Yessiree, I am back again with another update! I guess this one did kinda take a bit longer than the others, but what the heck, better late than never! Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving, and in case I don't make it to another chapter in time, Merry Christmas to you all who celebrate it! I guess I have ALOT of people to be grateful to for reviewing, but since I've replied to pretty much everyone who left off a signed review, I guess all I have to do is say 'thank you' to Odine12825, and Ayumi for remembering to read this fanfic, and I'm home free! Anyways, besides that, all I can add is that I hope this chapter will be as loved as all the rest. So, to all you avid (that's a new word I learned- catchy, isn't it?) readers out there- here's Chapter 24!
Enjoy.
It was barely dawn. The sun highlighted the borders of the pink clouds as it prepared for its morning rise. Birds twittered faintly in the distance, and gentle breezes kissed Sun Ce's face and hair.
He took a deep breath as he dismounted his stallion. He'd made it. He could hardly believe how perfect his timing was. While he'd been galloping as if his life had depended on it, he kept thinking of only one thing: about how although he was determined to reach in time, he almost hoped he wouldn't- he didn't think he could handle any more shock after last night- heck, another episode of drama and he might as well be traumatized for life. But he had a job to do. This was what he wanted, and he would get through with it. He took yet another deep breath.
Raising his head, he surveyed the house that lay before him. A very pretty dwelling. And perfectly noble as well. It was by no means anywhere near as luxurious as the palaces of Jian Ye or Xu Chang, but it was a very spacious and comfortable-looking mansion nonetheless. It was clear to anyone that the residents were of esteemed birth, and Ce knew at once just by looking at it that he would have enjoyed living here. Almost everything about it was charming- with the exception of the ridiculously high gates, which, though wide open, seemed as if they were meant to either protect the inhabitants from the world, or prevent them from escaping, Ce thought.
Now, as he slowly forced his feet to trudge towards them, he was gradually filled with a sense of duty beside longing. He knew that it was much his obligation to find out what he wanted to know as much as it was his want. However, this knowledge did nothing to make his situation more pleasant, and also added greatly to his dread.
Before he knew it, Ce had walked right through the formidable gates and up to the mansion. Behind him, his horse followed in resolute loyalty. This was all happening too fast, and yet, Ce couldn't bring himself to turn back. As he drew nearer and nearer to the tall, wooden, and really quite beautiful doors, his hands formed large, firm fists. It was growing to be unbearable. He was- and he hated to admit it- nervous, yet again. Dammit, when had he suddenly turned into a sissy girl? Not so long ago, he used to face whatever was coming to him- and with a huge smile on, too. He used to invite trouble in- or at least stand up to it. He could- and would- do the very same thing now.
More confident, he took a final stride towards the doors, and, damning all the sense of politeness and humility that he was taught- such as the fact that it was improper to call on anyone at the crack of dawn- summoned all his strength and hammered on the door at least thrice.
That was more like it! This was the person he really was- or used to be. Always open to a good fight. Always doing his own thing, regardless of how much it hurt him. This was who he wanted to be.
He didn't have long to wait to prove himself, either. Within five seconds, footsteps were audible. Ce tensed, waiting for what he knew was going to happen. Another few seconds. Then, the doors slowly pushed open to reveal-
A young woman standing between them, wearing an especially startled look.
Ce blinked. A complete stranger. Not whom he'd been expecting. Oh, well. He supposed it was better than nothing. At least she wasn't threatening. He waited for the girl to allow him in.
She paused for the shortest of moments as she took in Ce's appearance, his demeanor, and his royal aura, with wide, dark eyes. A faint blush tinted her face.
"May I help you, Sire?"
Her voice came out in a whisper.
"Yes, I'm here for something very... very important."
Well, that was truer than anything else he could have said.
The woman nodded once in understanding, but her face took on an apologetic shade.
"Do forgive me, Sire, but the Master is gone for the entire moon. Perhaps if you could leave a message-?"
The Master was gone for the entire moon. Ce stared at her. Wow. This was the best piece of news he'd ever heard since leaving Wu. He couldn't believe how easy this truly was for him. The speedy, uneventful journey was no coincidence. It was almost as if he was meant to come here.
