Disclaimer- I don't own Koei or DW still... you'd think I'd sick of typing this over and over...
Final chapter! Enjoy! Sun Shang Xing finds her 'prince'... aah... :)
Chapter 5: The Truth Comes Out
On his boat, Gan Ning lay back on the deck looking up into the moonlit sky. Nearly midnight, and the party was nearly over. He didn't know how much more he could take of seeing Sun Shang Xiang chasing after generals. Maybe he should tell her, tell her who it really was…
He wanted to hit Sun Ce for letting it get out of hand. That man just couldn't be trusted with a simple task such as getting a pretty rose and leaving it for Shang Xiang to find. It wasn't that hard! But no, Ce had to pass it down to nearly half the Wu generals to do instead! At least Ning could trust Ce with his little secret. Never before had he really confessed his feelings to anyone, and Ce was the last person he would have told them to. But he couldn't keep it locked up anymore, especially as it was Valentines Day. She had to know how he felt about her. That he loved her.
Sun Ce had been a bit surprised to hear that Gan Ning was in love with his sister. He was just as surprised at the fact that Gan Ning, the ex-pirate, was in love with anyone! So Ce devised a plan (as things turned out, not a very good one!) so that Shang Xiang would get the idea that someone liked her. Ning was sceptical as Ce wasn't that clever, but who else could he have told? Sun Quan didn't know much about love; he didn't know how Sun Jian would react; and the Qiaos? They would blow the whole thing out of proportion. If nothing happened, he'd have to tell her himself…
"I thought you'd be here!"
Ning looked up and saw none other than Sun Shang Xiang towering over him. He quickly sat up as she sat down next to him. The rose was still in her hand.
"Is the party over?" he asked.
She sighed. "Very nearly. It ends at midnight."
They sat in silence for a while, just gazing into the sky. Part of Gan Ning just wanted to shout out "I love you!" but he didn't know how she felt. The last thing he wanted to do was make a complete ass of himself, especially in front of his best friend. What was he going to do?
"So did you find the guy?"
"No, but I found Sun Ce. He said I was close but he didn't finish telling me. I suppose he was too drunk…" She played with the rose a bit. "He said that the guy loves me, so why haven't I noticed anything? Am I that oblivious to romance?"
"Hey Shang, it's not your fault! Maybe it's just this guy. Maybe he just was too shy to tell you."
"Maybe. Do you know him? You've been helping me so much today- surely you must have some idea?"
Ning then knew he had to tell her. She was distraught now and blaming herself. "I kind of now him, yes."
She smiled at this- finally she'd know. "Why didn't he tell me that he loved me?"
"Well, he was scared about his own feelings for you. He doesn't come across as an emotional guy."
"Is he a general?" Shang Xiang interrupted.
Ning continued. "Yeah, he is." And letting a bit of his egoism get in the way, he added "A good general too."
"Oh, so my secret admirer is strong?" She giggled a bit. "Does he like me for my personality?"
"Of course, he loves your personality. He thinks you're a very strong-willed woman, and he admires you for that. You remind him of himself."
Gan Ning then turned to Shang Xiang, who was looking down onto the deck, deep in thought. He wasn't sure whether she'd figured it out or not, so he carried on.
"He likes you a lot you know. I don't know why he doesn't tell you, I guess it's because-"
"I like him a lot too."
He looked at her, and she lifted her head up to face him. Their eyes locked for a moment, and not used to this kind of intensity, she beamed a smile, blushed, and diverted her gaze away from him. So it was the sneaky ex-pirate all along? She couldn't believe he had lied to her, but she was so happy she couldn't care less! Deep down inside she had been looking for a man just like Gan Ning, and it had never occurred to her than it was actually Gan Ning she had wanted for all this time. He really was perfect for her, but was it really him?
She shuffled closer to him until their sides touched. She then held his right hand, waiting for a reaction. She smiled when he tightened his grip, holding her hand tight.
Ning then decided to do something out of the ordinary. Something even more nerve-wracking than storming into enemy territory. He pulled up all of his courage, and kissed the Wu princess on the cheek. He quickly pulled his head back in case she did something like slap him.
But she didn't slap him. Instead, she kissed his cheek back, and used her hands to turn his head to face her. She gazed into his eyes for a bit, until she decided to just go for it and kiss his lips.
Sure she was nervous- she was kissing her best friend, but she was also kissing the man who loved her. And she loved him back. Mid-kiss she realised that he was kissing her back, so she let him guide her along. She had done enough work that night anyway!
After their romantic moment, they sat in each others arms and watched the moon in the dark night sky, neither of them wanting to leave. Sun Shang Xiang had found her man, and her new life…
Hope you all enjoyed it! Review please, and thank you for reading! Now to write more stuff... :)
