Hey, I'm back, y'all. And I'm pretty pissed that school is, too... To be honest, I was having a good summer at first, but after a while, it just wasn't the best I had after all. Alot of stuff's been going on since I posted that last chapter, and none of it was expected at all, I totally didn't see any of it coming... Well, I guess it's just here now, gone tomorrow, or whatever it is people say. Life just goes on, y'know?
Well, anyway, I'm sure you've had enough of my weird, confusing mood swings for now, so thanks for reviewing and here's Chapter 21!
Enjoy!
One Year Afterward
Sun Shang Xiang slowly shut her hazel eyes as she gently rocked the swing to and fro. She found pleasure in the lovely, comforting breezes which encircled her, rippled through her hair, and tugged at her clothes. She held herself with her arms and slightly opened her eyes. The sun was beginning to rise. It was a breathtaking sight, a perfectly round sphere colored luminous hues of red and orange, tinting the sky surrounding it delicate shades of pink and yellow.
Shang Xiang didn't know why she always rose so very early in the mornings. She didn't even know why she was out here in the lovely Imperial Gardens of Wu, watching the sun rise. It was simply habitual for her. She also didn't know how she'd changed so much in just a year- only physically, of course. To begin with, her face had grown much more womanly of late. A year ago, she had been more on the skinny side, but she'd taken a break from fighting in battles and had actually developed more of an interest in food, and, as a result, her body was now more slender, her skin more clear and smooth. Even her features were beginning to take on a more attractive, interesting change. She couldn't understand why men looked at her strangely nowadays- not in the sense that they were baffled by her tomboy-ishness, she was very used to that expression. All she knew was that things were definitely different for her.
She was very nearly seventeen years of age now.
She smiled suddenly. Was her dear big brother awake yet? She hoped not, as she wanted to be the one to rudely pounce on him and jog him from his slumber. Only she had to be more careful this time- he was growing even stronger and uncomfortably harder these days. He had been training for battles pretty religiously for many months now. His muscles had become more powerful, and he had changed, too. She couldn't tell how, though.
But she had to hurry and wake him up as quick as she could! There was hardly anything that was more fun than that.
"Wake up! Wake up, you big fat lump!"
And with that shout, Shang Xiang took a running jump towards the enormous bed before her and leapt with all her force onto the lying form of her eldest brother.
She was greeted with a most painful punch to the abdomen, causing her to land onto the side of the bed. He'd been ready for her.
"Ow! Ce, that was cheating!" she cried out.
As she sat up and massaged her aching ribs (the punch was powerful enough to spread all over her mid-section), frowning, the lump she'd unsuccessfully tried to ambush rose into a half-sitting position.
"How many times," Sun Ce began, his hands on the back of his head relaxedley, "have I told you not to touch me while I'm asleep? It's for your own good when I warn you to stay away from me in the mornings, believe it or not."
"You weren't asleep," Shang Xiang shot back. "You punched me."
"That was a reflex."
Ce grinned at his sister. They'd grown even closer over time, and he was proud of her vivacity and energy- a gift they both shared.
"Yeah, right," she scoffed. "Do you have to hit so hard all the time? I swear, you're getting bigger. I don't think I can handle waking you up much longer."
"That's the best news I've heard from you in my whole life."
Shang Xiang scowled. Reaching over, she thumped her brother's bare chest, making him grunt.
"You don't train with me anymore," she teased. "Am I too weak for you now, or something?"
"No, you're just too busy with Ning to have time to do anything else these days," he replied, smiling mischievously.
Shang Xiang kept her head down so that Ce wouldn't see her flaming blush.
"Oh, whatever," she muttered. "You sound just like Quan. 'Don't you think you're spending a bit too much time with Gan Ning lately, Shang Xiang? Be careful. Remember, he used to work for the barbarian, Huang Zu. You might not know what he's capable of'. Ugh! What's his point, anyway? He makes me sick!" she finished, with a disgusted look.
Contrary to her and Ce's close bond, Shang Xiang's unsteady relationship with her second brother had taken a turn for the worse. She'd never quite forgiven him for his selfishness, and how he always talked down to her, and, needless to say, Sun Quan just wouldn't give his sister a break from his overbearing behavior.
Ce swung his long legs out of bed.
"Well, since you're obviously not gonna get off my back right now, I might as well get up," he commented.