But the girl was waiting.
"Is there anything else I can do for you, my lord?"
Ce hesitated, phrasing his answer carefully. He didn't want to let her assume that he was here for something far worse than he actually was.
"Yeah, actually, there is. I was wondering if I could talk to your mistress?" he asked casually.
Her expression shifted to confused, but thankfully, it was nothing worse than that.
"My... My mistress?" she repeated.
"Yeah, that's what I said," he replied, throwing in his trademark smile for her benefit.
It worked like a charm, as always.
If she had blushed before, that was nothing compared to now. Her face crimsoned, but she managed to retain her composure. She still looked confused, but she was more at ease now.
She surveyed him again.
"Perhaps you'd better come in, my lord," she said at last, standing gracefully to the side to let him in.
Before Ce could move, however, his horse nudged him in the back, and gave an indignant snort. His master was forgetting him.
"Oh, please forgive me, my lord! We'll take care of him for you right away," the young maid- for that was obviously what she was- said at once, and waved her hand for several more young ladies, who, almost dancing out of nowhere, stepped outside to attend to the handsome animal.
With a reassuring pat on his horse's nose, Ce turned and walked into the house.
His first impression of the inside of the manor was that it was lovely- lovely enough for him to stay there. It was very large, too, and its feng shui was clever as well as attractive. The place befitted its owners.
"Please make yourself comfortable," the maid said warmly, but slightly flustered, as she led him into a plush sitting-room. "I'll let her know you are waiting. May I be told how I am to announce you, Sire?"
Ce had just seated himself cross-legged onto a pouffe when her obligatory question threw him off-balance. How stupid of him to forget. Of course she needed to know his name. what to tell her? He couldn't give his real name, certainly not... well, at least not now. It wasn't that he was afraid anyone back in Wei might catch wind of this little visit, not exactly. It was just that he didn't want to give this maid's mistress any warning... he wanted to surprise her, in a way.
"You could just tell her that a friend of hers is visiting for a bit."
Looking as puzzled as ever, but still obedient enough to not question him, the girl nodded once again and swept out of the room. Ce could still hear her light footsteps as she climbed up the winding staircase, and smiled. He knew that whatever happened afterwards, whatever he gleaned and whatever he discovered, he was not going to regret journeying here. Probably because he was looking forward to this more than anything else he had looked forward to for months.
Suddenly, Ce's ears picked up a few ill-concealed whispers echoing off the walls. He held his breath, leaning forwards and strained his ears. He couldn't make anything of it, however, so he slowly rose to his feet and noiselessly walked towards the staircase, taking care to catch every word of the muffled conversation taking place upstairs. He didn't exactly know why he was doing this- maybe he was merely curious. He was finally able to pick something up:
"...said he was a friend, my lady, I really wish you would go and meet him-"
"But I haven't even got any friends, Hui! Tell him to go away, I'm not going to see him."
Ce felt a slight jolt of excitement at the familiar voice.
"Please, my lady, it isn't how you think! He's different from the rest, I know it-"
"Hui, you've only met him for five minutes! How do you know what he's like? I don't care, I don't even want to know him."
"But, that's just it, my lady! He knows you!"
A pause.
"What?"
"He knows you, my lady. I could see it in his eyes. The way he asked me to call you down... It was as if he were enjoying a private joke."
Another, longer pause.
"A joke?"
The voice was no longer a whisper.
"Yes. That's why... I really think you should see him. He isn't here to look at you, my lady, he's here to see you."
Ce waited, ready to turn blue with all the oxygen he was barring from his lungs. Hoping... and hoping...
"No. I can't, Hui. Please send him away."
The voice was small, meek, and defeated. But Ce could hear the longing buried within them.
Five seconds passed.
"Very well, my lady," came the resigned response.
No way. Ce hadn't ridden all those hours just to be turned away. If she wasn't going to listen to sense, he was going to make her.
He stood at the base of the stairs firmly, and called out in his loud, carrying voice,
"Get down here, Xiao. It's me."
