25 LOVE LAND: CAO WEI

Bian woke up as usual, at dawn. It was the wedding dress day and she knew how excited her sister Ling is to help dress her up to prepare for the wedding. "Consort Bian," a whisper came through her door with a slight knock. Bian opened the door to see Servant Bo being all secretive. "What is it, Servant Bo?" she asked. "General Meng De is asking for your presence," Servant Bo informed her. "Yes, let me freshen up," Bian said. "He wants your presence fast," Servant Bo said, "follow me," he demanded. Bian wondered what was going on and followed Servant Bo immediately. Servant Bo led her outside the whole manor to see a carriage all set with servants ready to carry it. Bian sees Meng De in the carriage and walked towards him, "General Cao Cao, you called for me?" Bian said as she bowed. Meng De stepped out of the carriage to face her. "Get in," Meng De told Bian. Bian gulped and wondered what was going on. "Get in," Meng De repeated. Bian stepped into the carriage, small but spacious. She never had ride on a carriage before but had entered many. Meng De sat next to her and closed the curtain.

"General Cao Cao, where are we going?" Bian asked as she felt the carriage lifted and moving. Meng De didn't answer her even made her more nervous. She examined Meng De to find him all dressed up fully with his sword. Bian wasn't properly dressed. "I am not properly dressed to go out," Bian said. "You are not meeting anyone else, except me," Meng De said. Bian was confused, "where are we going?" she asked again. "When we get there, I will tell you," Meng De said. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes. Bian watched his action and turned to the side to open the curtain of the window. All she saw was the sun brightening more and trees. Bian gulp in fear of her life, she had never trusted Meng De fully before.

It was a long ride and finally the carriage was set down. Bian woke up Meng De as he already opened his eyes. He looked at her seeing her hands holding onto him. "We stopped," Bian told Meng De. "General Cao Cao, we are here," one of the servants called from outside. "Stay here," Meng De said as he opened the curtains and stepped out of the carriage. Bian can hear conversations between Meng De and the servants. Finally, Meng De opened the curtain and held out a hand to Bian to help her out of the carriage. "Where are we?" Bian asked. "Come," Meng De said gently. Bian was confused of his actions. She took his hand and stood up to see them in the middle of the road. He led her into the woods on the side of the road. There were trees of all sizes and plants everywhere. They were entering deeper into the woods of unknown and Bian cannot see the servants anymore. Her dress was getting caught into them small sticks so she pulled her dress up for easier pacing with Meng De.

"We are here," Meng De sighs as he took a step down the big rock into the large land of grass. Arriving at the secret place, Bian gasped at the beautiful scenery, a green grass field that went on for acres and no alive thing was found to be on the grass field, just the two of them. Meng De turned around and reached out both hands to help Bian get off from the big rock. Bian reached for both of Meng De's hands hesitantly and slowly got down from the big rock. "Where are we?" Bian asked still in surprise. "I call it 'Cao Wei'," Meng De said looking at Bian. "Cao Wei is peaceful," Bian said sniffing in the nature smell. "Yes, it is," Meng De agreed and took out his sword. Bian startled at Meng De's long sword. He stared at her, Bian felt a shock down her spine. Meng De started at Bian's reaction and started making way through the grass with his sword to lead Bian to the center of the field. "Come," Meng De said as he made a path for both of them. Bian followed not sure where it would lead too.

They continue walking deeper into the grass field and Meng De finally stopped. Bian came next to him to see what was in front of her, bushes full of lavenders and bees surrounding them. "They are growing well," Meng De said. "Did you plant these lavenders?" Bian asked. Meng De shook his head no, "they had always been here, long before I was even born," Meng De said, "as if this soil gave birth to these in this place of the country." Bian went closer to the plant and smell it. Meng De came down by the plant next to her and also smell the lavenders. Bian looked at Meng De to see him also looking at her. Bian gulped and avoided his look at she moved onto the next plant. "They must be sweet for the bees," Bian said seeing how the bees are all surrounding the flowers.

