Heya people, sorry for not updating in a while, but life and college got in the way of my writing. I am on holiday now though, so I'll hopefully be posting more often. Anyways, I won't bore you any more, so read, enjoy and of course, review!
Quite how she managed it was a wonder, even to her. Especially to her. But she'd done it. She had completed the first part of her mission. She had eliminated the tyrant.
"Are you alright my lady?" a maid servant asked for what seemed to be the millionth time.
"Yes, thank you." Was the hushed reply.
"Lady Diao Chan? May I speak with you?" The normally loud, abrasive, booming voice of Lu Bu was surprisingly quiet, calm, controlled and soothing. He waited by the door of the room.
"Come in my lord." Diao Chan attempted to stand, but two of the maid servants hurrying around put a hand on both her shoulders and gently forced her back down.
"Please stay seated." Lu Bu instructed as he sat down on the huge bed beside her.
"Would you be able to tell me what happened? How did the spy get in? What happened?"
"Well, I don't know how he got in, but I suspect it was over the balcony. Lord Dong Zhuo and I had been talking there, for it was a nice night. I went to get my Lord his meal, as I do every night, but when I got back he was… just lying there…" Diao Chan broke off, sobbing, her head in her hands. Lu Bu awkwardly put his arm around her consolingly.
"I – I dropped the tray and ran to aid him, but it was too late, he was already dead." Diao Chan continued when she had composed herself. "I looked around for any sign of who had killed him, and as I looked in the other rooms the spy ran out onto the balcony. I saw the movement of the curtains, and followed. I caught him and killed him, then called for help."
"How did you know the assassin was on the balcony, simply because the curtains moved?" Lu Bu asked.
"There was no wind tonight, so someone must have moved them."
"My lady, the maids in the kitchen said you fetched the Lord's meal later than usual, why is this?"
"I… I don't know, I thought I was on time, I must have lost track of time on the balcony with my Lord."
"And the assassin's body is colder than it should be, it's as if he has been dead for almost a day. Do you know why that is?"
"That's enough, Lu Bu." The warrior looked towards the door, where the voice came from. He stood up and bowed as Wang Yun walked into the room. "Everyone, leave us!"
"But my Lord-" Lu Bu began to protest, but Wang Yun cut him off.
"Now." Grudgingly, Lu Bu followed the maids out of the room. Wang Yun closed the door and sat down beside the songstress, who flung her arms around her adoptive father and burst into tears for the third time that night.
"Diao Chan, you strayed from the plan." Wang Yun started sternly, "Lu Bu is suspicious, and you have left big clues as to what really happened. You have disobeyed me and put the whole of China in danger, as well as yourself and me." Wang Yun's expression softened as he looked into the teary eyes of his daughter. "And in spite of all that you still went ahead and did what you had to do. I'm proud of you."
"I love him father. All I want is to live in peace with him."
"But he lives to fight. You will never know peace with Lu Bu. He will avenge his father's death."
"I know," Diao Chan had stopped crying, and stood up and walked to the window. "That's what hurts so much. I can't live without him, and yet I cannot let him wreak havoc on anyone who doesn't deserve it. I have to tell him."
"But he will kill you! And then he will hunt me down." Wang Yun stood in shock and walked over to Diao Chan, pulling her around to face him. "I won't let you do that."
"You have to. Leave now, get out of China, save yourself."
"Diao Chan, my daughter, you have to come with me, I came back for you." Wang Yun realised what was going to happen, and even though he tried to prevent it, there was no way he could.
"You have wasted your time. Father, I will not go. I cannot go." She laughed bitterly. "If I go I will die of a broken heart."
"But if you stay you will die at the hands of your love."
"So be it."
On hearing those three words, he knew all hope of her returning to him was gone. She was in love, and he could not stand in the way.
"I could not have wished for a better daughter. Today I am more proud of you than I have ever been in my life. Farewell Diao Chan, may good fortune be with you always." Wang Yun embraced his daughter, tears falling unbidden.
"And I could not have wished for a better father. May God be with you. Farewell, I hope we will meet again."
"Goodbye, daughter." Wang Yun turned and walked towards the door. As he walked through the doorway he paused, for he knew Diao Chan had gone to speak, but hesitated.
"I love you." Diao Chan could not hold back any longer. Sobs racked her body as she watched the only person to love her walk out of her life forever.
Wang Yun looked back one final time. "My love will always be with you. Remember that Diao Chan." And with that he walked calmly out of the castle and into his carriage, where he broke down, his heart breaking.
Inside, Diao Chan flung herself onto her bed and cried. The tears had stopped long ago, but she could not stop sobbing. She eventually fell into a restless sleep, in which she was repeatedly killed by Lu Bu.