Although it had been totally quiet even while he was making his announcement, Ce could still sense how the shock in the air upstairs multiplied a hundredfold. He could feel the emotions running through the girl he had come to see, could feel, analyze, and relate to them perfectly, because they were the same ones that he was feeling right now. He waited, knowing now that any moment now, she would appear to him.
He was right. The sound of small-footed steps burst form above, and the ceiling vibrated with the force of the eagerness of whomever possessed them.
In no time at all, Xiao Qiao was standing at the top of the stairs.
Ce's mouth dropped open as he stared at his friend. This young girl was miles away from the one he'd come to love a year ago. She looked unbelievable. So beautiful. And yet, after he got over his initial shock... he could still see her in every part, every facet of this new person that he looked at. There she was, in her long hair which was only a few shades darker than before; there she was, in that small, full-lipped mouth which always made him laugh, and there she was, in that hour glass figure, which, although nowhere near as mature a year back as it was now, still trembled with the childishness of her very essence. Yes, she had undergone a major change- but Ce had only to look into those honey-brown eyes to see the Xiao he'd always known.
So different from the eyes he had stared into not twelve hours before.
He mentally changed the statement he'd made yesterday, adding in the word which made the most difference- A whole lot could definitely happen in a year.
Ce saw his own face reflected in hers- he knew that she was displaying all his emotions. None of them broke their stares for several seconds, and then finally, she whispered,
"Is that you, Ce?"
Without a word, Ce held out his arms, and she ran right into them- no, ran, skipped, even glided down the steps two at a time- and leaped right off the bottom two steps into them, with the joyful cry:
"You're here! You're here!"
She buried her head into his shoulder, allowed him to pick her relatively petite form off the ground, and rocked herself back and forth, all the while shaking in a way that Ce did not recognize. Ce's head was instantly filled with the sound of her incessant giggles.
It was only when he felt the moisture running down his arm that Ce realized, with a pang of shock, that the girl was crying along with the laughter. Her tears touched his heart more than they did his shoulder.
Embarrassed, he attempted to hold her away and brush her face clean, but she held onto him tighter, and he could just make out her breathing over and over:
"I knew you'd come, Ce! I knew you'd come!"
Xiao Qiao could barely believe it. Even though she knew this was really happening, even though she continued to reassure him along with herself that she'd known this day would come sooner or later, she still could not accept the fact that he was here. She kept her eyes shut, because she knew that the moment she opened them, he would disappear, and so would all the dreams and hopes that she'd carefully preserved.
She kept her arms clamped around her tall, strong, beloved friend for a long time, crying and laughing her heart out into one of his arms with relief and joy, until his warm hands took hold of her face and carefully pried her from himself.
She was finally forced to blink her eyes open. Her vision was blurry, but she could still see him. So he wasn't gone. Thank goodness. She mopped up her eyes impatiently with her sleeve till it cleared.
When it did, she found herself staring into Sun Ce's familiar face. He'd bent down on one of his knees so that his head was more in level with hers, as always. But there was something different about him. This face wasn't exactly like the one she was used to. Neither was the body. For one thing, Ce's head was a little lower than hers this time. She couldn't understand why. Had he shrunk? That wasn't a good thing... But pushing that worry aside, she noted that his face had changed- he was even more masculine and handsome than before. The sight of it made her proud- he always was quite the catch, and hardly ever saw it is anything special, no matter how much she tried to convince him otherwise. She would have to get back to him on that. But one thing she saw filed her with an unknown kind of sadness she didn't understand- something in Ce's green eyes suggested a sort of suffering- something she might have already felt, but not to such an extent. She frowned. She didn't like that feeling- she didn't like it at all, especially not in him. She wanted to snatch it out of Ce and beat it down- it wasn't at all becoming to his usually carefree, cheerful disposition.
When she tore her eyes away from his, she realized that he was staring at her in the same way in which she was him.
"What?" she half-giggled, half-hiccuped.
Ce laughed himself. The deep, yet fresh and young sound made her mind race. This really was happening! Finally!
