Chapter 3 ~ Almost

The journey to the Hun's capital was much quicker than the journey to the border. Shan Yu hung back with the wagon. While he didn't speak with Su Yin after that first conversation but it was his duty to ensure her safety. They arrived at the city and Shan Yu dismounted from his horse. The princess looked a bit, her face void of all emotion, but her eyes were filled with fear. He hesitated before approaching her. "Come with me." He said, offering her his hand.

The princess looked at him, and gently rested her hand in his, letting him help her off the wagon. Her hand was tiny when compared to his. She slipped off the wagon, revealing her true stature. When compared to him, she was small and dainty. She slowly removed her hand from his, her small bird following them as he led her into the main hall. He held the door aside, allowing her to enter first.

Stepping into the dim hall, Su Yin paused to let her eyes adjust. The hall was bare save for a large thrown at the far end. An imposing looking man sat in the thrown, stood at her entrance. "You must be the princess." He said.

"I am." She replied, walking deeper into the hall.

"Then I welcome you to our city." He said, giving her a toothy smile. "I see that you have already met the leader of our army, Shan Yu."

"Yes, we have been… acquainted." The princess replied, giving Shan Yu a look over her shoulder.

"Good, then let the wedding commence." The man said, spreading his arms wide as if to embrace them both.

Shan Yu stiffened as did Su Yin. Their eyes met of a moment, but they quickly looked away. Clapping his hands, the Hun emperor signaled some maids to come and prepare Su Yin for the wedding. They took her to a back room, where her stuff had been placed. They riffled through her things, pulling out a rather elegant dress. They quickly undressed and redressed Su Yin. They also pulled out her bun and tried to do her hair in some crazy fashion. "No." she said, pulling her hair away from them, earning a few hard looks.

She quickly braided her hair. One young maid brought a flower from the outside and stuck it into her braid, adding a flash of flair into her hair. They then shoved her out of the room, back into the hall. Shan Yu looked at her, his breath catching at the sight of her. Her dress was a slim, form fitting number. There weren't a whole lot of embellishments save some fancy embroidery along the hem, sleeves, and neck line. Its deep blue color denoted her royal status but her simple braid, accented with a small orchid, spoke of her plain nature. She looked a bit overwhelmed as she approached the Hun emperor and Shan Yu.

The wedding commenced and soon, Shan Yu found himself married to a Chinese princess. The Hun emperor smiled and clasped their hands together, sealing their marriage. Shan Yu quickly left the hall, taking his new wife with him. His house was on the far side of the city, near the training fields and horse corrals. He all but dragged his new wife to his home and threw her into the house. She stumbled a bit, regaining her feet just to have Shan Yu grab the front of her dress. "Hello wife." He said, his voice husky.

Su Yin's eye widened as Shan Yu hastily began to undress her. Without even thinking, Su Yin began to fight back. She struggled a bit, but Shan Yu quickly over powered her. Roughly laying her onto his bed, He straddled her small form. Fearing what was about to happen to her, Su Lin turned her head to the side and closed her eyes. Shan Yu looked down at her, his drive suddenly fading. He sighed and got off her and rushing out of the house. Su Lin sat up, clutching her clothes to her chest, she looked after him. Yan appeared and snuggled up against Su Lin as she fell back into the bed, weeping.

That evening, Shan Yu entered his home, pausing to peer into the bedroom. His new wife lay curled around her bird pet, her eyes closed in sleep but puffy from her tears. He sighed, grabbing the blanket and gently placing it over her before taking another blanket and moving to the other side of the room, watching her sleep before falling in to slumber himself.