It had been a very touching sight to behold actually. Liu Bei and Sun Shang Xiang had come face to face in the dining hall when Sun Quan announced the idea to Liu Bei. The Shu lord was left speechless for a few moments. Parts of the stuttering he did was because of Shang Xiang popping up with her female armed guards. The other bit caused by the astonishment he felt at the moment. Sun Quan was trusting him with his sister. Then the two had embraced and things were set. Now the party was to start and every male officer seemed to have whipped out the alcohol.
Ming Yue sat akwardly away from the others as they began to let themselves become intoxicated off their drinks. The rest of the female guard unit had either stayed to flirt with the males or had gone away to tend to their husbands. Everyone seemed so happy, and yet Ming was feeling down right miserable at the moment. Her stomach turned and she found herself crouched even more into the corner she had picked. Not as though anyone really noticed either, that is what she thought atleast.
"Hey there!" a cheery female voice rang out about the same time she started feeling something poking her head repeatedly. Tilting her head up a little she saw Zhou Yu's wife standing above her holding an eating utensil in her hand, obviously what had been poking her in the head repeatedly. A little grin was worn on her face and Ming Yue seemed baffled as to why.
"Hello," Was all she could spit out.
"Whatcha doing all by yourself here?"
"Shang Xiang is up with her new husband" Ming Yue found herself responding rather irritatedly. This Liu Bei didn't even allow her to sit near her friend. Xiao Qiao tilted her head curiously before happily grabbing at Ming's hand. The littlest Qiao proved to be stronger then Ming had originally thought, for Ming Yue had been pulled to her feet and was now following after her. Pushing past other guests and drunk officers Xiao Qiao sat herself down in her place next to Zhou Yu and Da Qiao. Akwardly Ming stood there until Xiao Qiao used her foot to push out a seat for th girl.
"Here you go!" She responded cheerfully, "You looked lonely over there so you can sit with us!"
"Thank you..." It was almost more intimidating sitting next to the strategist Zhou Yu then it was sitting alone during a party. But she didn't dare tell the Qiao's no. Silently she looked over to Da Qiao who was sitting there silently sipping her tea, this state was nothing new, not since Sun Ce's death.
Carefully Ming Yue picked up a glass of the wine, taking a small sip before turning her attention to Sun Quan and the others at the front. There sat her sister, and best friend about to be married to this Liu Bei. She was all dolled up more eagar then ever while he calmly sat there seeming to talk to Sun Quan more then her. Silently the pit of her stomach turned, Sun Shang Xiang deserved even better then the Shu lord. Often she had watched her sister eye men of their own army, why couldn't Sun Quan have her marry one of them!
"You aren't happy about her marriage are you?" A silken voice interupted. At first her thoughts kept her from recognizing it, but turning her head she saw Zhou Yu looking directly at her. "Shang Xiang is leaving, and you seem scared to lose her like we lost Sun Ce. Do not worry about her...Good things are to come of this union, and Shang Xiang will be able to manage on her own."
Yue nodded her head in agreement with the statement but still didn't smile. It was becoming a touchy subject, especially if others could read it so easily on her. Normally Yue would be the most talk-a-tive of the female guard unit, but she was now the quietest. It wasn't easy trying to speak with her superiors, let alone someone like Zhou Yu.
"Well if you're that upset about it how about you do me a great favor then"
"What?" The last phrase really catching her attention.
"I would appreciate it if you escorted the caravan taking the princess to the palace of Chendu. Already I have Gan Ning going with Zhou Tai, and since Ling Tong refuses to work with Gan Ning and I am weak at the time...I need someone else to go."
"So you want me to go?"
"Yes if you would like. I believe Sun Shang Xiang would feel a little more comfortable if you helped escort her there."
"After that?"
"You return here for further instruction. If you do a good job, and I'll have Zhou Tai watching, we'll consider placing you in one of the units."
Ming Yue sat there for a moment in wonder if she should accept the task or not. But before even getting the chance a "Yes mad- I mean sir!" And to call Zhou Yu a lady was quite embarassing. Hopefully he understood from her prior habits of serving Lady Sun had rubbed quite a bit off on her. Taking another sip of her wine she smiled a little and looked onto the crowds.