"Look at you!" he exclaimed. Standing up, he measured her height, placing his hand on top of her head. "Is someone standing on her tiptoes?" he teased.
"You're the one who lost a head!"
They started laughing again.
"I sure have missed ya, rugrat."
"Me, too," she replied earnestly. "I'm so glad you're here, Ce!"
And she was. Seeing one of her closest friends now, after a whole year, made her feel like seeing the sun after a particularly rainy week. It warmed her up beyond words.
"Hold on a sec," he instructed. Stepping back, he carefully looked her over.
Xiao shifted from side to side, her eyes fixed on her feet as she fidgeted and fumbled with her dress. She was used to being stared at, and didn't at all like it. It wasn't as if Ce was a strange, creepy man like the ones who would come to court her and ask for her hand, and she knew he neither meant any harm, nor looked at her in that way, but she was still uncomfortable with the whole thing nonetheless.
"Xiao," he said finally, "Xiao, you've morphed into a real babe!"
That was what was needed to break the momentary tension. Xiao burst out laughing.
"Oh, please, Ce," she snorted. "Like you really mean that."
"I'm serious," he insisted. "Just look at yourself, you little brat. You're gorgeous."
It was true: everything about Xiao, her eyes, her face, her hair, her self, had taken on a change- but a change for the better. She had transformed- not drastically- but enough to look very different from her former self. For as long as The Two Qiaos had lived at Jian Ye Palace, both had certainly been sights worth seeing. But it had always been Da Qiao who was considered the true beauty, the visibly lovely woman, more matured as she was. Xiao, on the other hand, although deemed sweet and adorable, even very pretty, only looked especially beautiful to Zhou Yu. Not that he'd been entirely wrong about that- the girl had admittedly possessed a certain sort of charm, and still did. But now, as Ce examined her more thoroughly, he had no doubt that everyone would be astonished to see her beauty- now that she had filled out her curves, and grew up a bit. Ce couldn't help but compare her to her sister- she was possibly even more beautiful than Da had been a year ago. As for now- he couldn't exactly tell. Da had definitely changed, it was undoubtedly true, but Xiao was the one who had taken him by utter surprise- by her change, that was.
But then he remembered how wonderfully stunning Da looked the night before, and he realized that she was beyond beautiful.
"Nothing special," she mumbled, replying to his statement. "I'm still just a little kid."
It was Ce's turn to snort this time.
"Yeah, right. How old are you now?"
Xiao drew herself up proudly.
"Nearly sixteen," she declared.
Ce whistled.
"Wow, that is something."
"What about you, you shrunk? I told you not to stay up so late all the time! That stops you growing! You haven't been taking care of yourself. And you always thought drinking milk was for babies. Well, I'm sure you've changed your mind now that you're growing backwards, mister..."
Ce laughed inwardly. Really, it had been worth the journey to see Xiao, just for this.
"Damn, honey," he said, unable to stop himself, "If only Yu could see you now, then-"
He clamped his mouth shut the moment he saw her reaction to the name. He could have kicked himself letting it slip out so easily.
Xiao's lips shut tight, her eyes turned blank, and her shoulders twitched as though she'd been pinched. She wrapped her arms about herself, as though she was chilly, and rocked herself back and forth, her head slightly bent, her eyes lowered.
She was driving it out of her. Trying to forget that Ce had mentioned him. Trying to let go of the memories which swarmed inside of head. Trying to fight back the tears which were painfully struggling to escape her eyes. Now was not the time. She would grieve later. But why seal off all hope? There was always the chance that he...
Looking up at Ce she whispered,
"He's not- he isn't here, is he?"
So much hope. So much longing constricted in her voice as she stared up at him eagerly.
It pained Ce's heart to answer.
"No."
She didn't move.
"Right," she whispered looking down again. "That's what I thought."
She suddenly dropped her arms from her sides. Her fists clenched and unclenched themselves a few times. Ce waited with his breath held. Then, raising her face, Xiao gave him a bright, sunny smile, which made him laugh in relief.
