(Pre-edit) Wow, 2015 is over! Enjoy the new year (leap year), read, comment, vote, and Enjoy!

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Li Wuji

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I was too busy whistling the old tune Uncle had taught me as I was out of Li Xiao's chambers, pausing slightly to laugh to myself.

It was obvious from the beginning that Zhao Jiayi was different, I could see it myself even when Cousin Xiao had just told me.

How different?

Well, I had only found that out in the meeting hall, and I was sure that there was much more to discover about her.

Yet, even if I found amusement in the fact, it only seemed to frustrate Cousin Xiao all the more. The mystery that was the middle daughter of Zhao had caught my cousin in a web of attraction Xiao simply did not know how to fight against.

Shaking my head slightly at the thought, I closed the door behind me, staring at the cherry blossoms before my eyes rested on the familiar figure on the opposite porch.

Tang Zhen-Ting. I picked up my whistling again while making my way towards her.

The woman was too caught into her actions to pay him any mind, wrapping bandages over her hands and wrists before breathing deeply and picking up the Qing-Tong sword beside her.

She was almost as trained as myself...maybe even better. From her posture to her fluid movements and strikes, my estimation was that she would most like be stronger than half of my own soldiers, and definitely higher in dedication.

How long had it taken her to become such an expert in swordplay?

Only one thing could divert my attention, and it was the steady breeze that carried the scent of wine in its path. Carefully I walked to the table and sat, pouring myself a cup before speaking. "That sword seems to be as sharp as your cousin's tongue, and not in a bad way."

If Zhen-Ting had been startled, she gave no sign of it, adjusting her grip on the sword before approaching where I sat and bowing her head in greeting. "General...it seems so, doesn't it?"

I grinned and took a sip, pointing at where she had once been practicing. "You have more skill then half of the men I've seen on the battlefield...how is that?" She smiled quietly, taking a cup for herself and a bit surprised when I poured the wine for her. After muttering her thanks, she responded. "My father was a swordsman, he and my uncle were brothers-in-law, both my aunt and himself were children of an Persian Lord and an Arab Caliphate's female bodyguard, they learned their skills from their parents."

I frowned. "You mean that Master Zhao's wife was the daughter of an Persian Prince?"

Zhen-Ting nodded before sitting down across from me, setting her sword gently on the table. The sun's glint on the sword drew m attention to the inscription graven into its blade. "What language is that?" Zhen-Ting glanced down and sighed. "Arabic, it says my Arab name there. My father had chosen it for me."

"And that is?"

"Adilah...it means honesty."

I stared blankly at the writing before asking the question that had been plaguing my thoughts. "How did they die?"

She froze, and for a moment I was sure that she would find an excuse to leave, only for her to begin after a shaky breath.

"Abba... no, Father had married a freed Chinese servant and decided to settle down with a farm of his own in seclusion. Soon enough he had both brother and myself, living the life he had hoped for and perfectly content."

I set down my cup and smiled sadly. "What changed?" Zhen-Ting shrugged. "It turns out that ma-ma was not a freed servant but an escaped concubine...I can only assume that General can imagine what happened afterwards when her former husband found her one day with us at the market place."

I hadn't realized that my fists had clenched until they began feeling numb, quickly relaxing them to pour myself another drink and drain it down my throat. "And your father...did he-?"

My pause was enough of a question for her to understand, causing her to shake her head and laugh bitterly. "Mei you...my father's belief in God above wouldn't allow him to take his own life. So instead he did the next best thing; grabbed the only sword in the house and traveled to the hell-bent man's house, cutting and striking through thin air until another sword stuck him down...I found him outside the house...with this sword in his hand."

She took a hold of her sword, her grip so tight around it that the tanned skin of her knuckles turned pale. I poured her another cup of wine. "Had your brother seen it?" Zhen-Ting shook her head and drank, releasing her grip and setting the cup down to rub her aching hand. "Ah-Jie had gone to find uncle...and that is how we ended up here."

Maybe I had spoken too soon...she was stronger than all of my men, even myself. I couldn't fight the sense of admiration growing inside of me toward her, and all amusement was put to the sighed as I sat back and thought for a moment.

"You've had it harder than me...at least I was too young to remember anything. Only stories...stories people love to remind me of." With that she shot me a glare, frowning as her eyes fell on the refilled cup in my hand. "You shouldn't drink so much...drunkenness makes people show their inward self to others easily."

Confusion...my confusion at the statement slowly turned into something else once the realization settled on me. "You...you brought me into the chambers last night, didn't you?"

Zhen-Ting simply loosed the bandages on her wrists. "Yes."

"And what did I say?" She paused for a moment and leaned her elbows on her thighs, staring at the scene before us an avoiding my gaze. "You said things I'm sure you wouldn't even have told your cousin if you had been sober, much less a stranger."

My past. I told her my past. A moment of weakness and I had managed to tell this woman that I would only see for this visit the very reason I would drink myself to sleep nearly every night.

"It makes us look like the villains doesn't it?"

I chuckled, my laughter slowly growing louder and louder before I nearly forgot how to breathe. Then my face settled to a grimace. "I suppose this makes us even then, doesn't it?" Zhen-Ting rose from her seat and turned to face me. "Only if you tell me why you don't want to have a family."

