Mulan stirred on one sunny morning. The early sun tickled her skin as she
groaned. Looking over to her right expecting to see Shang, she found the
bed empty. Sighing, she rested on her back as she watched the dust
particles floating in the beams of light that trickled into the small damp
room. She smiled as she heard the distant chatting and laughter of the
people as they made final preparations for her wedding. Today was her
wedding day.
Nomi frowned as she came in, "What are you still doing in bed? you should be up!"
"I was just dreaming." Mulan smiled as she reluctantly sat up.
"Dream all you want but just remember there's a handsome man waiting for you."
Nomi pulled the furs that Mulan slept under off her, causing her to wince with the cool air against her warm skin.
"Where's Shang?" Mulan asked as she got to her feet and lazily stretched.
"He's with the men, you'll won't see him till the time comes." Nomi took Mulan's hand and pulled her to the hut where the women were waiting to receive her.
Mulan allowed herself to relax in the tub of water, though without make-up, oils and perfumes the women made their bride as beautiful as they can, though she didn't needed it. With her hair freshly washed, skin tingly clean and hands polished, Mulan sat down to allow the women to fuss over her hair. The noise of them chatting and gossiping made her smile and push away the panging sorrow that plagued the back of her mind that she wont be home for her wedding. A wreath of wild flowers that grew within the compound crowned her head as Nomi handed her, her clothes.
"We made these for you, they're not as bright of beautiful as your Chinese dresses but we hope they'll be adequate." Nomi sighed.
"They are beautiful. I'd rather wear something made by my friends than a dress bought from a merchant." Mulan smiled, she hurriedly put on the leather dress which was covered in minute beads of different colours. The strange patterns were translated by Nomi to represent a fierce soul that will always be strong and never tamed despite laws and rules which suited Mulan just fine. To accompany the dress was a pair of moccasins with similar beaded patterns meaning "gods walk in the shadow of the warrior maiden." Which brought a smile to Mulan's lips, though she was a maid for a while, she wont be by sunset.
"My you look beautiful!" Bei exclaimed, he smiled and took her hands as he whirled her around to examine her. "Shang's a lucky man."
"How is Shang?" Mulan quietly asked.
Bei grinned, "He's fine, more scared than he cares to admit. He been speaking of both you and escape from here. It seems that he come up with a plan."
"Does he? On our wedding day?" Mulan grinned and mockingly looked very stern.
"He's nervous!" Bei shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway I came to ask you have you thought of a tattoo for your future husband. He's about to undergo the ceremony. All he waits for is your answer."
"tell him, I wish to see a dragon on his arm when we bed down tonight." Mulan coyly smiled, Bei grinned and made his way to leave.
"Bei? When the tattoist finishes, send him over to me. Don't speak a word of it to Shang." Mulan ordered quietly, Bei smiled and motioned a zipped shut lip and left.
Mulan laid on the mattress as the middle aged man quickly tattooed a small dragon on her hip. She bit her lip as the pain came and went. She forced herself to listen to the man's voice as he talked of his craft and how proud he was of his trade.
".and I even did one for Shan Yu's son though I don't know where he is..."
Mulan's ears picked up on this and looked at him, forgetting the pain. "Shan Yu's son?" she enquired.
"Yes, his son oh and Shan Yu himself, that was before he placed me in here."
"What tattoo did you do for them?"
"A Chinese symbol, they both had one half of it..if memory serves me right, it means two forces coming together..that's right...ying and yang." The man smiled as he remembered.
"Are you sure?" Mulan grabbed his arm in disbelief that she was finally getting some information.
"Positive, Shan Yu had the dark side and his son had the light side." The man told her, returning his attention to Mulan's hip, the needle caught her by surprise and she winched loudly.
"Do lie down!" the man scolded.
Mulan obeyed and laid back down. "Where on their body did they have their tattoo?" She asked, staring at the ceiling taking the information in.
"between their shoulder blades it was about the size of my fists." The man held up his balled up fist to indicate the size.
"What did his son look like?" Mulan eagerly asked.
"Alas it was many years ago now, he must be in his twenties. His mother was Chinese and he inherited much of her looks, his father often teased he might kill his son by mistake as he looked so like a Chinese soldier. But he did have his father's build and height.very strong he was, I've watched them duel together. Father and son were very close." The man spoke as he carved into Mulan's skin the final details of the dragon.
