A Mulang Love Story

Chapter 10

The next day
[Everyone has a separate, awkward, and silent breakfast. After finishing getting ready and everything is packed up, they continue on their way. They don't stop for lunch and continued traveling until it was almost sunset]

[She goes after Shang but then bandits attack them. Mulan, Shang, and the other men fight them bravely, the other princesses even throw rocks at them, but the bandits take Mei hostage. Yao tries to go after them but Shang holds him back, he orders them to hold them off and Mulan and Shang go after the bandits]
{With Mulan and Shang}
(They are able to rescue Mei)

[The other men find a way to pull up Mulan and find out the tragedy. Everyone covers under a rock formation from the rain but not Mulan. The men and the princesses are all crying due to the loss of Shang. Mulan stares at Shang's sword in her hands with tears running down her eyes, thunder strikes, and she sees Shang's eyes on his sword. She breaks down crying, falling onto her knees, and buries the sword on the ground]
Mulan: Shang!
(Her shoulders shake as she cries for Shang)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Mulan cries all night and the others approach her)
Ting-Ting: Fa Mulan, we're ready to do our duty
Mulan: No, stay here and take care of each other, losing Shang will not be meaningless, I will be the one to finish this mission
(She gets on Khan and rides away leaving the others confused)
[Shang comes out of the river having survived the fall from the broken bridge. He gets on Bai and makes his way to Mulan and the others]
{With Mulan}
[She only tells Lord Chin that there had been an accident, that the royal carriage had been destroyed as it fell into the river, and he agreed that it was a grave loss. However, his advisors shook their heads at him signaling to him that he still needed to take action. He demanded a marriage, Mulan offered herself, and his advisors advised him favorably. Lord Chin accepted her offer and told her that she would wed his oldest son, Prince Jeeki, who was only fourteen years old. He was surprised to see her and said that she was so old, which made Mulan grimace. Lord Chin called for the maids who came immediately]
Lord Chin: Escort Fa Mulan to a guest bedroom and help her prepare for the wedding
Maids: Yes, your highness
(Mulan took her bag and followed the maids. Mulan then entered her guest bedroom)
{With Mulan}
[She took her lunch that the maids had offered her but she ate without energy or hunger. She then went to the bathroom, then washed her face, brushed her teeth, put on a robe instead of her clothes, and the maids took all of her clothes to wash them. Mulan cried herself to sleep and after two hours, the maids woke her up. Mulan took a bath and changed back into her now clean clothes. It was around four o'clock in the afternoon]
Mushu: Mulan, I'm so sorry
Mulan: Don't
Mushu: But Mulan-
Mulan: I said don't, Mushu! Don't you dare say you're sorry, because of what you did I lost Shang, forever, he's dead, he's never coming back to me, I lost the man I love, I lost the only man that I will ever love, I lost the love of my life, so don't say you're sorry, because this is unforgivable
Mushu: Mulan, I-
Mulan: I thought you were my most loyal friend-
Mushu: I am-
Mulan: No you're not, I thought a job of a guardian was supposed to guard, protect, and help
Mushu: It is-
Mulan: You cared more about keeping your job than my happiness with Shang
Mushu: That's not true, I, Mulan-
Mulan: Yes it is, you ruined my life, in the worst way possible, Mushu, and I will never forgive you
[She hears a knock on the door and Mushu hides alongside Cri-Kee. The maids give Mulan her outfit, she takes it, and then she closes the door. Mulan hangs it up, she throws herself on the bed and starts crying her eyes out once again]
{With the others}
Yao: Mulan

Ling: Do you think that was an order?
Chien-Po: I believe it could be interpreted as a friendly advice
Yao: Let's go, everyone
(They run after him)
{With Mulan}
[She dried her tears, got dressed, and brushed her hair. She then looked to the sky and prayed for a good half an hour, she let the maids put on eyeliner, red lip paint, earrings, but nothing else, and then they left. Mushu tried to talk to her but Mulan wouldn't even look at him. Mulan took off her engagement ring, took off her necklace, and put the ring beside her Yang sign, which was made of porcelain, she then puts the necklace back on and hides it in her dress. Soon enough the time had arrived, six in the evening, Mulan went to meet Lord Chin and Prince Jeeki]
{With Mulan}
[Lord Chin started the ceremony by having his son and Mulan hold two goblets full of water. He then tied a red sash around the goblets and continued his words, but suddenly...]

(Shang and Mulan pull away as do the other couples)
Mushu as The Golden Dragon of Unity: And one more thing, I demand you to make a permanent, true, loyal, and amicable alliance with The Middle Kingdom!
Lord Chin: Y-Yes, you-you're great-greatness
[That night, everyone feasted with Lord Chin, even the princesses, they also dined with his advisors, and Lord Chin's sons. The princesses and the guys dine with all of them as well]
{In the dining room}
Lord Chin: But-But you said that the carriage was lost
Mulan: I didn't tell you the full story, Lord Chin, but that's not what's important at the moment, Lord Chin. The important issue is this arranged marriage business, I have never agreed to it and I never will even if it is to serve the Emperor. Nobody should marry someone they don't love
Shang: Mulan is right, she's opened my eyes, everyone should marry the person they love, the person who makes them whole, the person who makes them want to be a better person every day, the person who makes them happy, and the person they can't live without
(He kisses Mulan's hand making her smile)
Mulan: Lord Chin, a life without love is not worth living, the threat we're facing is a great one, we already had to deal with the Huns who were from Kazakhstan and now we're dealing with Mongols, an equal and dangerous threat just like the Huns
Shang: We are more than capable of fighting them and defeating every last one, we're a huge empire, but the more help, the better. If there's the slightest chance of avoiding war and avoiding bloodshed, we need to take it
Mulan: We're all great, proud, and brave warriors, and as Shang said, we are more than capable of defeating them, we will not be defeated easily. However, if there is the slightest chance that they do defeat us, which is extremely unlikely, who do you think is going to fall next? Qui Gong and they're just going to continue taking over different kingdoms and villages
Shang: My lord, we need to stand as one, fight as one, help one another, and protect not only our people, but yours, and everybody else
Mulan: We need to make our world a better and safer place, not just for us, but for the future generations
Shang: Lord Chin, there are more ways to join two kingdoms other than arranged marriages. Kingdoms can be joined through the craving for peace, for the love of each country's citizens, and the want for their safety
(Lord Chin sighs)
Lord Chin: You're right, you are right, very well, what would my late wife say if she saw me right now, you have taught me a great lesson about love. I'll forge my alliance with the middle kingdom and forget about the arranged marriages, The Middle Kingdom will have my support for all time
Mulan: Thank you, your highness
Lord Chin: With a condition
Shang: Condition? What condition?
Lord Chin: That my sons, my advisors, and myself are invited to the wedding
(Mulang laugh)
Mulang: Absolutely
Lord Chin: Excellent
[They continue eating and after dinner, Mulan and the others get ready for bed, since Lord Chin invited them to stay for the night. After a small while, everyone falls asleep in peaceful slumber in their guest rooms]