~ Eight Years Later~
Jade's P.O.V.
I was watching my twin claiming up the tree to make sure she wouldn't fall down and get hurt. She was trying to get our kite that the wind blew into the tree, and for eight-year-olds we are very energetic, as well act like boys sometimes.
"Ha, I got it catch Jade." Mulan said dropping the kite down towards me.
"Okay, I got it, so please hurry up down." I said after catching the kite. "Now please come down before someone sees you up there, and we get into trouble."
"Alright, alright, I'm coming down, so calm down."
I watched her climb down and looked around to make sure no was around to see her climbing down from the tree. Once she got to the ground, we took off to where a clearing is at and nobody around to boss us around. We always went there since we were five-years-old, and sometimes we would stay there until sunset, but we always get yelled at when we get home. We play tons of games in that clearing, one of them is sword fighting that a father taught us in secret, and some other games. My sister and I mostly had to dress up like a boy to sneak away, and not to be noticed.
When we got to the clearing we saw some carriages and we hid from view, and watched to see who it could be in the carriage. We decided to climb a tree to find out, and had to go a little far away so the guards near the carriage won't see us. We found a tall round tree a little way from the clearing and climbed it to see on at the clearing where the carriage is at. When we gotten to the top we looked over towards the clearing to where the carriage sat at, and once we saw the carriage we just watched it.
It was an hour later and we a saw a boy our age came out of the carriage, the boy had black medium length hair, olive skin, and his eyes looked like a bluish gray. I saw Mulan looked over at the tree lines and I looked over there as well and saw someone wearing black clothing with a bow, and noticed that an arrow is about to be released from that bow and it is aiming towards the boy. I hurried up and took out my sling shot that I made by hand, and took a stone out of my pouch at my waist and aimed towards the archer's head.
When archer let go, I let go as well, when the arrow was half released. The stone hit the archer, and the arrow hit the carriage instead of the boy. I then saw the boy yelling for the guards and the guards went towards the archer. The archer was arrested and the taken to the boy, and they looked like they were exchanging words. The boy then told the guards and they started towards the where we were, I hurried up and told Mulan that we need to get out of here, for we never know what they might do if they catch us.
Mulan's P.O.V.
I saw Jade aimed her slingshot towards the archer aiming at the boy and stopped him from killing him. Once we saw that the guards heading towards where we were at, Jade told me that we have leave right away, for we don't know what might happen once we're caught. When we got down from the tree we ran home, but not after hearing another shot calling the other guards. It sounded like there's fighting in the clearing, and I can tell that Jade wants to help. I looked at her and shook my head.
"If you go, you might not come elder sister." I said to her.
"I know, but for some reason I feel a strong connection towards that boy, and I have a strong urge to help him." She replied. "I'll tell you what, if I don't return before sunset tell mom and dad, okay?"
"Okay, just be careful Jade." I said heading towards home, thinking that I should help my sister, but I know that she wants me to go home to make sure mom and dad doesn't get too worried about us.
When I gotten home I decided to wait outside in the back yard below the blossom tree, watching the sun and watching the gate, where Jade should come through any moment.
Jade's P.O.V.
I ran towards where the clearing was at and when I entered it, I saw the guards fighting some people that looks like Huns. Then I saw the boy trying to fight off a Hun that is attacking him, and I took my slingshot and shot at the Hun to distract him. The boy looked over where I am at and I pointed towards the Hun that I shot, he took the hint and stabbed the Hun with his dagger that tried to kill. The boy then ran towards with his dagger still out, at first thought he was going to kill me but when behind a Hun was about to strike, but a dagger was just thrown into his chest. The boy then took my hand and we started running away from the clearing, and we reached a pond forty minutes later. We sat down on a rock looking in the pond and the was looking at me.
"Thank you, for helping me." He said. "May I have your name?"
"I would, but I don't know your name." I said looking at him and he blushed a little when realizing his mistake.
"My name is Zian, Heir to the Emperor." He said looking grateful.
