Xiao almost jumped out of her skin and did audibly yelp when the Sun princess started talking behind her. She had been storming out to the gardens to get away from HIM. Gods, but he was an infuriating man! She should have thrown more of a fit when her parents told her she was going to be marrying the oaf. He was rude, disrespectful, arrogant, cocky, and right now she loathed him so. But now here she was, stopping her retreat to turn around and face Xiang.
"Sorry I startled you, I just came to say good job to the girl that's giving Zhou so much hell, it means there's one less male around this place I have to worry about tormenting."
"He deserves much worse than hell, but thank you, I try."
"That's obvious." Xiang said with a chuckle, and then held her hand out to Xiao.
"Nice to finally meet you, I'm SunShangXiang, but please just call me Xiang, listening to everyone spout off all of it gets tiring."
Xiao shook the girl's hand, slightly surprised that Xiang was even talking to her, much less being this friendly. Maybe the rumors about her weren't true after all.
"Funny that your being so nice to me, we heard you hate most other girls."
"Oh, I do hate most other girls, MOST being the keyword. Kinda hard to hate you though, you'd make a good partner in crime." This last was said with a laugh in her voice, and Xiao was relieved she met the girl's approval.
"Hey, I'm up for anything that causes trouble and makes the guys lives harder."
"Great! This is going to be fun then. I kinda understand what you're going through anyway, my Dad wants to marry me off to the Shu lord Liu Bei to unite our kingdoms, and I'm not so sure about that. I mean gods, he's almost twice my age and I've never met the man!"
"Exactly what I thought on our way here to marry your brother and Zhou Yu … well, except for the twice my age part. But he is eight years older than me, so I don't guess it's much different."
"Nope, but at least you know yours is pleasing to the eyes." The last was said with a snicker.
"I didn't know that on the way here. You could meet this Liu Bei and think he's a god."
"True, but I'd rather meet him before I was forced into his bed, you know?"
"I understand."
"Thought you might, figured you felt the same way. Oh well, we've been dealt our cards, but by gods I plan to make it a bumpy game."
"I'm with you on that!"
And so the girls went out through the gardens, making plans and talking about pretty much anything that came into their minds. And for the first time since they had been sent to Wu, Xiao didn't feel so alone. Maybe her and this Xiang could get to be good friends.
Zhou sat down in the chair in his study with a sigh, praying the headache that girl had brought on would go away soon. What was it she wanted, anyway? He had arranged for her to have her own private rooms away from his and hadn't bothered her since then. She sure made life hell for him though, always finding things to say in passing that sent his temper off. Which was another thing Zhou didn't understand. He had always been a calm man, never letting things people said get to him. That was why he was such an effective strategist for Wu, because nothing made him visibly angry. Until this little waif came to Wu castle, that is. He didn't know what he was going to do with her, and was still thinking on the subject when his oath brother Sun Ce came into the study and closed the door before sitting down across from the desk from him. Here we go again Zhou thought to himself and prepared for the rant that he was about to get.
"Zhou, what's going on with you two? Seems like any time you're within speaking distance of one another your arguing."
"What's going on is she is an immature little girl and likes to push the wrong buttons."
"Surely it can't be that bad, bro."
"Believe me, Sun Ce, I wouldn't argue with the girl if it wasn't that bad."
"So what's she been saying?"
"It doesn't matter, and my head hurts too much to even start thinking about the rather long list that's been accumulated by now."
Sun Ce sighed at Zhou's remark. Why couldn't they just get along? "Alright bro." He turned as he headed out the door, adding quietly, "You know, if you tried talking to her civilly instead of letting her bait you, you might just surprise her into being quiet enough for a decent chat."
Zhou growled to himself as the door closed. Civility was not a concept he was thinking of just now … homicide was more appropriate. He folded his arms on his desk and laid his forehead on them with another sigh, praying his headache would go away soon.
Da met her husband coming down the hall from Zhou Yu's study, giving him a small smile as they got close enough to talk. He was such a sweet man, she thought to herself, not pushing her into anything and even wanting to get to know her better before anything more happened between them. Da was already sure she was in love with him, she had known that the first time she saw him, but it made her even more fond of him to know he was trying to take things slow for her sake.
"Still no luck with them I take it."
"Nope, beginning to wonder if they'll ever get along." Sun Ce lightly draped an arm around his wife's shoulders as they headed back down the hall.
"It'll happen in time … someday they'll figure out they act just alike."
Sun Ce could help but chuckle. "That's the truth. They'll have to stop yelling at each other long enough to think about that one though."
"I'm sure they will."
"Well, I've given up on that for the day, would you like to take a walk around? I know they haven't shown either of you around the place much, and I'd be more than happy to."
"I'd like that, thank you." Da said with another smile, and let him lead her out of the castle.