"What time is it, anyway? Half-past dawn?" he suggested, making Shang Xiang laugh.
"Yup. Perfect time for some sun and sea. Which reminds me. Do you think you have time for something fun in a bit? Ning invited me for a cruise on his ship, and I think you could come along. It'll be really cool."
Her face was glowing with excitement.
Ce bent down and and picked his shirt off the floor.
"Nah, I'll pass. I've got some sparring to do with Yu today. Besides, I don't think it'll be right for me to steal your time with that pirate boyfriend of yours."
Shang Xiang grew scarlet now.
"He is not my boyfriend!" she said indignantly. "We're just good friends."
"Sure, Shang. Tell me another one."
"I'm serious!"
"Right."
"Excuse me?"
"Whatever you say, sis."
Shang Xiang threw up her hands in defeat.
"Fine," she fumed. "Think whatever you will. After all, you have been there, done tha-"
"What?"
Ce wheeled around to stare at her sharply, looking rather alarming. His green eyes bore into hers.
"What did you say?"
Immediately, Shang Xiang regretted her words. She forgot. She'd made a fatal mistake with that statement.
"I-I'm...sorry, I was just- I wasn't trying to-" she stammered, trying to reach him with her frightened eyes. What should she say to pacify him? She knew this was her fault. She'd made him mad.
"Forget it."
Ce was walking away from her already.
"No- I really am, I didn't mean-"
"Shang. Just forget about it, okay? It's no big deal."
But Shang Xiang knew that it was. She remained silent.
Ce turned back to look at her. She was truly contrite. Her eyes were big and fearful as she watched him watch her.
That reminded him of someone...
Damn it.
He pushed the memory out of his brain. He wanted nothing to do with it. He'd been angry with Shang Xiang for just a split second for bringing that matter up. But he knew it wasn't what she meant.
He gave Shang Xiang a tight smile, and, moving forward, he ruffled her hair.
"It's nothing," he assured her. "Stop worrying about it."
Looking immensely relieved, Shang Xiang stood on the bed, which brought her head only a few inches above Ce's, and gave him what she could of a quick bear hug.
Then, leaping off the bed lightly, she looked around his room.
There were clothes and shoes everywhere- on the floor, under the bed, hanging on the curtains, on his desk... how did he mange to make these messes? He naturally had a very large bedroom, being the crown prince and eldest son of the Emperor of Wu, but every open space was littered with piles of trash. Shang Xiang's bedroom wasn't very tidy itself, but seeing her brother's made her cringe.
"Ce, since when did you turn into such a slob? You give the palace maids the hardest time. I never thought I'd end up feeling sorry for a bunch of gossips like them."
"Yeah, well, I'm worth it," came the reply. Shang Xiang snorted with laughter. There was no exaggeration there.
"I guess I can't disagree with that. I've heard what they say about you. You'd be pleased to know most of it," she joked.
Ce said nothing. He wasn't overly fond of such topics any longer.
Shang Xiang's smile faltered, then gave way to a look of disappointment.
"You don't laugh like that anymore," she said wistfully.
"Like what?" said Ce, distractedly. He wasn't really paying much attention. He was preoccupied with throwing more clothes out of his wardrobe, trying to find something suitable for breakfast.
"You know," she pressed. "The way that you used to."
Ce stopped rummaging in his closet and looked at her for a long time, a curious, unreadable expression on his face. Neither of them said a word. Shang Xiang waited with bated breath, hoping, longing. Had she finally managed to reach him?
Abruptly, he turned away from her.
"Go," he said flatly. "Go have breakfast, I'll be down in a minute. Ning'll be wondering where you are."
"He's just... different now, Ning. There's something about him I can't figure out."
Gan Ning and Shang Xiang were both on board Ning's new, small but handsome ship. The winds were very favorable, and the two of them had been sailing on the sea peacefully for about an hour. They'd been relaxed at first, and hadn't spoken about much in particular, until Shang Xiang mentioned Ce.
"He's been like this for a while now. I wish he wasn't."
"Hmm."
Ning's face was turned to the sun, his brow furrowed slightly in thought. His arm was resting on his knee, which was bent as his foot was balancing on the front of the ship.
"I mean, he's still the best brother in the universe," Shang Xiang continued. "That hasn't changed. But he's been strange ever since...well..."
She hesitated.
Ning finally turned and faced her.
"Ever since?"
Shang Xiang seemed apprehensive on saying what was on her mind.
