She couldn't help but feel like a thief as she packed her bag in the dead of night. In some ways, she really was one. She had taken the heart of a man that didn't and never should have belonged to her. She had broken not one, but two arranged marriages and disrupted the lives of several high class families in two kingdoms. Now she was sneaking off into the darkness without leaving a trace of her behind.

Well, she was planning on leaving one thing. The only sign that she had stayed in the farthest guest room was a ripped piece of parchment. On it, she had scribbled a few words.

Ba, please trust me.

Satisfied, Zhao San slung her bag over her shoulder and secured the scroll in her pouch before opening the door. Both of her guards were waiting for her. "My lady," one of them said, "we have been informed of your departure. If you will accompany us to the stables, we will see you off."

"Have the other guards outside been told?" she asked.

"Yes," the other said.

It seemed that a few minutes really was all Sun Yi needed. Not only had her personal guards been informed, but the select few who would be capable of stopping her were told as well. She was impressed. It pained her a little to know that she may not see Yi again for a very long time. In the end, she had proven to be one of her strongest supporters.

The trio moved quickly through the halls. Within minutes, they had reached the stables outside. San's horse was still in the last stall, eying her master with curiosity.

The two guards bowed to her as she stepped into the building. "We must leave you now, Lady Zhao, to keep up with the pretense that you are still here. We wish you the best of luck on your journey."

The comforting words startled her. "You…you aren't mad at me?" She sounded like a little child, but she couldn't get over her shock enough to care.

Both of them shook their heads. "No, my lady," one of them said. "You have merely given our lord another perspective to consider with regards to Wu's future. You have been nothing but kind to us, even when we have not reciprocated. It had been an honor to watch over you during your stay."

San felt another pang of guilt. Lu Ba and Sun Yi had been right; she would be welcomed here. But too many other lives were at stake here, and too many obstacles were still blocking her path. She bowed to her guards in return. "May your lives here in Wu be blessed, and may you not receive punishment for aiding in my escape."

The other chuckled. "Lord Lu Xun's wife would never allow such a thing to happen." Then San blinked, and they were gone.

There wasn't any time to spare. She quickly saddled up her horse and secured her few belongings. A quick check reminded her that her twin swords were still locked away in the castle somewhere, as they had been during her entire stay. There was no way she was going to be able to retrieve them. Saddened, she hoped that Ba would remember that they were there. Maybe he would keep them, a gift from the woman who had saved his life and given him her heart.

A shadow spread across the entrance to the stables. San wondered if the guards had forgotten to tell her something. A quick glance at the owner of the shadow immediately answered her question.

A man was standing there. A giant, more appropriately. Even in the dim light, she could tell that he was dressed in full armor and wore a helmet on his head. A tattered cloak moved slightly from his movements. He was, for lack of a better word, menacing. San's heart seemed to be the only thing moving for a long while. Precious minutes ticked by. All she could do was stare at the soldier in front of her. Was he here to stop her? Has Yi's aid merely been a cover up for a darker plan? Why couldn't she move all of a sudden?

Finally, the man spoke. "State your name and purpose, woman." His voice was deep, and yet there was a softness to it. Something like that could easy drawn in an unsuspecting person, she thought.

San's grip on her waist pouch tightened. She had nothing to defend herself with. "I bear a message for the Shu delegation from Lady Sun Yi. I mean you no harm."

"Only the most secret of information is delivered at this hour." He still hadn't budged.

"Please, soldier, I need to go."

The man scoffed at her. "Desperation will get you nowhere."

San bit her tongue. The anger that gave speed to her hands and her mouth was rapidly rising, despite the fear she felt. He seemed to sense this and took a step forward. She refused to back away. If she needed to fight him, then so be it.

As she searched her surroundings for some kind of weapon, she noticed the sword hanging from his own belt. A foreign blade. She had heard that only one man in Wu carried such a weapon. Her beating heart stopped. This was the one man she had not met during her stay, but was most anxious and scared to meet. Before he could advance any more, she bowed her head low and whispered, "Lord Zhou Tai."

He stopped. Daring to look up, San finally saw his eyes from beneath the helmet. They were not those of a calculated killer. They were those of a man worried about something. She wondered, briefly, what it could be.

"I see now that you are a solider," he said, taking in her clothing. "State your name."

Again, his voice captivated her. For such a monster of a man, he had a way of calming those around him. "Lady Zhao San," she found herself saying.

She studied his face as several emotions passed over it. He knew her identity now. San had a sinking suspicion that he had not been informed of Sun Yi's plans to sneak her out of the castle and back to Shu. If he forced her to go back to the castle with him, her escape plans would be ruined. She would have to accept punishment from two kingdoms instead of just one.