"You and I...neither of us have a family, or at least. We don't want to have one."

She was a bold one, just like her cousin. I stared her in the eye for what seemed to be forever. "And what about you?"

She shook her head and crossed her arms. "that wouldn't make us even."

I dared to grab her sword and studied it carefully, my thumb brushing over the inscription of her name. "Why don't you live up to the name your father gave you...honestly, how would you answer that question if you were in my position?"

She stayed quiet for a moment before I assumed the answer came to her. "I would say that a man would rather not go on living or if so live on as an unimportant cast-away than to be constantly reminded of his 'illegitimate' status. Son of a prince who had an affair with a servant...not the best name for the nephew of the emperor living in the midst of two wars, a territorial one for great T'ang and an Imperial one for himself. I could only guess that you are treated like the illegitimate son that you are, and what man would want a family like that..."

I changed my attention from the sword to the woman in front of me. "You're speaking as if you're talking about yourself."

She opened her mouth to respond, only for the sound of footsteps to catch us both off guard. Hurriedly, Zhen-Ting snatched her sword from my hand, nearly cutting me while she masked her face with an expression I knew all too well as Jiayi came into view.

I smiled playfully, stealing a glance at the cousin before concluding that we had sold a part of ourselves that couldn't be taken back...not matter how much we would try and pretend.

But try and pretend we would.

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Li Mei

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I stared silently as the small kingfisher landed on the table where I was, staring curiously at my outstretched hand before approaching cautiously. Soon enough it perched itself on a finger, and I gave it no chance to flee as I gently grasped it and brought it closer to myself.

"Mei, have you seen Li Xiao?" My grip tightened around the bird as I turned to face my eldest brother startled, sighing before I returned to my first position and stroked the bird's feathers.

"No, why...he hasn't shown up today?" Jin shook his head and sat down across from me, stealing an amused glance at the kingfisher before turning his full attention to me. "Mei...tell me the truth. What do you think of this family?" I chuckled softly. "What is there to think?"

I wasn't expecting for brother to reach over and flick my forehead, he laughed at my pained reaction. "Seriously Mei-Xiang....what do you think of them, and be detailed about it." I could only groan as he pulled out a paper and his reed. "You mean to write to Bixia don't you?"

He didn't respond, motioning only for me to begin. I did so reluctantly. "As for Master Zhao, he is a kind man, hospitable and...well, energetic." I glanced up as Jin smiled and shook his head, turning around to let go of the bird in order to continue. As it flew off, I sighed. "Concerning the daughters...the rumors are true, they really are beauties. Silent, mild, reserved, talented, talkative..." At that brother Jin laughed.

"Continue...which sister is which?"

"You know full well who is who Ah-Jin." He put down his reed and folded his hands on the paper. "What about Zhao Jiayi?" I paused in my movements before a grin spread about my lips. "What about her?"

My amusement only grew as he sighed impatiently. "Always the evasive one aren't you little Sister?" Before I could respond two figures came into view. One belonging to Cousin Wu-Ji, the other to Liang-Jie. I couldn't help but catch my breath as they both made their way to the porch where we sat, their conversation dying off slowly as they approached us.

Liang-Jie greeted us both. "Gong-zhu....Wang-ye." Eldest brother sat back and pointed at the two seats for the men to sit, not speaking until they did so. "What were you two speaking of?" Cousin reached over to pat Liang-Jie's shoulder, I raised a brow in confusion as he only tensed. "I was just getting more information about this manor....it's almost comparable to yours isn't it Cousin?"

Jin nodded, folding the paper in front of him and putting the reed back in its place. "Wu-ji...have you seen Li Xiao?" Wu-Ji frowned and nodded. "Not too long ago actually...the man has been moping around in his chambers since yesterday." Jin rose from his seat and turned to look at me. "I'll get that information out of you somehow...let's go Wu-Ji." I gave him a small smile as the two left, leaving me with the man that had been plaguing my thoughts since we first arrived.

He rose up quickly and bowed towards me. "If you will excuse me Princess..." As he began to walk away, I gathered my courage to speak up; blurting out the first things that came to mind.

"What is it about you...you're not like the rest." He froze in his steps, turning around to stare at me cautiously. "What do you mean by that Princess?" I swallowed silently before diverting my gaze to the table. "You're just like the guards at Da-Ming palace; distant, stoic, lethal in appearance, professional...an outsider. But aren't you part of this family? Aren't you Master Zhao's adopted son?" I stood slowly as he didn't move or speak, going against my better judgment to not press further. "Are you going to answer me?" I watched as his broad shoulders dropped from their rigid position.

"Is that an order?"

I frowned, my posture betraying the nervousness I felt almost certainly. "Should it be?"

For a moment I forgot to breathe as he simply stared me in the eye, almost as if he wanted to read me as much I as to him, the only difference being how I was more parallel to an open book. Under his stare I felt weak, and I, Li Mei, was anything but.

Time passed too quickly before he returned to his normal posture and bowed again. "Then if it is not...I will be leaving."

And then he left me there alone.

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Enjoy it...I hope.

And by the way, all of you should go watch Eternal Love/Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms. No seriously, watch it. It's amazing.

Bye!