"Well, you know what I mean...?"
Ning grinned.
"No, I don't. Ever since what?"
He did, in fact, know exactly what she meant, but wanted her to get over her tense hesitation. It wasn't becoming to her.
Shang Xiang took a deep breath and shut her eyes tight.
"Ever since Her."
Ning nodded briefly and turned back to the sun.
"Her, huh?"
"Yes. Ever since She left."
Shang Xiang looked relieved at his reaction. At least it hadn't been the same as Ce's.
"I don't even know if he's really happy anymore," she went on, now more eagerly, glad she could finally let her opinions on the matter out. "I think he keeps trying to hide it. And that's just a totally dumb thing to do."
Ning turned back to her again.
"Oh, yeah? What would you do, then?"
Shang Xiang opened her mouth to answer. Then she stopped suddenly when she realized she had no answer to give.
"Okay," she said sheepishly, after an awkward pause. "Okay. It probably isn't that simple."
"There you go," said Ning triumphantly. "So quit blaming him for changing. We can't know what he's thinking right now."
He turned away from her again.
"Still, though," Shang Xiang persisted, trying to get him to keep looking at her. "It's been a whole year. Why doesn't he just talk about it? Has he ever mentioned Her to you? He never has to me."
Ning laughed.
"You're kidding, right? Where the hell do I come into this? Me and Ce've never exactly been best pals."
When Shang Xiang remained silent, her eyes cast down, Ning hastily added,
"I mean, he's a really great guy. I respect him and all, I mean, he is the one who let me stay here even though I used to be on the wrong side. He's always been decent to me. It's just that we're not great buddies, know what I mean?"
"Yes," she said finally, defeated. "I guess you're right. We might never know what's going on with him after all."
She hugged herself, bringing her knees up to her chin.
Ning was about to ask her whether she was cold and wanted to head back, but decided against it at the last minute. He wanted to look at her longer. She had always been pretty. Not pretty in an altogether feminine sense, but very charming and pleasing to the eye. Well, his eyes, at least. But now, she'd grown pleasing to the eyes of almost everyone. Gazes of men lingered on her these days. Ning never had expected it, but now, in spite of being a tomboy, she had become pretty in a feminine way. And attractive. Her cup of vivacity was rapidly filling to the brim, too. Perhaps it was going too far to call her a beauty, but Shang Xiang did stand out in her looks. Ning found himself staring at her longer than was proper.
She had always been his favorite of the Sun Family siblings. He got on alright with all of them, least of all with Quan, but particularly well with Shang Xiang. From the very beginning, he was impressed with her strength and her determination to prove herself, and encouraged her to continue with it. He respected her thoughts most of the time, and listened to them with interest. Honestly speaking, Ning wasn't really a thoughtful, considerate or sensible soul. He wasn't quiet, reserved or patient. Quite the opposite, actually. Some people actually went far enough to call him brash, irrational, intolerable and insensitive. Many people disapproved of him, given his pirate background, his tattoed chest and back, the alarming bells strung about his waist. Ning wasn't at all a bad sort, but his demeanor presented otherwise. Only when he was with Shang Xiang was he able to completely be who he really was- only playfully nasty, humorous, brave and loyal.
His feelings about her hadn't changed since he first got to know her, of course not. Ning was not shallow. But they had strengthened, and he felt as though he understood them better now. What exactly were they? More than friendship, he was sure of that. He enjoyed her company, and found that he could barely wait to meet her whenever they were supposed to 'hang out'. So was it obsession? He didn't notice her lift up her head as he was thinking these thoughts.
"Hey, what's with you?" she said cheerfully, clapping her stare with her eyes. "Are you alright up there?"
"Nothing," he said quickly.
But there was something, and it was something strong, and urgent, and something he had to do immediately, or he'd never be able to. In two swift movements, he leapt from the front of the ship and was standing before her in seconds.
"Wow," said Shang Xiang after recovering from her initial shock at his remarkable speed. "Well, I'm impressed. But I bet you can't do it ag-"
"What if I did something you weren't expecting?"
Ning hadn't given any sign that he heard her before he cut her off. He looked oddly determined and resolute.
She blinked at him. She looked up at him blankly. She had no idea what he meant, and had never seen him looking so before.
"What?"
"If I did something sudden. To you. Something new. How would you cope with it?"