"There finished." The man smiled as he allowed Mulan to sit up and admire the small red dragon just above her left hip bone.
"You're the first woman I've tattooed ever and you handled the pain well." The man gathered his things and left, leaving Mulan alone to ponder her discovery.
The red sun was setting in the west when the villagers gathered ion the centre, cheering and singing. Mulan was lead from the hut she was confirmed too that day, her heart swelled with happiness and nervousness. She looked to see Shang but the large bustling crowd limited her sight. Nomi stood by her side laughing as she lead Mulan up to Bei who was also in charge of ceremonies.
Only then did she see Shang, wearing dark brown shirt, breeches and moccasins, his long black hair flowing down his back. She smiled shyly as he looked up and grinned at her, she didn't know what to say to him and she didn't care, she knew they felt the same.
Bei raised his hands to quieten the din that erupted around them.
"On this day we gather to see the marriage of Fa Mulan to Li Shang. Hold out your hands." He smiled at them. Mulan reached out fingers trembling, Bei placed Shang's hand on top of hers and she found out his too was shaking.
Bei poured red soil onto their hands as he quoted, "May the earth of this world and the worlds to come bind you in life and death, provide you with food and shelter and may the water of this world.." Bei poured sparkling fresh water over their hands to wash away the soil.
"...and the worlds to come, serve you in life and the lives birthed by you."
Bei reached for two separate pieces of red leather thongs and tied them together at one end, his wrapped his round both their hands and muttered a prayer of blessing in a mysterious language.
"With the blessing of the gods, may you tie together like this rope which represents the coming together and parting of two souls, free to roam this world. May your love cherish each other and give strength to one another in your darkest hour and may you be husband and wife in the days of your lives to come." Bei untied the knot and tied each piece round their wrist like a bracelet.
"You are now husband...." Bei paused as Mulan looked up at Shang, tears threatening to flow any second.
"and wife." Bei finished as Shang smiled and pulled her close to him as she felt a tear trickle down her cheek.
The crowd cheered and roared as Shang looked down at his beautiful wife and raised her chin up so he could see her beautiful face. Wiping away that stray lonely tear, he bent down and claimed his kiss from her sweet lips. They were together, against all the odds, they were man and wife and that was how it should have been and will be.
"My wife." Shang adored, he marvelled at her beauty and strength as she smiled.
"My husband." She replied as she stood on tip toes to claim a kiss of her own.
The fires were burning bright as the dancers waltz round them laughing and clapping. Wine flowed freely as the villagers celebrated, despite their cruel confinement to the compound, they forgot their sorrows that night and rejoiced in the name of Li Shang and Mulan.
The newly wedded couple sat nearby alone. Shang draped his arm over Mulan's shoulders as they watched their friends have fun. Hearts content with fire, food and wine, they were left with the unspoken moment to come.
"I couldn't dance a step more!" Mulan was saying, Shang smiled and softly replied, "I hope you have one step remaining in you to walk to walk to the marital hut"
"For you, I would walk to the end of the world." Mulan looked at him, he nodded, he already knew she would. He witnessed her on numerous occasions doing things he would have never thought she would have done.
"Come, let us part from our friends." He softly said as he stood up and help out a hand. She accepted it and stood to her feet . They quietly walked towards the hut reserved for such purposes, slipping away from the party unnoticed. Hesitating at the door, Shang turned and looked at her, he felt his nerves vibrating through his body as he reached out to the door handle.
His shaking hand was covered by Mulan's and together they opened to the door to reveal the moonlit bed.
"Mulan.." he started only to be told to hush as she kissed him softly, he held her tight as he closed the door behind them, not seeing where they were going as kisses were exchanged, they fell onto the bed. Shang was lost, lost in Mulan's arms and her kisses, he pulled away to admire his wife with her long dark hair spilling like a halo around her and her skin which was tanned brown by the sun looked so white in the moon light. He realised Mulan's fingers were unbuttoning his shirt and sat back to let her admire his body, every muscle and inch of skin. She kissed his collarbone as she pulled down his left sleeve revealing the red dragon tattooed round his bicep. Admiring it, she leant forward and traced the outline of the dragon which resembled Mushu when the little dragon did stand still, with her tongue.
"I got a tattoo too." Mulan whispered.
"I'll find it." Shang smiled as he kissed her throat and lowering her to the pillows beneath them.
That night, Shang found her tattoo and together they found what it was like to touch heaven together as one.
