Thought I treat you to another quick update - u lucky people!
Mulan sat on the bed reading a map, behind the screen she could see a faint silhouette of Shang reclining in the bathtub, relaxing as he asked her questions on the local landscape.
"How long would it take via mountains to arrive to the imperial city?" Shang asked, Mulan looked down and quickly calculated. "one day on the roads and two days off road."
"Hmmm." Shang mumbled as he muttered to himself. "Too long, I need to see the emperor sooner than that."
Mulan heard him getting up from the tub and looked up to see his silhouette stand up, his large muscular frame looking taunt. She watched him reach out for a towel and wrapped it round his waist then tie his hair up. He appeared round the screen, his eyes curious as to whether Mulan was watching his form all that time. Her blush betrayed her as she resumed looking at the map in a nonchalant way.
He smiled as he walked closer to the bed, she couldn't fool him.
"What did you say to the emperor that night?" Mulan suddenly asked, Shang's smile disappeared as he blinked. "What night?"
"That night I took you to the palace. That night." Mulan put the map down and looked at him seriously. Shang cleared his throat as he tightened the towel round his waist.
"What did I do wrong? You kissed me then dropped me so quick." Mulan quietly said, Shang swallowed harder then realised what he did.
He forgotten to tell her what the emperor told him to tell her!
"Am I so wrong? Just tell me the truth. Did the emperor disapprove? I'm confused as you told me you loved me.." Mulan babbled, tears started to fall as Shang looked on in horror, what have he done?
"You did nothing wrong." Shang interrupted, Mulan turned her large teary eyes on him as he sat on the edge of the bed looking uncomfortable.
"I must have done some thing wrong." Mulan frowned.
"No, I still love you all the same. What I said that day wasn't a lie and I still love you despite the past few days." Shang slowly said, he looked down at his fumbling hands.
"What's to stop you Shang?" Mulan asked so quietly, Shang almost didn't hear it.
"The emperor told me to restrain from you till the war is over.."Shang replied.
Not expecting Mulan's next outburst he jumped to his feet when she shot off the bed.
"You mean, you chose honour over me?" her face went from sorrow to anger so quick he felt he was talking to two different people.
"It's for the best." He helplessly replied.
"For you , you mean." Mulan snapped back.
Shang clenched his fists and took a deep breath, "No just think about it, one of us could be killed or even worst I could have left you pregnant that day."
Mulan hesitated as she blinked, he was right but that gave him no excuse. "But what stopped you from telling me that?"
"I forgot." Shang murmured.
"You what?!" Mulan screeched.
"I forgot, too many things were on my mind..." He defended himself.
"You mean your honour and so...i know I don't make a perfect bride or wife but at least you could have told me to spare me the agony of the past few days, wondering what was so wrong with me for you to reject me like that." Mulan cried, tears fell down her face.
"I'm sorry, I was wrong." Shang stood helplessly.
"Oh, soooooo wrong!" Mulan spat as she stomped up to him, she looked mad and nothing he could say would calm her down.
"But so are you." Shang firmly said, he reached out and grabbed her shoulders, she started wrestling and screeching at him to let her go. She calmed down when she realised he wasn't going to let her go and stubbornly looked at him.
"You're wrong because you make any man a perfect wife." He said.
"That's not what the match maker said, and all my friends are married and having children. I'm still here. Why wont someone marry me?!" Mulan cried. Shang felt his heart go out for her, he knew she wouldn't be accepted in society despite her saving the people of China.
"I'd marry you." He replied.
"No, you're already married. Married to honour. Married to the emperor's orders. When he orders you, you do it despite how it could affect you." Mulan angrily shrugged his hands off her shoulders. "You do me no honour telling me you would take me as a wife."
"Now you listen to me!" Shang roared, making Mulan jump. She looked at him afraid of what he would do.
"I do love you. It's been hard for me also. When all I want to do is to kiss you and hold you close to me." He gestured helplessly as he admitted.
"What's stopping you?" Mulan scowled, she crossed her arms across her chest. "I don't see the emperor or Chi Fu here do you?"
"No but..." Shang started only to be interrupted again.
"But I tell you what's here." Mulan slowly walked over to him threatenly. He didn't like the look in her eye as he took a step back.
