Ok peoplez! I know this is the boring part and blah blah blah...but I promise it'll get better. Err...at least I hope it will. Hee hee hee. Anyway, I just am doing a family history thang. I'm making some of it up I admit. All of his siblings are made up and so is his mama! Thanks for the counts reviews for hours um...two reviews. hee hee hee. Soooo here be chapter two...foo'
Zhou Yu felt uncomfortable as the young hand maiden combed out his hair. It only fell to his chin and it was knotless to begin with, yet the maid seemed to be taking much more time than needed to comb through his straight, black hair. After about ten minutes of continuous combing he realized she just enjoyed to touch his hair. She wasn't the first to be captivated by the strange boy's aura, but all the same it made him glow a pale pink.
"Excuse me..." He barely murmured. The hand maid had not heard. He tried again, a little bit louder this time.
"Ex..excuse me..." She intently looked up at the fragile face inquisitively.
"Yes, young master?" She said kindly. Zhou Yu's shyness got the better of him, and he looked to the floor in silence. The handmaid took the hint and she gracefully took up the boy's hair in a topknot, adding a beautiful red hair ornament for a finishing touch. The ornament had been saved especially for the Sun Family arrival.
"There now," she said in a bittersweet tone. "You look very handsome young master." She smiled proudly of how handsome he looked. Zhou Yu looked at the reflection in the looking glass timidly. He did look very handsome. He already had been adorned with robes decorated in golds, and greens, and reds and his pale complexion made a very nice contrast with the vibrant colors.
Yu whispered in his small falsetto voice. "I wish to see Tai." Suddenly the hand maid's smile turned into a frown.
"Young master...well um, you see...you...well...can't." Yu looked up at her, his eyebrows laced with disdain. He didn't bother asking why. He knew. It finally happened, his mother finally thought Tai too old to be spending time with anyone of the opposite sex, even her brothers. It just wasn't considered appropriate. She was his best friend, but he knew he couldn't change his mother's mind, especially when it came to tradition. She was ten times stricter on that subject than any other. In disappointment he hung his head to the side, staring off into space for a few minutes in agitated silence.
"I see." He finally croaked out sadly trying to swallow the lump that had developed in his throat. The maid felt very sorry for him. She thought he was such a wise and sweet young boy. She never wanted ill fortune to fall upon him. She secretly cursed her mistress under her breath. Why would anyone want to take away something important to this beautiful creature? His pastel face shimmered in the afternoon light, and his small lips trembled slightly. Suddenly he inhaled deeply and ever so faintly, he smiled.
"Let us be on our way." He said softly as he headed towards the ornate wooden door leading to the hallways of the manor. The hand maid felt her heart constrict in grief. How very brave he is. How he must be crying inside! To lose the one thing he loves most in the world. How very, very brave. This is what the young maid thought to herself. He will rise to the heavens on a golden throne bejeweled with glory and honor. With that last thought, she trailed behind the young, and half broken Zhou Yu, loving him ever so much more than she did before.
Zhou Tai lifted her tear stained face to the light of her window. Her best friend might as well be dead. She would never talk to her brother again, and she would barely ever see him. She didn't see how things could get any worse until the door creaked open and in walked four of her handmaids, 2 of which were holding the long and beautiful robes she would wear for the ceremony. The other two held a fair amount of cosmetics and bottled body oils in their hands.
One of them smiled at Zhou Tai, trying to ignore the obvious fact that she had been crying. Another spoke towards the ground.
"Young mistress," she began, "You're lady mother bid us here to get you ready for the ceremony. Quickly get undressed and ready yourself for your bath."
Tai sighed in heart broken sadness. She knew she would see Zhou Yu at that ceremony later that night. She had too, needed to talk to him. Some how, she would find a way. She ridded herself of her day robes and shivered in her nakedness, wondering what her sweet brother was doing right at that very moment. Maybe, just maybe he was thinking of her too. And with that, she began to scheme.
Sun Jian sat proudly on top of his shimmering white stallion. He was in fair spirits, three days of traveling and finally he had almost reached his destination. He looked down upon the small boy at his horse's feet. The boy pranced around the stallion, pulling its curly mane and tail, laughing at the horse's frustration. His impractical and ridiculous play was being encouraged by a small laughing girl behind him sitting inside a palanquin with a beautiful woman that smelled of sage and vanilla oil. The little girl wriggled in the woman's arms, sticking her head out the red wooden palanquin laughing all the more, wishing she were free to run and play with the boy.
Soon the stallion lost its patience with the boy and it whinnied in dismay. Lord Sun Jian spoke suddenly, looking at the little boy who was clapping his hands, thoroughly enjoying the horse's frustration.