There, I hope I did some justice to the story, I will be writing a sex scene later on in the story for those who minds are in the gutter!!!! And for those who would like to know, their escape comes in the next chapter!
Nomi frowned as she came in, "What are you still doing in bed? you should be up!"
"I was just dreaming." Mulan smiled as she reluctantly sat up.
"Dream all you want but just remember there's a handsome man waiting for you."
Nomi pulled the furs that Mulan slept under off her, causing her to wince with the cool air against her warm skin.
"Where's Shang?" Mulan asked as she got to her feet and lazily stretched.
"He's with the men, you'll won't see him till the time comes." Nomi took Mulan's hand and pulled her to the hut where the women were waiting to receive her.
Mulan allowed herself to relax in the tub of water, though without make-up, oils and perfumes the women made their bride as beautiful as they can, though she didn't needed it. With her hair freshly washed, skin tingly clean and hands polished, Mulan sat down to allow the women to fuss over her hair. The noise of them chatting and gossiping made her smile and push away the panging sorrow that plagued the back of her mind that she wont be home for her wedding. A wreath of wild flowers that grew within the compound crowned her head as Nomi handed her, her clothes.
"We made these for you, they're not as bright of beautiful as your Chinese dresses but we hope they'll be adequate." Nomi sighed.
"They are beautiful. I'd rather wear something made by my friends than a dress bought from a merchant." Mulan smiled, she hurriedly put on the leather dress which was covered in minute beads of different colours. The strange patterns were translated by Nomi to represent a fierce soul that will always be strong and never tamed despite laws and rules which suited Mulan just fine. To accompany the dress was a pair of moccasins with similar beaded patterns meaning "gods walk in the shadow of the warrior maiden." Which brought a smile to Mulan's lips, though she was a maid for a while, she wont be by sunset.
"My you look beautiful!" Bei exclaimed, he smiled and took her hands as he whirled her around to examine her. "Shang's a lucky man."
"How is Shang?" Mulan quietly asked.
Bei grinned, "He's fine, more scared than he cares to admit. He been speaking of both you and escape from here. It seems that he come up with a plan."
"Does he? On our wedding day?" Mulan grinned and mockingly looked very stern.
"He's nervous!" Bei shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway I came to ask you have you thought of a tattoo for your future husband. He's about to undergo the ceremony. All he waits for is your answer."
"tell him, I wish to see a dragon on his arm when we bed down tonight." Mulan coyly smiled, Bei grinned and made his way to leave.
"Bei? When the tattoist finishes, send him over to me. Don't speak a word of it to Shang." Mulan ordered quietly, Bei smiled and motioned a zipped shut lip and left.
Mulan laid on the mattress as the middle aged man quickly tattooed a small dragon on her hip. She bit her lip as the pain came and went. She forced herself to listen to the man's voice as he talked of his craft and how proud he was of his trade.
".and I even did one for Shan Yu's son though I don't know where he is..."
Mulan's ears picked up on this and looked at him, forgetting the pain. "Shan Yu's son?" she enquired.
"Yes, his son oh and Shan Yu himself, that was before he placed me in here."
"What tattoo did you do for them?"
"A Chinese symbol, they both had one half of it..if memory serves me right, it means two forces coming together..that's right...ying and yang." The man smiled as he remembered.
"Are you sure?" Mulan grabbed his arm in disbelief that she was finally getting some information.
"Positive, Shan Yu had the dark side and his son had the light side." The man told her, returning his attention to Mulan's hip, the needle caught her by surprise and she winched loudly.
"Do lie down!" the man scolded.
Mulan obeyed and laid back down. "Where on their body did they have their tattoo?" She asked, staring at the ceiling taking the information in.
"between their shoulder blades it was about the size of my fists." The man held up his balled up fist to indicate the size.
"What did his son look like?" Mulan eagerly asked.
"Alas it was many years ago now, he must be in his twenties. His mother was Chinese and he inherited much of her looks, his father often teased he might kill his son by mistake as he looked so like a Chinese soldier. But he did have his father's build and height.very strong he was, I've watched them duel together. Father and son were very close." The man spoke as he carved into Mulan's skin the final details of the dragon.
"There finished." The man smiled as he allowed Mulan to sit up and admire the small red dragon just above her left hip bone.
"You're the first woman I've tattooed ever and you handled the pain well." The man gathered his things and left, leaving Mulan alone to ponder her discovery.
