'Destiny' by Laurae

Disclaimer: I do not own Disney's "Mulan" or any characters affiliated with it.

Enjoy:

Captain Li Shang stood in the foyer of his home wearing full armor and carrying the red plumed helmet he was required to wear. It was the day of his wedding. A wedding to a young woman he had never met. One his mother had chosen for him with the aid of a matchmaker. Tradition was the only thing that made him stay, if it weren't for that he would have mounted his horse and ridden to her a long time ago to escape from the world.

All of his relatives were outside in the front garden waiting for his bride to arrive. The ceremonial red mats had been laid upon the earth to prevent her from spoiling her virtue with the evils of the earth. The entire wedding entourage was to journey to the capital city, Chang'an, to take part in the wedding feast where he would see his young bride's face for the first time.

He wanted the girl in the little red carriage to be his Mulan. He longed for it with every fiber of his being, and yet, he knew that it could not be so. His bride was to be a demure porcelain doll of a woman. She would sit at home calmly running the house in the absence of her husband bearing his sons and waiting for him to return from war. That wasn't what he wanted. He wanted the girl who would follow him to the ends of the earth if he asked her to. Who he could count on to argue back rather than smiling and batting her eyes at him.

Shang glanced out of the window of his home. There it was, the little red carriage that held his bride. He settled his helmet on his head and stepped through the door. Several female attendants helped her out of the carriage and he walked towards her. He stood beside her as she gracefully negotiated the red mats and knelt to serve the red date tea to her new in-laws.

She bowed slightly and poured tea for each of them without spilling a drop and Li Shang's mother looked at her son sternly, catching his attention. He waited for his bride to stand and then led her back to the carriage. Shang guided her inside and climbed in behind her.

The newly-weds rode in silence, most of the way to Chang'an before Shang blurted out "Don't you talk?"

She turned her head towards him. "That would not be proper" she murmured softly folding her hands in her lap. Shang coughed and allowed his thoughts to wander. He could see her almost as though she stood in front of him. She was fumbling for a name and hoping that he wouldn't discover her, but even then he had feelings for her. Carefully repressed feelings, loving a boy would never do for his career. Even one with skin as soft as flower petals and lips that curved upwards ever so slightly. He shook his head. This was his wedding day. He had to at least pretend to enjoy himself for the duration of the ceremonies. After that, well, he could just slip off to do his military duty and remain away for most of the year.

The carriage jolted to a stop. He knew that he must face his destiny. He helped his new wife out of the carriage and gently lifted her veil revealing her face. She wore the typical white porcelain doll face paint and looked like every other bride. There was nothing special about her. No defiant twinkle in her eye, no loose tendril of hair falling into her face despite attempts to tame it. Nothing. He smiled a false smile and led her into the hall where the wedding feast was to be.

She was now his future and there was nothing he could do about it.

~*~

So, what do you think? Shall I continue? Please, feel free to review. If there are any issues with spelling or grammar, let me know please. Thank you for reading!