xing looked up at the wall and noticed something different about it. "Thirty dashes?" she said hoarsely.
"Yes." Ji dipped the cloth back into the water and continued with the wash. "You have been unconscious for several days. I have been keeping track for you."
"What?" The rebel leader winced. Shouting had been a bad idea.
"Relax. You have been in good hands."
"What happened?"
Ji sighed. "You set Cao Pi off. He has spent the past few days pacing around in his room, unable to eat or sleep. You have shaken him, Lady Yang."
Memories of her beating resounded in her head painfully. "He beat me into a bloody mess, I take it." Zhen Ji took a mirror from the floor and handed it to her, frowning. Both of Xing's eyes were blackened, and one was nearly swollen shut. Bruises covered her cheeks. There were scratches near her jaw and a large handprint around her neck. Her hair hung limp and was speckled with blood. "Oh, my…"
"He tried to strangle you," Ji said flatly. "The guards and I intervened in time to save your life. I think you may have broken him."
"Then you have my eternal thanks."
The princess nodded. "You also have mine."
"What did I do?"
"Besides give him a swift kick in the behind? Lady Yang, I heard your entire conversation with him. All those things you said about me…I have been looking for the courage to say those for many years. I am ashamed that I was not able to say them myself. Thank you for doing so on my behalf."
Xing looked Lady Zhen over. The coldness was gone from her eyes, replaced by a warmth she had never seen before. So, the wife of Cao Pi had feelings after all. "How do you put up with him, day in and day out? Does he beat you as well?"
"No. He has never laid a hand on me. He might have, had I not warned him that bruises would mar my face. My husband resorts to sharp words now."
"Well, I'm glad he refused to hold back with me," Xing joked.
"You are beautiful in your own right, Lady Yang. Ma Chao is a lucky man."
Xing scoffed. "You mean 'was.' They have not found me in a month. My guess - and my hope - is that they have moved on." The words caught in her throat even as she said them. "What kind of enchantment do you have on this place? It must be powerful if the others cannot find it."
"They have come closer than they realize." Zhen Ji sighed and rubber her temple with a thin finger. "There is no magic in this place. It is simply disguised from the outside. It looks like little more than a hill. Most of the castle is underground, save for a few areas. That is why your window is so high. The other rebels have been circling it for days. I believe they can sense you, but they cannot find you."
Xing grew quiet. They were still looking for her? How could that be? "If they have not found me yet, do you think they ever will?"
"No." The coldness had returned to Ji's eyes. She stood to go, struggling to keep her face completely stoic. "They have had chances. I will give them a few more days before they give up. After that, only the gods will know what your fate is."
"I defend you in front of your husband, and you will do nothing to help me?"
"I have tended to your needs since you came here," Zhen Ji said. "I think the debt has been paid."
Xing watched her go, forcing hot tears back. She had thought of the princess of Wei as a friend, someone she could trust to help her. In the end, she had proven to be nothing more than an accomplice. What hurt the most was that she no longer knew if Ji was telling the truth. It was a cruel trick to play, pretending to be kind and then dashing the information into the dirt.
What did it matter anyway? Zhen Ji was right. This prison had become her home now. The rebels were not looking for her. Shu had likely moved on. Ma Chao…would he still search for her? Maybe. But he lacked the patience and tracking skills that her friends had. He would never find her. Gods, how badly had she hurt him? To agree to marry him only to leave later that day. He hated her now, she was sure of it.
With nothing left to do, Xing closed her eyes and willed the throbbing in her head to go away. Sleep claimed her quickly, but not before a few tears managed to spill from her eyes.
She did not see Zhen Ji return with one of the guards later that night. She did not feel the salve that was placed on her wounds or the soothing touch on her swollen eye. She did not hear the words spoken to the guard, the only other member of Wei who truly wanted her suffering to end.
"Send out the message. It is time to end Cao Pi's silly little game."
A/N: Please don't hate me for the kissing scene. I like Cao Pi...he's my favorite character from Wei...but I need him to be an absolute ass in this story for it to work. Also, I know several of you have reviewed this story that have not heard from me. I want to apologize for this. For reasons unknown to man or monkeys, I cannot view the Reviews section for this story. I had a similar problem with Nightmare's Calling. So I don't want anyone to think I'm ignoring them or I don't appreciate the reviews. I really really do. When the site master and I figure out what the problem is (I think its something on my computer, since this has happened before), I will repsond to your reviews. I promise. And my PMs are still working, so if you really have something awesome (or not) to say, just send me a PM as well.
Sorry about the insanity...and thanks so much for reading and enjoying my story!