Shang Xiang was baffled. She was still seated on the long wooden planks of the ship, but her knees were no longer drawn to up to her chest. Now, both her palms were placed on the floor behind her, supporting her weight, and her feet were touching the floor, too. She seemed ready to get to her feet.
"Um... well, it- it depends on what...uh..."
"Would you hesitate?" he pressed, impatiently now. "Would you back off? What would you do?"
Shang Xiang was getting alarmed now. And a little worried. About him. His features were arranged into a look of fierce concentration. He was staring hard at her. She suddenly felt very self-conscious. She also noted, for the umpteenth time in her life, that he was rather good-looking. In an edgy, unique way.
"Ning," she began weakly, trying to reason with him, "Ning, I think we'd better-"
Ning swooped down, grabbed the back of head firmly but gently, brought her face close to his, and kissed her. Her eyes went wide with surprise. Her face crimsoned. Her heart thumped wildly. But about a second later, she shut her eyes and kissed him back in the way she now knew how, wrapping her arms around his strong, broad shoulders. She didn't care. She knew this was what she wanted. She knew that there was no holding back now. Encouraged by her welcoming response, Ning eagerly held her about the waist, and lifted her off her feet. It was funny- a moment ago she'd been freezing, but now, she couldn't feel the cold at all. After what seemed like the longest time, they pulled apart slightly, and he set her down.
Shang Xiang stared at him without blinking. He stared back. Had that really happened? She hardly dared believe it. Their arms were still around each other. Thoroughly embarrassed, she tried to let go of him and hide her blushing face, but Ning held on.
He brushed some of the hair out of her face and looked at her for a long time, never releasing her.
Finally, he softly said,
"Never hesitate."
Shang Xiang blinked for the first time, taken aback. Then, she nodded once faintly. She couldn't take her eyes off him, for some strange reason.
He smiled at her in a way no one- not even he- ever had before.
Leaning in towards her once more, he paused only for a moment to say one word.
"Princess."
It was the second time he had addressed her in that way. The first had been over a year ago. But, as they shared another kiss, Shang Xiang realized that there was nothing more different than the way he'd said it then, and the way he said it now.
Sun Jian eyed Ce carefully as the latter respectfully kow-towed before him in the magnificent throne room. The walls were painted a deep golden and crimson, with chinese inscriptions engraved within, in gold. The corners were decorated with gold sculptures of huge tigers. The windows were ten feet high, and the frames were encrusted with rubies. Long, velvety red curtains surrounded them, and the floor and high ceiling were both made of marble, a beautiful chandelier hanging from the latter.
Sun Jian was very impressed with the fact that his first son had thrown himself into such tough training for all these months. Ce had also acquired a new sense of responsibility and patience, which, added to his other qualities, just about made him as perfect as any young man could be. Sun Jian did wonder a few times why this was so, but it did him proud, and therefore he didn't enquire after it. He watched as Ce straightened up and stood before him, his hands behind his back and his face trained up at him expectantly.
Ce was exceptionally good-looking, there was no doubt about that. He had always been, but Sun Jian noted that certain attributes about his physique had changed over the past year. A few of his features had developed considerably. His cheekbones were now slightly higher, and his strong nose and high forehead, both right and proper for the face of a king, were now slightly more regal. His eyes were more intense than they used to be a year back, and his shoulders had broadened, his body as built as ever. He hadn't grown any taller, which was all for the better, as Ce was already over six feet tall, and his height was befitting and proportional to his mass.
He was a few months over twenty years of age now.
Sun Jian cleared his throat.
"Good morning, Ce."
"Morning, Pop."
"I see you have risen earlier than usual this morning. Any particular reason-?"
Ce smiled slightly in spite of himself.
"Shang tried to attack me this morning. Again."
"Ah, I see," said Sun Jian, smiling appreciatively himself. He was glad that his son and daughter shared such a special bond. Due to their closeness. Ce was able to talk the unruly Wu princess into many things that most people wouldn't dare asking of her.
"So she was successful this time, I presume?"
"Nah, I just decided to get up myself. I hadn't slept that well, anyway."
"Oh? And why is that?" Sun Jian was mildly concerned. Ce usually slept like a baby. It was awfully hard to awaken him at the best of times.
"I went to bed late," Ce said quickly, not entirely truthful.
