Author's Note: Hello everyone, thank you for coming to read! Shen has recently been on my mind - A LOT. So much so, that my mind would not rest until this story popped out of my fingers, ran through the keys and onto my computer screen. So I hope you enjoy!

Okay, this was originally going to be a crossover, but I changed it in order to suit the story purposes much better. For my OC character, Lianne, I use Odette's swan form in the movie "The Swan Princess" as a 'body', I just think she's a really beautiful bird. And there will be a few themes from that movie coming into this story at certain points. Nothing too major, but enough to give the story more flavour.

Please review and tell me what you think, this story has been pulling on my heart strings for ages, BEGGING me to write it, and I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I have writing it. Thank you!

The Vow

One – Of Swans and Peacocks

"Marriage?!"

Shen stood there, absolutely speechless as he stared at his parents, his father, Lord Goa, sitting upon his huge throne made of gold with large sapphires and diamonds encrusted into the design, all to match the Lord's beautiful blue and emerald green feathers. His wife, the Lady Jing and Shen's mother, stood beside him, her turquoise feathers of her neck fading into pink around her face. They were both looking at him with frustration as well as an awkward guilt.

"You cannot be serious?!" Shen muttered, his confusion and mild outrage evident on his face as he tried not to glare at his parents.

"I'm afraid we're absolutely serious, Shen," his father told him in a tired voice as he rubbed the bridge of his beak between two feathers. "Lord Chang of the Shēnghuó Province wishes for you to court his daughter, the young Lady Lianne,"

"And you agreed?" he asked incredulously.

"Shēnghuó is one of the wealthiest provinces in China," Lord Goa explained to his son, obviously affected by his son's distress as well as the situation. "To waste such an opportunity would be foolish," Shen was infuriated by the fact that his father wouldn't even look him in the eye as he said the words.

"I don't even know her!" he spat angrily, starting to pace in front of the throne as his anger boiled inside of him. "And if such an opportunity is so fortunate, then why isn't the marriage already arranged?! Why are we standing here when the gifts, and letters, and gowns, and vows should already be being exchanged by now! And why is she coming here? Surely I wouldn't need to see her until the joyous occasion of the wedding!" he raged, his tantrum causing him to run out of breath so that he was left there heaving.

"Peace, young one," came the calm and monotone voice of Ah-Ma, the Soothsayer of the court. Shen turned his head slightly to see the old goat sitting upon her rug at the bottom of the stairs of the dais, swirling a bowl of ashes in her hooves. Shen felt his feathers already begin to settle as he beheld the serene face of his childhood nanny; she always had that effect on him, and it almost irked him at that moment. The Soothsayer fixed him with her gold eyes. "The Lady Lianne is being sent here by her father for both of your benefit,"

"Sweetheart," his mother's kind voice spoke up softly, as she took a half step towards her son. "We understand that this must seem… unfair… but the reason that we tell you this now, is because this is only a proposition at this moment in time,"

"I don't understand…" Shen murmured, eyes shifting between the three figures suspiciously.

"We are not so cruel as to marry you off to a complete stranger, Shen," his father stated, and Shen felt the briefest flash of shame enter his chest at how his father had brought out his very thoughts. "Neither does Lord Chang wish to wed his only daughter off unless she consents. So, an agreement was formed, for matters that are Lord Chang's and Lady Lianne's business, she is being sent here to live with us in Gongmen City. During which time, the pair of you will get to know each other. And, if after one year, neither of you shows interest in the other, then the deal is off."

"Good. Then I say now: No." Shen immediately snapped, wanting to turn on his heal and storm from the room, but his father rose to his feet, tail feathers twitching as if threatening to open them in a powerful display. That was enough to make Shen pause, he was wary enough of his father's anger not to move, even if he knew it took a lot more then this to make him truly angry.

"Shen, some effort must be put into this before the verdict can be given. You must at least try to get along with her, or else Chang may feel that we have dishonoured him in some way, and we can't afford to scorn him. He provides much food to Gongmen City through trade. So at least try."

Shen wanted to scream, to shout and rant, to hit something and to completely tear down the Tower brick by brick in his rage! He wanted so badly to show how much this displeased him, but no matter what, his father's words stuck in his head, reminding him of what was at stake and his own mind telling him what could be gained from this. He just couldn't bring himself to the point of utter refusal, for he knew his parents would not persist if he truly did not wish it, but his father had wormed his way inside his head. And he hated it!

