Ch. 6

—

"Alright, I guess," Phillip replied as he drove the first stake into the ground. "What about you?"

"Never better", Mulan said, smiling slightly as she drove a stake on the opposite side.

Phillip wondered why Mulan was in the Chinese Army. He had heard that it was illegal for women to fight on the battlefield as soldier. So he asked her as the two finished putting the remaining stakes in the ground.

"You remember my father?", she asked.

"His name was Fa Chung, correct?", he replied.

"Yes." Mulan continued, "About three years ago, there was a skirmish between the Mongols and the soldiers of China. My father was the general in charge of the Chinese soldiers. He survived the skirmish, which was really more like a small battle. However, his leg had been damaged during the attack, and now he must use a cane to walk about."

At this point, Mulan had tears in her eyes, but she continued, "He had to quit his job in the army. When the government came to ask him to fight, since he was the only male in the Chung family, I begged them to let me go instead. Father was furious that I had suggested such a thing, and that I had made myself look like a fool to the town. Later that night, I took the summons, his sword, his armor, Khan the horse, and ran away from home to fight."

There was some silence between the two before Phillip reached out and brushed away the tear that had fell down Mulan's cheek. At that moment, Phillip realized Mulan needed someone who could be with her on an emotional level, and today's arrival had shown him that none of the men could provide that for her. Phillip swore to protect Mulan's heart, as he already knew she could defend herself well physically. He grasped her hands is his and pulled them bother to their feet. "Come here," he said gently, and pulled Mulan into a warm embrace. "That's how friends should greet each other," Mulan said as she buried her head in his chest.

At that moment, both soldiers knew that something had inevitable shifted if their relationship, but neither could exactly pinpoint as to what that change was. After spending a moment in each other's embrace, the two broke away and finished setting up the tent. "So what have you been up to lately?" she asked. "Well, I joined the Prussisan Army, got engaged to Princess Aurora, (Mulan scowled on the inside), and came here to fight," Philip replied.

"Do you like Aurora?"

"She's young," Philip answered, "only fourteen. Frankly she's just like any royal girl; nice, thoughtful, pleasant; but a bit of a wallflower."

"That's exactly what a typical Chinese guy wants in his bride; for her to be pretty, seen, but not heard," Mulan thought bitterly, remembering the disastrous day when she was forced to go to the matchmaker to find a suitable groom.

"And you don't want that type of girl?" She queried.

"I want a girl with spunk, but father thinks I should marry Aurora because she will 'keep the kingdom calm' and 'be the merciful side to your just one'. I mean what a load of bullshit;" Philip began to speak more heatedly, "We both know this is marriage is just a business deal for our two kingdoms to get together."

"My parents were also trying to get me married recently, just before I ran off actually," Mulan laughed as the two sat down on the grass and she leaned her head on his shoulder. Philip felt a jolt of electricity run through his body at her touch, but then he remembered what she had said and felt a red hot fire torturously blazing through him. "Why am I feeling this way?" he thought. No girl, not even Aurora, could make him feel this way. Until now. He chuckled nervously.

"Well, at least you're not married now, right?" Mulan turned her head upwards and smiled at him, still leaning on his shoulder. "No," she answered, "And I want you to know that your shoulder is a comfortable pillow," before snuggling into Philip as he raised his arm and put it around her to make her more comfortable. "I wish we could just stay like this for the rest of eternity," Philip thought. For after a long time he felt truly at peace, sitting there in the grass with Mulan beside him.