The gods had decided to be kind, San thought. It was broad daylight, and even though they were in a secluded part of the garden, they were not completely invisible. Yet here she was, wrapped in the arms of a Wu solider, and not one person had walked by to witness it. If she wasn't so worked up over her father's words and Chan's slap, she would have appreciated this moment more.
At length, she stopped crying and Lu Ba backed away. He was still kneeling but maintained a distance. "What happened, San? Your mother told me to come find you, and all I see is you running blindly."
She had to take a few deep breaths before speech became possible. "Liu Chan and I had an argument. He wants me to give up my friendships with you and Ping and Shao. I called him a brat and he slapped me."
"He what?" Ba's tone went cold. "Let me see." San turned her face to the side. He gasped softly, then gently reached out to cup her cheek in his hand. His touch was soothing. "I'm so sorry, San. He had no right to do that."
"Well, I had no right to say what I did to him either."
Ba shook his head. "You were justified. I cannot believe he would raise his hand against a woman. That's disgusting."
"Stop it, Ba. The tension between you two is thick enough. Don't make it unbearable." Gathering her strength, she stood and leaned against the tree for support. Ba also stood but maintained his distance. "Why did my mother send you to find me?"
"She said you were talking to your father, but then you were taking too long so she sent me off."
She nodded. It sounded like something Mei Li would do. "Where is she?"
"In the stables, last I knew. She wanted to talk to Lady Yang."
"Then to the stables we go. I have a message for her from my father. You are not to be without one of us from now on. He said its too dangerous for you to be alone except when you're in your room."
Ba chuckled. "And here I was hoping you would be my new guard at the door."
She slapped his shoulder but couldn't suppress the grin. "Don't get any funny ideas, Ba."
"Too late."
One of the branches of the tree blew in front of San's face. A rather large blossom caught her eye, and she grabbed the branch to keep it level. "A late bloomer," she said. "Most of the blossoms are turning into peaches now."
"A striking blossom, though," Ba responded. "I predict it will be the biggest, juiciest peach on this tree."
"I'll hold you to it." She let got of the branch and turned to Ba. Her heart lodged in her throat. Until she let go of the blossom, she hadn't realized how close the two of them were. One more step forward and she would be up against him. At this range, she could see how open and trusting his brown eyes were. She noticed how sharp the angles of his face were in contrast to the softness of his mouth. She could see the red tint that his face had acquired. At the same time, his eyes never strayed from hers. This was close, too close. And yet, she liked the way it made her feel.
Shock flashed across his face for a brief second and he backed away. It apparently had taken him a moment to realize how close they were, too. "Forgive me, San."
"My mother always comes to this tree for guidance," she said stupidly. She wanted to say something, anything to banish the awkward feeling. "When she needs answers, she sits under the blossoms."
"The tree seems to indeed possess magic. For a moment, I forgot who I was and why I was here. It was a nice respite."
"I'm glad it helped," she said, casting her eyes down. The blush was harder to get rid of.
"San!" A familiar shout forced them both to turn around. Zhao Tong and Zhao Guang were standing nearby, frowns etched along their brows. "Mom's looking for you," Guang said. "She's in…"
"Yeah, the stables. I know." She rolled her eyes at her brothers. "I'm going, I promise." She motioned for Ba to follow her, but Tong held out his hand. "What?"
"Lu Ba's coming with us. We're supposed to take him back to his room. Dad's orders."
San raised her eyebrows at her brothers. It didn't sound like something her father would say, especially after the conversation they had just had. But the twins were insistent. After making sure that they would leave Ba alone, she headed off towards the stables.
Mei Li and Lady Yang were standing near the young foal's pen. Their arms were crossed and their voices were hushed, however, so she knew they weren't discussing horses. "Mother? Ba and the twins said you were looking for me."
"Yes, I was." She held her hand out and beckoned her daughter closer. "Did your father give you any news about Master Jiang Wei?"
She shook her head. "Only that he is on a secret mission and wants to meet Lu Ba." She noticed worry in her mother's eyes. "Is something wrong with that?"
"No, not with his request. His long absence worries me. The last time he was gone for this long…" She halted that thought. San knew what is was without her having to finish it. The last time Jiang Wei had been away this long, Mei Li had been forced to rescue him from certain death. It was still a painful memory for all the valiant tales surrounding it. "I should not worry so much. He has been in contact, so he must be alright."
