There's a girl in Merida's bed.
She isn't sure how she's going to explain this one to her mother.
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Merida had noticed her attraction to women shortly after her 18th birthday. It didn't change much. She had never desired a relationship, and she was still determined to live free-spirited, without chains to bind her. Now she was 22, and she was feeling things.
She had met the woman half a year prior, when the world nearly fell into an all out war. Borders were crossed, battles were fought, and so meetings ensued. All nations pushed a representative to negotiate a treaty. Merida accompanied her parents. Many of the nation's leaders were women who had impressive reputations that followed them.
Merida met the notorious Ice Queen and her sister from the North. She had learned that they didn't live as far as she thought they did, and they started sending letters. She also met Jasmine, the strong-willed leader of Agrabah.
These women were impressive, and gave Merida some perspective of the strength she'd need once she ascended to the throne. However, the person who caught her eye wasn't royalty at all.
The representative for China was a young woman with dark hair and a casual demeanor. She didn't wear any sort of dress - she wore pants - and a sword was strapped to her hip. When somebody asked the woman where her guards were, she simply answered that she could handle herself.
The first thing Merida noticed was the woman's beauty. The second thing she noticed was her strength. Though the woman was muscular, she had a small stature. Merida was taller than her. However, when she stood and spoke, her voice rang out like a command, and Merida wished she could take some of that power as her own.
It was the night after the first day of negotiation that Merida decided to approach.
"You're the Princess of China?" Merida asked.
The woman smiled. "I'm not royalty," she responded, "I'm the Emperor's most trusted warrior and diplomat. He is too old to travel so far."
Merida smiled through her own diplomatic blunder and held out her hand. "I'm Merida, Princess of DunBroch. My family is here to represent Ireland."
The woman shook her hand firmly, her calloused fingers rubbing against Merida's. "Mulan."
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This became Merida's routine for the entire two weeks of negotiations. Whenever the meeting for the day adjourned, she'd catch up to Mulan, and they'd spend the rest of the day together. Merida learned about Mulan's life, how she pretended to be a man to fill in for her crippled father during a war in China. She learned that Mulan used her wit to expel their enemies from the mainland and keep her entire country safe.
Merida told Mulan about her own life back in Ireland, how she was to get married to a man who won a competition, and how she competed for her own hand and won. She thought that Mulan might be weirded out that her mother turned into a bear, but Mulan only laughed and confessed that her partner in crime was a talking dragon.
"Do you fight anymore?" Merida asked, "Now that China doesn't have a war?"
Mulan smiled. "I spar and practice, but no, there hasn't been a threat to China in a long time."
Merida tried her best to listen, she really did, but she got caught up in the way the Asian woman's cheeks rose when she smiled. Merida pat her hands over her cheeks, frantically trying to stop a blush.
"What about you?" Mulan looked at her. "Any new proposals?"
Merida shook her head. "No," she said, "I think men have learned that I'm not interested."
Mulan raised an eyebrow, looking into Merida's eyes. They held that contact for a moment. Mulan's gaze searched for the meaning of Merida's last sentence. Merida held her breath.
Mulan broke eye contact. "I used to have a boyfriend, you know."
Merida felt her stomach drop. "Yeah?"
"We weren't compatible in the end, though I still have lots of respect for him," she said. "I miss having a partner, though." She glanced over at Merida. "I'm beginning to look elsewhere now."
Merida tried not to combust.
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Merida got to witness Mulan's man impression. She wondered how she got so far into the war without being noticed.
Mulan got to witness Merida's burping in full blast. Mulan, instead of being disgusted, was jealous of the redhead's skill.
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They didn't cross any lines until the second week, when Merida decided she'd like to experience her first kiss, and Mulan just looked too gorgeous in the sunset not to try. Mulan's lips were soft, while Merida's were chapped and dry, but the Chinese woman didn't complain. When they pulled back, Merida expected to see a confident warrior and diplomat in front of her.
Instead, the dark haired woman in front of her was blushing and flustered. It turned out Merida wasn't the only one trying not to combust whenever they spoke. The two of them fell into a fit of giggles as the world turned dark around them and the stars began to twinkle in the sky.
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By the end of the second week, the treaty was finalised.
By the end of the second week, Mulan and Merida hadn't defined their relationships.
By the end of the second week, the two young women had to return to their own countries, and with heavy hearts, they said goodbye.
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Merida missed Mulan. Weeks passed by in the kingdom of DunBroch, and while Merida used her time to practice archery and prepare for becoming the next Queen, her mind still wandered to the woman she met during negotiations. Merida wondered what happened to the feisty girl who was so against a relationship that she shot for her own hand. She wondered why now, her heart betrayed her.
When Merida entered her bedroom at the end of the day, she realized it had been nearly a month since her family had returned. It was only two weeks that she had with Mulan, and she was determined to get over the warrior woman. Merida met a sweet girl just the other day, and although this girl wasn't The Savior of China, maybe Merida would try to talk to her.
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There was a knocking on Merida's door - it was late, and Merida was grumpy to be woken from her sleep. She sat up as the door creaked open, candle light from the hallway spilling into her room. In the doorway was a silhouette of a woman, and Merida wondered if someone somehow broke in.
A voice called softly into Merida's bedroom. "Hello?"
Her heart beat once, twice, three times. She willed her voice not to crack when she responded.
"Mulan?"
The woman stepped all the way in and Merida's eyes adjusted to the lighting, only to see The Savior of China herself. She smiled.
"What are you doing here?" Merida asked.
"I wanted to see you."
"You look exhausted."
"I sailed here. It was a tiring trip even if Moana helped me."
Merida pursed her lips. "Close the door," she said, "and rest here."
Mulan's eyes widened. "On your bed? Don't you have more questions for me?"
"I can ask them in the morning," Merida replied, "For now, let's sleep."
Mulan looked nervous for a moment, and then smiled. She shut the door, bathing them both in darkness once again, and crawled under Merida's covers. Merida laid next to her. It wasn't long before Mulan started snoring.
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There's a girl in Merida's bed.
She isn't sure how she's going to explain this to her mother.
But for now, she'll forget explanations. She'll ignore how this will raise questions - how she'll break traditions once again.
She'll fall asleep, and when morning breaks, they'll face all of it together.
~~ the end ~~
About the Author
Hannah is a nineteen year old writer and artist studying animation at the University of Central Florida. When she isn't doing school work, she likes to listen to music, play Minecraft, and explore the city. She loves frogs and dogs.