I....AM SORRY. That's all I can offer. I have this habit of not liking to finish things, because well...it'd be over right? But y'know...it's wrong of me not to finish this off. Even after 5 months... THIS is the 2nd last chapter. So yeah, I PROMISE to have the last one up by the end of this week. Now I know, I should never start another story with my laziness. SORRY!!!

Chapter 24: One Drop

Yue Ting struggled with all her might. She kicked, she screamed, she bit and she cried as she tried to break out of Shu's guards grip. Jiang Wei was walking in front of her, his ponytail swishing back and forth as she shouted profanities at him. He hoped this wasn't the Yue Ting he'd have to spend his life with.

"This is unbelievable!" she screamed, "You have no right to do this!"

"Quickly," Jiang Wei hurried his men, "We can't let Prime Minster Zhuge know." Being reminded of her uncle, Yue Ting began to scream bloody murder, shouting his name over and over again. "Gag her." Wei commanded, feeling sort of bad. She was going to be pissed when they got married.

Finally they arrived in an opposite corridor of the estate and walked inside an empty guest room. Wei had the guards place her down on the bed, binding her legs and hands with rope.

"What are you doing?" Yue Ting protested, successfully loosening the gag, "What is this?"

"We'll have to keep watch of her until after the execution."

"What? When? You can't! Please! Don't kill him!" she tried to say but was gagged by a thicker cloth. Yue Ting kicked with her bound feet and screamed, the sounds being muffled by her gag. Tears strolled down her face as Jiang Wei knelt down and wiped it with his thumb.

"I am sorry, Yue Ting." He said softly, "But this is the only way that we can protect you." He got back on his knees. "Guard this room with your life, make sure no one comes in. Not even Zhuge Liang."

"Yes, sir!" they all headed towards the front door. Jiang Wei took a look back at Yue Ting and dipped his head low.

"I'm sorry." He whispered to her before leaving.

---

"What's taking her so long?" Gan Ning was getting restless, gathering a pile of leaves just to only kick it in frustration. "She's been there for almost half a day!"

"We have to believe in her," Lu Xun said, petting the Red Hare's soft mane, "She's stronger than she looks."

"Well she's not doing much now." The pirate mumbled, looking over towards the castle, "They said his execution date was today…I just don't want to receive his head in the mail."

"We won't." Xun stood beside him, "Yue Ting loves him, she'll do everything in her power to protect him."

"She better." Ning snarled, "Or I'm going to mail her head back to her uncle."

"Ning!"

"Just saying." He gathered another small pile of leaves before kicking it again.

---

"It's time." Jiang Wei opened the door to Ling Tong's room. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, reading the scroll he had finally completed. Tong looked up from his work and let out a soft smile.

"Is she safe?"

"Kicking and screaming."

"That sounds exactly like her." The two men shared an awkward smile. "Treat her good." Tong added.

"I will protect her with my life." Wei walked up to him with a pair of leg chains.

"She's worth more than that." He smiled, sticking out his legs.

---

Yue Ting tried to find any way to break open her bonds or break down the walls. She jumped into it, nudged the furniture around until it crashed onto the ground and made as much noise as she could. The two guards were getting paranoid, but they tried to control their anger, knowing they were dealing with their lord's future wife. She collapsed onto the ground and banged her head on the front doors. Repeating the motion over and over again, even when the side of her forehead cut against the wood and started to bleed. When the banging stopped, the two guards began to panic. "Maybe we should open the door."

"It should be okay, the execution is starting soon. We can check on her." They reassured each other and inserted the small key that locked the doors. When they opened the door, they noticed Yue Ting lying on her back. She glared at them and sprung forward with her legs, knocking them onto the ground. The guards tried to stand up quickly, but their armor forced them to flail around for a bit. Her constant hopping around inside had loosened her leg bindings and the final kick had tore them. With her legs free, she stood up and kicked the men across the head when they got up, sending them back onto the ground. With both of them knocked cold, she stepped on the sheathe of their swords and attempted to cut the rope by positioning the sword up with her knees. Cutting both the rope and part of her arms, the rope finally broke in half and she ripped the gag off of her mouth.

"I don't have much time." She told herself and hurried back to Ling Tong's room, hoping he was still in there.

---
She had found it odd that there were no guards positioned in any part of the castle. The worst parts of her own fears were beginning to come true. They were probably positioned around the castle, in case Wu would send soldiers to save Tong. But with Ning and Xun's appearance in the bushes, she knew it wasn't happening. Yue Ting ran into the room and noticed it's emptiness. They had taken him out, and she had no idea where. "No…" she whispered in disbelief, noticing a scroll sitting flatly on his bed. Yue Ting picked up the scroll and her eyes watered as she looked at it. There was a poem, or some sort of story written on the scroll, Yue Ting couldn't tell. She couldn't tell because all the words were blackened harshly by the brush, except for three words spread across the scroll. "Thank you for your love." "No." The scroll vibrated from her shaking hands, "No!" she threw it down and rushed out of the room.

----

"This is as far as I can take you," Wei gave Tong a pat on the back. "It's a shame, I think we would have been good friends if you weren't with Wu."

"Maybe in our next lives." Ling Tong cracked a smile, "Don't forget your promise."

"Never will." Wei turned towards the two guards beside him, "Take him up." He said before going to join Zhuge Liang at the judges table. "Master Zhuge." The man fanned himself and nodded him a greeting.

"There is seriously nothing from the Wu camp?"

"Nothing." Wei answered quickly. The two men watched as Tong knelt onto the ground, the planks marking an 'X' on his back. Once the final command was given, the small wooden planks on his back would be removed, allowing the executioner to do his job.

"They say, a man will live up to thirty seconds after he has been decapitated." Liang suddenly said, surprising his student. "Last chances for regrets and final words."

"Preparations are complete." A guard knelt beside their table. Zhuige Liang nodded and stood from his seat.

"Prisoner Ling, do you have any last words." Tong looked over at them and shook his head, his eyes connected with Wei's for a moment, giving the man his final smile because he knew that Yue Ting would be happy with him.

"Commence the execution then." Zhuge picked up a small plaque from his table and prepared to throw it down. Tong lowered his head and closed is eyes, waiting for the sound of the plaque to hit the ground.

"I love you, Yue Ting." He whispered once again, just as the plaque rattled on the floor.

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I AM ALSO SORRY...that it's a cliffhanger. But it's almost 2 and I have class in 6 hours ;D.
But nothing bad will come of this cliffhanger. So yeah. Hoho.