"Lady Zhao, " Zhou Tai said. She forced herself to stand up straight and alert, even though her head felt like mush and her throat had gone painfully dry. "I apologize for not meeting you beforehand. I was delayed in my return. This is not how I envisioned meeting the woman that my nephew has fallen for."

San could feel her cheeks burning. She was glad that it was too dark for him to see her face properly. "My apologies as well," she managed to choke.

"I thought that you were not departing from Wu until tomorrow after everything had been settled. Why are you sneaking out while everyone else sleeps?" His tone had not changed, and she could not mistake the distrust that his voice carried. She had to convince him to let her pass. Otherwise she would be shamed in front of both delegations.

She took a deep breath to muster up her courage. "Lord Zhou Tai, I cannot stay any longer. To do so would put both kingdoms at risk, and I would rather die then see this alliance fall apart."

"You are referring to Wu's distrust of you and the nature of your visit."

"Partially. But there is more than that. I…I am not sure how put this into the correct words, my lord."

His face softened a touch. "Try."

"Well…I knew that I would not be received well by Sun Jian and his family. But I did not expect my presence to cause problems beyond those of the Sun clan. The longer I stay, the more I anger other powerful families of Wu and destroy alliances that have already been formed among them. I…" She paused. How would Zhou Tai take all of this information? He was a hardened man, by all accounts. What would he understand about love? Still, she had to try. "I have caused Lu Ba and his friends enough heartache. I refuse to cause more of it. If I leave now, I can give Ba his freedom and his friends and family peace of mind."

Zhou Tai remained unmoving. "Will this not cause you problems in Shu? I cannot imagine that Liu Bei would be forgiving of his soldier if she let a prisoner go free, especially after so much trust was given."

"But he understands what it is like to love and lose it. That, I hope, will save my life."

It felt like an eternity passed. Neither of them spoke, and San could feel herself melting uncomfortably under Tai's gaze. It seemed like a miracle would have to happen for him to let her go.

But when he spoke, it was not at all what she expected. "For your sake, Lady Zhao, I hope he does. To lose a jewel like yourself would be devastating. Stupid, even, if he let such a jewel go of his own free will. I have heard much about you since your arrival. Most of it was expected, of course. What I did not expect to hear was the way Ba spoke highly of you, nor the way in which my sister's eyes lit up when she told me about the two of you together. I had intended to see this for myself. But hearing you speak of Ba, hearing how you are willing to give up your world so that he may be safe, is enough for me."

San felt her heart swell a little. Zhou Tai, one of the most feared and revered men in Chinese history, was pleased with her. He had fought pirates and barbarians and all manner of Wei scum (Zhang Fei's words, not her own). Yet he made her feel like a saint simply because she loved his nephew.

"So…may I pass?" she asked, remembering her task suddenly.

He nodded deeply. "It will pain my nephew that you left without speaking to him. I understand your urgency, however." Something like a smile touched the edge of his mouth. "I know that he would try and talk you out of this plan."

"I would have needed you to restrain him," San said jokingly.

"Likely. Oh, and before I forget," he reached under his cloak and pulled out abundle that she had not seen him carrying. "I believe these belong to you."

He unwrapped the cloth to reveal her twin swords. She was overcome with relief. "Why…where…"

"Lu Meng had asked me to look these over. The craftsmanship is remarkable and very similar to other designs I have come across. He suggested that I be the one to return these to you, as it would provide a chance to speak with you."

"But…why do you have these now?"

"I had finished looking them over and was retiring to my room. I noticed your guards sneaking you out and decided to follow. Fortune, its seems, is on your side tonight."

She strapped her weapons to her belt and pulled herself onto her horse. "I just wish that fortune would favor me more often."

He opened her stall and led her horse into the night air. "Fear not, Lady Zhao San," he said. "It has a way of rewarding those who are deserving." He then echoed Sun Yi's parting words to her earlier than night. "I have a feeling that we will meet again."

"Thank you, Lord Zhou Tai."

"No, my lady. I thank you."

San nodded and bowed to him from atop her horse. With one last look at the castle and Tai, she kicked the pony's sides and they rode into the night. Only one tear escaped on the road to Jiang Wei's camp. She forced herself to smile instead, knowing that despite the pain, she had made the right decision.

She was shaking by the time she made it to Jiang Wei's stronghold. Two torches were visible from the path, floating back and forth in a distinct pattern. They both halted when she came into view. Even though she couldn't see the guards, the lights in their hands marked them from the ground. One of them called out. They exchanged formalities and she was granted entrance. Inside the walls, two more guards stood watch. It was clear from their faces that none of them were expecting her at this hour.

Jiang Wei was immediately summoned. San, already exhausted by the burden she shouldered, felt herself grow more tired as she took in his pale face and the shadows under his eyes. At least she did not have to worry about clouding in his mind. He was sharp as ever as he sent the guards back to their posts and beckoned her inside.