"Very well. Try to see that it doesn't happen again." Here, Sun Jian suddenly assumed a more imperious and business-like air. "Turning to more serious matters, Ce, I summoned you here as there is an essential task I have for you. I think you will find it rather unusual," he went on, beckoning to one of the six attendants who stood on either side of his throne, "but I am certain that you are up to it and will do a more than satisfactory job."
Ce nodded, as he listened attentively with mild interest. His father had never given him a task so formally before. He watched as the attendant handed Sun Jian a large, elegantly decorated scroll of parchment before bowing and resuming his place among the other guards.
"You have heard, no doubt, of the growing power of the Wei Kingdom, led by Lord Cao Cao of Anhui?"
Again, Ce nodded silently. Yes, he certainly had heard of it. Wei was rapidly becoming a formidable force for its enemies to reckon with. At present, the kingdoms of Wei and Wu were both at peace with each other, but it may only be a matter of time before the former posed a serious threat to Wu.
"Good. Well then, I have received a message-" and here he began to unscroll it- "from Lord Cao Cao himself. It says-"
"Are we going to war?" Ce blurted out. Some of his old excitement gleamed in his eyes. His trademark smile flashed across his face. Finally! A chance to excercise all his rough training. A chance to go into battle once again after the long break. He could fight for his land once more. The Little Conqueror would be back to show the villains who was boss. "Is that what he says? Are we going on campaign? Great! Don't worry, Pop, I won't let you d-"
"It says nothing of the sort, Sun Ce," Sun Jian cut him across, raising his eyebrow disapprovingly. "Now control yourself. Not every warlord concerns himself with war alone."
"Oh."
Ce's face fell. He'd been hoping with all his might to get out of the palace and go back to doing what he loved- fighting. But it seemed like that wasn't to be.
"Fine. Whatever. I'm not disappointed. I mean, look at me. I can't wait for you to read the rest of that sh- um, I mean, the scroll."
Sun Jian's attendants stifled laughs of appreciation. They'd known Ce since he was a child, and he'd endeared himself to them. He never ceased to amuse them, not even unintentionally.
"As I was saying," continued Sun Jian, as Ce shuffled his feet uninterestedly, "I have here an invitation from Lord Cao Cao of Wei. His second son and heir, Lord Cao Pi, comes of age in a few weeks. In his honor, Cao Cao has sent such invitations to numerous warlords and important officials to attend a grand ball he will be holding in-"
Sun Jian had to stop here as Ce had suddenly let out a loud groan.
"Oh no," he began, backing off and shielding his face with his hands "No. I know what's coming, and you can't be serious. Pop, please, do not ask me to go to this "grand ball', or whatever. You've gotta be kidding if you think I am going there."
Sun Jian raised his eyebrow once again, severely this time.
"How foolish of you to assume, Sun Ce. Of course I am not asking this of you."
Ce exhaled his held breath in relief.
"Well, that's great, 'cause I really can't-"
"I am ordering it."
Ce groaned again.
"I was afraid you were going to say that," he muttered, his hands on his hips, his head bent.
"Yes, well, now that I have said it, I suppose you have plenty of packing to do. I know you prefer the servants to stay out of your way, so you are at perfect liberty to do it on your own. I expect you to be prepared to leave in-"
"Woah, woah, woah! Hold up, I never said I was going!" Ce exclaimed, snapping his head back up at once, his arms akimbo, his face flabbergasted. "I can't! And why should I, anyway?"
Sun Jian frowned. This wasn't going to be easy.
"Ce, I do not wish to argue over this. I have given you very clear instructions and I expect you to follow them. Prominent people from all over the land will be attending to represent their kingdoms, and Wu needs one itself, therefore I-"
"So why me? Why don't you go?" Ce whined. Sun Jian was the only person Ce would belittle himself before, more to irritate him than anything else.
Sun Jian sighed deeply. No, this was going to take a very long time, he corrected himself.
"Because I said so."
But Ce wanted a better explanation than that.
"Aw, Pop! C'monnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!" he whined again, enjoying the effect it was having on his father.
Sun Jian screwed up his face in annoyance and ground his teeth. Oh, the misery.
"Shut up! Stop that idiotic noise at once, and act your age!"
"Then tell me why you're making me do this!" Ce exploded.
"Because you will be turning twenty-one in ten months or less, thereby coming of age yourself and I want the officials of Wei to realize that no son of Wu is any less than a son of their own! That is why, Ce, I order you to-"
Ce changed track immediately.
