The Torn Standard

By The Elegant Chihiro

Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me – so don't drag me to court over this.

Rating: PG-13, for scenes of violence, mild-to-bad language and some sensuality (Yeesh, and do I sound like a movie rating)

Synopsis: Both of the Qiao sisters like Zhou Yu, but he only likes one back. When Sun Ce, who also has feelings for the one loved Qiao, threatens his rival with exile, Zhou Yu had no choice but to ignore his love, lest he loose his post and no longer be able to aid Wu. Da Qiao's spiral of self-destruction hence becomes painful to watch – and all the more so, when she lands into the claws of one Sima Yi, who mails her off to the Wei Emperor Cao Cao as a present.

Chapter One – A Lesson In Polo

"Left! Right! Left! That's it! And – turn! Briskly! Dig your knees in – sit upright! Hey, wait – what the – SOMEBODY GET THAT BALL!!!!"

Nine white horses pounded down the vast sloping stretch of green turf, legs kicking, manes flying, the bells on the bridles jangling enthusiastically. Barely beyond them and tantalizingly out of reach, a small leather ball skittered, rolling down the gentle incline while several long poles stuck out and swiped madly in confusion at it.

"I've got it!"

"NO, I've got it!"

"Neither of you have it! It's mine, I tell you!"

"Hogs! Let it loose!"

Hooves bumped and horseheads collided amidst the confusion and fray. Then, as fast and decisive as a bolt of lightening, one steed darted out of the fighting queue with its rider; and with it came the ball itself, nestled in front of his pole.

"Ahoy! Here's to you, Da Qiao!"

Grass flew into the air as the pole swung and booted the ball in a fabulous arc towards another rider, who had also just separated from the tangled mass. Upon it sat the Maiden of Wu; black locks flying, large eyes sparkling, and her red mouth open in a wild war cry.

"And here's back to you, Zhou Yu!"

With that, there resounded a terrific whack; and the ball shot in a straight cream streak towards its target. The goalie, Sun Ce, yelped and performed a spectacular sandwich dive off his steed for the incoming ball; but it missed his outstretched arms by a mere several inches and drove straight into the back of the net. A unified huzzah erupted from several of the jousting riders, and they raised their poles up in the air and pumped them energetically as Zhou Yu bent his horse around and raced for Da Qiao.

"Goal!" he cried, chucking his fist at the sky. "And may Heaven be damned since your first one was a direct hit! You're a natural, dear girl!"

Da Qiao let out a triumphant scream and whirled her horse around, giddy with excitement. Her cheeks carried a healthy, subtle blush on them as she twirled.

"I really never knew polo could be this fun!" she gushed back, crumpling up her satin bridles as Zhou Yu halted and drew alongside her. "I used to not even want to watch you people play it, and I didn't understand why you liked it so much. Now, I just wish I could play this game all day! Can't we, Zhou Yu? Can you ask Sun Jian for some more hours of leave – just today, please?"

A few yards away, Sun Ce gave an indignant snort and picked himself up slowly from the turf, patting the grass stains on his tunic. Zhou Yu expected him only to be a bit peeved at missing the incoming ball; but, as he discovered seconds later, he was far more than just peeved.

"I'm not playing anymore," he huffed, and he stalked towards the mounted Zhou Yu and Da Qiao.

The other Wu officers who had been on the field turned around and dropped their polo sticks, one by one. Zhou Yu, seemingly amused and surprised by the sudden foul mood., cocked his handsome head,

"And just because you could not block a ball coming from a first-timer?" he lilted. "Sportsmanship, Sun Ce. I've been a goalie too before. Everybody here has been a goalie before! Who doesn't let shots past them once in a while? And how can a goalie quit simply after a single failure?"

Sun Ce ignored Zhou Yu, and instead turned to Da Qiao. Then in that moment, as quick and strange as a charm, his obvious wrath suddenly disappeared, and it was replaced by a very ingratiating smile.

"So Da Qiao it is! I don't believe I've greeted you properly yet today. Top of the morning to you, my dear. And, oh yes, excellent goal. One of the best I've ever seen."

Da Qiao lips could not help but twitch slightly upward at the compliment, but her smile was much smaller than that of before.

Zhou Yu, seeing the exchange, laughed and tossed his head back, letting his long black hair float for a fleeting moment. He was obviously very amused by Sun Ce's erratic behavior.

