The first thing she realized was that the stone floor had grown strangely soft. There was also a lot more light seeping through her closed eyelids. The swelling had gone down on her puffy eye. Her back no longer ached, and the cuts on her face and neck were covered in bandages. There was no way she was sill in Cao Pi's cell.

She chanced a glance around the room. One wall was lined with windows, the coverings pulled back to let in the sun. A table was nearby with dozens of bottles and wrappings. She grinned when she saw her bag of herbs and medicines for her back untouched. Either someone had finally taken pity on her, or…

The door opened slowly, and a young face with a mop of yellow hair poked his head around the frame. "You're awake," Man Zhu said softly. He ducked back into the hallway and returned with a somber looking Pang Qui and a delighted Zhang Rui. "You have quite a few visitors outside," her friend said, drawing up a chair and sitting beside her bed. "I hope the three of us will do for now."

Xing reached up and traced a finger down the side of his face. "I think you will do just fine. How is Lord Liu Bei's wife?"

"She is fine," Rui answered. "The Lady Mi was returned to us with no lasting damage."

Qui laughed, although it sounded strained. "You were beaten to hell and back, and you ask about her? Xing, you really are strange."

"I've known that for a while, Qui." He smiled and lightly punched her arm. She returned it with a gentle slap across his face. Rui slipped his hand into her free one. "What happened? How long have I been asleep?"

"Only one full day. You have been slipping in and out of consciousness since we brought you back. But I am happy to say that the injuries you sustained were well cared for, and your back has not shown signs of a recent fit."

"My last was a month ago. That was the day…" Xing faltered, unable to continue.

Zhu squeezed her hand gently. "We know what happened. A month after you were captured, we received a note from a member of Cao Pi's court. It contained information about your whereabouts and the state of your health. The writer gave us no name, but the things he said were equivalent to what we believed was happening. We continued this way for another month until Pi was ready to take the throne himself. Rui and Zhuge Liang came up with a plan, and we rescued you. Beyond that, I cannot say what happened."

"He also left you this." Rui handed her the pouch that the Wei guard had given them. She opened it and dropped the contents into her hand. It was a tiny gold phoenix set against a cherry blossom.

Xing gasped slightly when she saw it. "The Lady Zhen Ji was the one writing to you."

"Zhen Ji?" Qui said. "Isn't she married to that bastard?"

"Yes. She was also the one who showed me kindness and cared for me while I was imprisoned. Ji became my rock while I was in there. Once, when Cao Pi was enraged, I defended her against his tirades. He was so blinded that he could not see how lucky he was to have her." She balanced the tiny ornament in her hands. "I had thought, after that night, that she would betray me and let me rot in my cell. Instead, she gave me the greatest gift of all."

Rui closed his hands over hers, covering the phoenix. "She has taught us a valuable lesson. Even when we are blinded by our hatred towards others, even when we cannot help but hate someone because of their alliance, we must remember that they may still be a good person. I am grateful for what Lady Zhen has done for all of us."

"Hmph. I hope she keeps Cao Pi on a short leash," Pang Qui said. He chuckled at his own joke. "Speaking of leashes, perhaps its time to let your future husband off of his."

Xing startled. "Chao? Where is he?"

"Relax, child. He has not left your door since you were brought back. He is anxious to see you." Rui stood, and the others mimicked his actions. "We will leave the two of you alone. There is much to discuss."

The three of them left. Xing closed her eyes as she tried to hold back tears. Of all the people she wanted to see, Ma Chao was the one she needed the most. And yet, she was afraid. He would want to know things that she didn't want to tell him. She opened her eyes and glanced at the phoenix again. No, she would not be like Ji and live in fear of what her husband thought. She would rise above it.

"Xing." Chao was standing in the doorway. His face held fear, relief, worry, anxiety, and confusion. Gods, this was going to he hard. She raised her hand to him and he swiftly moved to her side. "How…how are you feeling?"

"Considering what I went through, I'm feeling rather well." She smiled at him and his face relaxed a bit. "I've been worried about you."

"Me? I leave you to rot in Cao Pi's prison for two months and you worry about me?"

"I worried that you would not be able to keep your head on your shoulders."

He took her hand in his and sighed. "Without the support of the other rebels, I probably wouldn't have."

"Then I am grateful that they were here."

Chao frowned at her. "There is something else that worried you. What is it?" She turned her head slightly, her eyes cast downward. "Goodness, Xing, you didn't really think…how can you…you believed I would really abandon you?"

"No. I believed you would think I abandoned you. I did leave with Pi after all."

"To protect Lady Mi," he said. "I know that, and so does everyone else here."

Xing turned her head back but did not lift her eyes. "It was the hardest decision I have ever made. I tried to find another way. I knew how it would look, becoming engaged only to willingly leave with another man. I wasn't sure whether I should trust you or assume the worst. I still regret that decision."

"I will admit, I had the same doubts. Could I really trust you? Would you return to those who love you? It was your friends that encouraged me to have faith. In the end, though, I discovered that I had it all along."

"I do not deserve such faith," Xing said, placing her free hand on top of his.

"And I do not deserve such a woman by my side. So we shall agree that we are both unworthy and leave it at that."

She laughed, trying not to show how much it hurt. Chao was not fooled. He hurried to bring her some water and straighten her pillows until she was more comfortable. For a few minutes, neither spoke. He held her hands and smoothed her hair while she gathered her courage to continue with her tale.

"Chao," she said after a while, "did Zhen Ji tell you anything about what happened in her notes?"

"Zhen Ji? She was the writer? Curious…" He shook his head. "She only gave some of the details. We knew you had been tortured…beaten…but that you were alive and would be returned at an appropriate time."