The red sun was setting in the west when the villagers gathered ion the centre, cheering and singing. Mulan was lead from the hut she was confirmed too that day, her heart swelled with happiness and nervousness. She looked to see Shang but the large bustling crowd limited her sight. Nomi stood by her side laughing as she lead Mulan up to Bei who was also in charge of ceremonies.
Only then did she see Shang, wearing dark brown shirt, breeches and moccasins, his long black hair flowing down his back. She smiled shyly as he looked up and grinned at her, she didn't know what to say to him and she didn't care, she knew they felt the same.
Bei raised his hands to quieten the din that erupted around them.
"On this day we gather to see the marriage of Fa Mulan to Li Shang. Hold out your hands." He smiled at them. Mulan reached out fingers trembling, Bei placed Shang's hand on top of hers and she found out his too was shaking.
Bei poured red soil onto their hands as he quoted, "May the earth of this world and the worlds to come bind you in life and death, provide you with food and shelter and may the water of this world.." Bei poured sparkling fresh water over their hands to wash away the soil.
"...and the worlds to come, serve you in life and the lives birthed by you."
Bei reached for two separate pieces of red leather thongs and tied them together at one end, his wrapped his round both their hands and muttered a prayer of blessing in a mysterious language.
"With the blessing of the gods, may you tie together like this rope which represents the coming together and parting of two souls, free to roam this world. May your love cherish each other and give strength to one another in your darkest hour and may you be husband and wife in the days of your lives to come." Bei untied the knot and tied each piece round their wrist like a bracelet.
"You are now husband...." Bei paused as Mulan looked up at Shang, tears threatening to flow any second.
"and wife." Bei finished as Shang smiled and pulled her close to him as she felt a tear trickle down her cheek.
The crowd cheered and roared as Shang looked down at his beautiful wife and raised her chin up so he could see her beautiful face. Wiping away that stray lonely tear, he bent down and claimed his kiss from her sweet lips. They were together, against all the odds, they were man and wife and that was how it should have been and will be.
"My wife." Shang adored, he marvelled at her beauty and strength as she smiled.
"My husband." She replied as she stood on tip toes to claim a kiss of her own.
The fires were burning bright as the dancers waltz round them laughing and clapping. Wine flowed freely as the villagers celebrated, despite their cruel confinement to the compound, they forgot their sorrows that night and rejoiced in the name of Li Shang and Mulan.
The newly wedded couple sat nearby alone. Shang draped his arm over Mulan's shoulders as they watched their friends have fun. Hearts content with fire, food and wine, they were left with the unspoken moment to come.
"I couldn't dance a step more!" Mulan was saying, Shang smiled and softly replied, "I hope you have one step remaining in you to walk to walk to the marital hut"
"For you, I would walk to the end of the world." Mulan looked at him, he nodded, he already knew she would. He witnessed her on numerous occasions doing things he would have never thought she would have done.
"Come, let us part from our friends." He softly said as he stood up and help out a hand. She accepted it and stood to her feet . They quietly walked towards the hut reserved for such purposes, slipping away from the party unnoticed. Hesitating at the door, Shang turned and looked at her, he felt his nerves vibrating through his body as he reached out to the door handle.
His shaking hand was covered by Mulan's and together they opened to the door to reveal the moonlit bed.
"Mulan.." he started only to be told to hush as she kissed him softly, he held her tight as he closed the door behind them, not seeing where they were going as kisses were exchanged, they fell onto the bed. Shang was lost, lost in Mulan's arms and her kisses, he pulled away to admire his wife with her long dark hair spilling like a halo around her and her skin which was tanned brown by the sun looked so white in the moon light. He realised Mulan's fingers were unbuttoning his shirt and sat back to let her admire his body, every muscle and inch of skin. She kissed his collarbone as she pulled down his left sleeve revealing the red dragon tattooed round his bicep. Admiring it, she leant forward and traced the outline of the dragon which resembled Mushu when the little dragon did stand still, with her tongue.
"I got a tattoo too." Mulan whispered.
"I'll find it." Shang smiled as he kissed her throat and lowering her to the pillows beneath them.
That night, Shang found her tattoo and together they found what it was like to touch heaven together as one.
There, I hope I did some justice to the story, I will be writing a sex scene later on in the story for those who minds are in the gutter!!!! And for those who would like to know, their escape comes in the next chapter!