"First you fume like the Devil over that small play - and then, a turn of the head later, you're giving the lady who shot that goal the most extravagant praise." He grinned, and, to the surprise of all assembled, leaned as far over his horse that was safe and pinched Da Qiao's rosy cheek, before giving it a small peck. "But of course, the praise was not the slightest bit undeserved."

Da Qiao went a magnificent shade of burgundy purple as Zhou Yu withdrew, his hard fingers having left a small mark on where they had squeezed. Slowly, tentatively, she took a hand off her bridles and passed it over the mark, a look of pure wonder and embarrassment on her face. Zhou Yu, however, did not look the slightest bit abashed over his act, and even smiled very suavely and sat up even taller on his saddle. Then, his gaze wavered over Sun Ce, and the smooth grin quickly dropped into an emotionless expression. The Prince had surveyed the little tryst from very close range; and his face now wore a peculiar expression – grim and dark – almost like that of acute jealousy. He was not looking at Zhou Yu, though, but Da Qiao – casting the strange stare in her direction – and the moment her eyes wandered down and met with his, her vacant expression fled too, and the hand dropped down.

"No breaks," announced Sun Ce, with marked forcefulness, and saying thus he snapped his fingers to goad his horse over. "And yes, I do admit polo is a very amusing pastime, but it cannot do to become our first priority. After all, we do have a load of work to see to against the Wei."

He mounted his steed, shaking his reins, and once more looked at Zhou Yu and Da Qiao, both of whom seemed to have suddenly fallen down into apathy. He then egged the horse a few steps towards them, eyeing Zhou Yu with a very bizarre, keen stare - which Zhou Yu returned – and for a moment, Da Qiao fleetingly though that the two of them seemed almost like a pair of rivals on a verge of a duel, so intense and complex the looks were. Then Sun Ce cried to his horse, swung it around and galloped off for the red-roofed structure in the distance that was the Wu palace.

After Zhou Yu's hastily whispered farewell and departure, followed by all the other Wu officers on the field, Da Qiao was left alone, the only one sitting on the only horse standing in the entire vast lawn. It was about 9 o' clock in the morning after the polo game had passed; and since it had started three hours ago, at the earliest light of morning, she knew it was time to head on in and join the others for breakfast. But strangely, she was not hungry; and after the whirling roller coaster of emotions she had just experienced minutes before, she didn't care anymore whether Sun Jian would reprimand her or not when she arrived there late. So, instead of following the familiar backward route everybody else took, she shook the bridle of her horse and sent it galloping into the bordering woods instead, wanting to cool down in a morning ride.

It was far from public knowledge that she, Da Qiao, liked Zhou Yu more than just a close friend or brother. Unlike most girls, luckily, she had been born with exceptional self-control and poise, and only in the most awkward situations possible could she break down and begin bubbling like any other infatuated female. It was only due to such a quality that even her own sister Xiao Qiao knew nothing of her secret flame. Yet despite how utterly unknown that flame was, it raged every day within Da Qiao's heart, warming her, constantly reminding her.

Her feelings for Zhou Yu, in fact, dated back year after year after year, to when she had first laid eyes on him. It had been the summer when she was only 9 years old, and Xiao Qiao seven; her father, a popular officer of the Wu cabinet, had fallen ill, and Sun Ce, then only 15, had agreed to take in both she and her sister under the care of the Sun family. Zhou Yu had returned from one of his campaigns up north – a spectacular success for the Wu military – and he had been promoted to vice commander by Sun Jian himself. She remembered him, long hair drifting like streamers in the wind, dark enigmatic eyes showing a beautiful brilliance, raising his arm in salute as he galloped in on his black charger while his silk cape whirled behind him. He was so magnificent…so handsome…positively glowing with happiness…and Da Qiao had been so mesmerized at the sight that she had run right out into the middle of the parade, ignoring princess Sun Shang Xiang's cries to stay put behind the ranks.

The flags waved in unison as he, the glorious general, approached the small girl who hovered just within the parade runway. She stared up at the sight, large eyes round with wonder…he seemed to distant, so high and out of reach.

But he checked his horse and stopped just in front of her, looking down upon the bright face in pleasant surprise. Then, to the shock of all present, instead of telling her to move aside, he dismounted and knelt down in front of her.

"What is your name, little one?" he asked, in a gentle voice.

The girl seemed both frightened and elated at what was happening; but the elation was greater than her fright, and she answered him.

"My name is Da Qiao, sir," she replied. "What's your's?"

The young man smiled up at her. Upon seeing that smile, a light, teasing fluttering rippled through her heart, making her tremble slightly.