"Well, come on!" she exclaimed. "Let's go sit down, there's so much I want to tell you! You couldn't have picked a better time, Papa's out for two more weeks, and I don't think he'd ever hear of this, Hui's really nice, she wouldn't tell him anything..."
Ce let her familiar chatter wash over him as she sat before him cheerily, pausing only to take deep breaths, ask if he was sure he didn't want anything ("Maybe some milk?"), and then resuming her tales with as much vigor as before.
He let her go on and on, not really listening, but trying his best to formulate his questions. He didn't want to shock her with everything he'd found out. He truly loved Xiao- as somewhere between a close friend and sister- and couldn't bring himself to say anything that would hurt her feelings. And he had the strangest feeling that, while Xiao genuinely loved to keep talking to people she trusted, he couldn't help but feel, as he noticed her enthusiasm in keeping him preoccupied with their 'conversation', that she didn't want him to ask her what she thought he would. She didn't want him to realize that something was missing- and even though he already knew what and why, Xiao was oblivious that he did, and something about her insistence at distracting him irritated Ce.
"Xiao," he interrupted at last, with a certain note of finality she somehow remembered.
She bit her lip.
Please don't let him ask, please don't let him ask, please don't let him ask...
She was thankful that Ce couldn't hear what was going through her mind at the moment.
"Xiao, why won't you tell me about her?"
Or maybe he could.
"Umm... about who?"
Ce fixed her with a stare that was so familiar, she would have smiled if it wasn't directed at her. But since it was, she gripped her dress with both hands and lowered her eyes to the floor. No one could hope to match the stern 'Ce Stare', not even Sun Shang Xiang.
And she had always been a terrible liar.
"Xiao. I really have no for time all this. I've got to get back to the Wei palace in an hour."
Her head snapped up. Her eyes were suddenly so huge, they nearly popped out. Her heart thumped uncontrollably.
"The... the what?"
Ce smiled grimly.
"I know, Xiao. I know everything. I've seen her."
"But... then..."
Xiao took a deep breath. She shut her eyes. Her dress was in danger of tearing.
"Then you know that... that Sis... and... Cao Cao..." she choked out the last words with a mixture of disgust, sorrow, and dread.
"Yeah."
When Xiao opened her eyes, they were watery again.
"I'm so sorry."
Ce snorted.
"Yeah. Right."
"No, Ce, I mean it," she protested, rising into a higher sitting position, her eyes wide. "You don't understand- it's a long story, it's really hard to-"
"Whatever, Xiao."
"Ce, I'm serious!" exclaimed Xiao, getting angry now, "This is a big deal for Sis! She's been trying really hard all on her own just to cope with it-"
Ce laughed derisively.
"'Cope.' Hmm. She was having a freaking ball, if you ask me."
"That's enough! You have no idea what she's been through-"
"What she's been through? How about what I've been through, Xiao? How about that, huh? You wanna hear about it?"
"She had no other choice! Ce, if you just listen-"
"I've had enough of listening to last me a lifetime," Ce retorted, his anger mounting despite the fact that that was what he was here for in the first place. "She's damn happy with her awesome, new, emperor fiance, and I don't want anything to do with h-"
"Shut up! Shut up right now!"
Xiao was on her feet in an instant, wild-eyed and furious.
"You can't talk about my sister like that! If you wanna insult her, you can do it after I throw you out of here! And I don't care what you do to punish me later, Lord Sun Ce!" she shouted.
Hui rushed into the room in alarm.
"Lady Xiao-"
"Hui, not now."
After a few bewildered glances from Xiao to Ce, the maid bowed her head dutifully and left the room.
A couple of minutes of awkward silence passed.
The only other time Ce had seen Xiao in such a fury was when his father had come home, and the result of that was the awful way he'd handled her then, almost shaking her roughly. He regretted his actions deeply, and didn't want to make the same mistake again.
And so he more wisely stayed where he was until she calmed.
Finally, she resumed her place, although still breathing heavier than before.
She glared at Ce through lowered eyes.
"You wanna know the truth about Sis's life? Then fine. I'm going to tell you everything I know."
Xiao hesitated for a moment.
