Slowly Lian woke up. She didn't know what had happened. She looked over and saw someone holding her hand and her head lay on the bed. Lian removed her hand immediately she didn't
know who she was or where she was. As soon as Lian removed her hand the woman woke up.
"Lian!"
Lian gave her a strange look.
"Lian, its me your mother."
Lian got very scared she didn't know what was happening. She didn't know this woman.
"Lian calm down." Mulan turned her head and yelled for Chen to come quick
Chen came running in. He saw that Lian was awake, confused, and scared.
"Lian, look at me." Lian curled up into a ball and looked into his eyes. "Shh. It's ok Lian your home now."
She started to calm down. "Chen?"
"Yes Lian, I'm here."
"Do you know what happened?" Lian shook her head. Chen told her everything that he had heard, but wasn't able to tell her the outcome.
"Where is Baba?"
Chen and Mulan looked at each other and changed the subject.
"Lian you must get out of bed and get ready the matchmaker has been waiting for a long time to tell you who you are to marry." Mulan told her. Lian forgot about what she asked.
She got up with some help of Mulan and Chen and looked in the mirror her face it was all bruised. Mulan quickly kicked Chen out of the room so she could help Lian get ready. She put some makeup on so you wouldn't be able to see most of the bruising but you could still see them. Then Lian put on a lovely dress. Mulan had to stay behind and clean up Lian's room so it didn't look so bad. And Chen helped Lian walk to the matchmakers. When they arrived the matchmaker met them outside and swatted Chen away helping Lian into the house.
"Oh my poor dear."
"Its not bad. It just looks worse. My mother told me that you set me up with someone."
The matchmakers face dropped. "Well yes I did. But seeing the condition he is in I will have to find another man."
"Who was he?"
"I shouldn't say."
"Please. I want to know who I am to marry."
"Lian. You were to marry De Shen."
At that name Lian looked up in surprise.
"The future Emperor?"
"Yes."
"But why me?"
"Because Lian your family knows him. Both of your parents are heroes. And he is just like you. But seeing what happened to him, he is not able to be your husband-"
"No, you made a match he is still living so there is no reason I should go against it. What ever state my future husband is in I need to be by his side. Now excuse me matchmaker."
Lian started to walk out but fell the matchmaker went to help her but she refused it. She got up and walked out. Out past her brother to where her horse was and got on it and started off towards the palace.
An hour later she arrived.
"I'm sorry miss but there are no visitors."
"I must get in. I am Li Lian. I am to marry De Shen."
"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah that's what they all say 'oh yeah De Shen is my husband.' Or 'yeah I come from a famous family' blah blah blah… I heard all of it lady."
"Then go tell the Emperor that I am here and I wish to speak to him. He knows who I am."
"-"
"What is all the commotion out here?" Ho Fai came out one of the generals. "Lian what are you doing here? I thought you were still at home- your up that is great news!" he came to embrace her.
"I came to see De Shen."
"I'm sorry but he isn't to good."
"Please I must see him."
"…. I guess."
Lian ran in and found his room… it wasn't that hard, you just went to the door where there were a crowed of people crying. Lian slowly walked into the room. She spotted Shen laying in bed pale. The emperor saw her and motioned everyone to get out.
"Lian-"
She didn't hear him; she just walked quietly over to Shen's bed and sat down besides him. She removed a strand of hair out of his face. She looked up letting a tear fall from her eye,
"What happened?"
"I was hoping you could tell us."
"I don't remember anything all I remember is my father- my father I haven't seen him at all today. Do you know where he might be? Since the only places he would be are home, war and/or here."
"Lian. No one knows what happened. All we know is that his troops came back telling me that when they were captured a couple of days later he turned on us. He became a Hun. He is a traitor."
"Where is he?"
"In the dungeons."
Not another word was spoken; Lian looked down at Shen kissed him on the cheek and ran out of the room to the dungeons.
"Baba?" there was no answer. "General Li?" she walked from cell to cell trying to find him. "Baba?" still no answer. "General Li Shang?" she was about to call another time when she heard…
"I am not called that anymore. I have betrayed my country."
"Guards unlock this cell please." They did and Lian walked inside and knelt down besides him.
"Baba?"
"Lian- what are you doing here?"
"I came first to see Shen then I heard you were in here. What happened? I don't remember anything. I only remember a little each day."
"Well the only thing I remember is when you where about to be executed Shen started to run down the hill, he wounded the executioner and the executioner knocked you out. I dragged you out of there so you wouldn't be trampled. But by the time I got out of there I saw Shen fighting about 3 men and then I saw him stabbed I went to go help him but another Hun was shooting arrows I found him and killed him. Luckily most of the Huns had hangovers so they just stayed in bed. But I killed as many as possible, but by the time I got to Shen it didn't look very good for me Imperials came looking for him and saw that I had a sward in hand and Shen was on the ground. They arrested me, and here I am."
"I will go talk to the emperor-"
"No! I have failed the future Emperor. He is pretty much dead because of me."
"No it isn't your fault. If I would have left when he came to get me he would still be fine."
Lian got up and left the cell.
"Your majesty. My father is innocent-"
"And how may you prove that? My brother is on the verge of death; I have your father's soldiers telling me he is a traitor, he-" every sentence he started to raise his voice until it was almost in a scram.
"Sir I was there-"
"But you were knocked unconscious-"
"But I was conscious all the time before."
"So what?"
"I spent time with my father as his prisoner. He was my guard. I got to know him as a Hun. He was not the same man sir. The Huns did something to him. They couldn't kill him because he was of importance to them, I didn't know yet sir but know I do. They were going to use him to get to you."
"Oh and what did they do to him. Give him money, food, women-"
"No… Sir! They hypnotized him. They thought it was the perfect plan, until I came. They knew that another troop was coming and since they didn't have another General of great skill they knew that the future emperor, your brother was going to be leading us. They knew who he was and his great skill. Their only problem was me. I wouldn't allow Shen to go seeing that he was the future emperor, so instead I went. They captured me and held me captive. They were trying to get Shen because I was no use to them. I refused to tell them where the troops were. They found out who I was and they thought maybe I would talk to my father so they sent him to guard me. The thing was my father knew some things that the Huns didn't take away from him. They made him forget that he had a family, but they didn't make him forget things he did with his family, things he gave his family. Day after day I got further and further until he cracked. He remembered who he was and everything, except he didn't know what had happened. That is all I remember."
"Such a touching story. But I don't give a shit all I know is that my brother is dying and your father is going to pay."
"For something he didn't do? You are charging him for a crime he didn't commit."
"How dare you talk to me like that you peasant girl!" he went to smack her, but before he had the chance to she said,
"You dare smack your brother's wife? The woman he loves. The woman he almost died trying to save. If he saw you right now what would he say? I'll tell you. Nothing. He wouldn't speak to you for what you have done. Smacking someone who is not your wife or your child or anything of yours. You discuss me. Why don't you find the man that did this to your brother, not a man that was trying to save him."
Lian walked into Shen's room and sat down besides him. She took his hand and held it running her fingers through his hair.
On the day of her father's execution she came down to watch.