The Emperors Daughter: A Mulan Retelling <ON HOLD>

Chapter 2: A War and a Wedding

Glossary: Hanfu=Chinese Dress, 

Daiyu's wedding had been set to take place a week later at the castle. Lihau had chosen a splendid blue and red wedding constume for Daiyu, and her hair was decorated with sapphire hairpins. She stood before us, truly looking like an Empress in her own right, but I shook that though away. Her face was painting so delicately, she looked pristine. But none of this compared to the smile on her face, she was in love, and that's all that mattered.

My sisters and I were all dressed in lime green Hanfu's, as well at being her brides maidens, the sister's of the bride are able to do a dancing ceremony as she exits the castle. We waited in front of the large central doors, leading out to the public place where the whole city would be attending the wedding. The doors opened and my sisters and I lept out, dancing along the isle, throwing petals and moving swifty and graceful. Four men held Daiyu up in a brightly coloured wedding sedan, as the proceeded behind us. 

As I danced, I noticed some people looking at me, these people were mostly the nobles, but they were whispering to each other and pointing to me. And then I heard it, "The Emperor must be so embarrassed, his eldest daughter Mulan is not being wed before her youngest sister," One noble said, "Shameful, I wonder why Lord Bojing didn't find her good enough, and chose her younger sister instead?" Another remarked,  "I hear that Mulan is quite a truant." A third gossiped, I frowned and continued dancing, but these remarks haunted me for the rest of the night.

Wedding's are extremely strict and formal, but when Bojing saw Daiyu, a grin spread across his face, and hers as well. He stood at the top of a gazebo, atop of stone steps. Daiyu made her way up these steps and they both kneeled before the alter. The ceremony was rather long, but it was beautiful, seeing a couple in love, even though they just met, was wonderful. I only hoped that it lasted.

Back in the great hall, Daiyu and Bojing sat on wedding thrones, watching the festivities. The dancers were beautiful, they could bend their bodies in half, in a way that made them look like a snake, it was hypnotic. My father stood up and clapped his hands, the hall grew silent, "It is time to bid the bride and groom goodnight, as we send them off the the wedding chamber." He said, gesturing to Daiyu and Bojing. Men rushed to both of their thrones and lifted them up and carried them out of the room, Daiyu reached out to touch my face as she left and I gave her a reassuring smile. Ten seconds later, they were gone, and everyone continued to drink and celebrate.

Then a loud slam of the large doors echoed throughout the room, and the harsh night-time wind filled the area. Some candles blew out, and the room grew far dimmer, some men and women shreiked, thinking the worse. In the door frame, was figure, behind him, a horse behind held by the guards. The figure limped into the room and then collapsed to the ground. I rushed towards him, it was a guard. His uniform stated that he was a guard from the central borders. I tried to help him up, but he groaned in pain. I pulled my hands away to see blood, he's been shot with an arrow, I stared at my hands. My father rushed over and helped flip the man over, some of the other guards helped while of the nobles watched on. The man coughed, blood trickling through his armour onto my father's clothes, who had rested the mans head on his knees.

The guard opened his eyes slightly and upon seeing father he tried to sit up. But father wouldn't let him, "What is it boy?" Father asked in a soft voice, "My name is Jinhai Zhao, please make sure my family knows that I died with honour." He choked, breathing quickly, "Your family will be honoured boy, now tell us, what news have you brought." My father asked urgently, the guard's eyes widened, as if recalling something terrible, "The Shu kingdom, they attacked, they sent an army here, into the Wei kingdom, they also sent messangers into the Wu kingdom, but they have declared war here, they want supreme power." Jinhai rasped, my father's face was blank as this man died in his lap. The other guards carried him away and yet my father sat still. "Send his family one thousand coins," father ordered the guards, and stood up. "This party is over," he declared to all the nobles, the guards rushed to escort everyone from the hall and my father walked right past me. "Go to your room Mulan, all will be well." He said before disappearing down the hall.

I sat in my robes all night, War? I thought, it was a hard thought to process, would we really be at war? I glanced out my window, it was late at night. I pulled on a thick robe so that I could walk around respectably enough. And I left my room, ruching down the corridor towards father's briefing room. Since there were many Warlords that had attended the wedding, they would all be in there devising a plan. I stopped outside the door and peered through the small crack between the doors.

They were all seated at a rouch table, father had the seat facing the door. "I suggest one male from every family in our kingdom to fight." Father suggested, the other men nodded in agreement, "I have many sons, I will let them decide who shall go," one of the Lord's said, "As do I," said another, "But I have no sons." My father said, looking at the other men, who nodded, "We do not expect a member of the royal family to go fight for our kingdom, we need your family here, ruling it." One of the other Lords said, I frowned, and walked away.

It wasn't fair, being royal didn't give us an immunity. If one son from every family should serve in the army, then what right has my family got over everyone elses. It was war! We needed every possible person, though my father was too old to fight, and we needed an emperor here, there was no reason I couldn't fight. Though my father would never approve. But I could possibly prove myself to be so much more. Weapons the word sliced through my mind, I would be taught how to use weapons as well. Which path should I take? My mind fought with itself, I wasn't sure, but at the same time, I was as sure as I ever would be.

Three days later, Imperial demand notices were sent out to all the families in the Wei kingdom. I sat in the briefing room with father, he looked exhausted, how could I really do this to him, he would be heartbroken once I left. But I had to, and I'll come back when the war was over, a hero. My father was so tired that he fell asleep right there and then. I took this opportunity to forge a demand notice. I rolled it up in my hands, and looked at my father sleeping. I kissed him on the forehead and pulled the Cherry blossom he had given me a week before. It was still beautiful, but wilted around the edges, I placed it in his hands, and left.

I ran down the corridor, past Lihua, past my sisters, into the training room. Bingwen wasn't there thankfully. I opened the sliding doors that lead into a weapons room. I was breathing deeply as I retrieved my father's first sword from it's stand. It wasn't as ornate as his newer one, but it was still beautiful, and in perfect condition. With this, I held the shining blade to my long hair, and sliced. The hair fell to the floor and I scooped it up and put it in a small satchel. I then stripped my Hanfu from my body and changed into my training clothes, I then surveyed the racks of armour, and chose the most common one. I walked towards a mirror in the far corner and looked at myself in the mirror. I did look different. I looked like a boy, but a rather delicate one. I would be able to surprise all those men though, they had no idea what was coming for them.