A/N- I'm really really really sorry I took absolutely ages in getting this up... my course is so time-consuming -- But I'm managing time better, and I'm trying to get back into the writing spirit. Thanks everyone who kept asking me to update... it all made me put this story further forward in my mind, and actually force myself to get on with typing it up. ) Enjoy! I promise the next instalment won't be months away like this one!

Chapter 21- Match Made in Hell

As Sun Jian stepped out of his room that morning he grinned to himself, the tiger pride showing through his smile. Finally things were going his way! In less than nine months time he would be a grandfather, something he had been waiting a long time for. He'd always wanted to be able to teach someone from a young age the importance of respecting elders, seeing as his sons and daughter had ignored his advice over the years. These things are best told at a young age when their minds are uncorrupted, he thought to himself, wondering about all the fun he could have shaping a mind.

He chuckled to himself as he pulled a small piece of paper out of one of his pockets and opened it up, reading what he had scribbled down on it a few days ago. Jian had scheduled a meeting for the early afternoon with someone quite important in his plan. He had come to realise that times were changing and the family needed to keep up with them. Sun Ce had now done his bit with the forthcoming arrival of his child and Jian's first grandchild, and Quan was dealing with political matters, being the dutiful son he was. But when it came to Shang Xiang, Jian had decided some action needed to be taken. The girl was 18 now, nearly 19 and the nearly the same age as Xiao Qiao. Xiao, however, had been married for over a year now, and Sun Jian was wondering if his daughter would ever get married. It was time to speed things along, and if Shang wasn't going to do it, he would have to arrange something himself…

"Can you believe it guys?"

Sun Ce burst into the dining room that morning, his smile beaming on his face. He looked like a little boy excited about getting his first weapon, and his feet were barely touching the ground as he jumped around, his hands flapping excitedly.

"Ce… you've told us so many times now," said Zhou Yu over his breakfast, rolling his eyes. "How can we NOT believe it?"

The oldest Sun sibling sunk down into his usual chair with a thud and grinned as his wife followed him, taking the seat next to him. "I know, but still… I'm going to be a daddy! My son will grow up to be a great fighter like his father!"

"What if it's a girl?"

"… Huh?" Ce stared blankly at his best friend, looking confused. "You don't understand- we're getting a boy, to continue the glorious Sun bloodline!"

Zhou Yu put down his spoon and got ready to explain, in simple terms, that you never always got what you wanted. "Ce, it's a fifty-fifty chance it could be a boy or a girl. We have no say in the matter, its luck of the draw."

"What draw? Can't we fix it and make it go our way?"

Da Qiao sighed. "Sweetheart, it shouldn't matter what gender out baby is, as long as it's healthy that's all that matters… right?" She too rolled her eyes as her husband started to sulk, slouching in his chair and eating his breakfast with a scowl on his face. "That attitude isn't what I need right now, you need to understand these things. Besides, a daughter would be good too… someone for me to teach dance and song to, and someone for you to protect and make sure she grows up well!"

"I guess…"

"Ooh! I want a niece!" squealed Xiao, clapping her hands. "That would be sooooo cool! I want to dress her up in dresses and put ribbons in her hair and teach her how to put make up on and show her how to dance and…"

"THAT is why I'm going to make sure I'm a good aunt," interrupted Sun Shang Xiang, pointing at the younger Qiao with the end of her spoon. "We don't need another bright pink girly girl in the castle! I'll teach her how to use weapons, how to defend herself, and all the basics she'll need to become a great warrior… like me!"

"Oh my, no!" Da looked horrified. "No daughter of mine is going out there risking her life and subjecting herself to the horrors of the battlefield! No no no! She'll be taught defence by someone who won't corrupt her mind into wanting to become a warrior."

"Who said that there'd be any corruption?" Shang Xiang smiled sweetly at her sister-in-law, baring her teeth. "You want your daughter to be strong right, in body and spirit? The toughness helps. If I hadn't been trained I would've become… well… like YOU."

"There is nothing wrong with me!" Da looked along the row of Wu generals, hoping for some reassurance. "Guys… is there anything wrong with me?"

Silence followed, with the generals looking nervously at each other. If there was one thing they were definitely sure of it was this… NEVER say anything that might offend a woman. If they were going to ignore this advice, they always made sure that there was a clear path ahead of them and they could run fast. Either that or be prepared to die…

Taishi Ci raised his hand slightly nervously. "Erm… if there's anything wrong with you, it's that you're TOO beautiful!"