"What happened to your face, San?" Lady Yang asked, pointing to the red mark on her cheek.
"I…well…Liu Chan and I got into an argument."
"And he struck you?" She frowned and turned to Li. "This is getting a little out of control. First he tries to break his engagement and now he's hitting young women. Maybe some time in battle would be good for him after all."
Li waved her words off. "He is under a lot of pressure from our lord. Liu Bei knows that his son is a weaker figure than he is. He fears that Chan will not be able to hold the kingdom together. I think he is finally beginning to cave under the responsibilities."
"It doesn't give him the right to slap San though."
"No, but in the heat of an argument, most people seem to forget themselves." She turned her eyes back to San, who was trying not to look guilty. "Did you father talk to you about this possible engagement? Good. It worries him, daughter. He does not want you to be unhappy, and he knows this match would devastate you and your friends. I wanted to echo whatever he may have told you."
"And so do we," Lady Yang added. "Zhang Fei's daughter is a good match for him, even though he can't see it. We will fight for you if it comes down to that."
San grinned and bowed low to both of them. "Thank you so much. Your support means a lot to me." Remembering her father's words, she turned back to her mother. "Oh, I forgot. Father wanted me to tell you that Lu Ba is to remain under our watchful eyes for the rest of his time here. Someone from our family is supposed to stay with him. He didn't really say why, though."
"So which member of the family is he with now?"
"The twins came and got him. They said father wanted him to go back to his room."
San went cold as confusion marred Li's face. "I just spoke with him minutes after I sent Lu Ba after you. We agreed that he was to stay with you for the rest of the day."
Lady Yang laughed. "Best go and rescue your servant from your brothers, San. I'm sure they're making good on their threat to break him in."
She said something else that San didn't catch. She had taken off running as soon as her mother's words took hold in her brain. How could she have been so stupid? They had been trying to get at him since he came to Shu, but their mission and the attack had halted their efforts. Who knew what they were doing to him now? He may be their servant, but that wouldn't stop them from being cruel. They were the same way to her, after all, and she was their sister.
They weren't in Ba's room, and the twins' room was completely empty. She couldn't find them in the courtyard, the gardens or the training yard. She knew they weren't in the stables, and most of the meeting rooms she came across were empty. Frantic with worry, she wandered towards the rooms occupied by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.
As she whirled around a corner, she found Guan Ping and Guan Xing talking about something. Both brothers startled when they saw her running towards them. "Have you seen my brothers?" she shouted.
Ping shook his head, but Xing nodded. "They were headed to the back, by the storage barn." Ping and San stared at him. "What? Zhang Bao and I go there to sneak food all the time. Plus, it's a good escape from Liu Yong…"
"Was Lu Ba with them?" San interrupted.
"Um, I think so. Yong's older brother, Chan, was also headed that way…hey!" His protests were cut off by Ping, who cursed under his breath and ran back towards San. The two of them left Xing by the balcony and hurried towards Zhang Shao's chambers. They found him in the middle of a game with Zhang Bao, but he abandoned it in favor of finding the twins.
They made it to the barn in record time. Inside they could hear voices. San picked up Tong's and Ba's, and then Chan's. There was a giggle that sounded female, and she heard a grunt that was characteristically Guang's. "Do you think we should wait?" Ping asked.
"I say we barge in right now and make sure Lu Ba still has his head," Shao hissed.
San was about to argue against it when she heard the female voice screech. Alarmed, the trio threw the doors open in time to see Liu Chan punch Lu Ba square in the face.
"What madness is this?" she shouted. The group halted when they realized who it was. San immediately ran over to Ba. His nose was dripping blood onto his shirt and there was a bruise on his cheek, but he seemed fine otherwise. "Have you all lost your minds?"
Ping and Shao had remained silent by the doors. Shao cracked his knuckles menacingly towards Chan, itching for a chance to finally hit him back. Ping shot him a warning look but remained in place. Liu Chan was opposite San and Ba, red with rage and panting from the blow. Tong and Guang bore mixed expressions of anger and guilt. Xing Cai, who was leaning against one of the walls, had a satisfied smirk across her face.
"He deserves every punch we throw at him," Guang said, breaking the silence.
"Enlighten me."
"Duh. He kissed you, San. That's unacceptable."