"What's here in this room that is stopping you is honour Shang. Your honour."
"If honour was stopping me then I wouldn't do this." Shang reached out for her suddenly and pulled her close against him, his lips crushing hers as he kissed her with all the restrained, pent-up emotions he had to conceal in the past days.
He heard her moan as he pulled her closer against him. Suddenly she pushed him away. Her eyes wide with anger as his eyes fell on her lips swollen from his kisses.
She slapped him, the loud smack sent his face to the right. He reached up and tenderly stroked his jaw, his eyes glittering dangerously as he looked at her. She swallowed nervously, regretting what she done but she stood her grounds.
"My apologies to you. I shouldn't have done that." Shang simply said as he lower his hand from his red cheek.
He suddenly jumped across and knocked her to the floor as she went to scream but his hand covered her mouth.
"Shush!" Shang whispered, he looked over at the door then to the terrified Mulan beneath him. "Someone coming."
Her wide eyes looked over at the door and widened as footsteps approached. Shang rolled them over under the gap beneath the bed as the door opened. They laid silently against each other as the farmer and his wife burst in.
"Darling you must be mistaken..." The farmer said to his wife who stated looking franticly around the room.
"No I hear them at night talking about maps and wars against the huns." She replied as she shifted through a pile of Shang's clothes.
"What are you looking for?" The farmer groaned as he sat on the bed, Shang pulled Mulan closer to him as the bed pushed down on them, he heard Mulan's struggles to breath properly and silently prayed.
"A map, something that could give away our leader's position." The wife said as she turned to look at her husband.
Shang heard her gasp with happiness. "I found it! You were sitting on it." She pulled her husband to his feet and grabbed the map Mulan was looking at not long before their argument.
"we better take this to our leader. I wonder what reward he'll give us for two imperial soldiers?" the husband said as he looked at the map. They hurried from the room as Shang rolled out from under the bed.
"They've taken the map!" Mulan exclaimed as she dusted herself off.
"Because they are huns!" Shang snapped, he cursed himself for allowing them to walk into this trap and quickly ordered Mulan to burn the rest of the important papers they had.
Mulan averted her eyes as Shang hastily got dressed and tied his hair into a lose ponytail. He grabbed a few things and packed them as he tried to pull on his shirt. Suddenly the door burst open to reveal a large group of savage looking huns.
"Grab them!" One snarled as he raised his menacing sword.
Shang and Mulan glanced at each other then turn and ran towards the window. Throwing themselves through it with a great crash, they landed on the grass below and quickly scampered to their feet.
"Come on!" Shang yelled as Mulan winched, she fell on her arm awkwardly. With no hesitation he grabbed her arm and forced her to run as the yells and shouts followed them.
"Here!" Shang pulled them into a large crack in a wall. Shang wriggled in and pulled Mulan in after him. She buried her head in his chest, his warm bare skin revealed by his unbutton shirt against her cheek as she dared not breath. The thundering sound of pounding feet pasted them by till it grew quiet.
"Come on...Mulan lets go." Shang urged her out the crack and together started running away from the streets where large bloodthirsty mobs gathered with lanterns and weapons to find the two spies. They ran across fields when the barking of dogs running on their tail gave away their position as men started running after them yelling. The mob were soon closing in on them as Mulan ran for her life, she didn't see a ditch and suddenly fell hurting her ankle she heard Shang curse and was pulled to her feet as he dragged her after him.
Suddenly it was over, Shang fell when a hun jumped on him as Mulan was tackled by two huns. Punches rained own on them, Mulan's screams mingled with the shouts of pain from Shang, the thuds of the blows dealt to them and the cackling of the brutal huns above them.
Pain racketed her body as she received a kick to her mouth which made her swallow blood, her hair was yanked as she was pulled up to her knees and her shirt ripped open to expose her breasts. Rough hands grabbed them as rude comments were exchanged. She saw Shang looking at her with anger and horror in his eyes as he desperately scrambled to his knees to try and help her.
"No!" he yelled as a hun knocked him out, he slumped to the floor with his arm still outstretch in one final attempt to save her from the huns who now pulled her to her feet. She prayed for mercy as she felt heavy hands groping her. Her prayers were answered when a sharp thud knocked her to her knees as she passed out.
