Reaching for the Sky

By Ninth Lady

Summary: Married off to Liu Bei in an attempt at peace between Wu and Shu, Sun Shang Xiang faces many uncertainties with her new life. She is then separated from the war she was so involved in when Liu Bei sends her off to a summer palace to keep her safe for reasons only he knows. Trapped in a new, unfamiliar prison, Sun Shang Xiang finds comfort and love in the general sent to guard her and Liu Bei's greatest treasure. Liu Bei/Sun Shang Xiang/ Zhao Yun love triangle.

Chapter One: Separated from Wu

A carriage drove up towards the gates of the Shu capital. People gazed in a curious awe, hoping to get a glimpse of the elusive passenger.

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"Who is it?"

"We'll find out eventually."

"But I wanna know now!"

"Shut up and work."

"Aw, man."

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The people talked amongst themselves. The carriage had been traveling along the Shu territory towards the capital for quite a few days now and there was no escort.

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"Perhaps it is the gift from Wu to Lord Liu Bei. Rumors say that it is a very valuable gift that he is expecting."

"Have you been listening to all those rumors again?"

"Yeah, haven't you?"

"No, rumors are usually false and stretched out."

"But what if this one holds some truth?"

"Doubtful."

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The rumors flew around faster then the carriage could travel, and by the time it had reached the capital, it was practically gospel.

The day was rather gray and sort of cool. The carriage entered the gates and the people got their first site of the passenger. Red hair and green eyes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Ooh, perhaps it is one of the Qiao sisters!"

"Don't be silly, the two Qiaos are married to the Wu heir and his friend."

"Oh, well it could have been."

"Keep working, we'll find out soon enough."

"Damn."

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Liu Bei stood outside on the pavilion, smiling to himself. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhuge Liang, Yue Ying, Zhao Yun, Jiang Wei, and a few other Shu officers stood with their lord to await the arrival.

The carriage door opened and out came the valuable cargo, the precious gift from Wu.

Princess Sun Shang Xiang.

Dressed in a long, red dress, she looked quite different than her usual battle attire, but not any less beautiful. She looked up towards the Shu generals and seemed to take a step back. It was obviously intimidating to be in the presence of such strong warriors wearing no armor or holding a weapon.

Behind her came Sun Quan. He gently pushed her forwards and greeted Liu Bei warmly.

"Lord Liu Bei! What an honor this is! I only wish my father was here to witness this incredible union."

Sun Shang Xiang bowed her head sadly. Sun Jian had died a few months ago, leaving a deep wound in the hearts of all the people of Wu. Sun Quan gently squeezed her shoulders comfortingly.

"I am sorry that my brother, Sun Ce, did not come, but he is busy making preparations for the upcoming battle with Wei." Sun Quan smiled diplomatically and his little sister smiled politely, but sadly.

Liu Bei grinned broadly. "No need to apologize Lord Sun Quan! I understand perfectly; a battle with Wei would require quite some preparation. Shall we go inside now?"

Sun Quan nodded and Sun Shang Xiang followed him timidly. Liu Bei led the way into a great hall decorated lavishly with fineries fit for a king.

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The Shu officers followed the trio into the hall. Yue Ying leaned closely towards her husband.

"Is this a peace treaty?" Yue Ying whispered in Zhuge Liang's ear.

Zhuge Liang nodded. "Yes, Lord Liu Bei and Sun Quan came to the decision shortly after the death of Sun Jian." He shook his head slightly. "Poor Lady Shang Xiang, she looks so sad and lost. She really loved her father."

Yue Ying smiled sympathetically. She had spoken briefly with the normally tomboy princess before and she normally had a lot of spirit. Now, she seemed rather lifeless, like a porcelain doll, always smiling that smile that never reached her eyes. Yue Ying said a silent prayer that the princess would be happy in this arranged marriage.

Behind Zhuge Liang and Yue Ying came Zhang Fei and Guan Yu. Neither one of them had approved of their brother's decision to marry the Wu bitch.

"They probably pass her around after a battle to celebrate." Guan Yu whispered angrily.

Zhang Fei laughed. "They probable pass her around during a battle which is why they are such pathetic warriors."

The two laughed loudly, causing their fellow generals to glare at them reproachfully. Sheepishly, they returned to their condemning of Sun Shang Xiang, doing so more quietly this time.

Finally to the rear came Zhao Yun and Jiang Wei. Jiang Wei stared at the Wu princess with curious interest. While he had heard stories of her, he had never seen her before.

Zhao Yun looked at Sun Shang Xiang with piqued interest. He had battled along side with her during a few skirmishes with the Yellow Turbans, and then together at the battles of the Si Shui Gate and the Hu Lao Gate. She was normally a happy, energetic person with a beautiful disposition.

Now she seemed so sad, but that was expected after the death of her father. But marriage with his lord? Liu Bei was at least twenty years older than her; he had been about her father's age before he had died.

Zhao Yun remembered thinking about how cute she was, but now he had to change his mind, Sun Shang Xiang was gorgeous.

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Liu Bei leaded the two Sun siblings to a meeting room. Once the three were seated comfortably on cushions, some wine was served. Liu Bei waved out the servants and order the door be closed tightly.

