"Li Ai, don't do this!" Da said as he followed her back to the Tiger Clan territory. King Yao had given her three days to gather her things, say goodbye to her loved ones, and then she must leave to join him.

She continued walking, her once beautiful dress now tattered apart from trekking across the countryside.

"If I don't, Yao will destroy us. Do you really want that?" She answered calmly.

His eyes held worry in them as he gently grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

"You….you cannot marry someone you don't love…" He softly whispered.

Her face remained emotionless, "And why shouldn't I? My mother didn't, yet my parents fell in love through the years. I'm happy to serve my country…"

Da studied her eyes, seeing a terrified, small girl trapped behind her glassy orbs.

"Li Ai…"

Her eyes widened slightly; this was the first time he had said her name without a title.

"…Run away with me."

Shock and confusion filled her face, "Da..I..I can't."

"Why not?" He asked fervently, "We could leave China and go somewhere that no one knows us. We could be free, Li Ai, actually free! No one to give us orders or to tell us how to live our lives…we could do whatever we want…"

She gently stepped back, only to have him walk closer. She glanced up at him, seeing his gold eyes alive with fire.

"Y-you're not thinking clearly, Da."

"You're wrong, Li Ai…this is the first time I'm thinking for myself." He gently took a hold of her paw, "Come with me,…please."

She bit her lip, studying his eyes that pleaded with her so desperately.

"If I did…everyone could be killed."

"Bai Jian would find a way to settle it…you'll see…Please…I…I love you, Li Ai."

A tear fell down her face as she heard his words. The words she had longed for a lifetime to hear, yet it was too late…she knew what she had to do…

"I…I can't…Da.."

~A few years later~

5 years…that's how long it had been since Lianghu left her people…since Li Ai married the Leopard king and ran off..…5 long, hard years.

"I will be out late tonight, General Nanu has come to give his reports, and you are to stay in here. I don't need you meddling around the palace when I'm trying to focus. Don't bother waiting up for me." The door slammed shut as the sound of a lock turning filled the air, leaving a shaken tigress sitting in front of her mirror.

Li Ai stared at her reflection in the looking glass, seeing faint lines beginning to form on her face. A long scar ran alongside her cheek from an "accident" by her husband, King Yao. She gingerly opened a bottle of perfume on her desk, taking in its sweet scent, but it didn't bring her pleasure…nothing did. Her brother, Bai Jian, was now happily married to the love of his life, Lianghu, whereas she was forced into an abusive marriage to save her people…She longed to go back to her family, to see the land that she once dwelled so freely in…to see Da smile at her again and stick to her side like a shadow…but that could never be possible. Yao would never allow it…According to him, Li Ai was an object he had won in a trade, and she was to do his every bidding….or the consequences would be dire. Now, she felt numb to the world. She had no emotion left, for every ounce of it had been slapped and beaten out of her. There was no joy, no happiness, not even sorrow in her life anymore. She was merely a bride meant to serve her husband, and would now forever live that way…

The tigress stood up from her vanity and walked to her window, only to see the bleak sky pouring down with rain with the occasionally lightning bolt shoot across the sky. Thunder crackled in the distance and sent loud booms across the land. Li Ai glanced at the raindrops dripping down the glass, seeing the clear shimmer bouncing off of them. She gingerly traced the trail of one slowly falling towards the earth below. Frost had gather on the window panes, but the tigress couldn't feel the icy bite of the cold…she couldn't even feel her own heartbeat.

"They don't know what's coming…."

A muffled voice made her freeze.

"Are you sure about this, sir? There is plenty of land in other parts of Chin-"

"NO. I don't want the land, you idiot. I want that sniveling tiger's head, along with the others. They will pay for what they've done…"

She recognized that voice…Yao. Li Ai quickly turned her head towards the door, seeing a small hole in it for the key. She ran over and pressed her delicate ear against it, straining to hear the conversation.

"B-but sir…Y-you already have the girl."

"I never wanted her, I just thought her brother would come to get her, but I've waited long enough for that…We attacked in 3 days, have your men ready by then, or it will cost you your life."

The second voice hesitated, "…As you wish."

"Good…Now come, I have the plans in my office."

The footsteps carried the voices further away.

Li Ai felt her heart catch in her throat, knowing what that meant.

I've got to warn them, she frantically thought. She couldn't send a letter; they would search it before it would be sent to Bai Jian. She didn't trust anyone enough in the palace to send to them either…She had to tell them herself…But how? Yao had locked in her room, and the only other way out would be-

-the window..

She quickly searched the room, looking for anything that might help her escape. Her eyes immediately went to the bed… Not hesitating, she began to tear the sheets into strips and tie them together to create a long rope. She then tied one end of it to the bedpost. Throwing on her cloak, she swung open the windows and embraced the icy storm outside. She grabbed ahold of her makeshift rope and took one last look at the room that had kept her captive for so long. Smiling, she turned her face towards the storm and climbed down. For the first time in 5 years, she felt the frigid rain pierce through her fur and skin. She felt pain once again…and joy…She felt…alive.

"Darling…it's time to wake up."

Lianghu groaned and curled up deeper into the covers.

"Just 5 more minutes…" She mumbled.

"Where's my good morning at?"

"The sun's not up yet…"She mumbled, "so it's still good night…"

Bai Jian chuckled and gently kissed her cheek, "Don't you want to say goodbye to me before I leave?"

The tigress slowly sat up, meeting the muscled leader's eyes.

"You're leaving?"

"I have to inspect the Jayno province today…Da insisted on it...he said something about Lord Shen's army…."

"Lord Shen? But he's supposed to be hundreds of miles from here….plus it doesn't look like the storm is going to let up anytime soon…" She said sleepily.

"I know…but there are panda villages nearby, and I don't want them to get hurt…He'll stop at nothing to make sure that prophesy isn't fulfilled.."

"Both him and that old goat lady are crazy…whoever heard of a panda fighting? They're excellent at growing rice and making bean buns...but not in the art of war." She stretched out her arms and flopped back down on her pillow. (Sorry, I just couldn't help myself:D)

He lightly smiled at her and pecked her lips, "I know…but we still want to be safe. I should be back before sunset.."

The tiger went to walk away, but a pair of arms latched around him. Lianghu snuggled up close to him.

"Promise?" She whispered against his skin.

"Promise…take care of Hua Lei while I'm gone." He softly said.

She smiled into his fur, "I will…but I have to admit, she's definitely a daddy's girl."

Bai Jian kissed her forehead one last time, "I know…I won't be gone long."

And with that, the tiger left the room, leaving Lianghu alone on the bed. As soon as he closed the door, a loud wail came from the corner of the room. The tigress sighed and slipped out of bed, walking over to the crib.

"Shhh, little one," she cooed, "It's alright…Baba will back soon."

Two golden eyes looked up at her with tears brimming over them as she continued to shriek and cry. A familiar pair of high cheekbones – which the child got from her father – adorned her face, while her soft chin matched that of her mothers.

Lianghu gently picked up the small bundle, whispering comforting words to her daughter while pacing the room. Eventually the sobs died down enough for the tigress to lie back down on the bed and curl up with her. Hua Mei whimpered as she clung to her mother, afraid of the raging storm outside.