okay. New chapter up. I like the reviews. Thank you. I'll try to start making the chapters longer. This one isn't so long because if I combined the two chapters...this would be a mega chapter. anyways. Thanks again. Please keep on reviewing.
I own nothing ....does this ever get redundant to anyone else?
Chapter 8: The talk.
Shang felt nervous. His grandparents never requested an audience with him formerly. They usually just went into his room. Something was serious. They probably heard about him being in Mulan's room, and want her to leave or they want to reprimand him for going against the Chinese code of honor. He strode quickly down the hallway, hoping to avoid contact with any female that might be roaming his house. Sui-Yen would smother him, that matchmaker is just nausiating, and Mulan looked so angry, she might just hit him. Not that he didn't deserve it. Shang quickly made it to his grand parent's room. He hesitated before he knocked. Maybe they were so angry they would kick him out of the family, saying he dishonored them greatly. Finally he knocked on the door.
"Come in." His grandfather's voice was calm. Shang couldn't sense any anger in the voice. He slipped into the room.
"You sent for me?" Shang asked, showing concern and obviously curious. His grandfather was sitting in a chair, staring at a strategy game. His grandmother was sitting in another chair watching her husband.
" Yes, we did. Do you know why we asked you here?" His grandmother spoke this time.
"No, I really don't know why."
"But you do know why. It's about the two girls around here." His grandmother stared at him. Shang felt uncomfortable. They knew.
"I did the right thing." Shang added. Hoping that the conversation would end soon.
"We want you to know. You are the head of the household. You're decision about marriage and which girl you choose is completely up to you. We are proud of you no matter what." Shang shifted uncomfortably.
"Mulan isn't interested in marriage. Sui-yen is the only one visiting about marriage. Mulan wants to stay with her family. "
"Is that what she says here around you? or does she say that in her dreams?" Shang turned suddenly. His grandmother had a smirk on her face. "I thought that'd get your attention."
"How do you know about the dreams?" His grandmother smiled again. She motioned for him to sit down. He sat in the empty chair next to her.
"Do you remember when we told Mulan that we were friends with her family?" Shang nodded. "Her grandmother and grandfather had visited us quite often. We all knew a little bit of some old incantations and such. Why do you think the ancestors guard us carefully?"
"I just thought we were lucky. " Shang answered truthfully. He then thought back to the times his family should have been destroyed. But somehow they survived.
"It was magic. Mulan's family is the exact same way. She probably had an ancestor guarding her the whole time through the war. She wasn't just lucky." Shang thought for a minute. It did make sense.
"What does this have to do with the dreams?"
"When her grandmother noticed your name and who's child you were. she sent a letter straight to us. We worked together and made you two susceptible to each other's dreams. We thought you had feelings for Mulan. But because your father had raised you to be so stoic, we knew you'd never say anything in real life. We figured your dreams were the only way." Shang stared at his grandmother. She had always been fairly quiet. But now she was giving him advice on his love life. She did know everything about him though.
"What does that matter now? I'm marrying Sui-Yen. " Shang sighed. "A man of honor never breaks a promise." Ming stared at him long and hard.
"And why did you promise to marry her?" Shang shook his head. He knew he had to tell her everything.
"I was protecting Mulan." He confessed.
"Protecting her? What were you protecting her from?" Shang sorted out how to tell his grandmother the story. Finally he let it all out. He told her about how Mulan overheard Sui-Yen and the matchmaker planning and how he went into her room when she warned him and how they fell asleep on the bed. Then he finally added how he was caught and his promise to marry Sui-Yen in order to keep the matchmaker quiet and save Mulan's honor. Shang's grand father, who had been quiet the entire time leaned toward Shang.
