Hope you all enjoyed,
~ Lian-hua
MY MAGNOLIA
CHAPTER SIX
Ushered into an empty
storeroom by her abducter's, Mulan snaked her arms around herself and leaned
against the wall. The leader slammed the door and leaned against it while
the others crowded in to the oppoiste corner. Two had been sent off somewhere
with orders. They had allowed her to remove her bridal veil and crown only
moments before and she would not waste her opportunity to get a good look
at this knave.
He was tall, nearly as tall as Shang only not so
broad in the shoulders, and not entirely unattractive. His eyes were neither
cruel nor gentle, but clearly intelligent though she was sure they could
be piercing. No danger radiated from him, except the skill he had displayed
with her bodyguard. That was the puzzle, what was his motive.
Be careful, man, she fights good.
Those preciously inadequate words stuck in
her mind. Surely it was coincidence, or wishful thinking on her part.
"You don't know who I am, lady?" Her kidnapper asked
quietly, without a touch of harshness in his voice. In fact he seemed a
rather light hearted person.
She should her head. "No."
He gave a shallow bow. "Colonel Shen Tianxi," he
anounced with pride. She stared in puzzlement, neither the title nor the
name meant anything to her. "General Li Shang and I have been friends since
childhood. We thought we would get together with your friends Liang and
Yao and help you out of this perdicament."
"Treason?" Mulan gasped in surprise. So he had come
for her after all? She could do nothing but smile like a fool, beaming
with relief. Shen Tianxi only grinned.
"No not treason," the colonel corrected. "You'll
find all that out soon enough."
That was not enough. "Where is Shang?" she demanded.
His smily was sly. "What is the most important strategy
for a warrior?"
The strange question made her blink, thinking back
to her training. "Act like a shy maiden, but know when to leap like a tiger."
Oh gods, she prayed, please don't let him be about anything foolish.
***
Shang pulled the covers over him quickly, slipping
his hand beneath the red linen. He gripped the hilt of the sword, laying
it across his chest, with only the point exposed where it laid against
his lips. His fingers crawled over the cold steel as his eyes fell closed
a moment, his heart hammering for bloodshed. This was the man who had invited
a war, the man who had tried to take the woman he loved, plotting to despose
of her as though she were an obstacle. His Mulan, his magnolia, oh this
criminal would die the most horrible death he could devise.
His heartbeat rose witth the creaking of the door,
not in anger, but in anticipation, as let the blade dip invisibly beneath
the blankets. How he must have looked, his powdered face, his dressed hair,
glowing in the lamplight, like a doll. That thought almost made him laugh
as Liu Shitan drew near, his foosteps a harsh whisper on the soft rug.
The scent of liquor bit the air, incongrous with his perfume, he forced
himself to lie still and cold while the rough hand stroked his cheek. A
knot of disgust clenched in his stomach, was this how a maiden felt when
wedded to a stranger? At least he had the sword beside him should things
go too far.
Liu Shitan drew a little closer, brushing cold lips
to his powdered forehead, inhaling the fragrannt sent of lavender on his
skin. Seizing Liu Shitan's throat with a deft hand, Shang kicked the blankets
off him, piercing his blade to his chest, forcing him back.
"You!" Liu Shitan shreiked in outrage, at once recognizing
the tall figure. "I should have known, Chi Fu said murdering the girl was
the only way to get to you." He staggered a safe distance away and drew
his own sword, flipping it masterfully between hands.. "Ah yes, you see
this, General?" He turned the blade in taunting. "This sword longed to
kill your father and it will do the same for you. I can't have my plans
foiled by the righteous, after all." In a flash of fury, Shang advanced,
gripping his sword in two hands, slashing brutally for his enemy. Liu Shitan
escaped by a deft half a step, panting, his eyes alight with cruelty. "Not
so fast, General, I haven't yet told you how I plan to murder her, the
more brutal the better." His words cut off in a drepaved cackle.