Sis made me promise not to tell Ce how she really feels in case he ever came here. But this is serious. I've got to, for her own good. She'll thank me later, I know it.
Taking a deep breath, she faced Ce again and repeated,
"I'm going to tell you everything I know."
Minutes passed. Silence. Nothing was said between them.
"Well?" Ce finally asked in annoyance, making Xiao jump.
"Well, you've got to ask me something first!"
Ce cursed, frustrated. How could he have forgotten Xiao's 'adorable' habits.
"Don't say that," Xiao snapped. "It isn't pretty."
"Alright, alright," Ce mumbled. "Jeez."
Another minute.
"Okay, I got something," Ce said at last. "How did she end up like this... with... with him?"
He spat out the last word with vehemence, Xiao thought.
She filled her lungs with enough air to last her quite a while. She had no choice but to spill now.
"It happened about seven months ago. Papa came home and told us that 'Lord Cao Cao' was coming to 'see' us. Well, that scared us, and we asked why. He told us that it was becasue we'd been 'promised to him for years', and that he was coming to finally 'claim us for his own.'"
She paused, he face full of misery.
"It was so horrible, Ce! I wouldn't stop screaming and yelling at him, and Sis couldn't stop shivering, and begging him not to do this, that we would change, that we would do anything he said, but not this. We both cried for hours at his feet, but he wouldn't listen to us. He said 'a promise is a promise', and that he would honor it no matter what."
Ce felt sick to his stomach. He could almost imagine the painful scene, both sisters cowering at their father's feet, tearfully pleading with him in any way that they could, while he coldly sneered and brushed them away in response.
"We thought and thought while we waited for him," Xiao continued, "but none of us could come up with anything. I suggested running away and looking for you two."
Xiao smiled reminiscently. Ce couldn't help but do the same.
"But that would have been impossible, because Papa was home and he would never make the same mistake of trusting our servants to watch us enough. Then, after it felt like there was nothing we could do... Sis had an idea."
Xiao's mouth twisted in sorrow and loathing, and Ce's throat tightened. He knew, without a doubt, what that idea had been.
"She didn't tell me what it was at first. She went up to Papa. She told him that she felt she was the only one old enough, the only one... mature enough for Cao Cao to have."
Tears were in Xiao's eyes.
"She asked to take your place too, didn't she?" asked Ce quietly. He couldn't figure out why he hadn't guessed before. It was so like her.
Xiao nodded, the tears running down her face.
"I thought she was kidding."
The tears increased.
"Only it turned out she wasn't"
Ce waited, his fists clenched.
"I couldn't believe it when Papa agreed. Ce, he agreed! After everything he kept us from, that was what he had to agree to? I couldn't believe it. Why was he doing this to us?"
Her nostrils flared with anger.
"I begged her not to do it. I told her that I would let anything happen to me, anything, as long as we were together. I'd already promised never to abandon her, and now she was making me break that promise. Why? What was she thinking?"
Her face was now soaked.
"But there was nothing I could do about it. Papa agreed, and I couldn't make him change his mind."
She wiped at her eyes.
"I threatened to run away. Kill myself. Never speak to them again. Nothing worked."
She stopped, wiping her whole face with her sleeve this time. Ce gave her five minutes of silence, contemplating all that she told him. When he couldn't wait anymore, he prodded,
"And then?"
She took another shuddering breath.
"Then, when that- that monster came, Sis made me stay in our room. But I could hear everything going on downstairs. She and Papa made it sound like I was just a child, that I was alot younger than I really was. And since Cao Cao never saw any of us before, he believed it. And I knew that he couldn't keep his ugly eyes off of her."
Ce fought to keep from cursing again. After a few measured breaths, he cast his thoughts for another question.
"Have you ever seen him?"
"No. I bet he's gross, though."
Ce didn't have the heart to tell her he wasn't. Especially not when she was in such agreement with him.
"So then?"
"Then he left, promising to come back in a month. It was like a nightmare for both of us. I asked Sis why she was destroying her life like this. You won't believe the answer she gave me."
Ce somehow thought he would.