"Well, they call me Zhou Yu," he answered her.

"And how old are you?"

Zhou Yu seemed a little taken aback at the directness of the question, but it was asked with such delightful innocence that he laughed.

"Fifteen. Just as old as your friend Sun Ce."

"Is he your friend too?" Da Qiao asked, quite automatically. "Sun Ce is a good man. He treats me and my sister good. He's always taking me and her to parties and picnics."

Zhou Yu laughed again, and he reached up to pat her head. "I think you are the loveliest little creature I've ever seen." Then his hand wandered, and gave one of her hair queues a playful tug.

"It's a pity they're tied only with plain string, though. It's an undeserved shame to your beautiful hair."

Da Qiao grinned shyly at this, not understanding much of Zhou Yu's ribbony speech. But it didn't matter to her whether she understood what came out of his mouth or not. She was only too busy staring at his face, handsome beyond what she could imagine on her own.

"Well, then…" trailed off Zhou Yu. "Run along now, little girl. Everybody's waiting for us."

It was then that Da Qiao noticed all the people, lined neatly around them; the Wu imperial color guard holding their flags as still as trees, the soldiers stark stiff, all waiting for their little conversation to be over. Molten heat suddenly flooded into her face, and, shielding it from all the waiting people, she turned tail and ran back to the sidelines. Her sister Xiao Qiao stood there, waiting for her – wearing the same wide-eyed expression as everybody else had.

"Sis!" she whispered as Da Qiao nestled in next to her. "I think you're the luckiest girl in the world."

"What do you mean?" asked Da Qiao. "Lucky?"

"Lucky," repeated Xiao Qiao, and as she said so she pointed at the general Zhou Yu, once again mounted and ambling down the runway. But he was no longer spending his attention on the crowd, waving and saluting. He was looking back, staring at the little girl who stood, timid and blushing, at the side.

The next day, when she came back to her room from a riding trip with Sun Ce, she beheld a surprise waiting for her on her dressing table. It was a matching pair of hair clips, of exquisite workmanship. They were wrought in the likeness of two peonies, the petals made of gold, the leaves of jade, with glowing pearls set in the center of each flower. She was both taken aback and delighted; and eventually she convinced herself to wear the pieces, despite their obvious delicacy and worth, and the way Sun Ce so strangely regarded them, as if they were pills of frightening poison than lovely jewelry. During an accident one day one of the petals on the peonies snapped off; and ever since Da Qiao had never worn then again, but kept them in her jewelry cabinet, and viewed them every now and then, a smile and gladness in her heart.

Da Qiao trembled with delight at the vignette – a little memory, yes, but unforgettable to her. Then, slowly, she raised a hand and again touched the mark on her cheek, still red and fresh. From that one first time she had met him, she had always wanted Zhou Yu to give her something like that. But never had she tried to be the one to woo first, for she believed, according to her common sense, that it only counted if the one you admired admired you back on his own.

Even so, sometimes, she was not sure whether Zhou Yu was only being especially brotherly and perhaps paternal, instead of showing the first tentative signs of mutual love. There would be some mornings, when they sat chair-to-chair at the breakfast table, chatting intimately, and she would sense the same small stirrings within him that occurred within her as well; then, by the afternoon, he would change to being aloof and coldly respectable, dampening her wild hopes – but then, the following morning, during the breakfast chat, she would be sure once more. Sometimes Zhou Yu's subtle fluctuations drove her crazy; yet sometimes, she appreciated him for his sudden emotional swings, for sometimes she had her head so deep into the bizarre, wonderful sensation of attraction that she feared she would go overboard and give herself away. But Zhou Yu never remained constant, one way or the other; and thus Da Qiao was able to guard her integrity so well, even up to this day.

"You, Sis? – what are you doing here?"

Da Qiao snapped violently out of her muddling train of thoughts and beheld Xiao Qiao, mounted on a slightly smaller chocolate horse, trotting towards her. Quickly and unnoticed, she withdrew her hand that had been caressing the mark and rejoined the other on the bridle.

"Oh – you know – just taking a little jaunt here." Da Qiao then smiled, and eased her horse alongside that of her little sister. "And, I presume, you've gone here to find me?"

Xiao Qiao pursed her small, cherry lips and raised her eyebrows. Upon seeing her, Da Qiao received a slight hunch, the immediate sensation that her younger sister was not exactly in the highest of spirits. It was strange and very gossamer-like, so slight it was, but Da Qiao could almost feel it in the clipped tone of her usually flowing voice, and the contracted look a face that was commonly relaxed and bright.