All he had to do was tolerate one female. One year, that was it! If she truly was as pompous and vain as he predicted, then all he had to do was suffer her presence for a selected amount of time each day, neither of them would want this marriage and so it would be called off. He may even be lucky and get an early break. And if by some miracle she was a docile imbecile able to sit quietly in a corner, then he would have a lot to gain and nothing to lose. Despite his want to refuse out of pride and pure spite, the strategist in Shen's mind couldn't ignore the opportunity.

"She's coming today?" He asked tightly, his beak clenched in order to stop himself from growling and snarling like one of his wolves.

"Yes," his mother said softly, trying to placate his anger. "She will be here by sunset, or so the messenger said."

"And you're only telling me this now?" he glared at them.

"It was on short notice," his father explained. "We only received the arrangements of the deal a few weeks ago, and then only two and a half days ago did we receive word that she had left."

Shen looked between his parents, eyes narrowing unashamedly at them.

"Very well." He growled out.

"Marriage?" the wolf yelped as he stared, wide eyed at his master. "Wait a minute: You're getting MARRIED?!"

Shen picked up the silk handkerchief, allowing the fine fabric to glide over the talons of his Iron Claws as he polished them. He softly worked the fabric until the metal shone in the lantern light of his room. He placed it down upon his desk, his eyes wandering over the many sketches, designs and other bits and bobs that cluttered the top. Hoping down to the floor from his seat, Shen allowed his bare feet to pad against the floor, feeling the soft rug between his talons, almost missing the soft chiming that usually accompanied his footsteps. He walked past the wolf, a slight scowl upon his features as he calmly walked into his bedroom through the open door from the main living area. He turned to face his large wardrobe, reaching in and pulling out two of his finest robes, before depositing them on his bed that lay in the centre of the room.

"No, Zhan, I am not getting married," Shen muttered impatiently as he looked between two silk robes laid out upon his bed, trying to decide which one would best suit the occasion. "I am merely supposed to be courting someone in preparation for marriage,"

The Boss Wolf grunted, showing how he viewed it to be such a difference. And in all honesty, Shen was still in a mood to agree, as he decided to picked out a silver robe with a black sash instead of the red robe – too much like a wedding robe. He was sure that neither he nor his upcoming guest would appreciate the imagery. He turned around to view himself in a huge mirror that hung upon one wall, the frame made of gold with jade carvings that looked like tree roots growing around the outside. As soon as the sash was tied around his waist, he heard a knock upon his door, both he and Zhan looked over at it sharply.

"Shen, you summoned me," came the voice of the Soothsayer through the door.

"Hide away all the silk and velvet," Shen quickly hissed under his breath to the Boss Wolf. "Leave out the cotton, she can have that." The wolf quickly did his master's bidding, understanding Shen's deep worry that Ah-Ma would eat all of his good clothes. The old goat had been in the habit of doing it just to get on Shen's nerves since he was a chick.

The Soothsayer entered, a kind yet amused smile upon her old and withered face.

"Soothsayer," Shen said by way of greeting. This earning him a slight frown from the goat, but Shen had been long past calling her Ah-Ma for years; he was a royal and so had no time to be as comfortable as he once was for his old nanny.

"You wish for me to tell you about Lianne," The old goat smiled at Shen, her eyes twinkling with amusement as Shen froze on the spot, trying to find words.

"Y-yes, yes." He cleared his throat, as if to regain his cool composure. "I want you to look into your bowl, and tell me of the female that comes to me,"

"Oh, I don't need my bowl to tell you anything," Ah-Ma chuckled. "Just a good ear,"

"Then tell me," Shen said, trying to keep the impatience out of his voice. "Tell me what you know."

"Lianne is the daughter of Lord Chang and Lady Amelia," the Soothsayer said.

"Of which, I already know," Shen mumbled.

"And they belong to the family of Swans that rule over the Shēnghuó province," The Soothsayer continued as if Shen had not interrupted her.

"Wait a minute," Zhan interrupted, looking from Shen to the Soothsayer in confusion. "You're marrying a Swan?"

"I'm not marrying her!" Shen snapped at the wolf.

"Fine then," the Boss Wolf murmured, but his brows still knitted in confusion over his red eyes. "But a swan? Why not a peahen?"