"She said, 'So what if my life's over, Xiao? It's already been for months now. All I have left to do is make sure you have the best I can give you. At least you don't have to suffer with me.'. That's exactly what she said. As if I didn't want to suffer with her! Or share her pain! Sure, it wouldn't be nice, but at least we would be together. Can you believe her?"
"Yeah."
Ce's answer was instant.
Xiao blinked a few times.
"Yeah, I guess you can," she said after a couple of seconds.
"And he came back after that?"
She nodded miserably.
"Yes. He came, and while he waited, Papa came upstairs to our room to get her, and pulled her away from me."
Xiao's face was now as wet as if she'd washed it.
"He pulled her away, and didn't even look back at me."
Her face suddenly crumpled.
She buried her head in her arms and sobbed, and Ce's heart broke to see her in such a condition.
Poor Xiao. How much more could she stand to lose? She had lost her freedom since birth, then her mother's life, then her father's affections, then his best friend whom she'd fallen in love with, and now, her adored sister- the only one who'd been with her through all those losses, the only one who'd lost as much as she had. Maybe more.
"They were engaged two months later. I didn't get to go because we couldn't risk him seeing me," she finished, her voice muffled.
This wasn't right. It wasn't fair. Ce had thought that he'd suffered, but now, as he watched Xiao's sorrow, he realized that compared to The Two Qiaos, he'd been living on a bed of roses.
"I wish the two of you never met us."
Xiao raised her sopping wet face and goggled at him.
"That wouldn't have made any difference."
"Maybe not," he said, "but at least you wouldn't be as hurt."
Xiao didn't answer, thinking on his words. Hmm. Perhaps he was right.
"We don't care, though. We were never as happy as when we were at Jian Ye Palace. No one could have given us more."
"Whatever. At least I know you feel that way."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Ce hesitated, then decided against speaking his mind. Perhaps this wasn't the time to bring it up. He changed the subject.
"So what's gonna happen to you now? Are you going to be alone... forever?"
Xiao dabbed at her eyes.
"No. Cao Cao said that he 'would return when the time was ripe once more', whatever that meant. Oh, well. At least I'll be with Sis again."
Ce's temper flared again.
"So he isn't going to quit, is he? He wants both of you. That sick, son of a-"
"Yes! So now all I have left is a few more years before that stinking womanizer comes back, and then I'll have no choice but to go with him then."
"'Womanizer'? Try child molester! The bloody swine's actually proud of marrying girls half his age!"
"Exactly! His kids are older than us!"
"And he actually has kids! You can't exactly get more by marrying them!"
"I know! And the worst thing is, Papa doesn't even care about all that! He actually thinks Cao Cao's still the right person for us!"
Ce had to fight back the bile that rose in the back of his throat. He knew without a doubt that if Cao Cao so much as set his eyes on Xiao now, he would claim her for himself. The thought of him touching the dear, unmarked young girl repulsed Ce.
"This is just sick."
Xiao nodded fervently.
After a few more minutes, Ce sighed.
"Tell me something, Xiao. What's the point of all this? Why did Da leave you here? Why didn't she take you with her? It would have saved both of you alot of pain."
Xiao didn't answer immediately.
"You know, Ce," she said at last, in a very different voice, "I think I know why. I've thought about it alot, and I think the only reason is, that she wanted to give me more time. And with more time... well, maybe she thought that if I waited long enough, I would get my- my happily ever after."
Again with the selflessness! What was Da's problem? Why couldn't she ever do what she wanted for once, and to hell with taking care of everyone else?!
"I think she thought that one day... one day he would come looking for me, and find a way to take me back with him."
She wiped her eyes again.
"Well, she sure was wrong about that."
Alarm shot through Ce. No, he could not let her think that about his friend.
"No- you've got it all wrong, Xiao," he said hurriedly. "Yu- Yu's always cared about you. Always. I know him. Honest, Xiao, he would have come if he just knew-"
"Then how come you're here, and he isn't?" she asked bitterly. "You saw Sis once, and came running here for answers. Why can't he do the same?"
Ce was confused.
