Author note: First full chapter, I want to quickly explain one thing. The main characters are Su Ci (Xiao Su to Pei) and Pei Zhao (Brother Pei to Su), but those are their second identities. Su Ci's real name is Bai Jian and Pei Zhao is Prince Qi (in Chinese culture the first prince after the emperor) and his name is Yan Zhi. Especially the identities of Pei Zhao will switch occassionaly.

Finding the 'right' girl

The soft tingling from the bells on a bracelet came from behind him. On the left one of the girls laughed. He could smell the jasmine oil they had all used, but he was sure he would be able to tell them apart, even after all this time. He remembered how the last time he had played this game there had suddenly been an unknown person in his hands and how odd and alluring the smell had been of that person. A smell he was now so familiar with, he would recognize it in a crowded room. A smell he smelled every day and from tomorrow would remain with him during the day and night. He couldn't wait, but first he had to get through this night. Why had brother Xie taken him here of all places? And what did the message mean, that brother Xie had so gleefully pressed in his hand: "Can you still find the right girl blindfolded?"

There was only one 'right' girl and she would be waiting tomorrow for him to pick her up and take her to his true home. The fact that she was technically already living in his home was irrelevant. Tomorrow he would take her to the mansion of Prince Qi, where she would become his consort. While he thought this he suddenly smelled a tiny whiff of her scent. He turned his head, focused, and smelled again, a small smile forming on his face. Oh, this was much better!

When she saw the realization on his face Su nearly laughed out loud, quickly covering her mouth with her hand. "Alright…Let's see if I can find the right girl." Pei said as he stepped toward Su, who stepped out of reach. Miss Quinshao twirled within his reach and Pei swiftly pulled her close, already suspecting it wasn't the woman he was looking for. Smiling to himself he said: "I see miss Quinshao still combs her hair with Osmanthus oil." After which he pushed her back. It soon dawned on him that Su remained silent, while the others would shake the bells on their bracelets and call to him to alert him to their whereabouts. It appeared Su was going to make it difficult for him. It didn't matter, he like a challenge and she knew that. After some unsuccessful lunges, Pei finally caught another wrist. Just before he turned his head fully to the woman in front of him, Pei surreptitiously turned his head just slightly to the opposite side an took a small sniff. He then turned to the girl he had caught. "Peach blossom, you are not the one I'm looking for miss Biyun." From behind him Su marveled at her lovers sense of smell. Of course she knew how he had developed it and how it had become a necessity for him, but it still managed to amaze her. As she was watching Pei lean towards miss Biyun to smell her, she failed to notice how he had turned his lower body towards her. Pei had turned just enough to allow him to turn quickly around and grasp Su's wrist. Su couldn't suppress the small sound of surprise as Pei drew her in his arms. His head next to hers and angled just so that he could whisper in her ear: "You're the one I'm looking for." Su simply smiled. Pei lifted his head and, to no one in particular, said: "Please, leave us."

As he heard the sound of women scurrying away he pulled the blindfold from his eyes and looked in the beaming face of Su. "Did I pass the test?" he whispered, staring into the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. Before Su could answer a man dressed in black burst through the door that had not yet fully closed. Disturbed and surprised Su and Pei saw him scramble to stay on his feet and heard the calls and cries from outside. Pei and Su looked at each other for one second and then grasped each other's hands. Pei swung Su so she could kick the man in his back. A second later, as Pei grasped the wrists of the man on his back, Commander Fu and Prince Shuomo ran through the still open door, quickly followed by the hysterical owner of the restaurant. Fu and Shuomo had come to a full stop when they realized their quarry had been contained. But when Fu saw who was holding the man he quickly bowed: "Your Highness."

"Don't stand on ceremony, Zihou." Pei said, pulling the man up in a standing position. "Is this the man you were after?" he asked. "Yes." Fu and Shuomo said simultaneously. A guard who had made up the rear stepped forward and took the man away. "Why were you chasing him?" Su asked. When Fu and Shuomo, who both had not yet seen Su, looked at her they immediately averted their eyes. Pei, already understanding the situation, quickly grabbed a blanket from one of the seat nearby and put it over Su's shoulders, closing it in front of her. Only then did Su remember that she had dressed for the brothel side of business, in a more revealing dress. Shocked she looked up in Pei's eyes, taking the cloth in her hand and drawing it tighter around herself. As a gesture of comfort Pei softly caressed her cheek. This dealt with they both turned back to Fu and Shuomo. "Why were you chasing him?' Su asked again. Fu and Shuomo tentatively looked at her again, seeing that she was now decent, they turned fully to the pair. Pei couldn't completely hide the amusement in his eyes. "Prince Shuomo had requested my presence at the Inn, as the princess was missing. We soon found she had departed the Inn on her own to roam the city, as she has done before. But when I turned to search for her, I noticed a man in her room. He had no business being there and when he saw we had seen him, he fled. We followed him. He ran into the restaurant and up the stairs. The door to this room had just opened and several ladies departed. He must have thought this room was empty. So he came here." Fearing another altercation with Beirong Pei asked Shuomo whether the man was from Beirong or Liang. "I think he is from Beirong. I'll deal with him when I return to Beirong." Shuomo said. Pei turned to Fu: "Put him in prison for now. When Prince Shuomo and the princess return they can take him with them. We can't spare the guards or soldiers to escort him tomorrow or the following days."

