It really was like walking into the Tiger's den. All San could see were the eyes watching her, digging through her body to get to her black, Shu soul. There was shock, anger, disgust, and a few cases of amusement. Men, women children - age didn't matter. All of them had the same question written across their faces: Who was this brat from Shu and why was she here?
There were some whispers about Lu Ba, presumably happy ones. She didn't dare look back at their faces to see the other question they all shared: Why was she with him and why was she so close? Instead, she kept her eyes on Zhou Xun's back as he led her to the front of the room.
To the Tiger himself.
San had heard stories about Sun Jian and his family. For the most part, they were right. Sun Jian himself reminded her of Ping's father, Guan Yu. A hard, muscled man with a serious face and deep, impenetrable eyes. He was not quite as tall and lacked the beautiful beard, but the resemblance was still there. San noticed a tinge of pleasure across Jian's lips. She remembered what Ba had told her about the Wu clan, how they always thought well of themselves. That much was clear.
She guessed that the men on either side of him were his oldest sons. Both shared their father's hard features and dark eyes. One of them eyed her with interest, the other with curiosity. Neither seemed to bear the malice that graced the rest of the room. Great, they might not kill me on the spot.
Their attention didn't stay on her for long. Zhou Xun moved to stand on her other side, making Ba completely visible to the tiger clan. San watched the eyes of the Sun family slide from her face to the one on her right. Sun Jian uncrossed his arms, his face showing nothing. It was as if he was looking right through Lu Ba. San chewed on her lower lip nervously. Why isn't he saying anything? She looked to Zhou Xun at her left, but he continued to look forward. The tension was getting to her.
Finally, Sun Jian stood. Lu Ba sunk into a well practiced bow. "My lord," the young man said, "I have returned."
"Lu Ba, welcome home."
San let out a sigh of relief as Jian recognized his soldier. Before she had time to think about her next move, there was a scraping of chairs and a rush of cheering. Something rushed by her and ran straight towards Ba. Xun held out a hand to steady her as she nearly fell backwards. It took her a second to realize that the person who almost toppled her over was not going to harm either of them. She watched as the man threw his arms around Ba, pushing the boy's head into his shoulder. Her breath caught in her throat.
"My son," Lu Meng hissed. Even without looking at his face, she knew he was crying. "The gods have answered my prayers and returned you to me."
Ba lifted his head. He also had tears in his eyes. "Father," was all he said.
San studied the two from the side. Both of them had the same sharp lines on their faces, the same thick hair, and even the same silhouette. Their smiles mirrored each other, and she could tell that their eyes bore the same thoughts. Each had the other's left shoulder clasped in their right hand, as if afraid to let them go. "A truly striking resemblance," she whispered to herself.
"Indeed," Zhou Xun answered, hearing her comment. "We have waited long for this moment."
Sun Jian let out a laugh. San realized that everyone in the room was smiling at the pair, herself forgotten for the moment. Some had tears streaming down their faces. "Lu Ba, it is good to see you safe."
Lu Meng moved to stand behind his son, keeping one hand on his shoulder. "It is good to be home, my lord. I have much to share with you."
"I hope so." The Tiger's eyes moved back to San. A dull flush rose to her face as the Sun family stared at her. "You may start by explaining why we have a member of Shu in my dining hall. A prisoner, perhaps? Something to use against Shu when they realize she is gone?"
San opened her mouth to reply, but Ba put a hand up to stop her. "You promised," he said to her. He turned back to Sun Jian. "This is Lady Zhao San, my lord. I am actually under her protection. She is the reason I still have my head on my shoulders, and she comes with a message for Lu Xun from Shu."
"Lu Xun is not here at the moment," Jian said. His cold eyes were still on San. "You will have to make do with me."
"My orders were to deliver it to Lu Xun," said San. "With all due respect, Lord Sun Jian, we are talking about a possible truce between our kingdoms. This is not something to spread lightly among your people."
The room went silent. She could feel Zhou Xun stiffen behind her. Ba's eyes were the size of plates. Jian's face had not changed. "I would trust everyone in this room with my life, Lady Zhao. I cannot say the same for you."
"Then we agree on something. I will stand my ground on this matter. This message is for Lu Xun only.
"San, what are you doing?" Ba had gone dangerously pale.
