Walking away with Lian Shi my handmaiden, I had let out a quiet chuckle. When next I’d seen him it was during my punishment , I cringed remembering, having to act as a lady. I had been in the Chrysanthemum garden looking across the pond, I’d been fidgeting with my long over robes with a look of annoyance when he’d sauntered up a look of boyish apology on his face. We’d talked for hours in the garden solidifying our fast growing friendship.
This fight so different from our first and last left me a bit disconcerted. Dinner that night, left me in shocked annoyance, Liu Bei my ‘future husband’ was to coming to stay for the summer, I’d have to act as a lady and try to act appropriately, he’d arrive in a fortnight.
Glaring my brother down I asked as civilly as I possibly could “why must I be bargained off? Why must I stop fighting? I am the princess of the bow,” Zhuge Jin spoke loudly, slowly, and clearly, as if I was addled “Last year the cost of the alliance to crush Cao Cao his former lord at the battle of Chi Bi was your hand in marriage.” The donkey looking man muttered under his breath at this and I could only imagine how he was insulting me. “It was the only way to show we were sincere about the alliance, not only that but if we’re to be betrayed you’d be able to fight your way out, he won’t be able to expect you to be able to, a man like him could only think the title ‘Princess of the Bow’ to be a title and nothing else.”
Zhuge Jin cleared his throat, and I thought yet again that he resembled more donkey than man, he continued “we stayed it until after the battle, in case he were to perish, the child of a king shouldn’t be fatherless, and you a widow.” The talk resumed quite conversations between husbands and wives, friends and brothers, I had three moons until my ‘husband’ would arrive. Staring down at my lap I tried to recall when I’d met Liu Bei, he had been still under Cao Cao’s rule, and it’d been some years back when the coalition against Yuan Shao had been formed. He’d been tall muscular, long arms capable of touching his knees without bending; his long black hair had been pulled back from his face. His facial features and even his voice were hazy in my memory, jolting back to the present I asked my brothers permission to be excused, walking back to my room I slid the door open and stared, everything, every weapon had been removed.
Striding to my wardrobe I threw it open only to see that all of my clothing had been replaced, looking around the room I collapsed against my futon shutting my eyes tightly trying to will all of it back, when I opened my eyes again, the room was just as bare as before, with a sigh I gave in closing my eyes in sleep.
When I awoke the next morning at dawn from habit, I went to my wardrobe and looked inside, all of the events from yesterday came flooding back, and I nearly screamed when Lian Shi walked in her sword at her waist, her over robe to her knees with knee length pants beneath. I sighed at the unfairness of it all. I stripped down while Lian Shi told me the news from Sun Quan. Stopping mid-action I stared Lian Shi in the eye “what? What did you just say?” She ducked and spoke shyly “you’re honorable older brother wishes for me to tell you that there has been a change in plans and the Liu Bei wasn’t at Shu’s capital as was expected and will be here within the day.” Tying my robe closed I slumped to the floor.
Lian Shi walked closer her long black hair swaying behind her “come now, it can’t be that bad, Liu Bei has a reputation for helping his people, he can’t be that bad.” Lifting my head I merely looked at her, “fine,” her eyes flashed with determination and she hauled me to her feet, Lian Shi was my closest handmaiden and friend , ever since she was taken in by Sun Quan at Han Pass while her and her mother fled the wars heading for Jiangdong. She was raised as a warrior from the beginning much like myself, though she had tried to make me a lady. I came to respect her when she rejected my Sun Quan’s marriage proposal. Letting her pull me up and drag me out my door I asked her where we were headed.
