A/N- Work and revision sucks... fanfiction rocks! I made a start on this earlier than I expected so that's why it's here so early. I was mainly inspired by the lovely reviews! It's my motivation to write... and Jakusa, you are not a loser! I do that sometimes... hehe... Anyways, here it is! Ooh I love cliffhangers...

Chapter 13- The Waking and the Scheming

"Look! She's waking up!"

Sun Shang Xiang slowly opened her eyes and looked up from where she lay. The room was dimmed and she immediately noticed that she wasn't in the kitchen anymore, nor was she dead. She was actually alive! As she regained her focus she saw, straight ahead in front of her, a blurry face looking straight into her eyes. She rubbed her eyes and looked again.

Realising that Shang Xiang was alright Xiao Qiao wrapped her arms around the princess, even though she was still lying down on the bed. Feeling Xiao squashing her body Shang flailed her arms around in an attempt to get the hyperactive young woman off from her.

"Please!" Shang said in a raspy voice. Then she paused. The smoke had damaged her voice! She didn't think she had breathed in so much! Her throat was stinging so instead of speaking she made dodgy hand signals to Xiao, telling her to move. Xiao nodded and sat next to the Wu princess, who closed her eyes again, just as some of the others went over to her. Sun Jian went to sit on the other side of her.

"We're glad you're alright my princess," he said as he patted her head. "I was worried you wouldn't make it…"

"I think we all were," Sun Ce added from where he sat by the window. "The kitchen is in an even worse state than you. I don't think a lot survived in there."

Shang recollected her thoughts and remembered something. She waved her arms around and Xiao moved her ear to her mouth to hear what Shang Xiang was saying. "Can you repeat that?" she said, moving closer. After Shang had 'spoken', Xiao sat up again. "The cook is fine Shang- he's with the healers now. He's not as bad as you were as he stayed nearest to the ground so he didn't get as much of the smoke as you did."

Ce blinked at his sister-in-law. "How did you manage to come up with that theory?"

Xiao giggled. "Easy! Zhou Yu told me! He's so clever!" She turned back to Shang Xiang who was now looking up at the ceiling. "I'm pleased you're alive Shang… it's a good thing he was around when he was!" Xiao smiled. "You have a rescuer Shang Xiang, you lucky girl!"

"Hmmm?" was the faint reply.

"Oh! I don't think you remember, or you were out cold at the time. You see, Gan Ning was in the mood for a drink, as he usually is, and he decided to go down to the kitchens shortly after you did. He smelt the smoke, and saw you and the cook on the floor. He rescued you both…" She looked at Shang who was flapping her arms wildly. "Where is he? He's sitting in the courtyard with Lu Meng waiting to hear news about your recovery. He'll be pleased that you're awake. I'll just go and tell him!"

"Don't think that you're going anywhere young lady!" warned Sun Jian as his daughter tried to sit up. "You've still got smoke in your system and I'm not letting you out of my sight until the moment the healers say you're one hundred percent recovered. I don't want anything happening to you again." He put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back onto the bed. Shang sighed and covered her face with her hands. She couldn't stay in her room all day! She hated to feel as if she was being locked it like a caged animal… she at least wanted to say thank you to Gan Ning and let him know how grateful she was.

A small knock was heard on the door so Xiao jumped from the bed and ran over to answer it. In her usual girly fashion she skipped happily to the door- Sun Jian and Sun Ce simply rolled their eyes at her behaviour. She seemed to always be in a giggly mood and she was full of energy and high spirits. After seeing who it was she turned around.

"Da and I are going to dance now, so I'll see you all later!" Xiao bowed politely and then skipped off with her sister to the dance hall. Jian then looked towards his daughter.

"I'm afraid that Ce and I have to go and take care with some business… mainly finding out the cause of the fire. I trust you'll stay in this room…"

Sun Ce laughed from where he stood. "Shang? Stay in one place? Ha! She'll be out the window before you can say 'the Little Conqueror rules'!" He also laughed at the expression his father's face. It was blank, and it looked as if Jian believed Ce…

"Right, that's it. I'm sending someone here to look after you! I know what you're like!" Jian then looked at Shang Xiang, who had now got up from lying down and was now pleading silently with him, putting her hands together and begging. Jian simply shook his head and stood up from the bed. He called over Sun Ce and headed towards the door. "I'm going to go now and take care of business, and your brother's coming with me. I'm sending someone up to guard you, but if you even step foot out of this room, via the door or the window, I'm going to take all of the weapons out of your room and give them to the peasants. Is that understood?"

Sun Jian ignored his daughter's puppy dog expression and walked towards the door with Sun Ce. After they had disappeared, Sun Shang Xiang flung herself onto her bed, burying her head into one of the fluffy pillows. Why her? It was a nice day outside- the sun was out and it was warm… and she was stuck inside! Inside her head she started plotting an escape route….

On the bench in the courtyard Lu Meng sat with his friend Gan Ning, catching some of the sunlight's rays. It was a hot day which meant that most of the generals were outside relaxing in the sun. They had all been worried about what had happened last night and had wished that the princess was well, but it was too good a day to sit around the castle doing nothing.