San and Ba looked at each other, confusion written across their faces. She knew that it was untrue, however they had come up with that one. But she also knew, given the crowd in the room, that arguing with them together would get the pair nowhere. Ba would become defensive. That would only hurt their chances for an explanation. "Lu Ba, are you alright?"
"Yes, Lady Zhao."
"Good. You are to report back to your room immediately and clean up your face. If anyone questions you or asks why you are alone, tell them that I sent you and you are under my orders. I will make sure you receive food and medicine for your nose. Now go."
He faltered for a moment. She had never given him a direct order before. But he nodded, bowed and quickly left the barn without another word. As soon as he was gone, she turned back to the crowd. "I want an explanation. Right now. If no one answers within the next ten seconds, I will force one out of somebody."
They all stared at her. San had never been so forceful outside of battle or the training yard. She could feel herself drawing up to her full height as she took control of the room. It was Chan who finally chuckled. "Giving orders, San? You're in no position to do that right now."
"Hold your breath, you stupid boy!" Shao shouted. Ping didn't hold him back. "You punched a servant without cause."
"My father will hear about this…"
"Good! Then when he hears what you did from me, he'll think twice about my punishment and focus on yours!." Chan fell quiet.
Tong, who had been fidgeting with his shirt, finally met San's eyes. "Guang and I saw that Wu bastard kissing you in the garden, under Mom's peach tree. He will pay for taking advantage of you."
If the situation hadn't been so serious, San would have laughed at her brother. "He didn't kiss me. We were looking at one of the blossoms and realized how close we were. Maybe that's what it looked like from your angle, but that's not what happened."
"I'm only trying to protect you!" Tong protested. Guang nodded in agreement.
"Well, if you're so concerned about my safety," she turned her head to Liu Chan, "why are you the one who's hitting him?"
The prince snorted. "He's just a servant."
"Answer the question."
"Feeling a bit bossy today, San? Fine. He insulted me. That boy is nothing but trouble and you are completely blind to it. I will not stand here and be insulted by you also."
Shao mumbled a curse under his breath. "Give it a rest, Chan. We all know you like San. Man up and admit that you punched him out of jealousy. Then man up some more and admit that you don't care about my sister."
Xing Cai's smile disappeared. "Chan, is that true?" Her voice was laced with hurt.
He didn't turn around to face her. His eyes were still fixed on San. "You and I are betrothed, and nothing will likely change that. That does not require us to like each other, or to have feelings for each other at all."
"So you would marry me while keeping your eyes on that whore?" she shouted, pointing at San.
Despite the tension, San laughed. It sounded cold. "You call Lu Ba a boy? He is more of a man than you'll ever be, Chan. He could break you in two. But he understands the consequences of his actions, unlike you. To hit a servant will constitute a reprimand. To hit a prince would have deadlier results." She stared into Chan's eyes. "You are not to lay a finger on him ever again. If you do, I will tell my father that you stuck a servant without cause and that you struck me without justification. He has some influence over your own father, yes?"
"So," Chan said, refusing to back down under her threat, "San has fallen for a servant boy, the enemy of her people."
"The only enemies I see are standing in front of me." She turned on her heels and walked out of the room. Ping and Shao followed her, but not before Shao spit on the ground towards Chan in repayment. San fumed as they walked through the grounds. She cared little for Cai's feelings. In fact, the only reason she cared at all was because she was Shao's sister. She would talk to her brothers later. They really were trying to protect her in a strange way. But Liu Chan had done the unforgivable. He had crossed a line that never should have even been drawn. The battle had commenced.
Ping and Shao stayed with San until they had reached Lu Ba's room. Promising to check on her later, they disappeared to leave her and her servant alone. Before she entered, however, she told one of the guards to send a message to her father. They could no longer wait for Jiang Wei's plan. Both San and Lu Ba had to get away from Cheng Du as soon as possible. Gods be damned if San would be the cause of strife among the officers and leaders of Shu.
A/N: Hmm, lots of sneaking around Shu over the past few days. Teenagers *shakes head*. Well, when the adults are away, the children will play...and try to kill each other.
Thanks again to all of my readers and reviewers. I know some things are confusing right now, but I promise some of the issues presented will start to clear up soon. And yes, there will be *dun dun dun* an explanation chapter towards the end of the story, for those of you who can't seem to figure out Zhao Yun's intentions (don't worry, you're not supposed to yet). My cruelty knows no bounds!