Da blushed and smiled, before running over to give him a hug. "Aw, thank you so much!" She glanced to the other side of the table at Sun Shang Xiang. "See, there is nothing wrong with me!"

"That's because he's clearly sucking up! Men only say that to stay on the good side of women… ouch! Hey, what was that for Ci?"

Ci narrowed his eyes as Da walked back to her seat. "Don't ruin it!" he said quietly. "We don't need a moody pregnant woman around here! Do you KNOW what that does to us?"

Shang Xiang scoffed. "You don't even know do you?"

"I do know actually… we males suffer when you and the Qiaos get all moody. It's horrible! Do you think we like being bitched at constantly?"

"I get moaned at by you guys when it happens, so yes." She grinned before taking a sip of her juice, watching as her brother Sun Quan and the other generals laughed. "What? You all moan about it!"

"And what do you think you're doing right now sis?" Quan pointed out, before chuckling to himself. "I pity the poor man who ends up with you as a wife! Actually, I feel sorry for anyone who's married… no offence to all you married ones."

The Wu princess stuck her tongue out at her brother and looked around the table, and gave a smile to Gan Ning, who was sitting further down and opposite her. He grinned back, and tried to look in place with everyone else by laughing. Lu Meng was giving the pair looks too… he hated being blackmailed into secrecy. It would've been great to just tell Sun Jian everything and get it out into the open… but Gan Ning was too good a friend to betray, even if the ex-pirate took every opportunity available to do the opposite.

Suddenly the doors swung open and Sun Jian entered the room, quickly taking his place at the table. He was late, but that was normal… he was never one for punctuality. Cheerful and informal, that was Sun Jian. He helped himself to food, trying not to give anything away to his daughter about his plans…

"Erm… is everything alright Father?" Shang asked, looking warily at his expression. "You're looking at me funny… are you ok?"

Jian nodded and tried his best not to smirk. "Oh everything is fine… you'll see! Just make sure that you're not busy later, I need to talk to you about something important."

"Right…" Shang sighed, realising that she couldn't see Ning later as she had planned. Being a princess wasn't easy she was always following Jian around and helping him out around the castle. It wasn't easy getting the freedom she wanted- she was always told to be somewhere at a specific time and never to be late. Duties and responsibilities… she hated them. "It had better not be anything that would take me away from fighting for too long… I need to get some practice in."

"Of course… like I said, you'll see!"

The sun shone fiercely down on the courtyard shortly after breakfast, where a small group of the Wu generals were training. To Ling Tong's horror Gan Ning had decided to join them… unknown to him though it was because the Wu princess had business to attend to with her father and wanted to stay inside so she wouldn't be late and have to face the wrath of Sun Jian.

"Do I HAVE to spar with him?" Tong whispered to Lu Xun as they sat beneath the large tree, watching everyone prepare themselves. "Why can't I spar with you instead?"

"I've already agreed to spar with our lord Sun Quan, and Zhou Tai has already arranged to spar with Lu Meng today. You were the only one without an assigned partner so…" Xun sighed before continuing. "… You have ended up with Gan Ning. You'll have to get used to it eventually- you live together now, and the constant fighting will have to end soon!"

Tong leant back against the tree and sulked, crossing his arms and pouting. Lu Xun was right and he refused to believe it… how on earth could he become friends with that man, after hating him for so long? He looked at his rival, standing there ready to fight with his precious sword, and Tong reluctantly stood up and walked over. "I'm only fighting you today because I have to, don't think I'll enjoy this."

"Ha, I could say exactly the same thing to you!" Grasping the handle of his sword Ning took his fighting stance, feet firmly on the ground ready for action. "Are you ready then- HEY!" Ning carefully dodged one of Ling Tongs blows, unprepared for it just yet. The sparring match hadn't even started and Tong was already trying to attack him. "Listen kid, we haven't started yet! What's your problem?"

"You!" Tong scowled, getting into his position. "You're not even prepared, you expect me to fight you?"

"Oh, so this is the way we're going to fight then?" Ning glared at his opponent and swung his sword ready to strike. "Let's give it all we've got then!"

The two men growled as they exchanged blows, clashing hard. Sparks flew as the metal of Tong's nunchaku struck the metal of Ning's sword, and each man knocked back from the force of it all. The other generals watched out of curiosity as the pair ran into each other, each trying their hardest to knock the other down.

"Lousy pirate!"

"Ignorant brat!"