"Let me get this straight." He began. "You are going to marry this girl so that her aunt doesn't spread horrible rumors about Mulan, whom you care for. right?" Shang nodded. "So, if this matchmaker tells these rumors Mulan won't marry a nice person and will be forced to marry someone that is less than your standards for her. So to SAVE her from marrying someone horrible, YOU are going to marry a girl you don't even like to help her." Shang thought about it for a minute. Something sounded wrong. He finally nodded.
"Yeah, that's what I had done." Zhong chuckled.
"Shang, I am going to tell you this. You are a brilliant leader and a great general. But when it comes to common sense, you are an Idiot!" Shang was taken back by the insult. His grandfather had just called him an idiot. Was he going to be disowned?
"Why don't you just marry Mulan. Then She will have someone that fits your standards for her and you're with someone you care for, and whatever the matchmaker says is not of your concern." His grand mother joined in on the chuckling. Shang thought about it for a second. The answer was so simple. It was right in front of him. Her honor wouldn't be ruined if he married her. He smiled with relief, then he let out a laugh.
"I guess I am pretty dumb." He laughed. "Thank you for telling me. I'm going to go see if Mulan is all right. I never explained things to her." Shang stood up. he bowed to his grand father then grandmother and then left. After he left his grand parents laughed.
"Well, Finally, we have a Fa member joining the family." Ming smiled and stood up to look out the window. Zhong joined her.
"Our families have tried to unite for generations. I just hope everything goes well."
Shang dashed out of his grandparents' room. He had to find Mulan. He quickly found himself down his hallway. Mulan's room was close.
"She isn't there." Shang turned around and say Jaing. "She isn't there Shang, you scared her off." Shang turned to the door and opened it to find the room clean. There was no proof that Mulan had ever been there.
"Where'd she go?" He asked looking incredulously around.
"She left right after you went to see our grandparents. She really couldn't find you. She said she had some family matters and needed to be home." Shang closed the door. He had missed her yet again. "I think you'll want these back." Jaing said sticking his hand out and showing Shang the contents.
"Letters?" Shang took the letters from Jaing and looked at them.
"They're from you and Mulan. I didn't want you marrying some girl so I took all the letters. But now, I kind of hope you marry Mulan and not that Sui-Yen girl. She doesn't think I can do anything." Shang smiled.
"Don't worry I'll go after her." Jaing grinned. Shang turned to go to the living quarters where his mother would be no doubt. She was there with Sui-Yen and the matchmaker.
"Mother!" he called she turned around. It looked exactly like the day before when he brought Mulan over. It was only yesterday when All this had happened.
"Shang I just heard the great news." She gushed motioning to Sui-Yen.
"Well, you can forget it mother." Shang snapped. "The wedding's over." The matchmaker's head jerked up, taken a back.
"Shang did you just snap at me?" She asked incredulously. Shang took a breath.
"I learned from a very respectable person that I'm your son and the head of the house. You will respect my decisions. My decision is to leave tonight."
"Shang, did you forget our discussion." The matchmaker smiled. Surely that would bring him back into sense. Shang smiled.
"Oh I forgot." He turned to his mother. "This woman is trying to black mail me into marrying her neice. She caught me in Mulan's room, and believes that if she threatens to besmirch her name, no one would want to marry her. " He waited for his mother's reaction. she was blank.
"Mrs. Li, I didn't want to tell you about your son getting messed up with that horrible 'army' girl. I thought he should get involved with a nicer girl, such as my Sui-Yen, who has forgiven him all ready." His mother was still silent.
"Mother, I've chosen. I want Mulan." His voice was determined. His mother turned to her son.
"Then go get her, son." Shang smiled he won. Now if only getting the Fa family to agree to his purposal.
"You can't leave us." The matchmaker cried. Shang turned and glared at her. Then his mother caught his eye. She gave him a sympathetic smile.
"Very well, go get packed. I'll accompany you to your village." Shang gave them both a look of irritation.