"So send Quan instead! Trust me, he's gonna like doing it. I know he'll actually want to go for something like this."
It was true. Quan never missed an opportunity to show off with his flamboyancy and royal position. Ce had a valid point. But Sun Jian still wasn't giving up.
"Ce, I know that very well, but to be honest with you, I would much rather Quan did not accept this invitation. I wish for you to go, as I know you have both carved a special reputation and earned an admirable title yourself by participating in battles and assisting me in ruling the land. And for that, I can not be prouder of you. But never before have you done anything remarkable apart from this, and I do not understand why, you being outgoing, charismatic, and, if I dare say so myself, infinitely more likeable than your brother will ever be. This is why I want to give you your first taste of socializing with possible future enemies. I want you to show them that my own heir is as impressive as theirs, if not more. The other kingdoms think that Wu is nipping aggressively at their borders now, but I want them to see that when you are Emperor, if necessary, Wu will have fangs and will bite."
He finished his speech. Ce was looking pointedly at his feet, now in silence. He was contemplating his father's words. His arms were crossed now. His eyebrows were raised in defiance and his lips compressed, to keep from shouting out in protest. Sun Jian sighed again, this time in sadness.
"Ce, I know you would rather have nothing to do with this," he said defeatedly. "But this is what I want. I know you are capable. Yet I know you are adamant. Please reconsider. I wish for you to take this scroll, travel with it to Xu Chang, present it to the Wei Ministers to attend that ball, and do the best you can to impress Wei, and Cao Cao himself. We are family, The Sun Family, and I am counting on you to uphold our honor. You have never failed me yet. I need your word that you never will. Do I have it?"
He held the scroll out to him and shut his eyes, waiting, hoping. If Ce refused, if he backed out of this, if he didn't take the scroll... Sun Jian didn't know what action to take next.
A long silence passed.
Finally, just as Sun Jian was beginning to lose all hope, he felt a hand take hold of the scroll and pull it from his own.
"So, you're really going then, huh?"
"Yup. No choice. Pop's really counting on me."
"I know. He always does."
"Wonder why he doesn't just quit."
Zhou Yu smiled, his eyebrow raised in amusement.
"Because he probably knows you'll never quit obeying him."
Ce and Yu were both standing outside Jian Ye Palace. The afternoon sun was high above them, shining brightly in the sky, and Ce was loading all his belongings into the back of the carriage that was designed for his long journey. The carriage was to be drawn by four huge, royal stallions, and was positioned on the path to the palace gates. It was a fairly large carriage, comfortable enough for lengthy travels, and the steeds were more than able to handle extensive pulling as they galloped far from their stables.
Ce drew himself up, and stared at his sworn brother in deep thought, dwelling on his words.
"Yeah, maybe you're right," he said at last, and continued loading his luggage. He had packed just enough for several weeks, as he did not expect to have a long visit.
"Here, let me help you with that one," Yu offered, as he made his way towards Ce, who was in the middle of lifting a rather large and bulky-looking crate.
"No, it's fine. I can do it," said Ce sharply, waving Yu away. He seized the big, heavy crate lifted it up with all his might, and shoved it into the carriage, releasing his breath in tired relief when it was safely jammed inside.
Yu whistled.
"Wow. What on earth was in that?"
"Dunno. Present for Cao Pi, Pop said."
"It was huge. Why didn't you let me help?"
Ce shrugged nonchalantly. He resumed the packing of the carriage.
"And why do you keep training all the time, anyway? You never used to do it so much before. I don't even think you needed to."
"Don't know. I just wanted to," came the curt reply.
Yu shook his head, confused, his eyes surveying Ce as he busied himself again.
Yu was puzzled by Ce's strange behavior. Granted, Ce was still the person he'd always been, but there was something about him that he didn't have before. Yu couldn't tell if it was good or bad. But he knew for a fact that it was just... strange.
In the past year, Yu hadn't changed nearly as much as Ce had in attitude, but he had surely changed more in appearance. For one thing, Yu's face, which had been the very image of his mother's, had slightly hollowed out. His masculine facial structure was much more prominent now, and his delicate, prim features had roughened a little, giving them an almost manly edge. His nose, for one thing, was, although rather reminiscent of how it had been months ago, now no longer had an air of being delicate. His eyebrows were now even more arched, and his eyes seemed more meaningful than they were a year back. Even his body, which had been reasonably muscular in the past, was now more built and less lean. Yu was certainly very handsome, and yet, there was still something about his looks that set him apart, very much like Ce.
