Fearless (A Mulan Retelling)

Chapter Two

"I... I'm going back to war." Not a second later than the words slipped her father's lips, Iris stood from the table. Her chair fell to the ground with a loud thump in her haste. Sudden rage intermingled with Iris's confusion, reddening her cheeks and sending coils of of blazing heat right into her eyes. This was certainly not an announcement she expected nor approved of, for that matter.

"This had better be a jest," Iris said, looking for any confirmation that they indeed were playing tricks on her. When she only found only sorrow in the way they both looked at her, she just shook her head. He surely couldn't be serious. "Oh, don't be ridiculous. You nearly got killed last time, lest you don't remember."

His eyes remained mournful. "Calm down, Iris. I'm quite aware I nearly died. Believe me, this isn't just some misguided mid-life crisis of mine -this is a war draft, girl. They're calling one man from each family to serve in the Eldian army. As the only man of the house, I fear I have no choice in the matter."

Iris was eerily quiet, taking the news without any semblance of grace. She stood there for a minute, rich brown eyes wide and mouth agape in what could only be incomprehensible horror. Incoherent thought and emotion rendered her unable to speak for a few, very long moments. Both Elliot and Renna Gwenneth just watched as each reaction played over on the girl's face, not knowing what else to say.

Iris then gathered herself. "Forcing you?" she said, the words a mere breath on her lips. The next sentence was louder, raising in volume with each syllable. "What about your injury? What can you even do for the Eldian army with your knee in the shape it's in?" She didn't give them time to reply before she answered her own question. "I'll tell you what -nothing! You can do nothing for them after the last war they drafted you into! It's madness! No, it's more than madness -it's suicide! What can anyone hope to gain by your death?" The question hung heavy in the air for a brief second. Iris just shook her head. "You're not going."

"I wish that were true, girl. I really wish it were." He took in a breath. "They know about my leg -still, there are no exceptions. I have to go."

The anger finally subsided in Iris's face, giving way to a profound look of anguish. "There has to be an exception," she argued without hope. "What can we do to stop this?" No answer was given, flaring Iris's temper again. "Do you want to know what this is? I'll tell you what it is --this is complete and utter bullsh-."

"Iris," Renna interrupted, her voice a sort of warning.

"It. Is," Iris enunciated. Silence filled the room like a dense fog. Eyes flicked back and forth from one person to the next. Finally, Iris spoke again, directly at her father. "You... you're all I have left. Do you know that? Mother died years ago and I still haven't gotten over her -not to this day. You just can't follow her to the grave -that's too much on my heart."

Not being able to bear any more conversation, Iris whirled around and left the room. She entered her bedroom, shutting the door behind her so she could have a moment to herself. Gods, how she wished at that moment she'd had a sibling -or even a friend to consult with. Fresh tears soaked her face, but she made no move to wipe them away. The news had hit her in full force, and she couldn't even comprehend what losing her father would do to her and her aunt.

Iris needed her father, especially now -she'd already lost the only other man that had ever really been in her life. Since her mother had passed away, Elliot Gwenneth was the person she loved the absolute most in the world. How could anyone expect her to just give him up?

A while later, a knock came at Iris's bedroom door. For a second, the girl only stared at the source of the noise. And then, she wiped the free-falling droplets from her cheeks and did her best to pull herself together. A moment later, and she finally answered the knock. "You can come in."