I don't own Koei or Dynasty Warriors. I never will either. (sighs) I have to say that so many times...

Here's Part 1 of 2- the party! The real fun happens next chapter don't worry! I'm just building up to it, but enjoy anyway! Also, thank you to absolutely everyone of my lovely reviewers- you guys always put a smile on my face... :)

Chapter 7- Party Time Part 1

The sun was setting and Xiao Qiao was running around the Wu castle making sure that everything was going to plan. If she was going to make Zhou Yu have fun, she was determined to do it right! She had made sure that everyone looked the part- the men in suits and the ladies in dresses. This had been particularly hard, and to the best of her knowledge, Sun Shang Xiang was still locked in her bedroom shouting at the red silk dress that had been laid out for her.

Now the guests (mainly generals and officers) had arrived and the music was now playing. Xiao had asked her sister Da to occupy Sun Ce and Zhou Yu just so they couldn't escape. She had even purposely locked her bedroom so that you couldn't retreat upstairs.

"Xiao!"

Xiao turned around and saw Da running towards her.

"Yes Da?"

"The food is being served now- are you coming in?"

"Is everybody there?"

"Nearly- Sun Jian is trying to drag Sun Shang Xiang out of her room and Taishi Ci's started the hunt for the wine. We'll start now- coming?"

Xiao nodded and followed Da into the banquet hall and smiled. Let the drunkenness commence!

"Please come out?"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Do you know how stupid I look?"

"No, because you won't come out!"

Sun Jian was pleading outside his daughter's bedroom door. He had been standing outside it for nearly 15 minutes as he was probably the only one with enough guts to try and get her out. He had the advantage of being her father, and he could always use her embarrassing childhood moments against her! He actually couldn't remember Sun Shang Xiang ever like dresses- she always said that she pitied the Qiaos for wearing such things. She just wasn't the girly type of girl…

"You'll laugh at me!"

"Why would I do that? I'm your father remember?"

Silence followed, and Jian heard some footsteps approach the other side of the door. Slowly the door handle turned and Shang Xiang's head popped out. He saw that she was wearing, instead of her usual red headband, a beaded headband and a pair of dangly matching earrings. He also saw that Da Qiao had succeeded in putting some (very little) makeup on the princess' face. At least it was something…

"See? You do look nice. Now, are you going to let me see the dress?" She replied by shaking her head. Jian sighed. "Please come out, for me?"

She looked at him, then down to the floor. Step by step she slowly emerged from the room, even more so when she saw that her father was smiling. Maybe she didn't look so bad after all!

"So…what do you think?" she asked.

Sun Jian was lost for words. His daughter actually looked like a woman! Sure, her stance could be improved slightly (and she looked as miserable as sin!), but she looked beautiful. Just like her mother…

"You look absolutely amazing Shang Xiang- I don't know why you were so worried in the first place!"

"Really?" She looked down at herself and the floor length short sleeved dress she wore. Da said it would show off her curves, which was not what Shang Xiang had wanted. She didn't want to become some object that men leered at, especially when there was a party downstairs full of old and partially drunk men. "I suppose it won't be so bad…"

"Exactly, and it's not as if…" He looked down at her feet. "Are those boots?"

She giggled. "Well, I've got to keep some of my tomboyish charm don't I?"

In the banquet hall, Zhou Yu sat at the head of the table staring at all of the decorations. The 'Happy Zhou Yu Day' banner was up too- this had puzzled him greatly. The generals kept coming up to him and asking him what he had done, and he didn't know!

"So Zhou Yu?" Ce asked as he filled up his glass of wine. "Enjoying yourself?"

"I honestly don't know," Yu replied. He sipped some of his wine. "It's a bit strange. I've never had an honour party before." He drank some more wine and noticed its unusual taste. It must be a new kind he thought as he drank some more.

"Good wine?"

Yu nodded. Just then, Sun Jian entered the room followed by a young woman. He had to blink twice to realise it was just Sun Shang Xiang. She walked slowly over to the table and sat in her seat, fully aware that now all eyes were on her. Da was smiling so much her pearly white teeth showed.

"Shang Xiang! You look so pretty!" she exclaimed. She also noticed that Shang Xiang was blushing like a tomato. "Don't be so embarrassed about it! You really do look nice…"

"Thanks" was the murmured answer from the embarrassed Wu princess. Sun Ce and Sun Quan were also trying to take in the new 'look' of their sister. And all that time they thought that they had an 'honorary' brother!

"Have I had too much wine, or is my sister actually wearing a DRESS?" Ce said quite loudly.

"Did you let a Qiao dress you?" asked Quan.

"So the Lady Sun is a lady?" came the remark from a tipsy Zhou Yu.

There was only so much that Sun Shang Xiang could take. She glared at the three men, quietly stood up, and stormed out of the room.