Because she wouldn't accept me if she were a peahen… Shen thought to himself as he turned around in order to look at himself in the huge, decorative mirror before him. He gazed at his white feathers, so colourless and unnatural compared to the brilliant shades of colour upon his parents. Compared to the beautiful sapphire blue of his father with his impressive and gorgeous tail of greens, purples and blues that put to shame any other peacock on earth, Shen's white feathers were a huge contrast. He looked sickly, weak, unattractive and unnatural to the opposite sex of his species. Although he was still a young man, he had already tried to court a few noble peahens, but was met with scorn and rejection, both to his face and behind his back. The only break up in the white feathers was the red and black eye spots on his tail. Shen was no fool: he knew that one of the main reasons that his parents chose for him to court a swan of all creatures, was to better his chances at success, seeing as swans were usually white themselves. But still, all who looked upon him would see his abnormality in stark contrast against his parents, and seeing as how swans were known for their purity and beauty, he could only imagine this pompous, arrogant female disgusted at the thought of stooping so low as to even be in his presence. It made his talons scrape against the polished marble floor of his room in anger.

"Her species does not matter," Shen forced himself to say, before looking back at the Soothsayer. "Continue."

"Lady Lianne is well known for being the beauty of Shēnghuó," the Soothsayer said, eyeing Shen as if she could already sense his foul mood darkening. "Her father takes pride in showing off his daughter's loveliness,"

Perfect. Shen thought to himself sarcastically. Not only was this female a swan – a species known for their beauty – but she was a beauty amongst swans. It just got better and better.

"And for another thing," Ah-Ma said. "She and her father do not get along,"

"Oh?" Shen asked, not sure why he was so surprised by this. Perhaps he had imagined her to be a little 'Daddies-girl', forever his little princess and doing her father's wishes.

"She is being sent from home as a form of punishment,"

"For what?"

"That is not for me to say." The Soothsayer murmured, as she hobbled towards Shen, looking at him in the mirror, both of them staring at the reflective surface side by side, the old goat with her walking stick, wrinkled features and huge horns, her short stature in contrast with Shen's tall and slim figure, full of youthfulness despite his sickly body. "But there is one more thing you must know," she said to him softly, and Shen found himself holding his breath, hooked on her every word like he used to be as a child when she would indulge him when he would beg her to perform some kind of magic for him, or even to tell him a simple story. "A broken wing can be mended, but it takes a feather to fly,"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Shen snapped impatiently, breaking the trance that seemed to have been placed over him by the Soothsayer's voice. He turned to face her with an impatient scowl.

"It means what it means," she smiled knowingly, and Shen tried his best to hold in the flare of his temper.

The old goat then patted his wing with her hoof softly, before hobbling towards the door.

"I shall see you at the courtyard,"

"Soothsayer," Shen murmured stiffly as a way of farewell to her, as he turned back to the mirror in order to watch her leave the room, pausing by his desk as she inspected one of his drawings, before finally leaving.

"You really gonna go through with this?" Zhan asked as he turned from the door where the Soothsayer had gone, to look back at his Lord.

"Sometimes it is better that we not question our place – no matter how much we might wish otherwise," Shen murmured, not in the mood to lighten his tone with his old friend and servant, and was almost satisfied when the Wolf clicked his heels together to stand a little straighter, immediately understanding the double edge in Shen's words.

Shen had just been in his adolescent years, perhaps thirteen, when he met Zhan. Although a young wolf, perhaps a year younger then him, Zhan was feisty and intelligent, his father running the palace guard. Shen had been the only member of the royal family, or even the nobility, that treated the wolves with any shred of kindness, he treated them almost like family. Everyone saw the brute in the common wolf, the bloodthirsty hunter, and yes, Shen saw that and knew that it was of use. But he also saw the intelligence, the close knit bonds, the way they could work effectively as a team and as single units, but most of all, he saw their undying loyalty to a good leader. That was something Shen could admire, and the strategist in his mind pointed out that he could use it. So he had treated the wolves fairly, listening to them and giving them their fair dues. He had earned the respect of Zhan's mother and father, the pack alpha male and female in charge of the royal guard at the time, but it was the young wolf pup and peacock prince that had struck up an instant friendship. When Zhan's father had died when Shen was sixteen, the pack had been in chaos, and it was Zhan – despite his young age – who had fought all challengers and had put the pack back into order within a few hours. This natural leadership was most impressive, and Shen had been the one to defend Zhan when his parents had been furious at the behaviour of the wolves due to their politics. Zhan had led the wolves since then, and had also become Shen's personal guard and confidant, the wolf swearing fealty to Shen and none other for his kindness and loyalty to his pack. Now the two were twenty, and had been together ever since.

