Author's Note: I just wanted to thank evryone for the wonderful reviews so far. Glad your enjoying the story. I also wanted to address something that was said in my other fic, This One Love, that I thought should be noted. arcnine made the comment that my dialogues with my stories are way ahead of the time period. This person mentioned that it was alright, but I still wanted to explain myself. I write my dialogues this way on purpose because I live in this time period and cant really write for any other. I know I'm way ahead of them, but to write things like they are supposed to be I'd have to go back in time AND learn another language, lol, because theres really no right way otherwise. So I hope my modernizing their speech is okay with all of you.....but then I guess it is or you wouldnt be reading, hehe.

Chapter 3

Da quickly made her way away from the argument that was going on down the hall and headed towards the doors that led into the gardens. Her sister and Zhou Yu were arguing again. She couldn't even remember what had gotten it started because her sister and brother-in-law had covered so many different things they all started to jumble together. She'd never seen two people change through topics so quickly in an argument.

She passed through the doors and into the garden with a sigh of relief, then had to bite back a squeal as strong arms wrapped around her from behind and pulled her back against a warm body. She relaxed when she recognized who had her, and couldn't help the small smile that spread across her face. When she turned around she was pulled into a kiss that took her breath away and made her head spin in excitement. Gods but her husband was a good kisser.

"You … are going to … have to stop scaring me … like that." Her words were half breathless and half halted because of the distraction her husband was causing by feathering kisses along her neck as he ran his hands over her back.

"Can't help it, your just too easy to scare." Sun Ce said with a smile, loving the small moans and sighs his wife was letting pass through her lips.

"Mmm Hmm, I know I am, but that doesn't mean you have to startle me all the time." She said, playfully thumping him on the chest.

"I do not all the time, and I make up for it, don't I?" The last was said as he captured her lips in another exploring kiss, earning him more small noises of pleasure.

"Yes, you do." Da said when she finally caught her breath again.

She couldn't help but smile as she thought about everything that had happened. Her and her husband had gotten along wonderfully since she arrived at the castle, and had spent a great deal of time together talking, walking through the gardens and going out to the lake to sit under the big oak tree. She liked that part the best because it was just them without any business or family interruptions and they could just sit holding each other while they watched the sun set. Her husband could be a big cutup when they were around everyone else, and Da loved that about him too because he always made her laugh, but he was so sweet and caring when it was just the two of them that her instant attraction had quickly become love. She wondered sometimes if she hadn't loved him from the beginning and just hadn't realized it till they started spending time alone.

Thinking about their time alone almost brought a blush to her cheeks. It was true that she had decided to share her husband's chambers, but they had not made love yet. Sun Ce wanted to wait until she was settled into Wu and their marriage comfortably and ready to move on to that part of their relationship. She was happy he had agreed to that because she'd been nervous around everyone at first and that would have made things between them less enjoyable. She felt ready to take that step with her husband but was still apprehensive since she was still an innocent and was afraid he would find her lacking in some area or other. She couldn't bring herself to talk about it with him yet, though, so she would just stay silent and wait till the time was right to let him know.

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Xiao stormed away from her arrogant ass of a husband and headed outside, still fuming from the things he had said. She had asked him a simple question and his smartass attitude had quickly pissed Xiao off and started an argument between the two. She'd had to leave just now to keep from killing him. She didn't know yet where she'd go because Xiang had finally been allowed to have an outing with her soon to be husband so she could find out what kind of man he was before their marriage was made official. Xiao grumbled and kicked a pebble, wishing she'd been allowed the same thing. But no, she'd just been shipped on to her husband and was a married woman before the carriage even got to Wu.

She smiled to herself as she realized the direction her feet were taking her. Gan Ning had mentioned going fishing this morning, so she'd go to the lake and talk to him until she calmed down. He'd turned out to be a good friend as well, always listening to her rant without putting in his own opinions like Xiang did. Xiang had a right to though, Xiao figured. She considered Zhou family and thought the couple was being silly still fighting so badly after a month of the girls being in Wu. Ning let her figure her talk until she figured out what was stirring through her mind, and she needed that right now. She gave him a friendly wave as she caught sight of him, then sat down on the bank beside him with a huff.

"Gods, I hate him sometimes."

"Got into a spat with the hubby again, eh?" Ning said with a chuckle, jerking the fishing pole and pulling in the fish.

"When are we not 'in a spat', Ning?" Xiao said a bit dejectedly, earning a curious look from her friend.

"You act like it bothers you. What's up?"

"I dunno … I just figured it'd have stopped by now and we could try to at least halfway get along."

"Well, sweet, you can't really expect anything to calm down when you both say things to piss each other off on purpose as soon as you see each other every day."

"Yeah, I know," Xiao said with a sigh, knowing Ning had a point. She usually had some comment or other for Zhou when she first saw him in the mornings.

Ning gave her a friendly hug and tossed his line back out for another fish. "Your going to have to find a middle ground where your both calm enough you wont go at each other's throats soon as you meet.

"Yep … I'm working on it, just needed to get out here and calm down to think … thanks for listening." Xiao got up and started back for the castle in a better mood. Maybe she'd figure something out.

"What friends are for, sweet, good luck." Ning said with a chuckle as he went back to his fishing.

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Zhou made his way back to his office in a flurry of anger. How the hell could one girl manage to piss him off so much? She'd stood and argued with him for two hours at least and never batted an eye. Gods, but she could be incorrigible. He knew he was as much to blame as he slammed the study door behind him and sat in the chair behind his desk with a growl. He just couldn't help himself, every time they saw each other she made some kind of quip about him that got things started. Apparently all he needed was the wrong way of looking at her to set her off, which was a bad thing.

He crossed his ankles and propped them on top of the desk with a sigh, leaning back in the chair while he thought. He couldn't keep from looking at her for very long was the problem. She was a beautiful woman, one any man would be proud to have. And Zhou was proud … he just couldn't get along with the girl half the time. Her taking off to go to Gan Ning only made things worse. Zhou badly envied their friendship, and was even a bit jealous of how close Ning had gotten to his wife when he himself could only manage to exchange shouts with her.

He ran a hand over his face with a sigh and got up to head to his rooms. He'd never get any work finished tonight with everything else going through his mind, he might as well turn in and pray sleep comes. His mind ran over other aspects of his wife after that. Another problem he was having was his attraction for Xiao. It seemed the madder they got at each other and the more they fussed, the more he wanted to take her in his arms and … he shook his head to clear his mind of that thought. It would never happen, so there was no sense in it. So he contented himself with shedding his coat and shirt and boots and almost literally falling into bed to stare at the ceiling for what seemed an eternity before finally falling asleep. What am I going to do?