Sun Jian, who had watched it, gave a single clap to the men. "Well done," he said monotonously. "You have probably ruined any more chances of my daughter wearing a dress." The men hung their heads in shame!

"Sorry Pops," apologised Ce. "Do you want me to get her?"

"No- she'll be cooling down, but don't come crying to me if she uses her chakrams on you later."

Meanwhile in the kitchen a few generals were plotting a scheme of their own, although one was kind of dragged into it. Gan Ning and Taishi Ci had discovered Xiao's secret wine supply, and with the 'help' of Lu Xun, were planning on taking it into the courtyard to have a party of their own. Gan Ning wasn't really into the party scene- he was happy with a glass of wine (although he did prefer more than one!). Parties were only really fun when he was drunk, and Xiao had kind of made everyone promise they wouldn't get too intoxicated. But then again when had Gan Ning ever listened to what Xiao had to say?

"So what is it you're planning on doing again?" Lu Xun asked. If he was going to be in on the plan he had to at least make sure that nothing was going to go wrong. He certainly didn't want to end up in trouble!

"Taishi Ci found some spare fireworks from New Year," replied Gan Ning, "and we plan on setting them off in the courtyard. Of course we'll be celebrating with the wine…"

"Celebrating what?"

Taishi Ci laughed. "Have you not been listening? It's Happy Zhou Yu Day- for one day only! We have to celebrate our 'great' strategist sometimes." Ci then poured some of the wine into a flask. "What's in this stuff? It smells strong…"

"The stronger the better!" Ning said as he too poured some wine. "Are you going to be drinking?" he asked Xun.

"What? I'm not stooping to your level! I'm going to go back to the hall… maybe I can find another way to have fun…"

"You mean discussing historical battles with Lu Meng or talking about strategies with Zhou Yu?" Ci said. Lu Xun was silent for he knew Ci was right. He wasn't really the drinking type nor did he get into the party spirit much. He much preferred learning about things but he didn't want to seem odd…

Ning nodded to himself as Lu Xun started to fill up an empty flask. It's about time that boy learned to enjoy himself he thought as he stood up. "Right, I'm going to get the fireworks you guys. Meet me in the courtyard." He then started walking out of the kitchen and headed for the store cupboard.

"So what do you think Zhou Yu?"

"Hmm?"

"Of the party I threw for you?"

Zhou Yu nodded to his wife and took another sip from his glass. He wasn't concentrating much and he didn't know why. Normally he'd be conversing with Lu Meng and Lu Xun or trying desperately hard not to be dragged over to the dance floor by Sun Ce, but his mind was elsewhere, and he didn't know where! In fact, he didn't even know what his wife was saying- it just sounded like a blur.

"I'm glad you like it!" Xiao Qiao said as she hugged her husband tightly. "Here have another drink…" She then started to pour Yu yet another glass of 'special' wine.

Even though he was now bordering on drunk, Zhou Yu accepted the glass and gulped some down. He was getting used to it and he didn't exactly want to disappoint Xiao.

"So," Xiao started, "are you enjoying yourself?"

"Umm… yeah…"

"Good! I actually thought we could talk because you never seem to have the time to."

"Uh huh…"

"Ok then, we'll talk! Actually, I wanted to ask you if you could buy me some new dresses. You see, it's getting warmer now, and I need a new wardrobe. In fact a whole new collection! I was thinking of starting with shoes, and then maybe some…"

Her words just went in one ear and out the other. She was just talking and talking, and Zhou Yu wasn't listening one bit. He was watching as the people walked past him, the colours of the banquet hall were swirling, and there was a loud ringing sound in his head.

"… and there's that necklace I was looking at last week. It was so pretty, and it had a ruby in the centre…"

Zhou Yu had never felt like this before. He put the glass on the table and tried to get himself together. What was going on? Everything was just rushing past his eyes…

"…but I don't know much about cost. So what do you think Zhou Yu?" Xiao smiled at him. "Zhou Yu? Are you still there?"

"Yeah…"

"Were you listening to what I was saying?"

"Of course I was!"

"So… what do you say?"

"Erm… yes?"

"Oh thank you Zhou Yu!"

Of course Zhou Yu didn't have the faintest idea what he was agreeing to, but judging by the expression on his wife's face it must have been good. He smiled as she hugged him, just as Sun Ce came strolling by.

"ZHOU YU, MY BESTEST BUDDY!"

Yu looked up at Sun Ce. "Yes?"

"It's time for singing! As it's your party, I think you should start it off!"

"Oh no, I couldn't possibly…"

"Tough!" Ce said as he dragged his sworn brother from off his seat. "The stage is all yours!"

So the party has started! Whoo! What's going to happen in the next chapter you ask? That's a surprise. Even I don't know yet! But it'll be good... (goes back to typing) La la la la la... what should I make Zhou Yu do...