STATE OF ZHAO: DAI
Chun Li POV
After a long day of training, Chun Li took a moment to sit alone in the plum garden and breathe. It was a trick that she once saw a religious Taoist doing when she was younger. Chun Li found that the exercise calmed and cooled her; it also made her forget about useless things.
Currently, she had sat in the same place with her eyes closed for around an hour and thirty minutes, the maids and guards knew that they were only to bother her if it was a message or she was being summoned by her father or if it had anything to do with Sei Chou. And it seemed now one of the two conditions had been triggered because her maid was bowing to her side.
"Yes," She said softly.
"My Lady, Lord Rin has asked for your presence." Chun Li nodded, though she was a little sad that the interruption had nothing to do with Sei Chou. She still stood up and stretched before going to bathe, and changed before meeting her father. The guard at the side of the ornate double door opened it for her, and she walked in to see her father sitting behind his desk, a mountain of scattered bamboo slips and papers around him.
"Ah, my daughter, how was your day?" He asked her with a smile.
"It was well, Father, the instructor you got me said I am progressing very well. He called me a prodigious talent." Chun Li replied, giving a quick report of her training. Her father waved at her to take a seat, and she did so. Though she saw that his eyes almost fluttered to the side.
But before she could follow his eyes, her father perked up and said quickly. "I have a gift for you. I know you have been awaiting young Lord Sei Chou's return, but he could not be here. So I asked him to send something instead."
The sound of quick, light footsteps came from behind her. Chun was about to react in a flash. But she was caught off guard; she was in her father's solar, and she knew that no one would be able to intrude on it without his permission.
The voice of the person filled Chun Li with unspeakable amounts of joy, so much so that she leapt out of her seat and rushed into his arms when she heard his voice.
"Guess who it is?" The person whispered from behind her. Chun Li could tell that voice anywhere. Jumping up and into his arms, she held him, and he held her. She knew she was breaking etiquette, but at the moment, Chun Li didn't care about etiquette. Also, was it not the very same man before her, who said she should do whatever it is that she wants?
"You came back." She said, hugging him tightly.
"Always, for you I will always return." He replied.
Their hug was ruined by a cough coming from her father, "Whilst it is a sight that brings me joy, I must remind the two of you that you're yet to marry one another. And until then…" He trailed off, and Sei Chou got the message clearly.
"No worries, Lord Rin." Sei Chou said.
"Father?!" Heat rushed to the surface of Chun Li's face; she couldn't believe her father's words.
"Hahaha," Her father only laughed at her shock.
"I ask Lord Rin to excuse me, and Lady Chun."
"As you wish, my boy. As you wish."
Both of them walked out hand in hand before going on a trip around the city and visiting all the new places. Whilst they both told each other stories of what they had been doing since they had last seen each other, it was pleasant, and she did not want it to ever end.
After six days of spending time together. Sei Chou once again had to leave her, even though it was the end of summer. When she'd asked him to stay, he had kissed her forehead, then held her hands and replied.
"My love, war waits for no person. Should I stay any longer and word return to Qin, they may try to take the opportunity to invade." She knew he was correct, but was it so wrong for her to be a little selfish?
He had set off two days later than he had planned. They had talked much about her training and what she wanted to use it all for. In truth, Chun Li did not know why she was training, but she now knew she was seriously talented in combat. So much so that Sei Chou had remarked about placing her in the army along with him.
But she refused, Chun Li did not think it was the correct path for her. On the second-to-last night, the two of them watched the sun set over the horizon, her head on his shoulder as they just watched on in peaceful silence.
The next day, Sei Chou kissed her on the lips and told her that he would be returning to the frontlines, and it would be the last night he stayed in Dai, so before he left, Chun Li gave her future husband a present. He had showered her with so many that she wanted to return the favour by getting him a gift.
One that she had asked to get crafted specifically for him, she knew Sei Chou never wore a helmet in war. Choosing most times to tie his hair into a loose ponytail, she wanted to get him something to help with the issue.
She presented him the ornate box; it was only the two of them and the moonlight shining through the balcony doors.
"Open it." She said, trying to be as brave as possible, that she was really nervous at that moment. Hoping that Sei Chou really genuinely liked her present, hoping it fit and hoping a hundred other small things went perfectly.
Sei Chou showed surprise, then shock when he opened the box, before lifting the present she had gotten him. "I remember you said that your hair sometimes comes loose or gets in the way of your face. I wanted to get you something so you would stop talking about cutting it." Chun Li spoke softly at the start before her voice gained some heat near the end.
She definitely did not want Sei Chou to cut his hair. "I…Chun Li…" Sei Chou's words stumbled as he pulled out the golden band decorated with jewels.
"Do… Do you like it?" She asked him nervously.
Sei Chou turned to her, "Chun Li, this gift… the gift is amazing, I can't thank you enough." Sei Chou pulled an arm around her waist and held her tightly close to him. Before using the other hand to place the band back in its box, and giving her kisses long into the night.
Come the next morning, Sei Chou was already getting ready as she entered his room, hoping to wake him. He stood up from his stool, where he was putting on his armour, placed a kiss on her forehead and apologised for not telling her.
She smiled giddily before telling him to take a seat and helping him with his armour. It was a full body set of armour, there were patterns on either side of his broad chest and on each of his metal shoulders, and it carried on to his vambraces. She helped him with the vambraces and tightened them before placing his general cloak around his shoulders.
Then lastly, she placed the jewelled band on his head. He stood up and turned to her, and for the first time, she got to see Sei Chou in full armour. Chun Li drank him in, committing the look to memory.
"Return to me, Sei Chou." Chun Li said.
"Always," Sei Chou replied before he was gone again.
….
256 BCE
STATE OF QIN: CHIKU
"My Lord, your wounds… They're healing, but you need some rest." The physician advised, but the man was hearing none of it. He sat on a chair with his naked chest bared to the world, and a large scar ran down the right side of the man's chest. His face was equally scarred with a diagonal slash going from right to left, his long black beard and manchu moustache well-groomed.
"The Zhao have grown too emboldened recently, and they're becoming an eyesore; we must show that Qin is not to be trifled with so lightly." The man replied sternly to the strategist beside him, dismissing the words of his doctor.
"But after Chu, we need to recover…" The strategist advised.
"The only way to recover is by making an example out of the next powerful state. Ouki has been sent to watch Chu. The strategy has changed, and now I find myself further away from the grace of King Shou." The man replied.
"That's just how the King is…" The strategist replied. Hoping to make the man reconsider, but his words fell on deaf ears.
He sighed, seeing there was no way he could get through to the leader of the army, "Since you're certain this is the action you want to take. I will not push it further, my Lord." He said before continuing, "In that case, we'll have to ensure this opportunity is handled with care. Or else we may lose everything."
The extremely muscular and huge man frowned, "Can you believe that child is calling himself the Strongest man in all of China? Whilst I still draw breath. One day, there will be nothing left. But…" The massive man began to stand up from his chair, walking over to where his Yue axe sat on the weapon rack.
As he placed his hands on the Yue axe, he turned to his strategist, "My era… Will never end!"
CHAPTER: DONE