"We'll be ready to leave in the morning." Shang couldn't believe it he had to wait an extra day to go get her. At least he could talk to her tonight in his dreams.
that night
Shang quickly prepared for bed. He needed the sleep before the big journey and wanted to talk to Mulan. After a few minutes of tossing and turning he fell asleep. In his dreams he couldn't find Mulan. He kept seeing pictures of her comitting suicide, Jumping off of a bridge, impaling herself with a sword. Shang looked around confused. Why was he seeing horrible pictures of Mulan? He then spotted something small in the distance. He ran to it. As he got closer he noticed that it was Mulan. She was in rags curled up in a little ball. He felt the air turn cold. She looked so frightened and lost. He stood there looking at her wondering if he should go to her. 'what is wrong with her?' he thought. He reached out to touch her but just before he could feel her hair he noticed his hand was fading. Then he noticed that the room they were in was getting darker, and darker.......
Shang jumped, he was fully awake now. He felt a feminine hand gently push him back down.Shang quickly became aware of his surroundings. He was at home. His eyes quickly adjusted to the light. Was that Mulan. He stared hard at the figure in his room.
"Sui-Yen? what are you doing here?" Sui-Yen put her finger to his lips.
"Shhh, general. You don't want us to get caught." She purred. "I'm sure you'll like me more than that cross-dressing girl." Sui-Yen giggled. Shang sat up and got out of bed.. he walked out of his room. It was useless to ask Sui-Yen to leave. She'd be back as soon as he fell asleep. He walked over towards the room Mulan had stayed at. He opened the door. The room was dark and empty. He walked to the bed and laid down. Mulan's scent filled the air. She had been there not long ago, he put his head on the pillow. Slightly damp.. He then remembered why. After he told Mulan that he was going to marry Sui-yen. He remembered it clearly. She was crying. She cared for him. Or so he hoped. She must have ran all the way back to her room and cried. On the pillow. He felt his heart take a dive. He somehow always hurt her. But that would soon change. He convinced himself. He would be there for her forever.
Finished for now. The next chapter is in the thinking idea. I like how it sounds in my head so far. Any suggestions please let me know. Remember REVIEW ARE OUR FRIENDS.
I own nothing ....does this ever get redundant to anyone else?
Chapter 8: The talk.
Shang felt nervous. His grandparents never requested an audience with him formerly. They usually just went into his room. Something was serious. They probably heard about him being in Mulan's room, and want her to leave or they want to reprimand him for going against the Chinese code of honor. He strode quickly down the hallway, hoping to avoid contact with any female that might be roaming his house. Sui-Yen would smother him, that matchmaker is just nausiating, and Mulan looked so angry, she might just hit him. Not that he didn't deserve it. Shang quickly made it to his grand parent's room. He hesitated before he knocked. Maybe they were so angry they would kick him out of the family, saying he dishonored them greatly. Finally he knocked on the door.
"Come in." His grandfather's voice was calm. Shang couldn't sense any anger in the voice. He slipped into the room.
"You sent for me?" Shang asked, showing concern and obviously curious. His grandfather was sitting in a chair, staring at a strategy game. His grandmother was sitting in another chair watching her husband.
" Yes, we did. Do you know why we asked you here?" His grandmother spoke this time.
"No, I really don't know why."
"But you do know why. It's about the two girls around here." His grandmother stared at him. Shang felt uncomfortable. They knew.
"I did the right thing." Shang added. Hoping that the conversation would end soon.
"We want you to know. You are the head of the household. You're decision about marriage and which girl you choose is completely up to you. We are proud of you no matter what." Shang shifted uncomfortably.
"Mulan isn't interested in marriage. Sui-yen is the only one visiting about marriage. Mulan wants to stay with her family. "
"Is that what she says here around you? or does she say that in her dreams?" Shang turned suddenly. His grandmother had a smirk on her face. "I thought that'd get your attention."
"How do you know about the dreams?" His grandmother smiled again. She motioned for him to sit down. He sat in the empty chair next to her.
