what a warrior would do | a Mulan au

5| the ring

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◽~Skylor's POV~◽

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When Kai came back to our room, I was already pretending to be asleep. He switched on the oil lamp, casting a faint orange glow on the walls. I tried to hide most of my face by leaning further into the pillow just so he couldn't see my red nose and splotchy cheeks. I couldn't let him know I had been crying. He had never seen me done so before.

Although I hadn't been the target of the scolding at dinner, seeing a girl being reprimanded over having the same opinion as I still made my patience grow thin. Besides, Nya had always been like a younger sister to me. We had practically grown up together. I never liked it when she was hurt in any way.

Apart from that, I was sick of women being constantly associated with nothing but housework, worshipping their husbands, and bearing children. The only difference between Nya and me was that I kept these thoughts a secret. She would let them out and get burned by society. It shouldn't be like that.

After getting ready for bed, Kai turned out the lights. I heard him hiss in pain and assumed he had accidentally hit his arm somewhere while climbing into bed. It was silent after that but only for a while.

"Skylor?" Kai whispered. I didn't respond.

"Skylor," he tried again, louder this time. "I know you're awake. I just wanted to let you know that me and Dad will leave at dawn. Mom doesn't want you and Nya to get up early so she'll see us off herself. But I promise I'll let you know when I'm leaving, okay?"

I ignored him, still angry at the way he was giving himself up for something as unpredictable as war when we hadn't even properly started our lives yet. He must've understood that I was mad at him because he didn't say anything after that.

An hour passed. I had new visions zooming through my mind's eye. The rush and thrill they brought with them were overpowering. I tried to suppress the feeling but it had grown too much in a span of minutes. Eventually, the call was too loud to shut out and I found myself stealthily getting out of bed.

My husband was fast asleep, his quiet snores filling the silence. I was surprised at how he slept so soundly with the expectation of a battle hanging over him while I, who had nothing to do with it, was worrying my head off. However, those roles would be switched by the time I walked out the gates.

I was halfway out the door before I stopped, realizing something: I couldn't let anyone know I was married. I glanced down at the gold band hugging my finger. Hesitation took over and I was torn between keeping it on and leaving it behind. However, I convinced myself that it was one of the little sacrifices I was willing to make in order to stop a bigger problem.

Slowly, I pulled it off.

I appeared at Kai's side and carefully placed the ring in his half-open right hand. I took extra caution in closing his fingers over the piece of gold. I whispered a goodbye and left as quickly as possible.

It was dark and the hall was deprived of the faint moonlight that would usually shine through the windows. Now, it lit up only for a second with every bolt of lightning that flashed outside. Though we were not very rich, the farmhouse the Smith's ancestors had built was big with many rooms and passages. I had to navigate a great deal in the dark to reach the armory.

On my way there, I thought I heard someone shuffling through the house somewhere but it was impossible to tell with the storm raging on. I pushed aside the possibility of Kai waking up and coming after me as I stepped into the armory.

I moved past the closets and weapon racks to reach the medical cabinet. It took a while but I finally located the crepe bandage among the other medical supplies. I prayed for luck and unrolled the cloth.

. . .

I had to admit; it was extremely difficult to breathe with the bandage wrapped around my chest. Though the armor I would be required to wear would conceal my feminine build, I still wasn't going to take any chances.

I took a clip and a handful of pins. I set to work in tying up my hair and preventing it from reaching anywhere below my shoulders.

I returned back to the closet and opened it. Alongside Ray's suit of armor was Kai's, distinctively marked with red here and there. Without wasting a second, I took it out and began pulling it on piece by piece. I strapped on the final protective gear and gave myself a look in the mirror. It was unusual to see me in such a state but the purpose of my mission was far great than my convenience.

I picked out my husband's sword from the rack, glancing at my faint reflection in the blade. I momentarily turned to look at the door, thinking someone was there but ignored it altogether once I tucked the sword in its case attached to the armor's side.

There was one last thing left to do. I stepped lightly as I made my way to Ray and Maya's room. I had to retrieve the conscription scroll from there. However, I was surprised to see it missing from the nightstand where I had seen it before dinner. Instead, there lay a piece of jewelry. Upon closer examination, it turned out be Nya's ruby encrusted bracelet.

Before I could silently question what it meant, thunder roared outside. In the din I heard the faintest sound of a closet being shut. Ray shifted in his sleep and I immediately crept out of the room. I quietly made my way to the armory once more, certain that the noise came from there.

Peeking inside, I froze. Someone was donning my father-in-law's battle armor. And that someone was no other than Nya. I watched as she pulled the helmet over her head. For a moment, it seemed like her hair looked different but the lack of light made it hard to confirm my suspicion. However, the source of the mysterious sounds and the reason of the scroll being missing became clear.

Instead of going in and stopping her from doing what she was intending, I stepped away from the doorway. Besides, I couldn't forbid someone from doing the very thing I was currently attempting. I felt a kind of proud smile tugging at my lips as I walked outside to the stables.

I tried not to ignore the feeling of relief the sight in the armory had brought. I wasn't alone in this.

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