(The next Day… The matchmaker's test)
"Lian! Lian! Wake up you'll be late!" Fa Li said rushing into her granddaughter's room frantically. The morning sun had risen and the room was a bright yellow.
"Don't worry Grandma, I'm ready," Lian said as she walked over to her grandmother wearing a light purple and blue dress which covered her feet and hands. Her hair was tied up with a flower pin holding it in place; a lock of hair fell over her forehead. Her face was painted white with blue over the eyes and dark red lips. Fa Li smiled at the sight and smell of her beautiful granddaughter.
"Your mother was unbelievably late for her preparation for the Matchmaker, I am glad to see you are on time."
"I was raised the daughter of a general Grandma, time is very important. I have an order and I must make sure it is for filled," she said in the same serious tone as Shang. Her grandmother smiled, but was concerned.
"Good luck my child. But do remember that you can still have some fun," Fa Li said as they started walking out of the room and down the hall.
"Oh fun," Lian said sarcastically. They walked out of the house and joined with Mulan. They walked out through a crowd of people come to see the porcelain dolls march to what Lian considered the end of their future.
"Bring honor to us Lian," her grandmother told her and Lian walked quickly to the other dolls.
"Be nice," was her mother's advice. Lian smiled and joined in at the end of the line. The two dolls in the lead went to the left; the next two went to the right, leaving Lian to take the center. They all unfolded their umbrellas and bowed low to the ground, hiding them from the Matchmaker's house. The Matchmaker stepped gracefully from behind the doors. She was very elegant and beautiful. Lian stared at her in awe from behind her umbrella.
"Li Lian," the Matchmaker said in a melodic voice. Lian rose as gracefully as she could and folded her umbrella. The Matchmaker turned to go inside of the door.
"Follow me," she said. Lian walked into the house as gracefully as she could but she could sense she still had a soldiers step. She could hear some people outside chuckling as the doors closed behind her. The room was laced with fine clothes, plants, carved wood, and the scent of tea with mint.
"You have a man's step," the Matchmaker said walking around Lian after closing the doors.
"I am sorry," Lian said to the Matchmaker's surprise.
"Don't be, when my brother and I were young, I would mimic his soldier training, I walked like a man for years," she said and laughed slightly at the memory, putting Lian more at ease.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to have you recite anything, I just say I do, just to scare you," the Matchmaker said sitting behind a table and beckoning Lian to join her. Lian sat across the table from her, her feet folded under her.
"Then how do you make matches?" Lian questioned beginning to pour the tea for both of them by habit.
"I judge a girl by her manor and personality, not by her memory. Young men tend to enjoy a person rather then a puppet."
"Oh," was all Lian could think to say.
"So you are the daughter of General Li?"
"Yes madam"
"We are just going to chat, I am going to find out what you are like, what kind of man you would like ect."
"I have forgotten who your mother is. I saw her standing in the crowd, a very elegant woman."
"She could still whip me clean in a fight though, she is Li Mulan," Lian said relaxing her back. She realized she was slouching and straightened her back immediately. Lian laughed some more.
"So you have been trained as a soldier. You'd be surprised how many families wouldn't mind having a girl with military training marry their son."
"A wife and bodyguard in one."
"Indeed. Though I doubt how much the men like it."
"I can imagine it'd be quite humorous, a tall man being protected by his porcelain doll wife," Lian said and took a sip of her tea.
"I never liked that term, to mean all the girls are not at all doll-like. They tend to be either nervous or incredibly annoying. Don't let the princess fool you, she came to me last year, she's a snake of a woman. Tried to bribe me to let her marry a handsome man instead of a rich one."
"What did you do?"
"I made her marry the richest and oldest man I could find."
"I can't believe you did that!"
"I did. Her father was quite glad for the match too, her brother is now your age I think. I don't know"
"You know for the life of me I can't remember his name…"
"Who, the prince? De Shing, he's joined the army you know."
"I'm sure my father will be glad to know that he can boss around the future emperor when he returns."
"Where has the General gone?"
"I'm afraid I can't say."
"You certainly are loyal."
"I'm sure that will help find me a husband."
"Finding a suitable husband for you shall not be hard, you are the most astounding woman I have ever met."
"You say that because of my parents!" Lian said rising as Chen did.
"You speak your thoughts as well. Tell me, Lian, do you wish to marry?"
"I wish to bring my family honor."
"But do you wish to marry?"
"I do not."
"Then I shall find you a man who feels the same. Good day Li Lian, good luck," she said and bowed. Lian bowed too.
"And to you Madam." Lian said and left, not bothering to hide her soldier's step.
Li Lian rode as fast as the wind on a sturdy bay horse through the fields on the outskirts of her village. She heard the sound of the horse's hooves hitting the farmed ground mix with the sound of the uncut wheat hitting the horse's legs. She felt herself rise and fall with each motion and step the horse made. She could feel the wind from speed blowing on her face and keep her hair flying behind her. She smiled at the taste of true and complete freedom. She heard her name called and looked over to see a farmer waving to her. She waved back and yelled a greeting.
Lian walked into the courtyard of her home just as an Imperial Guard trotted out of the large wooden doors on a white stallion. Mulan stood alone in the middle of the courtyard holding a scroll and her head looking down. Fa Li stood by the door into the house looking at her daughter with worry. Lian walked over to her mother, getting covered with dust from the courtyard's ground.
"Mother?" Lian asked worriedly, seeing the sad expression on her mother's face. Mulan looked up at her daughter and wiped a hidden tear from her eye so Lian wouldn't see.
"Lian, daughter, your father's troops have been captured by the Huns. Di Ren, the Hun general, has asked for my head in exchange for the troops," Mulan explained. Lian was too shocked to react, so Mulan continued.
"The Emperor, the Emperor says he will recruit more soldiers for a rescue mission. He is hopeful."
"He is lying," Lian finally said, gritting her teeth in anger.
"I know, but it was all he could say. You should know, I sent to him that if, that if the recruits are unsuccessful, I will give myself up."
"Mother you can't!"
"I can, and I will, I must," Mulan said simply.
"So either way I lose a parent, and maybe both!" Lian yelled and ran past her grandmother to her room crying. Mulan sighed and a tear ran off her chin and landed in the puddle of water where her daughter had just been standing.