Disclaimer: Don't tell me I have to…I don't own anything but Xiu Soi!

Chapter 15

The room was quiet apart from the voice of the sovereigns and the tacticians. Tension was building, not because the Wu, Wei and Shu factions were present, but for the fact that the defendant was none other than Wu's tactician, Zhou Yu.

Sun Ce, who was sitting beside Liu Bei and Cao Cao, was devastated yet at the same time confused. He was torn between his sworn brother and sister. He knew that Zhou Yu couldn't have done it…yet he knew that Xiu Soi wouldn't lie as well.

Liu Bei and Cao Cao offered to act as a judge along side Sun Ce, to ensure that they will reach a fair decision. If Zhou Yu got off with a light sentence, the people would surely demand justice for the Falling Star and accuse Sun Ce of being biased.

Sun Ce gritted his teeth at the thought of Cao Cao sitting next to him.

If I knew, you were the one who planned this…you set us up!

Ce wanted to march up to Cao Cao yet Lu Meng and Lu Xun stopped him. He didn't have enough support, and it could be damaging to his reputation and Wu's if he presented a theory without evidence. It wouldn't be good publicity if a sovereign was suddenly pointing fingers and blaming other people, let alone another sovereign.

So he was forced to sit through this charade, teeth gritting in trying to keep himself in check.

Zhou Yu stood quietly as the generals around penetrated him with their stares. He turned his eyes to the Wu faction and saw Xiao Qiao, who was already close to tears. His eyes then fell on the broken girl on one of the stands. Soi was pale, trembling, fear stricken. He could see her tear streaked face and her lower lip trembling. Right after the incident, she was isolated in a room guarded by three soldiers, one for each force. She was also guarded by three respective officers, one representing a faction. And none of them could enter, save for a few hand maidens to feed Lady Soi. But of course, she was being watched even when she was being fed.

He, on the other hand, was thrown in a jail cell in the most humiliating manner. He was also being visited by the Wu faction, so he knew what was happening to Xiu Soi. The poor girl was slowly being unhinged by the incident, her barriers being harshly destroyed, one by one. They then realized how fragile her mind was…one wrong push and she could be irretrievable. To exacerbate the matter, she was isolated from the people who can possibly pull her out of her trauma. She was all alone in that cold room.

Zhou Yu closed his eyes and sighed. Apart from protection, what she needs are companions…

He shook his head. She was too disoriented to defend him…

All the while, broken hearted Lu Xun was looking at Soi. He was looking forward to the day that Soi would be allowed to come out of the isolated chamber. His visits were limited only at night, and even he cannot cross the wooden door that separated them.

Every night, Lu Xun would never fail to visit Soi's door. Every night, he would gently speak and soothe the terrified girl through the door. Every night, he had to endure her cries of fear and agony, the door keeping him from holding her in his tight embrace. Every night, he had to stop himself from crying so that he would be able to tell her that everything's going to be all right. Every night, he would sing Soi 'I'll Be' until she fell asleep. When he hears her gently breathing, he would leave a kiss to the wind and quietly leave. One time, Lu Xun thought that Soi was already sleeping. He stood up and walked a few paces when he heard Soi suddenly, desperately scream out his name. His heart cried when he heard Soi beg him to stay. He stayed by the door until morning. Being under constant lock and key, all this time, he heard nothing but the sound of her voice. All this time, he waited for her to come out so that he could hold her.

And she did. And he never imagined, nor in his wildest dreams, that the sight that greeted him was possible.

Xiu Soi's eyes, which were always full of life, were dead. Her hair was matted to her face and her face was drained of all color. Her eyes were red and swollen, and her whole body trembled. Her usual aura of strength and confidence left her, and was replaced by frailness, hopelessness and fear. Yet to his eyes, she was still hauntingly beautiful. He didn't like it.

