Author Notes:

I discovered that links in story chapters do not work. What I am trying to say in the old author notes is that I have a Live Journal Fan Fiction Progress Diary that I occasionally write updates and how far I am in completion of new chapters. The link won't show up on here, so just check my bio page by clicking on my name at the top.

Old Author Notes:

Sorry that this took so long. All updates now will be written in my Fanfiction progress diary on
click here for the page.

Disclaimer:

By the way, as you already know I DO NOT OWN Mulan, DISNEY DOES!

Chapter 8: Dinner

I don't know how long I stood there, gathering my courage. I was in Mulan's village, outside her house. I held onto the helmet she had left behind. I thought over what I was going to say. How I was going to say it. I was ready.

"Excuse me?" I said to the two women in front of me, "Does Fa Mulan live here?" I was slightly relieved when they pointed me in the direction of the house gardens where I saw Fa Zhou, a hero of a previous war.

"Honourable Fa Zhou," I bowed, "I.. Mulan!" She emerged from behind her father and in seeing her surprised face, my rehearsed words were forgotten.

I held out the helmet.

"Er, you forgot your helmet." I realised and turned to Fa Zhou, "W-well, err, it's your helmet actually isn't it, err I.."

Mulan interrupted my nervous rambling.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" My heart jumped in joy.

"Would you like to stay forever?" the old woman called from where I came in.

"Dinner, would be great." I answered, thinking forever would be great too.

Mulan blushed with embarrassment at her grandmother's words. Fa Zhou came over and asked who I was. Mulan introduced us.

"Father, this is Captain Li Shang. Shang, this is my father." We bowed and the two women, including the old woman, came over.

"This is my mother and my grandmother." She continued, "Mama, Grandma, this is Captain Li Shang." Again we bowed. Her grandmother looked me up and down before whispering to Mulan,

"Good work, he'll do nicely" She smiled.

"Grandma!" Mulan whispered back embarrassedly. I blushed slightly, feeling no need to conceal it. I was shown to the dining room, where Mulan poured some tea.

She seemed a little nervous. She did a good job with pouring the tea, very poised and elegant. A perfect woman. I smiled at her and she blushed slightly, accidentally overfilling the cup.

"Agghh!" She cried, rushing to grab something to clean the mess up with. Her mother shook her head in shame. Mulan seemed a little disheartened by what happened. She hung her head low and was a little upset. The room was silent.

I didn't mind the tea pouring thing. I loved Mulan, whether she could pour tea or not. My father used to tell me that good women could pour tea, look after children and look beautiful. Now I knew that it wasn't exactly true. Mulan was a good woman, yet she couldn't pour tea. I don't know how she is with children, but she was most definitely beautiful.

Fa Zhou spoke up.

"So Captain, show long are you planning on staying in our humble village?"

I was caught off guard. I was too busy thinking of Mulan.

"Erm, well I haven't decided yet. The journey has made me quite tired so I may stay in an inn overnight…"

"We would be honoured if you stayed here for the night, Captain. After all, you took the time to return my helmet to us, it is the least we can do."

I paused. It would be rude to refuse…

"Thank you, sir. Your offer is most kind." I drank my tea, and held it out for a refill.

"Mulan, may I please have some more tea?" She looked astonished that I asked her, after what she had done before, but she nodded. This time she poured the tea with no trouble and I smiled at her again.

After we had had some more tea, I asked to speak with Fa Zhou alone. He allowed it. We were walking in the gardens, and we came to the foot of the shrine.

"Honourable Fa Zhou, I.. Well, I trained your daughter at the training camps and would like to congratulate you on having a well-raised and strong willed daughter."

Fa Zhou smiled.

"Well-raised… If that were so she would not have ran away and done what she did. I am just glad she is safe. Thank you for looking after her so well, Captain." He said.

I gathered all of my courage to say what I had wanted to for such a long time.

"Great Fa Zhou, I am in love with your daughter. Would you allow me to ask for her hand in marriage?" I bowed down, preying that his answer was a good one.

He thought for a moment and looked towards the shrine. Then he looked down at me and smiled.

"You have my permission to ask her. Good luck, Captain."

I tried to keep serious but I felt so overjoyed that I had a huge grin on my face. We walked back to the house, where dinner was ready. Mulan saw me and seemed quite pink-faced. I wondered what her mother and grandmother had been saying to her?

She seemed quite alarmed at my beaming face. And she looked quite curious.