"Yes, Your Highness." An uncomfortable silence then settled, but as Pei was also his friend and he was curious Fu asked: "Why are you here?" Pei smiled, he could feel Su shrink a little bit into his arms, most likely a bit embarrassed. "We were playing a game and now we will have some dinner, after which I'll escort Su home." Fu nodded: "We will leave first and meet you both tomorrow again." With that both Shuomo and Fu left. The proprietress, who had been standing in a corner of the room also took her leave, after reassuring Pei that the food would be brought up. "Please have it brought by the ladies that were here earlier." Pei asked, handing the lady some money. Then he turned back to Su, who was still clutching the blanket. He could see the uncertainty and embarrassment in her eyes. "There will surely be rumors now." Pei shrugged at this, he had dealt with rumors all his life, but it was still a source of embarrassment for Su. "Let them, tomorrow we will be married. Better they find me here with you in my arms, then anybody else. Besides Fu and Shuomo won't tell anyone and the proprietress and the ladies will also not want anyone to know. Come, I haven't had time to admire you in this delightful dress." He lowered the blanker from her shoulders, Su released and slowly turned around, making sure the dress swirled around her body. She had picked this dress specifically, she had worn it before in an attempt to get some information from an arms dealer. Pei had been in the same room and later had told her how beautiful she had been in that dress. "You're beautiful." He repeated this time, taking her in his arms again. "Come and drink with me?" He led her to the table which would soon be filled with food. The couple settled themselves next to each other. Pei put his arm around her shoulders as Su leaned into him, she sighed in contentment. Pei looked at her and pulled her closer. The last months had been very busy. They had had to deal with the aftermath of rebellion of Prince Yun, the recovery of Xie and lastly the demanding preparation of their wedding. Even though they would have preferred it to be kept small, there was no escaping the fact that this was a Royal wedding, which likewise meant a lot of preparation. To be able to sit here and have not interruptions was a blessing.

A few hours later Su an d Pei rose to leave, Su had changed in to her regular clothes and Pei took her hand in his, quickly pressing a kiss on her knuckles. The he drew her to the door, Su glanced back one more time to check that they hadn't left anything behind. Then something caught her eye, she turned and kneeled on the floor. Pei looked at her curiously: "What did you see?" Su rose to stand and showed the medal in her hand. "What is this?" Pei took the medal from her and turned it around. "It's a military medal, but I don't recognize the mark on it. It's not from one of our generals." He said. Su turned to see where she had gotten the medal from: "It must have come from the man we apprehended here earlier." Pei slipped the medal in his pocket. "I'll confer with the Marquis, maybe there is a new group forming. He has said the rebel activity at the border is increasing, maybe this mark is from one of rebel groups." He then grasped Su's hand: "Come, I'll bring you to Pei Mansion."

The carriage stopped in front of Pei Mansion too quickly. As always Pei was reluctant to be separated from Su. He knew she was safe, since their betrothal the royal guard was positioned around Pei Mansion, plus he knew the private guards of Feyun Manor were also stationed nearby. In the city this was most likely the most secure place apart from the royal palace and his own mansion. Yet being separated from Su always made him worry about her much more. He noticed that Su also didn't want to leave, she was comfortably leaning into him with his arm around her shoulder. Her eyes were closed. Pei squeezed her arm a bit, Su merely snuggled closer. "Xiao Su we're here."

"I don't want to go. Can't you just stay here as Pei Zhao? You've always slept here." Pei smiled to himself. She was right, ever since he had purchased this house and moved her in, he had slept here and spent most of the days here. Only going to his other home when necessity demanded it, but today he would do as propriety demanded. "Not today. I'll pick you up tomorrow and after that we will sleep together every night for the rest of our lives." Su lifted her head and lovingly looked into his eyes. He saw the mischievous glint in her eyes and waited. "It won't be our first time sleeping together. What would the emperor and dowager empress say if they knew?" Pei considered the question: "I don't know, but let's not find out." He suspected his brother wouldn't mind terribly, especially if he knew the circumstances. But from the dowager he would expect a soft worded reprimand.

"All right, it will remain our secret." Su said, still gazing in his eyes. Pei lifted his brow: "Not much of a secret. Fei Yuan, Rushuang and Brother Xie all know of three of the four times we slept together. The only on they don't know about is the time you were drunk." Embarrassed Su groaned and buried her head in Pei's chest. "Sister Su, Brother Pei! Are you all right?" Rushuang called from outside, just before she moved the curtain to the side. Pei sighed when he looked into the smiling face of Rushuang. He remembered how he had that the 'getting the bride' would be easier for him, because Su had no relatives and not a lot of friends. But now, looking at Rushuang, her best friend, he realizes he might have miscalculated. Rushuang and Brother Xie had married earlier, their wedding needing considerably less time to prepare for, but they had decided to stay in Pei Mansion until Su and he would be married. Therefore Rushuang would also help Su in the coming morning and would most likely have a log of fun in preventing him from getting his bride quickly. "Come Sister Su, we have to sleep early. There is a lot to do tomorrow morning." The pout on Su's face was balm to Pei's soul, but he knew Rushuang was right: tomorrow would be a busy day. So, heaving a little sigh, Pei stepped out of the carriage and helped Su down. Holding her in front of him to take her in for a moment he said: "Rushuang is right. Have a good sleep and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright." Su said and quickly put her arms around him for a deep hug. Pei softly caressed her shoulder and neck while he held her. He broke the hug and climbed back into the carriage. Su waited for the carriage to disappear around the corner, then she stepped into the mansion.

Author note: Please read and review, let me know if I'm making unforgivable mistakes concerning the Chinese culture, so I can correct them.