The Wood Orchid

Chapter 1: The Dinner

What was this man doing here? The joy she had initially experienced upon his arrival had transmuted into a confused, subdued panic. Did the emperor change his mind; was she to experience repercussions of her actions after a month or so when she had been bestowed the honor and blessing of the ruler of her sovereign nation? A small voice in her asked from the dark and guarded corner of her mind if there was something else that drove his motive for arriving.

It was just two hours ago that he had shown up unexpectedly after a few months after she had returned home from the Imperial City. The previous summer had turned into a crisp autumn full of training followed by a harsh winter during those arduous wartime months. The promise of spring was just around the corner brining a new hope and joy to her heart. Change was approaching.

The awkward arrival with her helmet in tow foreshadowed the awkward interactions between him and her in the impending night to come; though it did not turn out as bad as she expected. She had personally put it upon herself to assist her mother and grandmother to prepare the meal while her father and their guest discussed the recent occurrences of the Emperor's court and the military.

She was not much help in the kitchen and she thought she was doomed to be forever unskilled in the art of food. When she voiced this opinion aloud, she received an answer from her mother that surprised her.

"Don't be too harsh on yourself Mùlán^; you've improved tremendously", Hua Lì^ gently stated followed by a light and caring kiss on the cheek while she passed Mulan with dinner preparations in tow.

That uplifted her spirits for a while until her grandmother, Hua Mĭn^ jokingly made the comment that she wouldn't have to worry about cooking if she married to a wealthy man. While the two older women chuckled at the comment, she briefly remembered the time where she had humiliated herself at the matchmakers. This memory made her cringe in panic, a knotting, twisting feeling in her stomach that would not come undone. She was snapped back to reality when her mother and grandmother headed through the door to the dining area, their arms full of food. She grabbed her share and followed them reluctantly, cheeks flushed and her stomach still in tangles.

They all took their seats, the guest of honor at her father's right, her mother to the left, her grandmother beside the guest, and she sat to her mother's right leaving Mulan to sit across from the honorable guest. Her eyes stayed down, she did not dare look up in fear that he was looking at her. Fiddling with the ends of her sleeves under the table, she sent a silent prayer to Guanyin*(1) in hopes for some sort of feminine charm. Hua Zhōu^ began the prayers to the ancestors and Gods and the dinner began.

Disclaimer: The author does not own the motion picture "Mùlán" or any of its characters. This story is written for creative purposes only; there is no monetary benefit. Any historical or religious references used are implemented with creative licensing and no disrespect to any culture or religion is intended.

Author's Note:

Minor changes and edits have been made to this chapter since the original posting.

I have bounced around with my opinion on having an author's note because I feel sometimes it can take away from a reading experience on this platform and I skip most of them when I read other author's notes. I skip them unless there seems to be if there is interesting historical background or critical information (which in my opinion it should be incorporated into the story properly).

This will be my one long author's note. If I do Author's Notes in the future, they will ever only be on the most recent chapters and may disappear after I upload a new chapter.

I will be adding on any historical or religious information I come across at the end of each chapter as I would like my readers to be able to appreciate the full background of the plot I weave. When it comes to Mythology my strength is most definitely with Greek and Roman though I do have some Egyptian Mythology knowledge. Western Civilization history is also where I have a lot of background knowledge. It is when it comes to Chinese/Asian history or mythology where my weaknesses begin to show so please bear with any mistakes I might make historically or religiously (see disclaimer). Everything will have creative licensing used that may stretch far from the truth or be simple fact. Point in case, I will be pulling from some Taoism and also from some Daoism. Again, I mean no disrespect.

The myth of Yin and Yang (the true one, not the Disney-fied version) will be a common reference and theme throughout though not always obvious. I have taken the time and effort to build my characters and plan a majority of the plot beforehand so that I can weave a story with deftness. From details of name meanings to zodiac signs play into most of the characters. Nothing will be too drastic in importance but I like the roundness and depth it gives the cast of characters.

My plan is whenever I do, by some force of nature, finish this story, I will release a Storybook format where the story will be in a PDF file with pictures incorporated into the story. It will also have the basics, a title page and table of contents, as well as an index and map which is when of my favorite things from some of my favorite books. Once ready, I will make it available to any who wish to download it.

Of course please review, and feel free to send me a personal message whenever you feel the need.

*Historical Notes:

(1) Guanyin 觀音 – "she is often known as the "Goddess of Mercy" – wikipedia(.org)/wiki/Guanyin

"She is the giver of good luck, fortune and success. Kuan Yin is called upon for prosperity in business. This goddess works what seems like miracles. Kuan Yin - GuanyinThe goddess is ready to help anyone who calls out to her. She provides protection to anyone who is in need of her. The goddess Kuan Yin protects from all kinds of threats and attacks. She can cure illnesses and bestows good health. Women longing for a child may call out to the goddess. The goddess shows special attention to the helpless, especially children and women. She helps to solve family problems. Kuan Yin is also a favorite among fishermen and seafarers. She helps those who are in danger at sea. Those who travel by air and believe in the goddess know that she pays special attention to make sure they are safe on their journey. Finally it needs to be said that the goddess Kuan Yin can break the cycle of punishment and reincarnation." – goodlucksymbols(.com)/kuan-yin/

^Name Meanings

(These will be done at the end of every chapter. In my Storybook version, I will have a Character index as well with the name meanings.)

Mùlán – From Chinese 木 (mù) meaning "wood, timber" combined with 蘭 (lán) meaning "orchid" or "elegant, graceful"

Hua 华 Mùlán 木蘭 – (splendid, illustrious), (wood orchid)

Hua 华 Zhōu 舟 – (splendid, illustrious), (boat, ship)

Hua 华 Lì 丽 – (splendid, illustrious), (beautiful)

Hua 华 Mĭn 敏 – (splendid, illustrious), (quick, clever, sharp)