Still, that didn't mean that Shen didn't have his moods and made the Boss Wolf suffer for it, especially now, when he would remind Zhan of their status as master and servant, if only for some peace of mind.

"Let us go," Shen said at last when he was finally pleased with his appearance. "Our guest should be here shortly."

Shen quickly went to his desk in order to strap on his talon gauntlets, the Iron Claws protected him and hid burn scars that disfigured his feet. Also, they were good weapons to use in self-defence. And, when his over cautious side began to nag at him, he slipped a few of his throwing knives into his sleeve, hiding them amongst his own feathers… well, better be safe than sorry. As he checked that the buckles for the Iron Claws were set correctly, he noticed a slight imperfection on one talon; frowning, Shen then looked around for his –

He looked around sharply, trying to find his silken handkerchief. Where was it?! He had left it right there on the desk, alongside his drawings and designs, he had used it not ten minutes ago, and put it down next to the gauntlets. He could have sworn –

"Why that old goat!" he hissed angrily, before stomping his way out of his rooms, Iron Claws singing as they scrapped against the ground, threatening to leave sparks from his frustration. Zhan followed behind him, wisely keeping a respectful distance and keeping silent.

They reached the courtyard outside of the front of the tower, the long walkway to the main gate laid out before them. Flags bearing the royal peacock fluttered in the early spring breeze, and clouds blocked out the sky, the setting sun upon the waters of the ocean just outside the city, casting beautiful colours of pink and red and orange upon them. Shen saw that his parents were standing upon the top of the stairs leading down to the Palace's main square. Lord Goa stood proud and tall in a robe of emerald green in order to highlight the colours in his train that flowed out behind him, massive in length, demonstrating his dominance as Lord over all of Gongmen City. Beside him, Lady Jing stood on his right in a beautiful pink robe, with a peach tree in blossom sown into the back, decorating the fabric. It brought out the beautiful colours of her face, cut shorter at the front so that one could just see the bottom of her feet.

Shen's mother smiled to him warmly over her shoulder as he came to stand on his father's left. Shen's father gave him an approving nod and Shen nodded in return, still feeling bitter anger at this whole situation. He held his tongue for the fact that he might say something that would shatter this fragile peace, so he decided it was better not to say anything. Better to save it for closed doors, not when they were expecting a guest at any moment. He spotted Ah-Ma sitting upon her rug at the bottom of the stairs, a bowl in front of her, as well as a few other tools and ingredients for her "magic". She looked up at him with an amused smile and Shen glared at her. Zhan took up a position at Shen's flank, not part of the family line up, but close enough that it was very clear of his position as close to the family's ear. Shen also noticed two dozen wolves stood to attention on either side of the courtyard, holding ceremonial spears with designs of dragons engraved onto the blades. They were all prepared for the arrival of their guest.

They did not have to wait long; for when the sun was half way set, their special guest arrived.

The first warning they had was an announcement from the look out, and shortly after they all heard the distant sound of beating wings. This surprised Shen, for he would have thought that the Lady would come by carriage through the main gate, put on display in front of all the public. Instead she was flying? They then saw a blotch upon the sky, which quickly came into focus as it drew closer, the blob forming appendages that struck the air in a rhythmic beat, and then Shen saw others, slightly smaller blotches around it, all flying in formation around the centre creature.

Six shapes then dropped from the sky, landing neatly and expertly upon the brickwork of the centre of the courtyard. Six geese, all with black heads and necks that morphed into the typical brown of their bodies, stood before the peacock royal family, in two rows of three. They wore beautiful robes of purple and white, though Shen couldn't help but feel approval in his critical eye as each goose bore a traditional Chinese straight sword of beautiful design – no matter if he thought the guard itself to be a pitiful laughing stock.

But then, the geese all turned from the peacock royal family, the two rows turning to face the other, standing to attention with their beaks held high. And then, the last bird fell from the sky.