Upon one table climbed the young officer Ling Tong. A handsome young man who had come into the service of Wu shortly after his father. Standing proudly he held a sword in his hands instead of his normal Nunchaku. His face flushed from wine and encouragement of serving mades he flailed it with a grin to gather everyone's attention.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMAN!" He called out rather out of character for him, "Lord Liu Bei and Lady Sun, I've decided in occasion to this event that I'd entertain you in some way. But seeming without much talent in the arts I've come to the conclusion I'll entertain you with a sword dance!" Many from the audience cheered this act on. Only more encouraged Ling Tong caught a blade that was thrown to him and began to dance. His manner wasn't very graceful, and he was wobbling a little but it was more then amusing to most of the crowd.
However there was a very unpleased soul who was also very drunk at this point. The pirate Gan Ning rose from his seat getting onto the table. Unlike Ling Tong he was a little more stable when he was drunk and saw the blade as a direct threat to him. Grabbing a spear he grinned looking to Ling Tong on the opposite table.
"He's not the only one who can dance, how about I show ya with a double bladed spear..."
In an instant Lu Meng was up there to break the two apart. Drunk Gan Ning had mistaken Ling Tong with a blade as a threat to him since they were sat rather close so he had acted very defensively. Sun Quan buried his face in his hands for a moment as Liu Bei looked at him rather confused.
"...do all your officer's try to kill another?"
"no...just those two.."
They had set out at early dawn and it was apparent that it would be a very long trip. Upon a white mount, Ming Yue sat alert at the head of Sun Shang Xiang's caravan. Zhou Yu's offer was still very fresh in her mind and she wasn't about to disappoint a soul. Ahead of her she could see Liu Bei's on his horse, riding next to him a few guards. It was hard to believe that Sun Quan had married her to the man who they once called enemy. Was it really because they were calling a truce with the two nations?
At Ming Yue's side was the girl's weapon, a thin long blade that she managed to strike incrediably fast with. A rapier and shield, each on a side ready for her to grab at the first sight of trouble.
"Hey you!"
"Huh? Me?" Ming Yue's innocent voice called out in response.
"Yea you! What's with the stiff riding? Sheesh you look like you're going to a funeral" The rough voice was growing closer as was the sound of another trotting horse. Turning her head slightly she caught sight of the drunken pirate from the evening before. He looked a lot more sober now, though she was fairly surprised he wasn't vomitting his guts somewhere back down the trail.
"...I just don't trust this."
"This? What this? You mean the trip or Liu Bei?"
"Both.." She responded sharply eyeing the man in green and on the white horse infront of them.
"Heh, I tend not to try and nose in that area. Its all politics ya know? Not my area of concern. However I can say I think Sun Quan has a card or two up his sleeves with this marriage.."
"Perhaps."
"You're quite the talker aren't ya?" He noted her habbit of one word answers with a little grin on his face. "You and Zhou Tai would have great conversations I bet."
"Very funny..."
Suddenly her horse bucked up in defiance of going any further. Gripping the reigns tightly she managed to stay on but was quite unsure what had happened. Gan Ning smirked a little mistaking it for inexperience until suddenly a volley of arrows rained down upon the party.
Both Gan Ning an Ming Yue, who were in front, were knocked from their steeds who took off running. The lines carriage holding Shang Xiang was light on fire when the attention was put back onto it. Lady Sun however had jumped on out searching for the cause of the problem. Every officer was either dead or lost in the mass chaos that had just taken place. Liu Bei had even turned around to figure out what on earth had happened.
It went silent for a moment, as though they had hit the eye of a storm. In the brief pause in action Ming Yue had ran to the side of Sun Shang Xiang while Zhou Tai tried to maintain order in the ranks of the small units. No one had been quite sure what had happened, until a straggling soldiers screamed very loudly.
"AMBUSH! Its a-"
And down fell the man as an arrow shot him in the back.
Authors Note: HEYA! I got one comment from last chapter! Wh00t! Sorry for the bit of delay I've also been trying to work on that old Samurai Warriors Fic of mine aswell. (about damn time too). Well if you haven't figured out yet that I'm pairing Gan Ning with an original character. Also I will say Liu Bei and SSX will not remain a couple forever, I have other plans for that girlie. I like odd couplings so bare with me on it. Any guesses who SSX and DQ will be paired with?