We sat down and ate the rice and spiced chicken meal that had been prepared for us. It was delicious. After we had finished, conversation was started about war. Fa Zhou kept looking at me and then Mulan and smiling. I needed to find the right time to ask her, away from her family. Fa Zhou had obviously thought a similar thing, and asked Mulan to show me around the gardens, to which she blushed a little and agreed in the traditionally modest and humble way girls were taught.

We both stood up and she led the way out into the sunset lit garden. My heart beat with every step I took. This was the first time we had been alone together since I found out her secret. I wanted to talk to her, but my dry mouth prevented me from speaking. I had never been so nervous in my life. What if I was rejected? What if she didn't feel the same way for me as I did for her? What if she thought we were just friends? Or worse, just colleagues in the army? I shook my head. No. I had to ask, otherwise I would never know the answers to the question I had longed to be answered since I met Ping. Did she love me?

"Is something wrong, Captain?" She asked, being polite, but genuinely concerned for me.

"Erm, me? Well, erm, no. No. Why?" I stuttered finally getting words out, even if they sounded rather un-cool and nervous.

"You were shaking your head a second ago."

"Oh, that was nothing…" I lied. I looked down at her. We were standing by the pond they had in their garden, the orange-painted clouds floating by in front of the lowering sun. The garden was a picture of peace and tranquillity, and was overshadowed by the beauty that stood before me in the shape of the girl that I loved. She stood quite unsurely, like me, not knowing what else to say.

I had to muster some courage. It would be tough, but I had to ask her. Otherwise my life would be empty. She was the only one who understood me, or so I thought anyway. She comforted me at my father's death, helped save my neck by saving the emperor and her smile makes my heart soar. Without seeing that smile everyday, I'm sure that I will never be happy again.

I took a deep breath and took the chance.

"Mulan?" I began, forcing away the nerves that were trying to stop me. She looked up at me, curiously.

"Yes, Shang?"

"I- I- I erm.." I could feel the nervousness taking over and stopping me from saying the things I wanted to say. Her eyes looked so hopeful. They gave me the courage to continue.

"I- I love you. I love you more than anything in the entire world and would be honoured if you would.. Marry me."

She looked at me and there was silence. My heart pounded in my mouth, I was so nervous. What would she say now? Would she reject me? Or would she accept, and make me the happiest man alive?

Her eyes filled with tears. They shimmered in the light of the sun. Without a word she jumped into my arms in an embrace that, although surprising, I never wanted to end. She whispered into my ear an emotional reply.

"Yes. I will."

I froze, not knowing what to do. In my head I couldn't stop celebrating. My heart stopped at her words. She accepted me. She loved me in return. I was now engaged to the woman of my dreams! But my body was frozen in shock.

Mulan broke away from the hug.

"Shang, I.. I've always loved you, ever since I met you. It would give me great honour to be your wife." she smiled, wiping away her tears of joy. My face wore the biggest smile I had ever had. It was unreal. Mulan and I walked arm in arm, back to the house to announce the news, talking of when we realised our love for one another and how to tell the news to Mulan's excited mother and grandmother.

"Granny kept telling me that "That Captain is a good catch, Mulan" and acting as if we were already engaged, when I had no idea you felt that way about me." Mulan explained.

So that was why she was blushing when her father and I came in the room. Her grandmother was embarrassing her.

"You didn't know I loved you?" I asked, quite surprised. I thought that my feelings were being shown to the whole world, they felt so obvious.

"Well, I had a suspicion," she laughed, "But I couldn't get my hopes up, especially after the whole revelation. I had tricked you all and I thought that you hated me." She added, seriously.

"I could never hate you. I tried to, but I just couldn't. I had to face that I loved you and no matter what you did, I would love you."

She blushed.

We soon reached the house. Taking a deep breath, we entered to see the family sitting patiently. I cleared my throat, bring all of their attention to us. The silence was a little unnerving, but I continued.

"I would like to announce that… your daughter has agreed to become my wife."

Fa Zhou's face lit up in a proud smile, Mulan's grandmother and mother rushed over to congratulate us. This had to be the happiest day of my life. I felt welcomed into this family which was an amazing feeling having lost my own family. I couldn't wait until we were married. To officially be a part of a family again. And to have what I had wanted for so long; the person who had stolen my heart, as my partner.

Author Notes:

The old notes were written before I planned the sequel, so ignore them. They are useless. Well, all apart from the bit about checking my journal!

Old Author Notes:

I don't think that this will continue for much longer. A few more chapters, maybe up to 12. Keep checking my journal for details