A mass of white feathers swooped low, so quickly that Shen didn't have time to catch it until it stopped and hovered above the ground in that moment before it would land. And in that moment, Shen had a perfect view. A Swan floated before him, her feathers a pale white like virgin snow, the wing tips a glittering silver, though in truth they were only a touch darker than her other feathers. Her neck was long and gracefully arched, slim in order to show off her feminine beauty; and then her face… Shen's eyes became glued to orbs of ocean blue, and he also noticed how the feathers upon the top of her head, from her forehead to the back of her skull were a brilliant golden yellow, as if she had been kissed by the sun. A small black line ran across the bridge of her nose, separating her dark beak from her face. As Shen stared at her, all the things he had previously thought of her – for this could only be Lianne – it all vanished as his mind went blank and he was left in complete awe, his eyes widening slightly, and his beak threatening to fall open.

She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. And as she fluttered her wings, Shen felt the breeze of her wing-beats, bringing to him a scent of clean fresh water and jasmine. Her dark webbed feet daintily touched the ground and she landed right in the centre of the formation of geese, tucking her wings gently by her side. Shen then noticed the royal-purple gown that she wore was loose fitted in order to allow her free movement and would not be too heavy upon her during flight.

The swan lifted her head regally, her blue eyes briefly touching upon the royal peacock family, and Shen had to resist the urge to puff out his chest feathers with pride as her eyes met his for a brief moment. She then walked forward towards the stairs; she did not waddle like other flat or webbed footed birds, no, she walked with grace and poise as if she were a bird of prey herself. Everything about her screamed perfection.

Shen allowed a small smile to creep across his face as he watched her come closer. All of his doubts were gone: he liked this deal very much indeed.

Marriage… Lianne thought to herself, her heart sinking as she flew through the sky, her Yí Zhàng Duì – her honour guard – flying in formation around her. She had to go a little slower than normal in order to stay in the formation, the smaller geese seeming no worse for wear as they had been flying non-stop for the past few hours. Even if Lianne herself was beginning to tire, she would not complain when these soldiers were going so far from home, flying with her and forever vigilant and kind and respectful to keep her safe until they reached their destination.

Lianne suppressed a groan as she thought of Gongmen City, her destination and soon to be her prison.

A lick of anger rose in her chest as she thought of when her father had told her of her punishment, to be sent away from home to live with strangers, whose son he wanted her to marry as a last chance of redemption. Lianne had been so furious and even now was distraught over what was to happen. She could still see her mother's face, black feathers going slightly pale at the news, even as her father, white and beautiful and proud, seemed unfazed to be sending his only child away. That had been what had angered Lianne the most: being separated from her beloved mother had broken her heart, but it was her father's almost uncaring expression that had driven her almost to insanity with her fury. She was his daughter! How could he do this to her?!

But then, she had been asking that of his actions for the past ten years. It should not have been such a shock to her that he would stoop to this level eventually, sending her away to wed her off like a harlot for the right price. Only her father did not want the riches or power that the peacocks could supposedly bring him; no, he wanted an heir, and at this point if his wife could not give him a son, then he wanted Lianne to give him a grandson.

She was still confounded at her father's choice in suitor: a peacock? And not just any peacock, the peacocks of Gongmen City, and their son, who Lianne had heard rumours about, that he was unnatural and sickly and unworthy of even his own kind. But Lianne brushed away such thoughts, such nasty whispers had been said about her mother, the lovely Lady Amelia, who even with her kind heart, gentle grace and regal nature proved her to be a perfect ruler, because of the fact that her feathers were black instead of white – even when the ebony feathers made her look beautiful – she was considered unnatural and odd. So Lianne was determined not to listen to such talk, even if her mind would not let the thoughts rest.

But it wasn't the appearance nor the species of her husband-to-be that had her worried, it was the fact that she was to marry him. No matter what she or her mother thought, Lianne's father, Lord Chang, wanted her to marry this peacock prince. She could only be grateful that the boy's parents had insisted upon a trial period of a year, where if neither she nor this Lord Shen had any interest after that appointed time, then the arrangement was off. That was the only saving grace in this situation.

Despite the fact that both Lianne and her mother had determinedly stated that Lianne would never be forced into marriage when she had first been courted by suitors over a year ago, and Chang had agreed to that, Lianne was certain that he would have arranged this marriage out of spite for her insolence.

She wished she'd never said those things, her condemning words that had now sealed her fate. She could only hope that this one year would be over soon, and she could return to her home and mother.

