The Warlord's Prize

Epilogue - Captive Love

The royal bedroom that once belonged to the Emperor was now empty. The sheets were smoothed, the pillows fluffed, and the duvet lay perfectly over the mattress like it had not been slept in days. I sat with my back against the pillow above the dragon engraved canopy deep in thought and still hurt. I gazed up at the ceiling and then out the large window to my right. I longed to go over there onto the balcony and look at the great city knowing that I had finally come here like all those times I said I would. But there was no desire to look out at the view right now.

I felt like everything had gone back to the way it was; Shan Yu seemed to become so self-centered now that he was victorious. Just thinking about that made me want to cry, and a few tears managed to escape once I pictured it. He must have seated himself in the throne already and was ready to rule. I did not like it when he briefly became angry at me like that just because I tried to make him reconsider what to do with his enemy. I remembered back in our tent in the mountains that idea had come to me, but I could not bring myself to tell him, and then his glance at the throne clearly told me that he was interested in having it rather than about his own well-being and mine.

My leg had no longer stung ever since Yong Ro changed the bandage to linen wrap as the scarf had become soaked in blood quickly. I looked at the wound to realize it was healing much faster now that the linen had somehow made the clotting begin. I had hoped Shan Yu was getting his own wound treated but at the same time he was probably wanting the healing to hurry up so he could seat himself on the throne he fought too hard to obtain. All I wanted to know was, what was the most important thing to him now?

Morning came and I still remembered the time we charged down the mountain to attack by the time night fell yesterday. I had barely slept due to my overwhelming thoughts keeping me awake. I lay still continuing to gaze up at the ceiling and this time I looked at the canopy above me waiting restlessly and then the silence was interrupted by a loud knock on the red double doors across from the bed.

"Who is it?" I asked drowsily,

"It's me," Shan Yu's voice answered from the other side,

I did not feel ready to talk to him after what happened, but I was not about to blow a chance if he really was hoping to make amends, "Come in." I answered.

The doors opened and Shan Yu walked slowly in the room. A large white linen bandage was wrapped across his torso covering the shoulder wound, there were no signs of bleeding underneath. He limped forward towards the bed and I looked at him silently as he sat himself down beside me deciding to wait until he spoke first.

"I feel like shit, but Yong Ro says my wound will heal," He answered rather saddened,

I did not look at him at first but answered quietly, "Why aren't you sitting on your throne? It's yours now you know?"

Shan Yu sighed, "No....I stand corrected, I don't feel like shit because I'm recovering, I feel like shit because you're not sitting on it with me,"

My heart gave a slight leap and then I turned over to face him as he continued,

"Look, do you want to know why I got off my ass to come see you? As I lay down on that uncomfortable mattress having this wound stitched, the first thing I thought about was you leaving the room like that. I realized I fucked up in snapping at you like that, I was putting my desire for power first, which was so close within my reach, that I forgot about what else mattered to me the most."

I did not say anything at first but he kept talking, and as he did, my heart started to pound harder, "I want you with me when I take that seat to rule this city. It won't be easy if the survivors of the attack realize that I am in charge now. They're going to rise against me before they bow, and I need someone to support me. Not just to provide me with love and pleasure when it becomes too much, but to also be with me when it comes time to face the music. You're the one I love, my prize, my mistress, you are what drives me forward now."

I felt my eyes building up in tears again, "You really mean that?" I asked, feeling like my trust for him had decreased since that event, but then my heart pounded and the emotions came back to me on my love for him: He's been nothing but honest to me ever since the night by the waterfall when he expressed his desire to change because of his feelings for me. Inside, he still wishes it, no matter how challenging it is. I still love him for that.

"Cross my heart I mean it my sweetling," He answered, trying to smile.

The first thing I saw in his eyes was honesty, in this captive love I had been in, it had become so much more than that. All my life I had traveled and never knew what it was like to love someone, and never did I once believe it would be someone as dangerous as he was. But, we were alike in so many ways once his abusive ways towards me had ceased. We loved adventure, we never wished to settle to follow the norms; we lived our own lives. He had always been what was waiting for me in the mountains.

I shifted closer to him and felt his warm breath on my face, "Then I think you've said enough, I have found love coming to China, it's not what I expected at first but it is real, you and I will rule and just like in that cave, the world will know we were once here,"

"Perhaps they might write songs about us, and the gods smile upon us. Now, let's not worry about what is to come with our time here in this city, for we are victorious today, all that matters is us,"

"I was hoping you would say that," I whispered and caressed his chest upward towards his neck.

"My love, we are united forever, and nothing will come between us," he said, wrapping his strong arms around me,

I was too happy to saying anything in response and he immediately knew it. He pulled me against him and within moments our bodies were together, his lips on mine as he rolled over and pulled me on top of him. It was not long before the sheets covered us and once again we made love like the gods were watching us. My life never felt more complete than it had become since the night our love became mutual.

Our future together was going to be a tough one, a warlord and his prize and his lover ruling a great kingdom we took by force, but we took it fair and square. The citizens would possibly rise against us after the damage we caused but what mattered is that we would stand together throughout all the chaos should it come. I felt like all the events that happened since the burning of the village had made me become a stronger and confident person; I thrived through all the misfortunes that had led me here to find love and be where I truly belonged. Even now, there was still the possibility that something else would threaten our lives together.

But all that mattered was that we were together. I had found what I was looking for in my life, he had redeemed himself to become what I sought. This captive love, this unexpected journey I took, how harsh it began and how it changed, and this great battle we fought to rise above others was a tale I thought would be told for centuries after we were gone from this world.

The Warlord and the lady he took as his prize, came to love each other, and together, they conquered China.

THE END