"Soi…" he whispered as he clenched his fist in an attempt to restrain himself. He wanted to go to her, embrace and kiss her, never letting go…Tell her that it's all going to be all right. Tell her that she's not alone. Tell her that he loved her. Yet he knew that the sudden contact and embrace from another man might scare her out of her mind. And besides, he would be thrown to jail or probably executed if he so much as attempted to touch her.

"Lord Zhou Yu" Sima Yi, the representative of Wei questioned "is there anyone who can vouch for you the night that Lady Xiu Soi was violated?"

"Yes, Lord Sima. My wife, Xiao Qiao and I were together the whole time"

Zhuge Liang calmly waved his fan. "Yet how do you explain the presence of your head gear in the scene? The intricate embroidery and design cannot be duplicated nor afforded by a mere soldier. And you yourself confirmed that the band was indeed the one you 'lost'"

"Or perhaps…" Sima interjected "Being your wife, Xiao Qiao is still trying to protect you even if you violated another woman—"

"That's not true!" a sceaming Xiao Qiao interrupted. "Zhou Yu would never do that to me! He would never do that to any other woman especially Soi!"

Da Qiao put a comforting hand around Xiao "Sister…please, sit…"

"Yet we cannot deny that all evidence points out to you. The long hair, the head band…" Lu Meng grimly stated, trying to stop his hand from shaking. Putting Lord Zhou Yu on trial was probably the hardest thing he ever had to do. Apart from being a fellow strategist, he was a good friend and a trusted ally. He believed that Zhou Yu couldn't have done it.

"It is obviously a ploy. The evidence was clearly planted to incriminate me. If I am going to do a crime—heaven forbid—I would've been much cleaner given my caliber, would I not be?"

"True" Zhuge Liang interjected "yet someone of your caliber can clearly conceive such a clever ploy. You could have planned the whole scenario and pretend to incriminate yourself, clumsily leaving evidence and pointing out that little fact to us to throw the suspicion off you, wouldn't you agree?"

Sima Yi scoffed. "Yet you know, this trial could've been easier if the Falling Star was able to see her aggressor. Maybe it's time we ask her—"

"Objection!" Sun Shang Xiang angrily stood up. "You can't possibly be saying that you'll question poor Soi! Look at her, she's a total mess!"

"Yet she is still of Divine Descent" Xiahou Dun stood up, facing Shang Xiang. "If she was given by the gods, she could withstand even the most brutal of tortures!"

"But she's just a child!" Da Qiao countered heatedly, her reserved manner leaving her. And even if she's a gift of the gods, she's just human all the same!

"Silence, please" Liu Bei announced and Shang Xiang, Xiahou Dun and Da took their seats.

The sovereign of Shu then turned to Sun Ce and Cao Cao. "Should we put Lady Xiu Soi to the stand? In my opinion, we should let the poor girl recover…But if we want to end this trial, we would have to…"

Cao Cao replied "Then let us put her to the stand!"

The sooner we prove that Zhou Yu is a pig, the better…They would have no choice but to hand the Falling Star over when I demand it…She's not mentally qualified to devise strategies for them at the moment and Zhou Yu will be out of the picture by then…All that's left will be that bumbling fool Sun Ce and his idiot of a strategist Lu Meng. With Sima Yi and the people's favor at my side, she'll be mine in no time! Cao Cao thought with a twisted smile on his face.

Sun Ce looked at Cao Cao and noted his smile with disgust. Now I'm sure you're up to something!

Everyone tensed as Xiu Soi was put to the stand. The trembling girl looked around, bewildered and scared.

Sima Yi secretly smiled and cleared his throat. "Lady Xiu Soi…Where were you the night of the incident?"

"I…I…I just woke up…from a coma…In my room…"

"What exactly were you doing that night?"

"I was trying to sleep…"

"But you were awfully quick to react to the aggressor…are you implying that Zhou Yu is a bumbling fool?"

"N-no I'm not…"

"Ah, so you're saying that Zhou Yu was indeed the one who attacked you"

"No! I didn't say that!"

