“To the two women in the palace, that would know how to turn a roaring tiger into a singing nightingale,” I didn’t say a word simply raising an eyebrow, before my eyes widened in understanding as I stood outside my brother’s room. Sliding the screen open Lian Shi released my hand and bowed to Da Qiao, walking in I nodded deeply in acknowledgement to the younger woman. She turned toward us rubbing the sleep from her eyes, her hair was down and in disarray, her lips pouted slightly, before smiling at us “what brings you two here so early?”
Walking across the room I sat before her “Sun Ce, has told you hasn’t he? I’m to be wed.” Da Qiao’s eyes widened “you’re not here to talk about…um…Wifely Duties are you?” I threw my head back and laughed at the seventeen year old as she blushed madly. “no,” I replied trying to regain my calm “ my ‘husband’ is coming a bit earlier than planned, today actually, and Lian Shi wants to recruit the help of you and Xiao to help me behave like--” my voice trailed off and I made a face “a lady” I finished lamely.
Da’s eyes brightened hopping up she shooed the two of us from the room saying hurriedly “I’ll get my sister and meet you in your room.” Standing outside her door, I blinked bewilderedly for a moment before looking at Lian Shi and shrugging, padding softly back to my room I sat down on my futon as Lian Shi brought out my vanity and the hordes of unused face paints from my mother Lady Wu. With a sigh I resigned myself to my fate and waited for the younger girls to arrive.
When the door flew open I saw nothing but a flurry of pink and orange as I was hauled to my feet. Before me stood Xiao Qiao, her formerly black hair bleached from the sun, a deep brown pulled back from her face, large light brown eyes staring at me in contemplation, her lips screwed up. Her sister stood beside her more demurely her pink over robe, barely moving as she shifted, her hair now tidied and half up pins securing it, her large eyes looked me up and down.
Suddenly their eyes widened and they turned quickly to each other “I’ve got it!” their voices announced as one. Soon Xiao was digging through my wardrobe as Da Qiao sat me before the vanity using the many brushes to paint my face, lips, and eyes, slowly breaking down the process and explaining it so that I could do it myself. When she was completed she had me stand and flourished her hands toward her sister “look!” she exclaimed. Turning Xiao smiled “perfect, now onto clothing.” Disrobing I put on the clothes Xiao handed me grimacing at the feel of the pain on my lips and eyes, as well as the weight of the many robes on my shoulders as I padded back and forth across the room.
Da Qiao sat me before the vanity again and began combing the tangles out of my hair as I winced, the whole while listening to the younger girls exclaim and joke about how un-lady like I was. When we were finally done, I felt heavy and my scalp was screaming from the pins holding my hair in place. With a sigh I said softly to Lian Shi “I have to do this every day? Where’s a siege when you need one?” Lian Shi merely chuckled as we excused ourselves from the girls.
Ignoring the pinch of my shoes and the weight of my robes, I walked to the training yard, and smiled when I spotted Sun Ce. Using all the grace I could muster, as if I was dancing I floated over to him, where he stood talking to Lu Xun. I snapped a non-bladed fan open to get his attention, veiling half my face with it. Lowering my fan I smiled gently noticing the dumbfounded look on Lu Xun’s face I turned to him and said “I thought my nieces beauty had blinded you to all others, Lu Xun. ” Blushing red he muttered before excusing himself. Sun Ce looked at me “Xiang? I can’t believe that’s you!”
Leaning toward him I hissed “Damn right it’s me! Your wife is crazy, this robe is heavy, my face feels heavy, and my scalp is screaming! How does she do this every day!” Sun Ce bursts into hearty laughter his solders and chest shaking with uncontrolled laughter distorting the designs of his red clothing. Wiping a tear of mirth from his eyes he said “I wish you could see yourself right now Xiang, and here I almost thought you were a lady!” He resumed his laughter, “ as they say: ‘Be not deceived with the first appearance of things, for show is not substance.’ And that’s certainly true for you right now!” Slapping him with my closed fan I walked over to Zhou Yu, Sun Ce, and Sun Quan’s adviser, Sun Ce’s closest friend, and sworn brother. “Zhou, what time is—“ I gritted my teeth and forced the words out “my Lord Liu Bei, arriving?” Zhou Yu smiled at my obvious distaste and replied “Sometime around sunset,” leaning toward me he whispered conspiratorially “do try to hide the distaste though, hm?” I smile and walked away calling over my shoulder “I’ll try Uncle Yu” knowing his distaste for the nickname. With a wry smile I kept walking around to find my eldest brother Sun Quan, Liu Bei would be here by sunset the very thought made my stomach clench with anxiety.
Three Kingdoms 2
Start from the beginning