What do you think? bit too graphic? Let me know!
Mulan sat on the bed reading a map, behind the screen she could see a faint silhouette of Shang reclining in the bathtub, relaxing as he asked her questions on the local landscape.
"How long would it take via mountains to arrive to the imperial city?" Shang asked, Mulan looked down and quickly calculated. "one day on the roads and two days off road."
"Hmmm." Shang mumbled as he muttered to himself. "Too long, I need to see the emperor sooner than that."
Mulan heard him getting up from the tub and looked up to see his silhouette stand up, his large muscular frame looking taunt. She watched him reach out for a towel and wrapped it round his waist then tie his hair up. He appeared round the screen, his eyes curious as to whether Mulan was watching his form all that time. Her blush betrayed her as she resumed looking at the map in a nonchalant way.
He smiled as he walked closer to the bed, she couldn't fool him.
"What did you say to the emperor that night?" Mulan suddenly asked, Shang's smile disappeared as he blinked. "What night?"
"That night I took you to the palace. That night." Mulan put the map down and looked at him seriously. Shang cleared his throat as he tightened the towel round his waist.
"What did I do wrong? You kissed me then dropped me so quick." Mulan quietly said, Shang swallowed harder then realised what he did.
He forgotten to tell her what the emperor told him to tell her!
"Am I so wrong? Just tell me the truth. Did the emperor disapprove? I'm confused as you told me you loved me.." Mulan babbled, tears started to fall as Shang looked on in horror, what have he done?
"You did nothing wrong." Shang interrupted, Mulan turned her large teary eyes on him as he sat on the edge of the bed looking uncomfortable.
"I must have done some thing wrong." Mulan frowned.
"No, I still love you all the same. What I said that day wasn't a lie and I still love you despite the past few days." Shang slowly said, he looked down at his fumbling hands.
"What's to stop you Shang?" Mulan asked so quietly, Shang almost didn't hear it.
"The emperor told me to restrain from you till the war is over.."Shang replied.
Not expecting Mulan's next outburst he jumped to his feet when she shot off the bed.
"You mean, you chose honour over me?" her face went from sorrow to anger so quick he felt he was talking to two different people.
"It's for the best." He helplessly replied.
"For you , you mean." Mulan snapped back.
Shang clenched his fists and took a deep breath, "No just think about it, one of us could be killed or even worst I could have left you pregnant that day."
Mulan hesitated as she blinked, he was right but that gave him no excuse. "But what stopped you from telling me that?"
"I forgot." Shang murmured.
"You what?!" Mulan screeched.
"I forgot, too many things were on my mind..." He defended himself.
"You mean your honour and so...i know I don't make a perfect bride or wife but at least you could have told me to spare me the agony of the past few days, wondering what was so wrong with me for you to reject me like that." Mulan cried, tears fell down her face.
"I'm sorry, I was wrong." Shang stood helplessly.
"Oh, soooooo wrong!" Mulan spat as she stomped up to him, she looked mad and nothing he could say would calm her down.
"But so are you." Shang firmly said, he reached out and grabbed her shoulders, she started wrestling and screeching at him to let her go. She calmed down when she realised he wasn't going to let her go and stubbornly looked at him.
"You're wrong because you make any man a perfect wife." He said.
"That's not what the match maker said, and all my friends are married and having children. I'm still here. Why wont someone marry me?!" Mulan cried. Shang felt his heart go out for her, he knew she wouldn't be accepted in society despite her saving the people of China.
"I'd marry you." He replied.
"No, you're already married. Married to honour. Married to the emperor's orders. When he orders you, you do it despite how it could affect you." Mulan angrily shrugged his hands off her shoulders. "You do me no honour telling me you would take me as a wife."
"Now you listen to me!" Shang roared, making Mulan jump. She looked at him afraid of what he would do.
"I do love you. It's been hard for me also. When all I want to do is to kiss you and hold you close to me." He gestured helplessly as he admitted.
"What's stopping you?" Mulan scowled, she crossed her arms across her chest. "I don't see the emperor or Chi Fu here do you?"
"No but..." Shang started only to be interrupted again.
"But I tell you what's here." Mulan slowly walked over to him threatenly. He didn't like the look in her eye as he took a step back.
"What's here in this room that is stopping you is honour Shang. Your honour."