It was then that Gongmen City came into view over the pass of cliffs that the birds had been flying through. They had followed the rivers from the Shēnghuó Province to the sea, where they had followed the coast in to reach the famed City from the south. Now, Lianne saw it for the first time, a grand city that was nothing short of huge, houses and buildings all clustered together by the sea, the harbour alive with activity even this late in the evening, as the port was Gongmen's City's biggest supply of trade and income. And above the city, Lianne immediately marked what could only be the dwelling place of the peacocks: The Tower of the Sacred Flame. It was a massive structure, perhaps ten stories tall, and a brilliant red that – as its name would suggest – looked like fire in the light of the setting sun. High walls surrounded the tower grounds, and at the corners stood four watch towers, each facing different points of the compass, and each roof of the different watch towers was a different colour, most likely to represent each of the four seasons. The tower itself was beautiful, even from this distance Lianne could tell the exquisite detail and astounding beauty of it, she still thought that the Shan Palace of Shēnghuó could not compared to in beauty or splendour… but this came remarkably close, even when she considered it breath taking for different reasons. The Shan Palace blended with the nature that surrounded it, a part of the luscious gardens and mountain springs, as if it had grown from the mountains that it was built in; the Tower of the Sacred Flame was a monument of might and majesty, set as an achievement of what its builders could do without nature.

Lianne and her Honour Guard flew over the city, passing over all of the inhabitants that were now all returning from their busy days at work to go home for the evening and be with their families. Lianne silently envied them that. But she had to distract her mind as they quickly came to the walls of the tower, the lead goose of her guard sending out a trumpeting call to one of the watch towers to let them know of their arrival. They passed over protective wall surrounding the Tower grounds, and Lianne saw the welcoming committee laid out to greet her, causing her to become a little nervous to see two dozen wolves standing to attention along the edges of the courtyard, not in a threatening manner, but still their claws, teeth and weapons were enough to put her on edge.

Keeping up with the sake of appearances, the group of waterfowl hovered in the air above the courtyard for a moment, and then the six geese descended and landed, all keeping in perfect formation, at the ready to protect her should something be amiss. She knew that they were armed with not only their straight swords but other weapons that were kept out of sight, as well as they could do some form of martial art. Lianne usually detested this show of barbarism… but when her heart was fluttering nervously in her chest with fear, she didn't mind it suddenly. And then, she herself descended, landing in the middle of the courtyard between the two rows of her honour guard that surrounded her, landing lightly upon the stone pavement, her purple robe flaring around her feet.

Tucking her wings gently against her sides, Lianne raised her head high in order to show that she still had some pride, to meet the eyes of the royal family before her. Three peacocks stood at the top of the stairs above the courtyard, and the one that she could only assume to be Lord Goa, ruler of all Gongmen City, stood in the very centre of them. He was the colour of beautiful sapphire blue, his proud crest upon his head held high, and he wore robes of emerald green that shimmered in the light. He needed no crown, for his stature, height and mere presence was enough to make him stand out in any crowd, for he had that regal nature about him. Beside him on his right stood a peahen that could only be the Lady Jing, and Lianne had to admit that she was a fair creature, with feathers of aquamarine on her body and neck that blended into the pink of cherry blossoms on her head and face. She wore robes of pink with the design of a flowering peach tree, and her kind eyes looked at Lianne with interest.

And then Lianne's eyes came to the final peacock, standing on Lord Goa's left, one that could only be the young Lord Shen. Lianne had to restrain herself from even blinking in order to not show any reaction to him. His feathers were a brilliant white, the crest upon his head standing straight with eye spots upon the top being of red and black, his whole form seeming to be in complete contrast with that of his parents. Lianne had a brief moment of seeing what the rumours had talked about when they said of Shen looking unnatural, for when standing beside his parents whose bright colours seemed to be like a garden in spring time, Shen looked like the garden in the depths of winter. But then Lianne scolded herself, for then she was no better than those spiteful lords who mocked her own mother for her odd plumage. In truth, she did not find Shen's colouring… unappealing, for there was not that much difference in colour between them, if only for the fact that Shen's white was almost like white steel. No, it was not his colour but his eyes that made her feel uncomfortable, for he had ruby red eyes that glinted like fire in the light of the setting sun, that stared at her unashamedly as if she were a piece of meat upon the block for him. His beak was dark, like iron, matching the skin around his eyes. Their eyes met for just a moment, oceanic blue meeting ruby red, before Lianne quickly broke the eye contact, not wanting to get sucked into that fiery gaze as she then faced the peacock family as a whole and began to walk towards them.