"Well Zian, my name is Fa Jade." I told him.
"Fa, as in Fa Zhou?" He asked with wonder.
"Yes, he's my father." I told him a little confuse about why he knew my father, which is stupid for I know he was a general in the army.
"Wow, that is surprising especially since I was saved by his son." He said and I just glared at him.
"I am not a boy, I am girl." I told him and he just looked at me with surprise.
"Really, sorry." He said. "You just dressed like a boy and kind of look like one to."
"I'm surprise that you're not making a big deal out of it." I said to him with a little surprise.
"Ah, yes, I believe that is stupid, about women can't fight in wars." He said and I looked at him and saw him smile. "I heard stories that my mother use to do some sword fighting, and that she could easily take some of the men there."
"Which made me thought that if my mother can fight that well, then we aren't they allow women that can fight go fight in wars. When I asked my father, that damn girl man on the counsel said that women who fight in wars would disgrace men. My father would just sigh and say that when women fight they tend to get emotional on the field." Zian said with some depression.
"It is probably because the men are afraid that we women can do better on field then them." I said trying to explain it the prince. "And possibly they are afraid of having the children out there being orphans if both parents go out to war at the same time."
He looked at me and blinked every once in a while, and he then smiled.
"That is probably true, but if they could also have difficulties of knowing that women can be very good fighters if they wish to be." Zian said standing and walked over to the rock where I was sitting on. "I just wish that a woman or women can try to prove that to the counselors and may be my father."
"You do know for us women to do that we have dress up like a man and sneak into the army and make sure we don't get caught or we will be killed for high treason." I explained.
"Yes, that is true, and is also stupid of them." He said with a dark look in his eyes. "When I become the Emperor, I'll make sure they're be changes to this country."
"That would be great, but you do know you'll have to wait until you are Emperor." I said making sure he wouldn't try and kill his father when he gets older.
"I know, and I'll wait when my father thinks it's time for him to step down." He said and I knew then that wouldn't kill his own father just for that. "It looks like they are done fighting, so let me give something that way if we meet again I'll know who you are."
"Sure, but let's make sure your guards are alright, first." I said a little worried that one of his guards could be injured.
He nodded his head and I got up, and we then headed towards the clearing to see if the guards are alright. When we got to the clearing the guards had the Huns that survived tied up and gagged, when one of the guards noticed their prince they came over.
'Make sure you don't give them any hint that you're a girl, okay.' He said and I nodded my head, just when the guards reached us.
"Your majesty, your fine?" Guard #1 asked.
"Yes, thanks to the guy next to me." He said.
"Thank you, very much kid." Guard #2 said. "May I have your name, that way we can thank you properly?"
"My name is Jade, and I'm afraid that is all I'm going to give you all until we meet again that is." I said hoping they won't find out that I'm a girl.
"Well thank you for helping Prince Zian, Jade." Guard #3 said bowing to me, and the other two guards did afterwards.
"Your welcome." I said and then Zian went over to the carriage and came back out to tell his guards to make sure everything sits and ready to go.
When the guards went to do what they are told, Zian went back over to me slip something in my hand.
"When we meet again, I'll tell what this was originally met for." He said and turned around and went back into the carriage. "Goodbye, until we meet again, Jade."
He waved goodbye and I to waved goodbye, and I then remembered about that I needed to get home before sunset and so I looked at the sun and saw that it is almost sitting, so I put the Zian's gift in my pocket without looking at it and started running home.
I got home just on time when the sunset and Mulan ran to me and hugged me telling me how worried she was. I then took out the gift and took a good look at it and saw that is a jade comb, and knew that he gives it to me because it has the same name as me. Mulan looked at and then looked at me, and I told her that I'll keep it with me at all times, but it will be hidden from view.
AN: Yes, I'm going to have Jade and the Prince fall in love, which is fair for Mulan falls in love with Shang. Any questions please go right ahead and ask, or if you have an idea to put in the story go ahead and tell me. And thank you for those who give names for the Prince, and so I choose Zian from the list.