"Well, not really," came the delayed reply. "I'm doing exactly what you're doing, you know…cooling off."

"Uh-huh."

The younger of the two then cocked her head, making her pearl earrings clack and swing like lanterns. Her eyes moved over the figure of her older sister, and found what they were looking for – the mark.

"I saw Zhou Yu kiss you today," she remarked, and though it might have been a self-made illusion, Da Qiao thought that the absent-mindedness in her voice was acted out.

"And, I must say once more, that you are one darned lucky girl."

"Of course you saw him," snapped Da Qiao, frowning at her sister's bringing up of the subject. "And everybody else as well. But what about it?"

"Oh…" mused Xiao Qiao. "Just to congratulate you, you know. It's your first kiss, I suppose, and that's supposed to be a big thing for us girls."

Da Qiao snorted. "And my first kiss it is not. Do you know how many times Sun Ce has done that to me, too? It might be a huge milestone for you, Xiao Qiao, but that already means nothing to me."

Xiao Qiao, upon hearing the reply, turned her wondering gaze to the roof of trees above them, letting a wondering finger rest on her lips.

"But you were blushing quite hard, weren't you, sis?"

"And that's quite enough of cross-examination from you today, troublemaker," Da Qiao snapped back, digging her heels into the ribs of her horse. Slight annoyance tinged her voice as she spoke.

Xiao Qiao suddenly righted her head, and eyed Da Qiao with a strange gleam her gaze. The abrupt coldness that was transmitted in that fleeting stare flowed straight into her – and apprehension bloomed within. Then -

"You like Zhou Yu, don't you? I mean…if what you say of Sun Ce giving you so many gallantries so often, and you not caring about it – then Zhou Yu kisses you and makes you so red in the face – "
"Why are you like this today?" Da Qiao struck back in alarm, unleashing a voice dipped in hostility before she could control herself. She looked around wildly, as if there were invisible people surrounding her, ready to come to her aid in the event of a scene of unusual difficulty – but realized that there were certainly none such fantasies, and stuck it out and decided to answer the question face-on.

"You know – yes, I do like Zhou Yu! But only as a brother. Only as a good friend. If he decides to kiss me, it's his problem! Are you satisfied, sis? Is it that – " and a slight suspicion entered her, as the previous question revolved more and more around her head.

"Is it that you like Zhou Yu?"

Xiao Qiao's eyes widened, and she clapped a hand to her chest, stunned. Then she dropped her reins completely and threw back her head, laughing, and the ice on the tense scene shattered with sudden forcefulness.

"Why – of course I'm not being jealous of you, sis! I'm just – I'm sorry," she apologized, "overly curious. I guess it's my character, my age. And Da Qiao, again, I'm very sorry…so sorry…if I made you comfortable in any way…"

"Apology unnecessary," returned Da Qiao, silently marveling at how Xiao Qiao had suddenly reverted back into her old, ingratiating, blundering-then-apologizing self. The transition had been very quick and sharp, just like every one of her previous questions – but it was amazing how fast it had happened, leaving Da Qiao blinking in confusion and wonder. The change was full and not partial, and once again, it was her cute little cherub of a sister that she beheld sitting on a horse in front of her.

"Well then…"

An uneasy silence followed.

"Shall we head back to the palace for breakfast?"

"I don't see why not," sighed Da Qiao, and, shaking her head, she mentally decided to put this rather strange episode behind her back indefinitely. "And Sun Jian will be after our blood at this rate."

"Then we may get on our way."

In a mutual decision, the horses turned and bounded out of the trees onto the vast polo field, headed for the distant pillared rooftops. As they galloped, though, Xiao Qiao, momentarily regaining her bizarre thirst for bringing up prickly subjects, leaned out from her saddle and tapped Da Qiao on the shoulder with her finger.

"But you know – at the bottom line – even if Zhou Yu only did what he did on impulse – I'm sure as rock that Sun Ce still likes you 'in that way', sister!"

"And I think it's high time for you to shut up, Xiao Qiao!"

Author's Note: Agh! A terrible first chapter, in my opinion, and very hastily written *wipes forehead*. It just serves to get things started – slowly, but at least started. And, if you would be so kind, I would so appreciate it if you were to take a minute and punch in a brief review. Flames, ego-boosters, spam – give me anything you've got. I love reviews, you know? And did I mention I wanted some?