"Mulan! Mulan, where are you? Mother has asked me to fetch you for dinner." I reached an old tree on the farm when I feel something hit me on the head. "Ow what the, Mulan did you just throw a nut at me?"

"There are no nuts in this tree, I through a twig."

"How is that any better? Anyway, it's time for dinner so get down from there." Mulan looks down at me from her perch in the tree but makes no move to come down. "I know you and dad are fighting right know about the bride thing but that does not mean you should hide in a three like a child."

"Why should I act like an adult when father insist on treating me like a baby who can't make decisions for myself." She jumps down from the tree and lands next to me "he keeps saying how much of an owner it is to be a possible bride of the emperor's son, but I don't want to be a possible bride of anyone. I want to live for myself and prove my worth as a strong person not some man's arm candy."

"I know Mulan, but it's just a possible bride thing so you can just go there do nothing and wear nothing spectacular and then come home. No big deal just a simple trip to the capital, actually sounds kind of fun to me." I smiled at her and started walking back to the house with her starting to follow.

"What do you mean by do nothing and wear nothing spectacular?" She grabs me to stop me from going over the little bridge to the house and faced me to her. I can see she wants to think of it as a simple trip but can't see how she can be certain she won't be picked.

"Well they say hundreds of girls got the same invitation you did, so all you have to do is not stand out. So, you ware a dress that says I'm just a farm girl and act like a simple peasant who was just lucky to be there by some miracle or mistake. Then when they say you can go home you'll have the rest of the day to wander around the capital and maybe buy yourself a shiny new sword or something." She looked at me like I had just told her a fairy tale that could never be true.

She then sighed and spoke "Meilin you see the good in any situation, but I just can't. In all honesty you are probably the one who should go anyway. I mean you clean, and I farm, you cook, and I secretly practice the sword and when it comes to studies you beat me by a mile." She throws her arms up and looks to the sky as if it will make sense of her situation for her.

"That is indeed all true, but there is also the little fact that I'm a boy and you're a girl making you the only one who can go. I think it is also vary obvious if father sent a boy to be the possible bride of are family we would not only be dishonored but I would vary possibly end up dead." She looked at me and then looked down.

"I know ... I just wish father would at least talk to me about all this and maybe consider my feelings in all this." I looked at how hurt she was at father's disregard of her feelings and was not sure what to say when we both heard a large squad of horses riding into town so we both looked at each other and then rushed to see what was going on. When we got to the gates I rushed through with father not fare behind but when I looked back I saw Mather had stopped Mulan from coming out, but grandmother made sure to point out a good vantage point for her to watch from. We watch the men approach and announce they are here for the war to collect men to fight for our country and began calling out the names of the family's in the town including ours. When they did father began to step forward to collect the draft papers, but he had already fought for our country and even though I can't fight and it terrifies me to even think of going to war, I still stepped forward and took it in his place. Then without a word I headed back into the gates trying to look brave for my family, but I knew if I ate dinner with them they would see how terrified I was. So, I went straight to my room saying I was tired. Not long after I had closed my door there was a knock at the door.

"Yes?" I did my best not to let my voice tremble.

"It's Mulan my I come in?"

"Can I say no?"

She opened the door and said, "not really" then she came into my room closing the door behind her siting at my desk "so looks like I'll be a possible bride and you'll be a warrior."

"Who would have guest. It should be the other way around huh? I mean like you said you're the sword fighter, the closest thing to a weapon I've ever handled is a sewing needle." She looked at me and then looked at her hands and then she whispered something I don't think she thought I could here.

"Your right it should be me."

"What?"

"Nothing ... You ... you know I love you right."

"I know I love you too. Is something wrong."

She stood up and headed to the door "No nothings wrong but I think I'll leave you to sleep I'm also tired, so I think I'll head to my room as well."

"Ok, good night."

"Good night Meilin." She looked at me for a second and took a deep breath then left closing the door behind her.

I looked at the door she had just closed then let myself drift into sleep wishing my fate could be changed.

"Mulan! she's gone!" Grandmother ran through the house yelling waking everyone up.

"What? Father what's going on?" I looked to my father who was holding one of Mulan's hair pieces looking down at it.

"She has run of with the draft papers to take your please in the war."

"What! No, we have to go get her she could be killed!"

Father looked at me with sorrow in his eyes "If I revel her she will be."

I looked at father then at the swinging gates only managing to mutter one word "Mulan."

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"Meilin it's time to wake up." I open my eyes to see Hong looking down at me. "It's time to start to get ready for dinner." She stood up straight as I sat up in bed.

"Thank you."

"No problem. So, what do you plan on wearing to are first royal dinner."

"I don't know probably something similar to what I have on now, but you know not slept in." She looked me up and down then shook her head.

"You can't wear something like that!"

"Why not I think it's a vary nice dress."

"Yes, it is nice, but it makes you look like a well-dressed servant not a future empress" as she spoke she walked over to my luggage and starts going through it.

"Shouldn't you not want me to look like an empress to better your own chances?" She stopped looking through my stuff for a second to give me a look that said you're a clueless idiot.

"You may not have seen how the prince was looking at you in the throne room, but I did and trust me I don't have a chance. So, I might as well help you win over your soon to be father and mother in law."

"The emperor already saw me dressed how I am now so what will a change of close really do?"

"You would be surprised, but he's not the one we want to impress it's the empress we want to like you. If she approves of you no one can object." Just then my rooms doors slammed open to reveal Chunhua with her little worker bee in tow. She laughed as she walked up to us.

"Hahaha, her impress the empress don't make me laugh you'd have better luck impressing her with a fat pig than with this peasant." Hong wasted no time in getting all up in her face.

"I would agree, Meilin isn't very pig like I guess you have the advantage when it comes to that." It took Chunhua a moment to process what Hong had said but when she did her face turned red with anger.

"You, how dare you, I'm the future empress you must treat me with respect."

"If I recall the prince hasn't chosen his wife yet and I hope when he does he's smart enough not to choose a snake like you. Know get out I don't recall ether of us inviting you in." Hong pointed at the door and glared at Chunhua until she relented and started to leave but first she had to turn around to say one last thing.

"When he chooses me, and he will, I'll make sure you both end up dead." Hong waved at her as she left yelling her own last remark before the door closed.

"Looking forward to it." She then turned to me with a determined smile on her face "We are going to make you shine so bright at dinner tonight that snake goes blind!" As I look at her determined face I can tell tonight is going to be an interesting night.

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Sins Pov

"What's wrong bunny are you not feeling well?" Sin looked at his mother and smiled.

"I'm fine mom I just had a busy day that's all." She looked at him for a second then gave him a bright smile.

"well it couldn't have been that bad of a day. I mean you did get to meet your possible brides." At the mention of his future bride he smiled and thought of his little plum.

"Your right I did get to meat her." Sin then looked out at the grand dinning hall wondering when she will arrive so he can look upon her once more. Then as if the gods had heard him the doors opened, and the possible brides began to walk in all dressed in beautiful dresses but none of them could compare to when he saw his little plum.