"Sun Ce! Unlike your sister you are not four. You are seven. Now please begin to act your age. I don't want your untamed ways to make an impression on Sun Shang Xiang. Oh, and while your at it, please stop irritating this horse of mine."
Sun Ce frowned. He wasn't smart enough or old enough to yet realize how stressed and tense his father had become over the last few days. Moving had really taken a toll on Sun Jian's morale. Sun Ce sucked his teeth.
"Then what can I do, father!?" Sun Jian chuckled at his son's endless amount of energy.
"I have an idea, how about you join your mother and sister back in the palanquin."
Sun Ce looked back lazily at the large hand carriage. He heard his sister squealing. He frowned.
"No," Sun Ce bellowed, "I'm a man! Men don't ride in stupid baby palanquins."
Apparently Sun Shang Xiang had heard this remark, because suddenly her wails stopped.
"Hey!" She shouted out, a bit offended.
"Be quiet, you baby!" Ce cried back to her.
"You...you...shut up!" She wailed back at him.
"Baby, baby, Shang Shang is a baby!"
Suddenly his mother's rouged face lifted the curtains of the palanquin and peered out of it angrily. "You hold your tongue young man!" She lashed out. Sun Ce sighed in aggravated boredom. Another taunting ruined by a higher authority.
"Sorry mommy." Ce cried back in a sing songy tone. The pale head shook in annoyance and immersed itself back into the palanquin. Sun Jian giggled to himself. Watching his eldest and most outgoing child was truly a delight.
"What's so funny?" Ce said menacingly.
His father ignored the question "So," he began, "You're a man, huh?"
Ce blushed in extreme embarrassment and rushed back into the palanquin behind his father and glittering steed. Jian heard his daughter shout.
"Get outta her you butt head! You're a meany head!"
"I thought I was a butt head!" Ce answered angrily. Then Jian heard his wife shush the two children, right before she gasped.
"Sun Ce! Don't put those dirty shoes in this palanquin!" Her shouts were followed by an exasperated sigh, a high pitched squeal of laughter, and when the giggling Sun Jian turned to face the commotion his family caused, he saw two dirty little feet dangling out of the palanquin. He really loved this family of his.
The Zhou family estate was all a flutter. Servants rushed about with platters of food, the fair ladies primped and polished themselves in the available looking glasses, Zhou Mao stood in the middle of the dining hall, pacing back and forth, practicing what he would say to his distant friend and soon to be neighbor Sun Jian. His nerves were practically shot, if this meeting didn't go well his reputation could be destroyed, along with the rest of the Zhou family and that just couldn't happen. It couldn't!
Zhou Tai and her maid servants were practically lost in all of the commotion, the halls in the estate were so hectic and various sorts of people stepped on Zhou Tai's robes many times without even noticing her exasperation or the fact that they stepped on the young mistresses belongings at all. Zhou Tai thought this was the perfect opportunity to talk to Zhou Yu. With all of the chaos, no one would pay any mind, yet he was no where in sight. She felt her heart sink deeper and deeper into her trembling chest. She was more distraught than she had been in months, maybe even years. If she did not speak to him now, the opportunity might not come again for weeks! She felt tears develop in her eyes. Finally, her hand maid Ru Chan tapped her shoulder. Tai turned her heavily made up face towards Ru Chan with wet eyes and uneven breath. Ru Chan sucked her teeth.
"Oh young mistress! Why do you cry on a time of such happy occasions? Slowly a few lone tears made their way down Tai's rouged face. Ru Chan knew how much she loved her brother, and she desperately wanted to console Tai in her time of need. But now was not the time, and it wasn't Ru Chan's place to speak of such personal matters with some one so high above her own miniscule rank.
"Young mistress, if you cry your makeup will run. We do not have the time to redo it and your mother will be angry." Tai wiped her hazy eyes with the sleeves of her robe, still looking around in vain for Zhou Yu. Another lady in waiting spoke up.
"Young mistress, please come this way. Your lady mother's commands were to bring you to her and your lady sisters by sunset." Tai followed her maid servants hurriedly, holding her robes tightly in her hand so they wouldn't be stepped on. It took a few minutes extra than it should have to reach Mei Ling Ping because of the bustling servants and ladies in waiting. When they reached their destination, Tai found her beautiful mother standing as straight and as unmoving as a crane. Her lips were curved downward in an unfriendly scowl. She was almost as nervous, if not more so, than her husband. Her youngest daughters sat in the arms of two of her most trusted maid servants. Zhou An, the oldest child and daughter of Zhou Mao and Mei Ling Ping stood slightly behind her mother in glistening pink and white robes. She was a jewel among rocks comparatively speaking, and Tai felt a little self conscious. Mei Ling glared at Tai like a hawk.