"But you did not deny it either. In this court, it is perfectly logical to assume that you are indeed accusing Zhou Yu. He is the one on trial after all"

"But I didn't say anything! I didn't ask him to be put on trial!" tears were threatening to come out Soi's eyes.

"Yet you did not speak in his defense…Now why is that?"

"I…I…"

Lu Xun had half the mind to stand and tear Sima Yi from limb to limb for mentally torturing Soi, yet he was mercifully held back by Gan Ning and Ling Tong.

"Now you were found on the scene clutching the headband" Lu Meng intervened, sensing that Sun Ce would go berserk any given moment "How did you come possession of it?"

Soi sniffed and gulped. "It…It was the thing…he used to…used to…cover…my mouth…"

"How did he touch you exactly?" Sima Yi sneered, to which Sun Ce screamed.

"OBJECTION!"

He then pointed an angry finger at Sima. "You have no right to ask a woman, let alone the Falling Star, that question!"

"And may I humbly ask…why?" Sima Yi challenged as he matched Ce's glare.

"It's obscene and it's going to hurt her mentally further if she relives it and you know it!" A fuming Lu Xun said, his glare deadlier that Ce's.

"I agree" Liu Bei supplied. "We are in no position to hurt her any further…"

"But the evidence was clearly planted…Being one of the few strategists to rival me, I have nothing but utmost respect for Zhou Yu's abilities"—gasps among the audience—"And we seem to be getting nowhere. I just want to confirm if she was really violated"

"Are you saying that Lady Xiu Soi is lying, man?" Gan Ning shouted, all fired up.

An equally aggravated Ling Tong supplied "Yeah! It's not wise to question the Falling Star's ability don't you think?"

"Given the mental state of the Falling Star at that time, it may be possible that she just imagined things" Sima coolly rebutted. He then turned to Zhou Tai.

"As I recall, when we put Zhou Tai to the stand, he clearly told us that he didn't see anyone…"

"It was dark then." Was Zhou Ta's simple response.

"So, there isn't any real witness… We would just have to take the Falling Star's word for it, right?"

"Oh come on!" Sun Ce growled, finally getting fed up. "What's the point in Soi faking her abuse? Don't give me that look Meng, enough is ENOUGH! Soi has all the attention she needs and she doesn't need to scheme!"

Liu Bei held out his arm to Sun Ce and looked at him. "Lord Sun Ce, please. You are a sovereign. Try to be impartial else we would be forced to judge this trial ourselves."

Although he found it hard, Ce kept quiet and let Sima Yi have his ways.

Zhuge Liang quietly regarded Sima Yi. Ah…I thought so…

Ce slammed his fist on the table of the war room reserved just for the Wu faction.

"Damn that Sima Yi! Damn that bastard!"

"Lord Sun Ce, please calm down—"

"But how can I, Da? My brother and my sister are on trial and that jerk is using that to avenge his grudges against them! He's having a field day! Its sabotage I tell you!"

"But still, whatever the outcome of this trial, we will be greatly impaired…Whoever devised this set up was an absolute genius…" Huang Gai grimly supplied.

"And I know it's that fruitcake Sima Yi! I just know it!"

"But we can't do anything about it my lord. We have our hands tied on this one"

Soi… Ce prayed hard. Please…come back to your senses…I hate to admit it but we need you…

Xiao Qiao burst into the room as she heard that Soi's condition was becoming worse, not caring even if half the guards stopped her. She the only officer in charge, due to the fact that everyone else were in their war rooms, deliberating. And Xiu Soi, is in fact, Wu's responsibility in the first place. And as Ling Tong would put it: she just didn't want to get bored or depressed.

"Is there a problem with Soi?" she instantly rushed toward Soi's side. She brushed the sweat drenched strands of hair. "You should take your medication Soi, so you'll get strong again…"

"I don't know…I just drank tea this morning…Xiao…" she reached for Xiao's hand weakly. "I've been poisoned…"

"WHAT?"