Still, there would still be the occasional young woman who would glance at him and instantly think him 'pretty'.
"Ce, you haven't been yourself for a while."
Ce said nothing. Yu knew that he was treading on very dangerous ground by bringing up what he was going to, but he had decided to take a risk. Ce couldn't keep avoiding this topic forever.
"A year back, you'd have been excited to do something new. You wouldn't have complained about leaving to Wei half as much as you are now. And you're training for battle like crazy. You never did that before. You're different now."
Still nothing. Ce was acting as though he hadn't even listened to what Yu was saying. But Yu knew his sworn brother well enough to know that he was listening; to every word, too. Yu decided to simply take the plunge and make clear what he was implying.
"You've been acting like this ever since D-"
"Yu."
Ce slammed the rear-door very forcibly, so that the entire carriage shook. One of the horses neighed in annoyance.
He turned to look at Yu, his face set, his eyes determined.
"How many times do I have to say it? I'm over her. Alright? I couldn't care less about what happened a year ago. I don't know why everyone thinks I've changed, becasue if I even have, I don't know why myself. That girl has nothing to do with me, or any of it. Understand?"
Yu looked at him calmly, in silence. Ce looked away from him for a few seconds, fixing his eyes onto the sun. None of them said a word for what seemed like years.
Then, Ce's head snapped back Yu, and he said, as though nothing had happened,
"You sure you can't come along?"
Yu laughed.
"Ce, yes I am. I told you, I've got to to stay and mentor Lu Xun. I swear, that boy's actually sharper than half the kingdom. Plus I have that huge assignment due in less than a month, remember?"
"Yes."
Yu had been working tirelessly over the last couple of months over his last task to qualify for the position Grand Strategist of Wu. This assignment would determine all- if he truly was capable of taking over the great strategist Chang Chao, and secure what he'd been working for during the last five years. He had little to no breaks as he toiled. His goal, his lifelong dream, was very close to being accomplished, and Ce knew he was more than good enough to handle this title.
"I might join you after a while, though. How long are you staying there, again?"
"Oh, I dunno," Ce said defeatedly, his hands on his hips as he looked at the carriage in dislike.
"Not so long. Just until the party's over. After that, I am outta there."
"Well, in that case, I guess there's no point in coming then. You better have fun, okay?"
Ce scoffed.
"In Wei? Heyl no!"
Yu laughed again. Ce smiled slightly, then the two young men strode up to each other and engaged in a quick, one-armed hug.
"You take care of things while I'm gone," Ce ordered, as they clapped their right hands together in the air. "And say bye to Shang for me."
"Speaking of her, where is she?" Yu frowned slightly. "I haven't seen her all morning."
Ce gave an involuntary smile.
"With the pirate. Don't let Quan know, or she'll kill you."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Ce's eyes swept the palace one more time, before he and Yu walked towards the carriage. The royal chauffeur was now sitting in his position on top of it, the reins in his hands. He nodded briefly at Ce, and looked ahead, preparing for the journey.
Ce opened the side door and looked inside disdainfully.
"I hate riding in these things," he groaned. "It's gonna take hours to get there, and they'll need to see me in it to believe I really am who I am. I won't survive."
Yu felt a crafty smile twitch the corner of his mouth.
"Well, who said you had to ride in it the whole way?"
Ce turned to his friend, and felt a smile forming on his own face.
"You're right," was the last thing he said to him, before grabbing the carriage, jumping up beside the bewildered chauffeur and yanking the reins, which caused the horses to gallop at full speed, away from Jian Ye Palace, leaving behind a rush of wind which fluttered Yu's hair.
Yu grinned broadly as he watched the carriage speed further and further from him. He could distinctly hear Ce's loud whoop of excitement in the distance.
You never could lie to me, brother.
K, so I've turned Shang Xiang into a hottie, and made her and Ning FINALLY kiss, I've turned Ce into an even bigger hottie than before, and I've got him heading to Xu Chang, I've turned Yu less pretty and more handsome, and now I hope I've got you all wondering where I'm going to go with this story next! Please do remember to review and tell me what you think of this chapter. It's weird that I get so many hits, and such few reviews to compare with those... C'mon! Let me know you were here!
Thanks!