Gan Ning read the letter to Lu Meng from his mother and handed it back. "Your mother sounds worried about you Meng… maybe you should start looking for a wife!"

"But my job is more important. Protecting the kingdom means more to me than starting a family. Besides, I have a long time for that."

"No offence Meng, but your mother isn't getting any younger. I think she'd like to see you have a family before she gets older and passes on."

The older Wu general couldn't believe that Gan Ning, the ex-pirate, was actually giving advice! Ning usually only ever gave advice about drinking and boats, but this time he was actually trying. "I don't know Ning… I mean, do you see yourself getting married and settling down, far away from your wild ways?"

Ning had to think about this. A family life was a very large step up from his previous pirate life. There were some things he wanted to keep from his past but a family would put so much pressure on him to act more mature. "I don't see myself getting married but it's something I'd like, when the right girl comes along and steals my heart away."

"And when do you think that will happen? Do you have your eyes on someone?"

"What? Is this 'interrogate Ning' time? Don't think you're getting anything out of me Meng! This is you we're talking about so quit trying to change the subject!" Ning tried to hide his frustration but it was hard… Lu Meng could get anything out of anyone. "So Meng needs a woman?"

"That's not what I said Ning…"

"Yes, it's what I understood from what you said. That can easily be arranged for you! A lovely wife-to-be coming to Lu Meng…" Ning then snickered to himself, ignoring the worried look on his friend's face. From the corner of his eye he could see Meng go red, so he started to roar with laughter, just as Sun Ce approached them. Ce noticed what was going on and decided to ignore it. It just looked like the usual teasing that Ning did to Meng.

"Just the man I needed to see!" Ce said to Ning.

"Huh?"

"Pops asked me to ask you to baby sit little sister while we're finding out what happened last night. She's in her room and needs supervision in case she tries to escape… will you?"

Gan Ning paused to think of a reply, but Lu Meng had thought of one for him. "Ning would LOVE to go and baby sit!" Meng pushed Ning from the bench and onto his feet. "Well what are you waiting for Ning? The princess can't look after herself!" Meng then watched as the ex-pirate made his way back into the castle. Now that Ning was gone, he could concentrate on writing a reply to his mother, but what to write? He didn't want to get her hopes up, so decided to wait a bit. If Ning could find him a woman then there was a chance, but for now, that ex-pirate couldn't be trusted…

Gan Ning stood outside Sun Shang Xiang's room and slowly opened the door. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, and made his way into the room. He almost expected Shang Xiang to run to the door and rush past him at the sight of a possible escape route. What hit him the most was the silence- he couldn't hear a thing. Not even the sound of protest against Sun Jian! He looked around- he couldn't see anyone. Was this a trick? If he was supposed to be supervising Shang Xiang in her room, then where was she? He stood near the bed and glanced around the room again. Still no sign… until he looked near the window… and the silhouette behind the curtains…

He tapped his foot on the wooden floor three times, and noticed that the figure behind the curtains froze completely still. He knew it was her, and she was trying to escape through the window. He knew that because the window had been, for several years, Sun Shang Xiang's favourite escape route.

"I can see you Shang," ha called out. "It's me, Ning. I won't tell anyone you tried to escape, just come out here."

Shang Xiang moved slightly, and then slowly emerged from the window. She didn't look too happy, and she was dressed in her sparring outfit, ready to escape. She smiled when she saw Ning, and went over to him, spread her arms out and hugged him tight. This took Ning by surprise, but then he realised she was trying to say 'thank you' to him. Ce had briefly mentioned her temporary loss of vocals, so he let her hug him. He hugged her back and smiled. "I'm glad you're alright- you gave me quite a scare yesterday!"

Shang nodded, and after the hug went to sit on her bed. Ning followed and sat next to her. She wanted to speak so badly, but it hurt to talk no matter how little she spoke. She could speak extremely quietly but even then people would have difficulty hearing her. She sighed deeply, making Ning take notice.

"You want to speak don't you?" he asked, looking at her with sympathy. She nodded. "You'll get your voice back soon; you just have to give it some rest. I'm sure Jian won't keep you locked up in here forever; I'll make sure of that! Besides, we can't have you missing out on all the fun!" He notices her confused expression and decided to elaborate further. "You see, our good friend Lu Meng needs a woman. His mother's getting all stressed at him that he hasn't settled down and started a family yet, so I plan on setting him up on a blind date! Well, it's not really a plan, more of a joke… that's where I need your help…"

Gan Ning leant over to Shang Xiang and told her the details of his plan quietly so that no one who may have been on the outside could hear. Shang giggled as Ning told her of the proposed 'plan'- this was definitely something she wanted to be a part of! Plus it meant more time spent with Ning, and that was always good fun. As she ran through the details in her head, she suddenly thought of an idea to help.

She jumped from the bed and ran over to the large wardrobe on the side of one the bedroom walls. She opened one of the doors and flicked through several articles of clothing until she reached what she was looking for. Out of the wardrobe she pulled out a long maroon dress with short sleeves, with some embroidery on it. It looked as if it had only been worn occasionally, if it had ever been worn at all. Shang carried it over and held it up in front of Ning. She smiled as he examined it carefully.

"It's perfect!" he exclaimed. "This should fit fine… Meng had better get ready for his date!"