Walking with grace and poise, she came to the bottom of the stairs, her eyes glancing to see an old goat beside the stairs that sat upon a rug, a bowl of ash in front of her along with other assortment of objects. The goat met her eyes, smiling encouragingly, and Lianne had the strangest sense that the goat knew her, though they had never met before. There was something in her eyes… something that spoke of a secret knowledge that Lianne could not hope to guess. At the foot of the stairs, the swan spread her wing out on either side of her gracefully, before bowing her head low to the royals before her.

"Lady Lianne," she heard Lord Goa say down to her, his deep voice carrying across to the whole of the courtyard. "You honour us this day. Welcome to Gongmen City, and to our humble home of the Tower of the Sacred Flame."

"The honour is mine, your highness," Lianne said formerly, rising again as she saw the peacock lord descend the steps towards her, his wife and son beside him. Lianne heard a metallic chiming but could not pinpoint the exact location of the noise, so decided to leave it be. She then noticed a wolf remain standing at the top of the stairs, his red eyes watching her and all the strangers in the courtyard with a hard expression.

"I am Lord Goa, lord of all Gongmen City and her respective lands," the peacock said as he came to stand before her, and Lianne only then noticed the brilliant train of the two male birds: Lord Goa's holding a variety of colours from blue to green to purple, each colour shining brightly in the different forms of light. Shen's train was white like the rest of him, only broken by the red and black eye spots.

"I thank you for your kindness in welcoming me here My Lord; I must say the city was rather beautiful when we flew over." Lianne said. Lord Goa smiled softly at her, obviously seeing her guarded nature in the sight of such strangers and he seemed sympathetic, but glad of her manners at least.

"May I present my wife: Lady Jing," Goa stated as he looked at the peahen beside him.

"Your Ladyship," Lianne bowed her head to the Lady before her, and Jing did the same with a warm smile similar to her husband's.

"Lianne," Jing said with a musically high voice. "Welcome to Gongmen City,"

"Thank you,"

"And may I present my son," Lord Goa said, indicating the pale male. Lianne turned to face her 'intended', unable to keep her gaze from his eyes as he stared at nothing but her face. Lianne felt anger and embarrassment rise within her as she silently begged him to look at something – anything – else. "Lord Shen,"

"My Lord," Lianne murmured as she bowed her head, thankful to break the eye contact with him again.

"My Lady," Shen bowed to her in turn, and Lianne felt her insides hum as her anxiety began to grow. When Lord Shen came back to his full height, they were eye to eye, he being only a little smaller than his father, and he wasn't full grown yet. Lianne knew that he was of similar age to her, he being only a year or two older than her. The smirk on his beak was enough to make her uncomfortable again. "Truly," he said; his voice was rich and articulate, though with a slight rasp to it. "The tales of your loveliness do not do your true beauty justice,"

Lianne had to restrain herself from taking a step back from him, the gleam in his eye frightening her but also drawing her closer.

"And also, this is our advisor, Ah-Ma, the court Soothsayer," Lord Goa said, motioning towards the old goat. Lianne looked over sharply, surprised at the revelation. The old goat stiffly got to her feet, her walking stick plodding at the ground as she came close towards the group.

"I have never seen a Soothsayer before," Lianne said, eyes still wide as she studied the goat with interest. "It is a pleasure to meet you," the swan bowed her head. Despite the fact that she was nobility and the Soothsayer a commoner, her mother had always taught her to forever be respectful to those who were of the old ways and whose abilities were not clear.

"You are polite, strong of both body and mind and healthy too," the Soothsayer said, running a hoof along Lianne's wing as if she were inspecting the feathers, touching the lady's purple robe with her walking stick. Lianne did not know what to make of all this poking and prodding as if she were being examined by a doctor. Perhaps the old goat was, and so to not risk offending anyone, she kept quiet and remained still. Then, the Soothsayer reached a hoof up to her face and brought her head down in order to stare into her eyes. "You have a strong and good heart young lady, your beauty reflecting your soul like a mirror to the world. But do not allow your sorrow to overcome you, lest you be drowned in the ocean. Remember: a flock is protected by numbers from the hawk."

