This is my first fic. I do not own anything, it's all Disney. Sorry, there's no Mushu, but I could not do him justice.

Fa Zhou sat calmly with a cup of tea, quietly sipping randomly interjecting to vocally spar with his mother and daughter. Before breakfast was over, he said made an announcement.

"Mulan since you have failed the matchmaker, I contacted an old friend of mine who has a son with a bright future. We have agreed that a marriage between the two of you will bring honor to both of our families."Her mother froze and her grandmother got a strange smile on her face.

"But Father-" Mulan tried to protest.

"I'm sorry Mulan, but you must bring honor to the Fa family."

Fa Li, Mulan's mother, interjected: "He's right you know Mulan."

At knowing that any more words would not change her father's mind, Mulan ran to her room and shut herself in. Though nothing could sway her from leaving her room for many days, she consented to do her duty and bring honor to her family by marrying who her parents chose for her.

On the morning of the wedding; Fa Li bathed, dressed, and prepared her child for days to come in her husband's home. Mulan looked like a proper woman with honor in her wedding finery as she waited with her mother and grandmother for the ceremony to begin.

"Your father is only doing what is best for you, Mulan."

Mulan replied angrily to her mother's attempt at reassuring words: "I do not care what he believes is best for me. What kind of man is father making me be loyal to, bear children with, share my bed and heart with?" With that, Mulan's shoulders fell and a grimace fell on her face.

"Hush hush Mulan you will be fine neither of us knew our future husbands and look how we turned out. For all we knew we could have been marrying cabbage salesmen." Her grandmother Fa said cheerily. Before any more words could be said, Fa Zhou interrupted in order for the ceremony to begin.

Mulan did not know what to think of her new husband. She acknowledged he was handsome and strong but she did not know more than that really. It certainly did not help the groom's chances that Mulan was no longer called "Fa Mulan" anymore. Her husband's name was Shang or rather Captain Shang. He did everything properly to honor their families; at least, he seemed like a good man. Growing tired from all of the celebrations and cheer, Mulan left the party inside to sit underneath her family's cherry tree. Upon walking outside her new husband was already there, he sat perfectly still hunched over cupping a cherry blossom in his hands. She, without saying anything, sat down next to them.

Shang broke the silence: "These flowers are beautiful, we used to have a tree like this when I was younger." Tilting her head and for the first time really looking at her bridegroom. He looked tired, weary, and about as excited to be married as Mulan was.

Mulan could not stop herself from satiating her curiosity: "What happened to the tree?"

Shang's frown deepened, "My father had it removed when my mother died, he could not stand to look at it anymore without her there."

Mulan placed her hand on the outside of Shang's and said in a quiet voice: "Perhaps we can plant one of our own." With that, their eyes met and saw each other's soft smiles. All was right with the world underneath that cherry tree when two people who had once been so alone had found peace.