"If honour was stopping me then I wouldn't do this." Shang reached out for her suddenly and pulled her close against him, his lips crushing hers as he kissed her with all the restrained, pent-up emotions he had to conceal in the past days.
He heard her moan as he pulled her closer against him. Suddenly she pushed him away. Her eyes wide with anger as his eyes fell on her lips swollen from his kisses.
She slapped him, the loud smack sent his face to the right. He reached up and tenderly stroked his jaw, his eyes glittering dangerously as he looked at her. She swallowed nervously, regretting what she done but she stood her grounds.
"My apologies to you. I shouldn't have done that." Shang simply said as he lower his hand from his red cheek.
He suddenly jumped across and knocked her to the floor as she went to scream but his hand covered her mouth.
"Shush!" Shang whispered, he looked over at the door then to the terrified Mulan beneath him. "Someone coming."
Her wide eyes looked over at the door and widened as footsteps approached. Shang rolled them over under the gap beneath the bed as the door opened. They laid silently against each other as the farmer and his wife burst in.
"Darling you must be mistaken..." The farmer said to his wife who stated looking franticly around the room.
"No I hear them at night talking about maps and wars against the huns." She replied as she shifted through a pile of Shang's clothes.
"What are you looking for?" The farmer groaned as he sat on the bed, Shang pulled Mulan closer to him as the bed pushed down on them, he heard Mulan's struggles to breath properly and silently prayed.
"A map, something that could give away our leader's position." The wife said as she turned to look at her husband.
Shang heard her gasp with happiness. "I found it! You were sitting on it." She pulled her husband to his feet and grabbed the map Mulan was looking at not long before their argument.
"we better take this to our leader. I wonder what reward he'll give us for two imperial soldiers?" the husband said as he looked at the map. They hurried from the room as Shang rolled out from under the bed.
"They've taken the map!" Mulan exclaimed as she dusted herself off.
"Because they are huns!" Shang snapped, he cursed himself for allowing them to walk into this trap and quickly ordered Mulan to burn the rest of the important papers they had.
Mulan averted her eyes as Shang hastily got dressed and tied his hair into a lose ponytail. He grabbed a few things and packed them as he tried to pull on his shirt. Suddenly the door burst open to reveal a large group of savage looking huns.
"Grab them!" One snarled as he raised his menacing sword.
Shang and Mulan glanced at each other then turn and ran towards the window. Throwing themselves through it with a great crash, they landed on the grass below and quickly scampered to their feet.
"Come on!" Shang yelled as Mulan winched, she fell on her arm awkwardly. With no hesitation he grabbed her arm and forced her to run as the yells and shouts followed them.
"Here!" Shang pulled them into a large crack in a wall. Shang wriggled in and pulled Mulan in after him. She buried her head in his chest, his warm bare skin revealed by his unbutton shirt against her cheek as she dared not breath. The thundering sound of pounding feet pasted them by till it grew quiet.
"Come on...Mulan lets go." Shang urged her out the crack and together started running away from the streets where large bloodthirsty mobs gathered with lanterns and weapons to find the two spies. They ran across fields when the barking of dogs running on their tail gave away their position as men started running after them yelling. The mob were soon closing in on them as Mulan ran for her life, she didn't see a ditch and suddenly fell hurting her ankle she heard Shang curse and was pulled to her feet as he dragged her after him.
Suddenly it was over, Shang fell when a hun jumped on him as Mulan was tackled by two huns. Punches rained own on them, Mulan's screams mingled with the shouts of pain from Shang, the thuds of the blows dealt to them and the cackling of the brutal huns above them.
Pain racketed her body as she received a kick to her mouth which made her swallow blood, her hair was yanked as she was pulled up to her knees and her shirt ripped open to expose her breasts. Rough hands grabbed them as rude comments were exchanged. She saw Shang looking at her with anger and horror in his eyes as he desperately scrambled to his knees to try and help her.
"No!" he yelled as a hun knocked him out, he slumped to the floor with his arm still outstretch in one final attempt to save her from the huns who now pulled her to her feet. She prayed for mercy as she felt heavy hands groping her. Her prayers were answered when a sharp thud knocked her to her knees as she passed out.
What do you think? bit too graphic? Let me know!