Xing closed her eyes again, gripping the gold phoenix in her hand. "What did she say about the torture?"

His frown deepend. "Why? What did that Wei bastard do to you?"

A single tear ran down her face. "He…he tried to take advantage of me." Xing quickly grabbed his arms as his face turned white, then red with rage. The ornament fell onto the sheets. "Chao, you must listen to me. Don't shout or you'll bring the others in here. I don't want them to know what happened."

"Did he…did that man lay his filthy hands on you? Gods, I should march into Wei right now and make him pay!"

"You have already had your revenge. You proved to be the smarter of the two. And I did say that he tried, not that he succeeded."

He took a deep breath and slowly sank back into his chair. "I'm sorry. I just…"

"I know, Chao. But I need you to know. He…he nearly killed me once. I thought it was just a change of tactic. But the desire in his eyes was clear. He kissed me. Not as a man who loves a woman would, but as a man who lusts after a woman would. I repelled him twice, and it almost cost me my life. He tried again after that but was stopped by Lady Zhen and my guard. I just…I want you to know in case I close up again. You helped me to break down the barriers I had placed around myself. I may need you to do that again."

Ma Chao's eyes were blank. As he absorbed this new information, his expression became unreadable. Xing feared she had lost him until he picked up the gold phoenix and rolled it between his fingers. "A present from Lady Zhen?"

Xing nodded. "A reminder that good people do live in Wei, and that the experience we shared can never be forgotten."

He placed it in her hands and covered them with his. "What Cao Pi did will always be a shadow, a darkness in my mind. The abuse you suffered would not be enough for him, should I ever get the chance to repay him in kind." His face softened, and his eyes rose to meet hers. "But I will not let the past overshadow me any more. If you will still have me, I want you with me here in Shu. That scoundrel could have torn us apart. I want to prove that he only made us stronger."

"Of course I still want you," Xing said. "You helped me to overcome my own demons, my own fears. Even now, after everything that has happened, you are still willing to stand with me. How could I refuse you? My heart is now yours, Chao."

"And mine was always yours, even before I knew it myself."

"Lord Ma, I did not think you had it in you to be romantic."

He laughed. "Lady Yang, I believe Pang Qui said the same thing about you that fateful night. It's a good thing he will not always be around to make fun of the two of us."

"Perhaps. But he will still manage when we visit the provinces. I don't think I can ever truly abandon them."

"I know, as does Lord Liu Bei. I think, though, that your rebels cannot claim freedom from allegiance anymore."

"We are blessed to have Shu as an ally."

Chao shook his head. "It is we who are blessed. But you must promise me that I am allowed to visit with you. I don't want Zhang Rui kidnapping you and trying to force you to stay." He smiled, but Xing could see the worry in his eyes.

"I don't think we have to worry about that. After all, you were among them once. I promise that you may join me, and I promise that I will remain by your side until the very end."

"Rebel's honor?"

She smiled, unable to contain it. "Rebel's honor."

Even with the aid of magic and Zhang Rui's skills as a healer, Xing's injuries took almost another month to heal. Before the last cut healed, she was back to her old routine of training, riding, and helping the surrounding villages. All of the rebels and the soldiers stayed to help fix what the Wei attack had destroyed. Then the true healing began. Xing's kidnapping had caused a stir among both officers and peasants. Rumors had begun to fly around. The impending marriage only fueled them. But with the help of Liu Bei and Zhang Rui, everything was eventually set to rights and the people of Cheng Du prepared to welcome Lady Yang Xing as one of their own.

Ma Chao's and Yang Xing's wedding took place shortly after. It was a small ceremony but meaningful enough that even Pan Qui was rumored to have cried during it. The feast that followed rivaled that of Jiang Si's. Xing was under strict orders not to get up and serve anyone, which was overseen by both Chao and Man Zhu. She did, however, manage to sneak out during the feast to ride Nightwind for a brief moment. It was a habit she claimed she would never be able to break.

Not all of the rebel soldiers that participated in her rescue chose to return to the capital. A handful of men who had been loyal to her father requested to stay in Shu. Liu Bei welcomed them with open arms. The young stable hand, Ren, also remained in Cheng Du. When he wasn't trying to perfect his duties with the horses, he was busy whittling away in a corner of the courtyard. The friendship he began with Teng on the day he arrived grew even stronger. Liu Bei often remarked that they would be the next great pair of soldiers in his kingdom, and most people agreed.

The fear that both Xing and Chao had about her defection to Shu was unfounded. Both of them took a temporary leave to help Jiang Si finish its own recovery. The rebel leaders held a final council in which they officially joined the provinces together. Although they maintained their rebellious image, their friendship with Shu only grew stronger. Wei dared not attack them again despite their burning desire for battle. Cao Cao and Cao Pi both kept a careful watch on the two territories.

Soon, the tale of Lady Yang Xing became little more than a wild story told by the fire or in the taverns. People never really discovered what had happened to her or which of the rumors about her were true. They said that if you asked her yourself, she would simply smile and tell you that none of it mattered anymore. Ma Chao's part in the story was more concrete, but he refused to talk about it. Part of the story, he would say, was too sad to tell. But, as his wife said, the trouble had already passed and it was time to look to the future.

After all, did it really matter what was true and what was fabricated? In the end, two lovers found each other and managed to hang on despite the chaos around them. In a world where such chaos runs rampant, a tale such as this is needed to warm the heart and remind us that the darkest moments can lead to the brightest. We need only to understand them, heal the wounds, pick up the pieces, and move forward. And if you have a horse, make sure to ride off into the sunset. Enjoy the little moment of peace, the Ma family would say. You have earned it.