"The army doctor came in and told me his diagnosis…Xiao, I'm so scared…"

"What about the antidote?"

"They didn't have any…And they can't leave the castle…the soldiers need them…"

Oh no…Xiao thought. If I wait until they finish with their meeting, it might be too late to help Soi!

She looked down, with a determined look in her eyes. "Tell me where the antidote is!"

In a matter of minutes, Xiao Qiao, along with a unit of her own, crossed the borders of Xia Pi towards the mountainous regions.

"Xiao Qiao left the castle?" Da shouted as she stood up. "What was she thinking?"

"My lady, it appears that she aims to search for the antidote to cure Lady Xiu Soi?"

"What about Soi?" Sun Ce turned, eyes turning deadly.

"My lord! Diagnosis state that she has been poisoned!"

"Damn it!"

Lu Xun then ran out of the room to stay by Soi's side.

Ce turned to the soldiers. "Assemble my troops! I'm going to help Xiao look for the antidote!"

"Hmm…I wonder if this is the flower…" Xiao Qiao surmised as she bent down and looked at it for closer inspection. The soldiers however, where becoming restless. They arrived at the middle of the valley closest to the borders of Xia Pi, were the antidote was said to grow, according to Soi.

"Lady Xiao Qiao, are you sure you asked Lady Xiu Soi the name of the plant…? Was it an herb or a flower?"

Xiao Qiao looked at the soldier and smiled. "Ahahaha…I forgot"

Suppressing the urge to groan, the soldier calmly stated: "It seems we should go back…This area is huge my lady"

"No!" Xiao pouted. "No way! If we do that, it would be too late to help Soi! Don't you want to help our friend?"

The soldiers looked at each other and murmured in agreement. One of them turned to Xiao Qiao and nodded firmly. "If we have to, we'll take all plant life with us just to help lady Xiu Soi!"

"Yay! Let's go!" as Xiao Qiao lifted her hand, an arrow suddenly whizzed past her.

"Huh--?"

"Lady Xiao Qiao!" one of the soldiers cried as he covered Xiao with his body. In a matter of seconds, his body was full of arrows and was dead, still holding on to Xiao Qiao in an attempt to protect her.

Paralyzed, tears started falling from Xiao Qiao's eyes.

"BANDITS!" one of the soldiers cried. The enemies were on top of the valley, some of them hiding in the trees and some where rushing at them.

Xiao Qiao's unit formed around her, protecting her from further attack. As she watched the unit get slaughtered in front of her very eyes, she felt an unimaginable fear grip her. She was going to die.

As the last soldier fell on her feet, the Qiao cried helplessly as the bandits turned towards her. Trembling in fear, she could barely hold her fans in place.

"H-help me…Someone…Soi…."

As the bandits were closing in on her, a spear suddenly flew past her and hit the bandit closest to her. As she heard the cries of the soldiers and Ce's, her knees fell weak and dropped to the ground as they chased the bandits away.

"Xiao Qiao!" Zhou Yu held her in his arms as the crying girl broke down. Xiao Qiao ran towards the dungeons just to seek haven in her husband's arms. The tactician just heard of the attack on his Xiao Qiao and was trying to suppress the maddening rage that was enveloping him.

Yet… Zhou Yu looked down. Xiao Qiao set out to find a cure for Lady Soi…but an ambush got her. And when they finally got hold of the antidote, Soi gets mysteriously better…

Zhou Yu kept quiet and swallowed his suspicions aside.

"It is good to see that you are well Lady Xiu Soi…I heard someone attempted to poison you, is that right?"

"That's…what the doctor said…"

"Yet miraculously, you recovered without the antidote being administered to you…why is that so?"

"I-I don't know…"

"Lady Xiu Soi" Sima Yi continued "you were seen clutching long strands of hair believed to be Lord Zhou Yu's and his head gear as well…you said the head gear was in your mouth correct?"