"We can talk freely here without fear of being overheard. Sun Quan, we have much to talk about. I understand that you and your brother have some concerns about your sister's well being, but rest assured that she is safe here."

Sun Quan nodded, but looked down at his hands for a second.

"Liu Bei, I have some other concerns as well, not only those of my sister's well being, although her well being is my top priority."

Liu Bei noticed that he did not say happiness and Sun Quan seemed to be hiding something.

"My brother did not come today, not because he is preparing for battle, but because he does not approve this marriage. As you know, my father was also quite opposed to this as well. For some obvious reasons, of course, my father wished for Shang Xiang to marry out of love, so he did not arrange a marriage for her. Secondly, my father did not believe that this marriage would bring a lasting peace, he thought it would be best to consider this after the war was over." Sun Quan sucked his breath in sharply.

"We have also heard some things regarding your previous wife that are not too good. I was hoping that you could separate the truth from the fiction, so I am all ears." Sun Quan grimaced at the sound of his own words. Liu Bei nodded understandingly. "There are some really wild rumors about me and my late wife, so of course I do not mind straightening them out. Yes it is true; my late wife had eight miscarriages. The last one killed her, poor thing. She was quite fragile you see, not only was it a great physical toll, but an emotional one as well."

Liu Bei looked off into space absently. "I miss her a lot. We were very happy together, as I believe Sun Shang Xiang and I can be." He smiled at the red head and she smiled back nicely.

The two leaders conversed for quite some time before they came to a conclusion: a quick marriage, that day in fact, and a union to squash Wei.

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The marriage was elaborate to say that it had been put together at the drop of a hat. Sun Shang Xiang had never felt so alone in her life as she gave her brother a final hug.

"Write often Shang Xiang, never forget that we are always here for you." Sun Quan whispered in her ear as they hugged.

Shang Xiang held him tighter. "I'll try to be strong Quan."

As the carriage pulled away, Sun Quan leaned out and threw her a box. Shang Xiang caught it easily and looked at her brother.

"It's if you ever get bored!" He shouted and waved.

Waving back, Sun Shang Xiang felt tears prick her eyes. She was finally alone in this strange, new country.

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A maid escorted Shang Xiang to her new bedroom. She couldn't help but awe at the size of the room and the large, luscious bed.

"Do I share this with Lord Liu Bei?"

The maid smiled and nodded.

"Yes milady, he will most likely join you shortly if he is not preoccupied with work."

Sun Shang Xiang felt rather foolish asking such a stupid question. Of course she would be sharing the room with her new husband, and she knew what he would be coming in for soon.

The maid tapped her gently on the shoulder. "Would you like to freshen up milady?"

"Oh yes, thank you."

The maid led her to the lavish bathroom. The entire bathroom was done in a blue and white theme, with beautiful paintings on the walls. Shang Xiang was afraid of breaking anything, so the maid had to usher her into a hot bubble bath.

"It belonged to Lord Liu's wife before you. She absolutely adored taking baths in here. She said the blue had a very calming effect on you."

Shang Xiang couldn't help but agree; the blue made you feel right at home in the bathroom.

"He must have loved his wife quite a lot, then." Shang Xiang stated.

The maid nodded and smiled. "Yes, our Lord adored his wife and gave her everything she desired. Sometimes, he would cancel a meeting to go out alone with her for a ride on the grounds or a picnic in the gardens. After her first miscarriage, he spent even more time with her. Our Lord was so kind, he told her that they shouldn't try to have any more children, but she insisted." The maid sighed deeply. "They loved each other very much and Lord Liu was devastated when she died, he always blamed himself for her death."

Sun Shang Xiang couldn't help feeling bad for Liu Bei; he seemed so kind and loving. "I wonder how he will treat me?" She thought.

Finally, she got out of the bath and the maid dressed her in a loose, nearly transparent robe with no undergarments.

Smiling knowingly, the maid walked towards the door. "Lord Liu Bei should be here shortly, milady. I know you will enjoy your stay with us Lady Sun." Then she left and closed the door behind her.

Sun Shang Xiang sat down on the bed and was lost in thought when Liu Bei entered. Quickly getting up, Shang Xiang smoothed out her robe nervously.

"I am sorry Lord Liu Bei, I was just thinking!" She burst out.

Liu Bei smiled and laughed seductively. "What's with the formalities? We are husband and wife now and there is no one here to be formal for. Why are you so nervous? You are beautiful, just as I knew you would be."

Shang Xiang played nervously with a piece of hair; she knew what was coming and she had no idea how to start.

Fortunately, Liu Bei began for her. He walked over and pulled her close.

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A/N: Cliffhanger!!! We all know what is coming and I will continue in the next one but the chapter was becoming quite long. Don't worry, the mood shall do some shifting and this is a Sun Shang Xiang/ Zhao Yun romance, but Liu Bei is gonna be stuck in there to make a good ol' love triangle! Tell me what you think. Oh just to clear something up: I don't know if Lords and Ladies are formally addressed by servants and such as Lord Last Name, Lady Last Name so I'll just have them say Lord/ Lady Last Name. Okay?

~Ninth Lady~ "The Messiah of Silence"