"You are the second one to ever visit these flowers," Meng De said. Bian was confused, "have no one ever came here before?" Meng De shook his head, "this land is hidden up north of our country, I came upon here and no alive thing was in this grass field except these flowers," Meng De said. Bian was surprised, in the books she read mentions all the places in the country, the outside world, the creatures that exist, but none had mentioned of the north having a beautiful grass field. "Do you like it?" Meng De said as he pulled Bian's waist into his body. Bian resisted as her arms pushed him away, in remembering about Lady Ding's threat. Meng De fasten his grip not allowing Bian to push him away, "do you not like it?" Bian shook her head, "it is uncomfortable," she lied. Meng De careless, "when was it ever comfortable for you?" he smirked. "Yes, I am uncomfortable around you," Bian raised her voice in anger as Meng De for the first time, as she failed to push his strong figure away.

Bian felt sorry immediately noticing her action and stopped pushing Meng De. She looked up to see Meng De's face and it was the same face he had when he was looking at sick Lady Guo. Before Bian can even say sorry, "I apologize for..." Meng De kissed her as his hand caress side of her face to her neck. Bian ripped away from the kiss to catch her breath after Meng De had sucked her tongue hard. Meng De licked his lips and let go of Bian. He turns away to stare away the grass field that went on for acres.

"General Cao Cao, are you fine?" Bian said after moments of silence of Meng De looking away at the grass field. He didn't answer. Bian sighs, Meng De would always avoid her asking him questions. She slowly walked up to his still figure to see if he was still alive. His stance like a warrior, hands in back standing straight, in deep thoughts. "General Cao Cao?" Bian murmured as she looked at Meng De focused on the grass field. She turned to look at the grass field to see at what he was focusing hard at. "I do not care if you are uncomfortable with me," Meng De said looking at Bian. Bian looked at Meng De in shock of him speaking. "As long you are by my side, then I do not care for anything else," Meng De said. Bian still wondered why Meng De would want her by his side when he doesn't even love her. She stared him in the eyes and said, "you do not even love me." Meng De sincerely said, "I fell in love with you the moment you walked through the door of my manor." Bian stared into Meng De's eyes trying to find the lie and blurted, "no, you love Lady Ding." "I have to love Lady Ding, she is my main wife," Meng De said, "the love I feel for you is different from the love I have for Lady Ding," Meng De caress Bian's face. "Every time I see you, I cannot get my eyes off you, every time you answer Lady Ding, I listen because I want to hear you talk, when you show affection to Physician Chang or any other man, I lose focus of myself, and every time I think or touch your skin, I am losing control," Meng De confessed.

Bian didn't believe Meng De. She thought about the last couple years of their interaction, how he stared at her with annoyance, how he barely answered her by ignoring her, and how he treated her the past months with pain. Everything he has done had only hurt her. If he loved her dearly, he would have treated her right like how he treats Lady Ding. "You are saying this because I am carrying a child of Cao," Bian said as tears formed in her eyes. "I will tell you the truth, I have already promise to give the child to Lady Ding," Bian confessed and said, "do not love a consort like me when Lady Ding gives all her love to you." Bian lowered her face as tears rolled down her eyes in ashamed to have taken Meng De's confession and betraying Lady Ding. Meng De lifted her chin, "I know about your promise already," Meng De said. Bian was shocked, "then why did you continue with marriage?" Meng De said genuinely, "I do want the marriage." "I could have just given you the child and disappear," Bian said quickly. "No," Meng De's voice raised, "you are going to stay by my side, I would not let you go anywhere, with or without the child," he said.

"Even if I do not return your love?" Bian asked. "I do not care," Meng De said smiling as if he can control the whole world, "I will wait." "You will be tired of waiting, then you will be tired of me," Bian said. Meng De scoffed, "I do not know if I will continue to live to the end of today or even tomorrow, so waiting is not tiring for such a short amount of life I have." "Do not say such things," Bian mumbled. "What is it?" Meng De asked Bian to repeat since he didn't hear her mumbling. "Do not say such things," Bian said louder. Meng De cracked a smile of Bian's concern towards him. He reached for her cheeks and caress the side of her face, "being my wife, I cannot keep all my promises so expect disappointments," Meng De said. "What do you mean?" Bian wondered. Meng De pulled Bian's head towards him as he kissed her.