Leaping in the air, Shang jumped on the bed, slicing
for Shitan, his movements wild yet with a warrior's precision. Shitan
recoiled, his face nervous and fearful as he turned and bolted for the
doorway. Bounding from the bed, the General flipped in the air, landing
in front of him, cornering him in the lamplit room. Howling in frustration,
the king lunged forward with force, pushing through him into the hall,
it was all Shang coulld do to keep from being gutted by the blade.
Liu Shitan had no choice once Shang pursued him
in the hall, he spun and advanced only to have Shang yank up his skirts
to deliver a powerful kick to disarm him, snatching the sword and running
up the wall to turn another flip over his head. With an agile flourish,,
Shang struck two criss crossing cuts on Shitan's chest, eliciting
a scream. The other man gaped down at his wounds in fear and took off running
behind him, clutching a desperate hand to his chest. Wasting no time, the
General dropped his weapons in the pursuit, jumping on Liu Shitan's back,
sending him crashing to the floor. He rolled under Shang, kicking and struggling,
but the General was too strong for the wounded man, holding him down with
his weight and clutching both hands around his throat until Liu Shitan's
face swelled red then blue.
Shang let his hands fall moments after he lay limp,
climbing off of him and rising to his feet. Mulan was already running down
the hall towards him, alone.
"Forgive me for killing your husband," he said quietly,
catching his breath. "He hardly deserved to live."
She stopped short at the sight of him in a bride's
clothing, the picture seemed to shock her more than the dead man on the
ground. For her, that was in the order of things he supposed. The gown
she wore was almost a copy of his, only not ripped or blood stained in
the fray. At last she acknowledged the body with a somber eye, then stepped
over it quietly, leading him away.
"Shang," she turned to face him, her stare intent and
curious as she took in the painted face and woman's clothing, relunctantly
intrigued. "All this so I don't have to marry the King?"
He returned her scrutiny quietly, the fair soft
skin, the subtle lines of her form, it was too much for a man to behold
with clears thoughts. Without thinking, he brushed that single lock from
her forehead, soft and glossy against his fingertips, her eyes wide and
clear, welcoming the touch. "A hero does not act for selfish reasons,"
he murmered softly. How could he have been so foolish to let go in the
first place? At first she did not catch his meaning, at first she was puzzled.
He sighed, the confession would be hardest of all. "I place your safety
and that of my country before my own feelings. Even if I had none, I would
have come for you."
She was flattered yet confused, her eyes narrowed
in consideration. "I asked you once if you would rescue me." was her only
answer.
"I should never have teased you then. When you asked
I was afraid you were only teasing me," He swallowed. "I'm sorry."
"You've smeared your rouge," She said suddenly.
Reaching up, she dusted the powder from his cheek, exposing the tan skin
beneath. "You've almost spoiled a ravishing appearance, my lady. " Straightening
the flower comb in his hair, she grinned. "Almost. But what I am to do?
I have no husband now."
Blushing with embarrasment, he returned her humor.
"Well perhaps you will allow me to be of assistance one more time." The
long considered words came easier than he had ever thought.
"What?" She tried to defuse the depth her surprise
with another jest, but her eyes had brightened. "And break a widow's vow?
Besides, it may not be safe for you, marrying me, Mistress. It seems I've
caught the eye of a jealous officer who might kill you on our wedding night."
He smiled brightly. "Oh, I won't stand in his way
then, it seems he must love you."
"You wouldn't have a chance anyway," she feigned
a haughty reserve.
Taking her face in his hands, he kissed her deeply,
leaving her no more room for teasing. She wrapped her arms around him until
they were in a tight embrace. After a moment, he let her go. "Liu Shitan
was a spy and traitor, I thought I could repay you somehow for saving my
life. If the Emperor does not permit our marriage, we will not let that
stop us. Come," he took her hand. "let's find the others and go home."
Mulan was silent, but clung to his hand possessively,
neither of them bothering to care what servents thought of two women kissing
or holding hands. How could they care, they were going home, together.