Not bothering to wait for Soi's answer, he turned to Zhou Yu. "Lord Zhou Yu…when did you lose that particular head band?"

Zhou Yu stopped for a while to collect his thoughts. "Before the battle of Xia Pi…"

"Ah! I seem to remember that" Sima Yi then looked at Sun Ce. "Lord Sun Ce, if you will recall, moments before the siege, we passed by Lord Zhou Yu's tent and we chanced upon Lady Xiu Soi coming out of the said tent…"

All eyes was then trained on the trembling Xiu Soi.

"Lady Xiu Soi?" Zhuge Liang carefully asked. "What were you doing inside the tent?"

"I wanted to greet Yu good luck…so I went in…but no one was inside"

"Yet why did you still go in?"

"I saw a porcelain jar on his bed…the tea leaves were scattered all over… I cleaned it up and replaced it right beside the bags…"

"I…I did not possess a porcelain jar on the day of the battle" Zhou Yu quietly answered.

Soi looked up sharply and disbelievingly at Zhou Yu. "W-what…?"

"Are you sure about that Yu?" Sun Ce replied, shocked.

Instantly, everyone who was in witness wore disbelieving looks and of confusion.

"Yes, I am sure" Zhou Yu was still looking down, keeping his emotions in check. "It is illogical to carry a porcelain jar full of tea leaves on such a long march. One would usually put it in sack…"

"So…you're saying Lady Xiu Soi is lying?" Sima smiled as he waited for Zhou Yu to utter the words. Yet the tactician remained silent, eyes not meeting with Soi's.

"Wait…Zhou Yu, you can't be saying…" Sun Shang Xiang whispered as she looked at a dumbstruck Soi.

"Lady Xiu Soi, I assume you've heard of the assault that was made on Lady Xiao Qiao?"

Soi nodded, wordlessly wiping her tears away.

Sima Yi continued heartlessly. "I have heard that she attempted to get hold of an antidote which are native in that parts…I heard the antidote was for you, seeing as you were poisoned, correct?"

"Y-yes…"

"Tell me Lady Xiu Soi, are you the one who told Xiao Qiao to get the antidote?"

"I- I didn't tell her to get it…I just told her where to get it"

"But that's as good as telling her to get it. How did you get poisoned?"

"I-I don't know…I just woke up and…it was like that"

"It couldn't be because of the food…your food and water is being regularly checked, and no one could possibly poison you…except if it was self inflicted?"

"You're crazy!" Soi shouted. "That would be…why would I--?"

"Don't ask me…but maybe you have a hidden grudge against Zhou Yu?"

"Objection!" Sun Ce growled.

"What about Lady Xiao Qiao?"

"How dare you!" Da screamed as Sima Yi turned to the sovereigns. "I am but merely following a lead"

"And what lead would that be, Lord Sima?" Zhuge Liang calmly waved his fan, interested in the development.

"I would like to call Lu Xun to the stand" Sima Yi sneered as the dumbstruck boy sat down.

"Tell me boy…the relationship between Lady Xiu Soi and Lord Zhou Yu"

"Objection!" Lu Meng interjected. "This doesn't have to do with anything!"

"On the contrary your graces," Sima Yi smirked "this has everything to do with the lead"

"Continue" Cao Cao supplied. He looked at Lu Xun, waiting for his answer.

"Lord Zhou Yu and Lady Xiu Soi were very close" Lu Xun supplied, reluctant to help in Sima's scheme in any way.

"How close were they?"

"Very…they share strategies, ride around towns…" Lu Xun felt a familiar ache in his chest, yet he paid it no mind.

"Would you dare say that they were in love?"

"Oh no! Lord Zhou Yu loved Lady Xiao Qiao…he saw Lady Xiu Soi nothing more than a sister"

"But what about Lady Xiu Soi? Did she share the same sentiments? Or did she love him more than a brother?"

