The Fate of Mulan (LOK Fanfiction)

|| Chapter 7: Further ||

Mulan's PoV

Don't be angry. Most of the time you will be tested, challenges you need to overcome in order to reach your goal. You just need to focus on it in order to succeed. And patience yields focus.

But most of the time, your patience will be further tested. Just like this.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked, irritated that I couldn't even rest in peace in my own quarters (even though I'm sharing it with someone else, but that's not the point), an irk mark visible on my forehead.

"Duh, we're here to hang out." Taro said in-a-matter-of-factly, snooping through all our stuffs.

"But why here?" I asked once again, exasperated. As much as I tolerate their company, a lady needs her sleep. And you need as much sleep as you can if you're going to survive tomorrow's spartan training.

"Just let them be, Mulan." Iroh said, placing a hand on my shoulder. I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose as I took every last bit of my control to not shoot them with metal slates.

"Must be nice having your own room instead of sharing the barracks with the lot of us." Gelo whistled, looking at Iroh and me.

"Believe me, I'd rather sleep outside instead of having to hear Iroh's loud snores." I sniggered, hiding the grin that creeps up my face behind my hand.

"Hey!" Iroh shot me an offended look. I merely shrugged my shoulders and turned to face the girls. Ninah casually slung her arm around Riko's shoulder as the two looked around the room.

"You two must be close even before coming here to the Academy." Riko commented, the corner of her lips lifting up and letting out a soft giggle at the sight of us.

"No, we literally just met a few weeks ago." I shook my head, remembering our awkward first meeting. That memory should be both remembered dearly (because that was the time where I met him) and thrown far away where no one shall ever see it (because of me being so awkward back then that it's too embarrassing to even remember it).

"Although our parents know each other." Iroh added, nodding his head along. He swats Taro's hand away as he was about to pick up the Crown Prince headpiece displayed on his study table. He said to me that his mother insisted on him to take it with him, as it is his to wear proudly.

"Oh right, somehow I keep forgetting that you two are rich kids." Gelo chimed in, he stares at the royal artifact in awe.

"Honestly, I thought you two were dating." Ninah casually commented, sitting on the foot of my bed.

Wait a minute—- Hold up—-

"WHAAATTT!?!?" I immediately shouted. I found myself choking on thin air, Riko immediately acted and patted my back to help. I fan my face in hopes to lessen the growing blush that colors my cheeks.

"Shh! Be quiet or else we'll be caught!" Taro slaps his hand over my mouth, quite harshly. I shot him a glare, he jumped back, retracting his hand from me and hid behind his twin. "Meanie..."

"What do you think about this, your princeliness?" Ninah asks. We all turned around to look at him but he just stands there unmoving, frozen in place like a statue.

What happened to him? Is the thought of dating me actually so repulsive to him that he just freezes?

"I think we might have broke him." Riko sheepishly commented. I could hear Taro snorts as she said this but that was quickly replaced by a low hiss. His sister must have hit him. Not gonna lie, he deserved it.

"Iroh? You okay there, man?" Gelo said, poking the Crown Prince's cheeks. That must be where his off and on switch is located, since he quickly snapped out off his trance and stared back at us. A soft pink blush brightens his face. We looked at him curiously, waiting for his answer.