"You look fine. Not as beautiful as An...but fine." Mei Ling said coldly. Tai looked to the floor in awkwardness. An smiled proudly to herself. Mei Ling clapped her hands stylishly.
"You may go Ru Chan, and bring the others with you." Ru Chan and the other ladies in waiting bowed to the ground and fled quickly back to their quarters, slightly cursing the fact that they were not going to be present for the banquet. Mei Ling looked over Tai, An, Mee, and Hua. The all looked like dolls, including her. Perfect! She thought to herself.
"Now," Mei Ling began, "As you know this is a very important event. I want you all to be as graceful and ladylike as possible." Mee stuck out her tongue at her mother and Hua laughed. Mei Ling's reflexes were as swift as a viper, and she popped both her young daughters in the head.
"Quiet!" She said through clenched teeth. The two girls were too scared to cry.
"As I was saying, in a few minutes we will make our way down to the banquet hall and join your father and brother's." Tai's heart lurched in hope.
"Tai, An, you are both prepared to entertain, are you not?"
"Yes mother." An said femininely holding up a beautifully made string instrument.
"I am as well mother." Tai said holding up a small wooden flute. The girls had practiced the routines they would perform when the Sun family arrived for months now. They were also going to do some singing and classical dance with their most youthful and lovely ladies in waiting. Rehearsals had been grueling, but they were defiantly ready.
In apprehension, The Zhou girls and fourteen ladies in waiting made their way to the banquet hall. It was marvelously and lavishly decorated in spring colors. Pink, yellow, green, and perry winkle blue was everywhere along the high walls. The long table used for occasions such as this was covered in delicious looking food. The aroma of the room was wonderful. It smelled of cedar wood and lilies. This was due to the fact that there was an incense stick in each of the four corners of the room. Mei Ling smiled. It was indeed a beautiful presentation. Tai had not even noticed the banquet hall's luxuriousness, for standing not more than a hundred yards away was her little Zhou Yu standing next to their gallant father. The room was nothing compared to him. When Zhou Mao finally noticed his wife and 4 daughters had entered the hall he gestured them over quickly. Yu had seen Tai, but sadly kept his eyes lowered. Looking at the hurt in his best friend and sibling's eyes would only make things worse. When Tai passed him she whispered his name quickly, and tried to grasp his delicate hand to reassure herself that he was still flesh and blood and not a mere phantom of her past. Mei Ling's hawk eyes had caught this attempted exchange and slapped Tai across the face. Tai tasted blood, but thought it was best to swallow it. For about 10 minutes the Zhou family stood in place (women behind men) in dead silence. For the first five minutes, Tai contemplated what would become of the relationship she shared with her handsome young brother. For the other five, she compared Zhou An (who stood right next to her) to Zhou Yu. Although An was stunning, she could not match up to Yu. He was the gem of the whole family, and was by far the most beautiful for miles around. His childish beauty was quite tempting. Zhou Yu did not think of Tai for those 10 minutes. He thought only of something he heard his father say earlier. "Sun Jian has a son about your age." This made Yu wonder, might he make a friend? A real friend? It seemed an almost unreal but remarkable possibility. Then, a guard rushed in the hall, bowed, and quickly said,
"Lord Zhou, the Sun family has arrived!" With that, everyone took their designated positions in anticipation and watched the large open doors. Soon Sun Jian and a beautiful woman clutching his arm crossed the threshold and into the banquet hall of the Zhou home. Sun Jian's wife opened her mouth in awe. They really had outdone themselves. Behind the couple there was a hand maid carrying a small little boy. Next to her a boy about Yu's age held onto her skirts. Yu looked at him attentively. That must be Sun Ce. He thought. Behind Yu stood Tai. What a stupid looking kid. There was an even smaller girl in magnificent robes that held onto Ce's hand tightly. Zhou Yu kept his attention on Ce. He couldn't help himself. This could be his new friend! He was keeping his hopes up. Suddenly Ce caught Yu's gaze. What a pretty little girl. He thought to himself, but than he remembered his father telling him Zhou Mao had a son that was about his age, and not a daughter. This must be Zhou Yu, I don't see any other boys there that look 7. This might be my new friend! Sun Ce was very happy someone close to his own age was his new neighbor. He automatically smiled at Zhou Yu, showing big white teeth. Zhou Yu was so overcome by surprise and glee that he forgot his bashfulness. He smiled right back at Ce. Zhou Tai shuddered angrily. She had caught the exchange between the two, and her heart suddenly crash landed into the pit of her stomach.
R&R po-lease! :)