Lu Xun stopped and looked at Soi. He couldn't lie…but what was Sima Yi driving at? Whatever he answers would definitely have no bearing in the case whatsoever…And she did love him…

"I daresay yes…she did love him…"

Lu Xun's sudden testimony elicited several gasps among the crowd.

"I don't see anything to be shocked about" Sima Yi coolly replied. "One would have to be blind no to see that one. There is no denying the closeness of the bond those two share during the campaign…its inevitable that one of them would fall in love with the other."

After dismissing Lu Xun from the stand, Sima Yi made a statement. "It is clear that Xiu Soi harbors feelings for the tactician Zhou Yu. Yet being a married man, Zhou Yu is also in love with his wife Xiao Qiao. The love that she is feeling is motive enough for her to set up the assault, blame Zhou Yu, set her up her own poisoning, and make an attempt on Xiao Qiao's life."

Instantly, the whole court burst out in fits of rage. Ling Tong, Gan Ning, Huang Gai and Taishi Ci practically jumped up their feet and bellowed at the accusation.

Sun Quan and Lu Meng's jaw practically hit the floor, while Shang Xiang and Ce looked like they were hit with a ship. Zhou Yu was still silent and Lu Xun felt his world crumble. The Shu faction were overcome with disbelief, while the Wei faction were suspiciously attentive and well behaved.

"Look at it this was" Sima carried on. "No one saw the attacker. Not even Wu's Zhou Tai. The attacker did not even bother to tie her up and she turns up with one of Zhou Yu's missing head bands. After isolating the Falling Star, she still gets poisoned and even before the antidote reaches her, she gets well. And when Xiao Qiao was fetching the antidote, bandits attacked, ready and waiting for one whole trained unit of the army. And who told Xiao Qiao of the location of the antidote? Xiu Soi herself."

"It's…a conspiracy theory! You have no proof!" Soi screamed, half of her common sense already returning to her.

Brilliant Sima Yi. Zhuge Liang thought. You put the bigger threat, the Falling Star on trial…

"I have one more card up my sleeve" Sima Yi turned from them. "I call on the leader of the bandits"

A group of soldiers went inside, carrying a man. He was tied up and subjugated, obviously subjected to torture.

"Now tell us…look around this room and tell us who was the one who ordered for the assault of the you lady over there" Sima Yi then pointed at Xiao Qiao.

"I'm not sure…" the man mumbled. "She was wearing a hooded cloak then…but I can recognize the shape of her face and features…"

Sima Yi stood up and looked around in court. "I tell you, this man cannot lie. He has nothing to gain by doing so, having lost his men, his money and his family. He knows that he will still be executed after this trial, so there is no point." He once again looked at the man.

"Can you point out to us who ordered you to?"

The man looked around and saw Soi. He lifted his arm and pointed it straight at her. "I'm sure. She was the one who ordered the death of Lady Xiao Qiao"

TBC

A/N: I'm so sorry! I have been busy, with work and all. My computer just crashed again…And I'm saving until I can get my own unit (borrowing is such a drag). I'm sorry if it's crappy…I wasn't in my proper senses when I wrote this. Anyway, thank yous:

arekuruu-inabikari-no-She- thanks! I'm planning on using another song from another language! Don't worry, I personally recommend the song!

blackangel04 – sige ba! YGO fic! Tapusin ko muna to!

Sirius123 – I'm sorry if it took so long darling!

warrick oakes- thank you! It was one of the hardest scenes to write! Alright, you can use Soi if you want

incomplete-ness – I agree with you. Hehehehe. You'll find out

Paronomastic Paragon – thanks! That meant a lot! Well, we'll see if we catch the guy to touch her. hehehehehe

legendoflegends- sorry if I made you wait

Anime Fan Team – hmm…My lips are sealed. Let's see next chappie!

Possible song insertion next chappie! Since I made you all wait, I'm going to start on it right now!