"She is acting as her father would," said a very feminine voice. All eyes turned to the door behind them. Two people had entered during the conversation, one of whom San recognized. The woman had been a fixture in Shu for nearly a year. Her red hair, statuesque body and playful smile were difficult to forget, even though San had been a young girl at the time. Lady Sun Shang Xing had changed little since then.
The man with her was a touch shorter, but his aura burned as if he was on fire. He carried himself with authority. The phoenix on his robes seemed to wrap him in its power and protection. San knew immediately who he was. Both Zhuge Liang and Jiang Wei had spoken of him with admiration and contempt many times before. Still, he nodded to San as they made their way towards their leader. "I see my contact has become more serious about this treaty," Lu Xun said when they reached the front of the room.
Lady Sun bowed gracefully, which San returned. "Welcome to Wu, daughter of the Dragon."
"Explain," said Sun Jian.
She laughed. It sounded of chimes and sorrow. "How can you not see the resemblance? We are fortunate to have the beloved daughter of Zhao Yun in court today, father."
The whispers started up again. San looked up at Lu Ba, whose expression was now unreadable. She caught his father looking at her, trying to figure her out. Once again, she felt very exposed. There was something in the Lu family that made her uncomfortable and very self-conscious. She counted herself lucky that Lady Sun recognized her and seemed unperturbed by her presence. It would be good to have another ally in Wu.
"Ah, that would explain the boldness," the Tiger said. He returned to his seat. "You have my thanks for returning Lu Ba to us. Now I would be grateful if you would deliver your message and be on your way. Your people are not welcome here within my borders."
Hot anger bubbled under her skin. Her mind raced through a thousand thoughts per second. How dare that man try to belittle me in front of Ba and the others! I am the daughter of Zhao Yun. I do not cave under the influence of people like you. Jiang Wei's voice rose into her thoughts. Courage, San. Keep your wits about you. The Tiger and his clan are bold and outspoken. The blood of the Dragon flows through you and will protect you. Make us all proud. The last words he had said before leaving her to her journey rang through her skull.
"When I leave, Lu Ba comes with me. He owes a debt to my family and is not free until we collect it."
That brought him back to his feet. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Lu Meng's grip on his son tighten. "How dare you…"
"Father." Lady Sun's voice halted his strand of insults before they left his mouth. "Let her speak. We owe her that much for bringing Lu Ba back, if only for a little."
"Hold your tongue, daughter. I will not be insulted by this child from Shu!"
"I am not trying to insult you, Lord Sun Jian." San took a deep breath, searching for the right words. "I have brought Lu Ba to show you that we mean no harm. But the time has come for this fighting between us to stop. More powerful enemies are busy tearing the land apart. We must be united if we hope to stop them and end this chaos around us. Once the debt is paid and a treaty is created, he will be returned to you."
Sun Jian laughed. It sounded cold and mechanical. "You think that I would just let you walk away with one of my most prized soldiers? You are deluded, child."
"I have come to expect nothing from you or your people. Lu Ba is helping me to see otherwise, and that is the only reason the two of us are here."
"Lady Zhao, you have quite a tongue on you." The Wu leader crossed his arms over his chest and continued to glare at her. "You also have courage. I acknowledge that." He nodded towards Lu Xun, who hadn't moved from his spot the entire time. "How much time do you need to look over the message and come up with a response?"
The man bowed. "I will look it over immediately. My guess is that my contact has a time frame in mind. I will know more once I finish reading."
"I was given three days, if that helps," San said.
"Then I shall have an answer in three days, Lady Zhao." Lu Xun looked over San's head to Lady Sun, who nodded as if she could read his thoughts. "My lord, might I suggest that your daughter take Lady Zhao for some food and rest? She must be quite overwhelmed by all of this. It is the least we can do to thank her for bringing Lu Ba back. Then we can discuss her message and plan our next move."
Sun Jian mulled it over in his head. "Very well. Shang Xiang, take the child to the guest quarters. Make sure her room is well guarded. Lu Meng, I suggest you find your wife and share the good news with her. She will be sorry that she missed this. Lu Xun, Zhou Yu, we have much to discuss." He raised his hands in front of him and out towards the others in the room. "My people, how fortunate that we could witness such a joyful moment! Be thankful that one of our sons has been returned and that peace may soon be upon us."
The room erupted in cheers, but San was too distracted to notice. Lady Sun had taken her arm and was slowly leading her away from the others. Before they reached the door, however, another arm was pulling her back. She looked up into the piercing dark of Ba's eyes. "San," he shouted over the roar of the people, "don't worry. I'll come for you later."