"Do you remember when we told Mulan that we were friends with her family?" Shang nodded. "Her grandmother and grandfather had visited us quite often. We all knew a little bit of some old incantations and such. Why do you think the ancestors guard us carefully?"
"I just thought we were lucky. " Shang answered truthfully. He then thought back to the times his family should have been destroyed. But somehow they survived.
"It was magic. Mulan's family is the exact same way. She probably had an ancestor guarding her the whole time through the war. She wasn't just lucky." Shang thought for a minute. It did make sense.
"What does this have to do with the dreams?"
"When her grandmother noticed your name and who's child you were. she sent a letter straight to us. We worked together and made you two susceptible to each other's dreams. We thought you had feelings for Mulan. But because your father had raised you to be so stoic, we knew you'd never say anything in real life. We figured your dreams were the only way." Shang stared at his grandmother. She had always been fairly quiet. But now she was giving him advice on his love life. She did know everything about him though.
"What does that matter now? I'm marrying Sui-Yen. " Shang sighed. "A man of honor never breaks a promise." Ming stared at him long and hard.
"And why did you promise to marry her?" Shang shook his head. He knew he had to tell her everything.
"I was protecting Mulan." He confessed.
"Protecting her? What were you protecting her from?" Shang sorted out how to tell his grandmother the story. Finally he let it all out. He told her about how Mulan overheard Sui-Yen and the matchmaker planning and how he went into her room when she warned him and how they fell asleep on the bed. Then he finally added how he was caught and his promise to marry Sui-Yen in order to keep the matchmaker quiet and save Mulan's honor. Shang's grand father, who had been quiet the entire time leaned toward Shang.
"Let me get this straight." He began. "You are going to marry this girl so that her aunt doesn't spread horrible rumors about Mulan, whom you care for. right?" Shang nodded. "So, if this matchmaker tells these rumors Mulan won't marry a nice person and will be forced to marry someone that is less than your standards for her. So to SAVE her from marrying someone horrible, YOU are going to marry a girl you don't even like to help her." Shang thought about it for a minute. Something sounded wrong. He finally nodded.
"Yeah, that's what I had done." Zhong chuckled.
"Shang, I am going to tell you this. You are a brilliant leader and a great general. But when it comes to common sense, you are an Idiot!" Shang was taken back by the insult. His grandfather had just called him an idiot. Was he going to be disowned?
"Why don't you just marry Mulan. Then She will have someone that fits your standards for her and you're with someone you care for, and whatever the matchmaker says is not of your concern." His grand mother joined in on the chuckling. Shang thought about it for a second. The answer was so simple. It was right in front of him. Her honor wouldn't be ruined if he married her. He smiled with relief, then he let out a laugh.
"I guess I am pretty dumb." He laughed. "Thank you for telling me. I'm going to go see if Mulan is all right. I never explained things to her." Shang stood up. he bowed to his grand father then grandmother and then left. After he left his grand parents laughed.
"Well, Finally, we have a Fa member joining the family." Ming smiled and stood up to look out the window. Zhong joined her.
"Our families have tried to unite for generations. I just hope everything goes well."
Shang dashed out of his grandparents' room. He had to find Mulan. He quickly found himself down his hallway. Mulan's room was close.
"She isn't there." Shang turned around and say Jaing. "She isn't there Shang, you scared her off." Shang turned to the door and opened it to find the room clean. There was no proof that Mulan had ever been there.
"Where'd she go?" He asked looking incredulously around.
"She left right after you went to see our grandparents. She really couldn't find you. She said she had some family matters and needed to be home." Shang closed the door. He had missed her yet again. "I think you'll want these back." Jaing said sticking his hand out and showing Shang the contents.
"Letters?" Shang took the letters from Jaing and looked at them.
"They're from you and Mulan. I didn't want you marrying some girl so I took all the letters. But now, I kind of hope you marry Mulan and not that Sui-Yen girl. She doesn't think I can do anything." Shang smiled.