Weapons flew as they tried to attack each other, and suddenly the 'friendly' sparring match wasn't so friendly anymore. Zhou Tai ran over and tried to separate the pair, only to be knocked away as they clashed again. It was only when Sun Quan rushed over and put himself physically between the pair in an attempt to stop them.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" he shouted at the top of his voice, spreading his arms out to push them further apart. "This was meant to be friendly… you know, as in 'not trying to kill each other?"

"It's not my fault that the kid can't control his temper, he's the one not willing to put everything behind him!" Ning straightened himself out before walking over to the tree to calm down. "He needs to grow up if he expects to get anywhere in life."

Ling Tong pouted again and attached his weapon to his waist. "Do you know how hard it is to put your father's death behind you? It's not so easy to forget… I'll never forget what you did Gan Ning. I've had enough- you guys can just carry on sparring without me." He turned on his heel and headed back towards the castle, the anger burning in his face as he clenched his fists tight to suppress his emotions.

"Someone needs to sort that pair out," Quan muttered to Tai, shaking his head as Tong disappeared around the corner. "And I don't want to be the one who has to do it."

After waiting outside her father's study for around half an hour, Sun Shang Xiang's impatience got the better of her. She was there at the right place and definitely at the right time… what was keeping him so long? She tapped her fingers against the wall as she leant against it, humming to herself, growing bored with waiting. Some officers walked past and bowed to her, before heading in the direction they were going. A few of them even walked past her again having finished what they were doing, and this wasn't a good sign for Shang Xiang.

"So I see you're still waiting?"

Shang Xiang looked up at the floor and up at Taishi Ci, who had parked himself just opposite her. He looked up at the ceiling, before at the door again.

"He's been in there for forever," she moaned, trying to peek through the keyhole to see if she could get a glimpse of him, but to no avail. "How long is he going to be?"

"You mean 'they'." Ci walked over and stood by her, putting his hands in his armour pockets. "It's not just your father in there…"

Puzzled, Shang tore herself away from the keyhole and wondered. "Who else is in there then?"

"My mother."

"… your mother? Why would my father be in a meeting with her? Do you know why they're both in there? Oh…" Shang Xiang giggled to herself and grinned… could it be possible? "Perhaps… my father likes your mother a lot, and they've called us both to discuss their marriage plans?"

Taishi Ci raised an eyebrow before quickly laughing that idea off. "This is my mother we're talking about… I don't think she'd go for your father, even if he is ruler of Wu. She's very loyal to my father's memory, and I'm sure your father is to your mother's."

"True… I don't know where that idea came from! But still, they're taking too long…" Shang Xiang raised a hand to the door and was about to knock it, just as it swung open. She came face to face with her father, and put her knocking hand back to her side and smiled sweetly. "Hello again Father! It's nice to see you after taking so long!"

Sun Jian and Taishi Ci's mother stepped out of the room, and smiled at their children. This wasn't comforting to Shang and Ci however as it usually meant something bad… "My daughter, Taishi Ci… we have some news for you."

"News? What news?" Shang said inquisitively, grinning away. "You two are getting married? Oh, that's wonderful news! I'm so happy for both of you!" She latched herself onto her father, hugging him tight before letting go to clap. "I can't wait for the…"

"Oh no, you've got it all wrong!" Jian interrupted. "It's something… quite different."

"Hmm?"

Jian looked at Taishi Ci's mother and laughed nervously. "Well… you know how you're that age where you should be looking for a husband? We've been talking and…"

"Oh no…"

"… we've thought that it might be best that…"

"… oh heavens NO…"

"… you are married to someone I know and trust…"

"… please NO!"

"… like Taishi Ci."

Sun Shang Xiang screamed and ran down the corridor, her hands over her burning ears not wanting to hear those words, especially the mention of Taishi Ci. What was Jian thinking? Her and Taishi Ci? It was a disastrous match! It wasn't Ci she wanted… why couldn't he have said Gan Ning instead? But then again, her father wouldn't be so willing to let her marry a former pirate. She ran for her room, ignoring everyone she passed… she was determined not to marry him, and if that meant locking herself in her room, then she'd do just that.

Back outside the study, the two parents and Taishi Ci took their fingers out of their ears and looked at each other. Jian and Ci's mother were already prepared for that reaction and had been prepared to block out the noise of Shang's piercing scream.

"So…" Jian started after the silence was broken by the slamming of a bedroom door, which they all took to be the Wu princess'. "What do you think of the idea Taishi Ci?"

"Erm… I can't scream, so I'll just do the running." Ci bowed to the two elders before running in the direction of his room. Jian sighed again, and took a scroll out of his pocket. He read his list quickly, before giving it to Ci's mother.

"We need to sort out the preparations… same time next week?"