"I'll be fine." A shiver went through her. He was so close to her, all she could think about was wrapping her arms around him and disappearing into his aura. This was all too much. She needed him for support. He'd been her rock for so long, and without Ping and Shao, she felt like she was drowning. "Go and find your mother."
"I will take good care of her, Ba," Shang Xiang said with a smile. He squeezed San's arm before pulling himself away and walking back to his father. San felt her heart begin to race again. Gods, am I going to do that every time he touches me?
Once the pair was outside, San let out a the breath she didn't know she was holding. Lady Sun turned a cautious eye to her companion. "Are you alright, Lady Zhao? You look pale."
"No offense to your family, but they're a little overwhelming the first time you meet them."
The princess nodded. "I understand exactly how you feel. They just need some time to come to terms with what you've told them. Believe me, you aren't the only one who feels overwhelmed."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, think about it. You have just returned one of my father's favorite soldiers to him only to snatch him back. You managed to sneak across the borders with full knowledge that we were here when even some of the surrounding villages have no idea. The you stood up to my father and the entire Wu court with only Lu Ba as your backup. Were you hoping to make such an impression on them?"
San could only shrug her shoulders as Shang Xiang led her to her room. She barely noticed the princess gently steering her down a secluded hallway or talking gently to the guards to request some tea and privacy. Her thoughts were her only company while Shang Xiang laid some fresh clothes on the bed and opened the windows to let the breeze in. Only when the smell of tea hit her nose did she some out of her self-induced coma and realized how exhausted she was.
"Drink this," Lady Sun said, pouring her a cup and placing it in the young girl's hands. "It will help to clear your head so you can get some rest. You have had a long day already."
The cup was warm in her hands. "Lady Sun, why are you being so nice to me?" San asked. The question surprised her.
Shang Xiang was not so easily startled. "I could ask you the same thing. I did betray your people, after all."
"No, you were helping your family."
"Is that what your father said?"
San shook her head, swirling the tea around in the cup. "My friends and I thought about that after you left. We asked ourselves if we would do the same to help our family and said yes." She looked up and saw sadness in her friend's eyes. "Forgive me, Lady Sun. I didn't mean to bring up the past."
"It is quite alright, Lady Zhao. Sometimes it is good to reawaken the ghosts from the past in order to put them to rest."
"Call me San. And you didn't answer my question."
The princess laughed. The sadness was more present than before. "You're right. I admit I was taken aback when I realized who you were in the dining hall. At first I saw a lot of your father in you. He was not afraid to put his thoughts into plain words. Your father…he was very kind to me when I was in Shu. I think he was one of the few people who could see how torn I was when I was there. Your mother was the same way. But I can see now how different you are from Zhao Yun."
"Different?"
"I think, San, that you are more like me. I can see the way you defend Ba at the same time you defend your family. You, too, are torn. My intuition tells me that you will make your decision differently than your father." She smiled at San from over her own tea. "Zhao Yun would weight each option and make the best choice for his people. You will weight each option and make the best decision for everyone."
San sighed again. "Lady Sun, you're only confusing me further."
"Love will do that to a person. Nothing will be clear until you look to your heart and understand why you made such a decision."
San coughed into her tea. "Love?"
"I should leave you to rest." The princess smiled, ignoring San's comment. "I have informed the guards that you are no threat of running away or attempting murder. You are free to wander around the grounds under their protection. If you need anything, please send for me and I will accommodate as best I can. And I will see to it that Lu Xun keeps you informed of what is going on. You have just as much right to this information as the rest of us."
The princess gracefully stood and, with a bow, left the room. San suddenly felt naked. She was in enemy territory, her friends were gone, and there was no one around to keep her from losing her head. The Tiger would surely try to keep her confined until the three days were up. Even wandering around the grounds was going to be restricted, she was sure. Sun Jian's overwhelming feelings were nothing compared to her own right now.
Despite the thoughts clogging up her head, exhaustion threatened to put her to sleep where she sat. There was no fighting it. With tears in her eyes, San stumbled over to the bed and fell asleep the moment her eyes closed.
A/N: And so the drama in Wu begins! Thanks to everyone who read and enjoyed the last chapter. I apologize for the slow pace in which I'm uploading chapters. I get halfway through my edits for the next chapter and then get distracted, and it somehow takes me 573209 years to get back to it. *cringe* Anywho, thanks again to all of you wonderful readers!