"Don't worry I'll go after her." Jaing grinned. Shang turned to go to the living quarters where his mother would be no doubt. She was there with Sui-Yen and the matchmaker.
"Mother!" he called she turned around. It looked exactly like the day before when he brought Mulan over. It was only yesterday when All this had happened.
"Shang I just heard the great news." She gushed motioning to Sui-Yen.
"Well, you can forget it mother." Shang snapped. "The wedding's over." The matchmaker's head jerked up, taken a back.
"Shang did you just snap at me?" She asked incredulously. Shang took a breath.
"I learned from a very respectable person that I'm your son and the head of the house. You will respect my decisions. My decision is to leave tonight."
"Shang, did you forget our discussion." The matchmaker smiled. Surely that would bring him back into sense. Shang smiled.
"Oh I forgot." He turned to his mother. "This woman is trying to black mail me into marrying her neice. She caught me in Mulan's room, and believes that if she threatens to besmirch her name, no one would want to marry her. " He waited for his mother's reaction. she was blank.
"Mrs. Li, I didn't want to tell you about your son getting messed up with that horrible 'army' girl. I thought he should get involved with a nicer girl, such as my Sui-Yen, who has forgiven him all ready." His mother was still silent.
"Mother, I've chosen. I want Mulan." His voice was determined. His mother turned to her son.
"Then go get her, son." Shang smiled he won. Now if only getting the Fa family to agree to his purposal.
"You can't leave us." The matchmaker cried. Shang turned and glared at her. Then his mother caught his eye. She gave him a sympathetic smile.
"Very well, go get packed. I'll accompany you to your village." Shang gave them both a look of irritation.
"We'll be ready to leave in the morning." Shang couldn't believe it he had to wait an extra day to go get her. At least he could talk to her tonight in his dreams.
that night
Shang quickly prepared for bed. He needed the sleep before the big journey and wanted to talk to Mulan. After a few minutes of tossing and turning he fell asleep. In his dreams he couldn't find Mulan. He kept seeing pictures of her comitting suicide, Jumping off of a bridge, impaling herself with a sword. Shang looked around confused. Why was he seeing horrible pictures of Mulan? He then spotted something small in the distance. He ran to it. As he got closer he noticed that it was Mulan. She was in rags curled up in a little ball. He felt the air turn cold. She looked so frightened and lost. He stood there looking at her wondering if he should go to her. 'what is wrong with her?' he thought. He reached out to touch her but just before he could feel her hair he noticed his hand was fading. Then he noticed that the room they were in was getting darker, and darker.......
Shang jumped, he was fully awake now. He felt a feminine hand gently push him back down.Shang quickly became aware of his surroundings. He was at home. His eyes quickly adjusted to the light. Was that Mulan. He stared hard at the figure in his room.
"Sui-Yen? what are you doing here?" Sui-Yen put her finger to his lips.
"Shhh, general. You don't want us to get caught." She purred. "I'm sure you'll like me more than that cross-dressing girl." Sui-Yen giggled. Shang sat up and got out of bed.. he walked out of his room. It was useless to ask Sui-Yen to leave. She'd be back as soon as he fell asleep. He walked over towards the room Mulan had stayed at. He opened the door. The room was dark and empty. He walked to the bed and laid down. Mulan's scent filled the air. She had been there not long ago, he put his head on the pillow. Slightly damp.. He then remembered why. After he told Mulan that he was going to marry Sui-yen. He remembered it clearly. She was crying. She cared for him. Or so he hoped. She must have ran all the way back to her room and cried. On the pillow. He felt his heart take a dive. He somehow always hurt her. But that would soon change. He convinced himself. He would be there for her forever.
Finished for now. The next chapter is in the thinking idea. I like how it sounds in my head so far. Any suggestions please let me know. Remember REVIEW ARE OUR FRIENDS.