"What has happened?" he asked, bolting the door behind him as they entered his study. She sunk into a chair, covering her face with her hands. San only looked up when light flooded the table and sent shadows sprawling across her fingers. In the light, Wei looked ever worse than she thought. 'San, please explain this."

"What's wrong?" she asked him before she could stop herself.

He regarded her gravely. "You have shown up here early and in the dead of night. Why is that?"

"No, its just…you look sick. Are you ill?"

Despite his pallor, he managed a smirk. "Only ill with worry about these plans. And about you, of course."

"Me?"

"This treaty requires a degree of skill, persuasion and planning that even the most renowned strategists would struggle with it. To send in a child, talented as you may be, into the tiger's lair to work out the details goes against everything I believe. You may not be my daughter, San, but I care for you like one and I would never forgive myself if something happened. Nor, I daresay, would your father. We have been beset with worry from the moment we agreed upon this course of action. It has disrupted my sleep and my thoughts. Now, to find you looking as grave as myself at this hour, before the appointed time, makes my worry grow."

San was stunned. Not once in her entire life had she heard Jiang Wei speak for this long without pause and with such emotion. She could recall him empowering solders and swaying leaders with his words, but she couldn't think of a single moment where he had let loose such a torrent of pent up feelings and concerns.

"I'm sorry," she choked.

Wei took a moment to clear away most of the papers and scrolls on his desk before turning his attention back to her. "San, I need you to tell me what has happened. I can see that you are tired and I can sense both sadness and frustration. In truth, I would like nothing more than to send you to bed and question you in the morning. But this is urgent. You know this. Please tell me."

"I…I failed."

"How so?"

"I let Lu Ba go." She closed her eyes and focused on his face, let his words fill her ears, and remembered how it felt to be in his arms. Focus, he told her in her mind. I will give you strength.

She opened her eyes and relayed her story to Jiang Wei. She told him of her meeting with Sun Jian, how readily most of Wu's elite had accepted her and what they all thought of this alliance with Shu. She spoke of her fight with Ba in front of his family and of the praise she had received. With some hesitation, she told him of Ba's own marriage plans and how he was to be forever connected to Zhou Yu's family. Briefly, she recalled her conversations with Lady Sun Shang Xiang and Sun Yi. Finally, she detailed how she had escaped, her confrontation with Zhou Tai and the compassion she was shown upon her departure.

"So I had to let him go," said. "I had the blessing of his uncle, as well as his thanks. He even returned my weapons. How could I bring Ba back here and live with myself, knowing that Wu had only shown me kindness? They deserved to have him back. I had no right to make him return."

Spent, she looked up at her mentor. Jiang Wei's face gave nothing away. She let him digest her story. Eventually he let out a long breath. San didn't realize he had been holding it for most of the story.

"I am amazed, San. You have shown remarkable courage and fortitude. Not only did you brave Sun Jian's court, but you flourished. Despite being among the enemy, you kept your head on your shoulders and your mind in its right state. And you did a very noble thing in letting young Ba go home to his family.

"But I also fear for you, my dear. You understand, no doubt, the consequences of returning home without your prisoner. I wish I could keep you here, safe from our lord and the punishment he may give to you. Yet I must send you home. Your journey will not be complete until I do so."

She wanted to hang her head and cry. Yes, she had thought about what it would mean to go back to Cheng Du. "If my punishment will keep Ba happy, healthy and safe, then I will bear the burden gladly."

Jiang Wei gave her a tired but genuine smile. "And that is what sets you apart from the others, Lady Zhao. I echo what your friends in Wu have said. You are, indeed, the dragon's jewel. Now come, you must get some rest. I have no doubt that your trials will continue to wear on you until our lord has said his piece."

San nodded and turned to leave. Her hand brushed the pouch at her waist. "Oh, I forgot. This is from Lady Sun Yi, Lu Xun's wife. She didn't tell me its contents but I trust that you will understand them."

He took the scroll from her hands. "Thank you, San. Now go and sleep. Tomorrow will be one of the longest days of your life."

She bowed and stepped out, shutting the door behind her. Before she completely closed it, however, she chanced one more glance at her friend and mentor. The scroll was open in his hands. His expression turned from exhaustion to shock. San allowed herself to smile and left him to his work. Wei's face told her everything she needed to know.

Shu had Wu's response to the arrangement. All that was left now was to return home and complete her journey.

A/N: Zhou Tai likes to check out weapons at night? No wonder the man can't get a date!

We've finally reached the end, folks! Only one more chapter to go (and possibly an epilogue…I'm not completely sold on what I've written yet). Bucket loads of thanks of Engelchan for the loverly review! Don't forget to leave a review of your own if you liked this chapter. See you all next week for the conclusion. *happy dance!*