"What?"
"Oh, come on," she said impatiently. "While you're risking your neck here when you shouldn't be, he's just relaxing in the comforting presence of Lord Cao Cao!"
Ce blinked. Comprehension suddenly dawned on him.
"Oh," he said, half-laughing in relief, "Oh, no Xiao! That's not it! See, he isn't even there! I'm the only one! Yu's still here in Wu! He doesn't even know that Da's... well, there too. Not yet, at least."
"Oh," said Xiao in a small voice. She looked embarrassed.
"But wait- how come you're there alone, then?"
Ce hastily explained about the Ball, and how he'd reluctantly agreed to attend it in his father's stead.
Warm relief clouded Xiao's face, and she blushed with joy.
"So- so, he doesn't even know you're here?" she squealed. "He still cares about me?"
Ce smiled.
"He's never said anything about it, but I've noticed him staring at bookshelves without touching any books, and smiling at people flying kites for no reason, and laughing whenever someone says 'please'."
Tears were in Xiao's eyes again, but she was smiling.
"Really?" she whispered.
He did remember her!
"Really. You've changed him, Xiao. You really have. Maybe forever."
She shut her eyes and let the tears roll by.
"Do you still love him?"
Without opening her eyes, Xiao nodded.
"Do you still love her?"
Even though Ce knew the answer, he didn't give it to her.
Xiao opened her eyes again and smiled at Ce warmly, though the tears never stopped. She knew he wouldn't tell her. But she knew she was right. She'd already seen the truth in his eyes. This was the reason why they held such a deep, strong pain within them- the pain that she loathed seeing in him.
"I don't know why Sis did what she did, Ce. She never told me why she made us leave. I don't know why she would ever want to leave you. But I know this for a fact, Ce: If there was ever anyone my sister really loved, it was you. Just you. She may not have mentioned it, but it's true. She loved you, and I think she still does, Ce. She can't possibly not love you anymore."
Ce still didn't answer. He couldn't make sense of Da. One moment, he thought he had her figured out, but the next, she somehow changed her colors. What was he supposed to believe?
"You want her back, don't you?" she said quietly.
Ce closed his eyes firmly.
"Yes," he whispered.
She smiled.
"Then do something for her. Ce, to tell the truth, I don't know if you can ever be together after all this, but please don't be so hard on her. She has to do what she has to do. Don't make it any worse. I don't see her anymore, but she still writes to me. I can tell how sad she is. I have no idea what she's done all this for, but please, please go along with it, like me. Okay?"
Ce smiled. He reminded himself how much he cared about Xiao as he answered,
"Okay."
They talked for a little while more, mostly about things that had happened between the four of them a year ago, and Ce enjoyed making Xiao laugh as she remembered everything about Yu that she loved.
Then, when Ce felt the time had come to leave, Xiao clung to him tight, trying to squeeze the air out of him.
"I'll be back," he promised as me mounted his horse before setting off. He did owe her that much. And it was the best he could do. He couldn't give her what she so desperately wanted, in case Qiao Xuan got wind of it and relayed everything he knew to Cao Cao.
"Thanks," she said, her voice muffled. She would miss Ce, but at least she got to see someone she was fond of after so long. And even though he wasn't whom she wished he was, she was still beyond glad that he'd come to see her.
It pained Ce to leave her staring after him, all alone with no one to confide in, but, as he rode back to Wei on his steed, racing against the speed of light, he was grateful to know that at least one Qiao still loved him.
There we go! Now we've seen all the main characters after a year, and we know what's happened to them, how they're doing, and why nothing else can be done:P. I hope you all liked that chapter! Please do remember to review and comment. I know I didn't really make it seem like Ce and Xiao were close in my earlier chapters, so now was my chance! I hope I made it convincing. Thanks for reading! And don't worry, I've prepared ALOT of drama and fluff in the chapters ahead.
Oh- and something I think I should mention- THIS IS THE LONGEST CHAPTER I'VE EVER WRITTEN, YOU GUYS! AHHHHHHH!!! AM I THE BEST OR WHAT?
lol. Please do review.