Lianne frowned in confusion, wondering what on earth that could mean. She opened her mouth to ask, but was interrupted by Lord Shen's voice cutting across the conversation curtly.

"That is enough of you poking and prodding, Soothsayer; there is no need to frighten her with your meaningless riddles." He snapped at the old goat.

Lianne wanted to snap at him, to not say such disrespectful things, but held her tongue. She merely straightened to face the royal family once again.

"Dinner should be ready for us, if you would like to join us," Lord Goa said.

"Thank you, I would. If you will but excuse me for a moment, I must send my Yí Zhàng Duì on their way. They must report of my safe arrival to my father," Lianne said, before turning away and walking back towards the geese.

The Captain came forwards to her, bowing slightly in respect. Lianne bowed her head to him, for a moment, her composure slipping as her fear and misery began to get the better of her, tears forming in her blue eyes. And although the Captain's face was stoic and without expression, in his eyes Lianne saw the sympathy, the kindness there. He bowed to her, offering what little comfort he could, before he turned back to his men, and with one trumpeting call, they all launched into the air at the same time, staying in formation as they circled the courtyard, before flying back the way they had come. Lianne watched them, her heart breaking as she silently said goodbye to the last thing she had of her home and would not see for another year.

Only when she could no longer see their forms in the sky, did she turn back around to face her fate. Lord Goa and Lady Jing smiled, as if they were of an understanding mind to her fear as well, before turning around and leading the way back towards the tower. Lianne followed, Shen coming to walk beside her. When they reached the top of the stairs, Lianne hesitated for only a moment when she neared the wolf.

"This is Zhan, the Boss Wolf," Shen explained to her. "He is the leader of the royal guard of wolves, and my own personal body guard."

"Ma'am," the wolf spoke in a gruff voice as he bowed his head to her respectfully. Well, at least Lianne couldn't fault him on his manners.

"Master Wolf," Lianne said, bowing her head in greeting to him.

"Shall we go in then?" Shen smirked as he held out his wing, meaning for her to take it to lead her inside.

Lianne looked from the wing to his eyes, her weeping soul angered by his seemingly uncaring or rather not noticing of her fear and misery, acting as if all was well both with her and the situation. Anyone else would have snapped at him, but Lianne wasn't like that. When she grew angry she would fly verbal barbs rather than fists, but in situations like this, when she grew uncomfortable or scared, she closed herself off. And that was what she did. She pointedly ignored Shen's offered wing, instead allowing her walls to build up as her eyes turned cold and unfeeling as she held her head high and followed behind Lord Goa and Lady Jing. She saw Shen's eyes spark with anger and outrage briefly, before he smothered it over and hid it, even though he had replaced his self-satisfied smirk for a small scowl. He stepped beside her as they walked into the tower, but Lianne ignored his presence.

The Tower of the Sacred Flame was as massive on the inside as it appeared to be on the outside, the walls lined with red and gold and blue colours, and it was filled with so much light both from open atrium like windows to lanterns hanging through the middle of the tower. Lianne was led to the dining hall where they all sat down to dinner, Lord Goa at the head of the table with Lady Jing on his right, Shen on his left and Lianne on Shen's other side. An exquisite soup was given for the first course, followed by a rich pastry dish that Lianne was unfamiliar with. A side helping of dumplings in a creamy sauce came after, and then a desert platter filled with various fruits. Lianne didn't taste a thing, merely eating mechanically, going through the motions but was not invested enough in order to taste the beautiful flavours. They all ate in silence for most of the time, the peacocks asking questions of Lianne in order to strike up a casual conversation, though she merely answered by saying what was required: not elaborating nor asking questions back.

And constantly she was aware of Shen's eyes drifting over to her, assessing her, and when she ignored him he would seem to grumble to himself before returning to eating his food. Lianne couldn't stand his stares as if she were a star attraction in a circus, it made her too self-conscious and as if she should cover herself. But thankfully, the meal ended quickly and it wasn't long before Lord Goa and Lady Jing announced that they were retiring for the evening.

"Shen, perhaps you should show the Lady Lianne to her rooms," Lord Goa offered to his son, before offering a kind smile to Lianne. "Wouldn't want you to get lost in here; I've lived here all my life and things still look the same to me," he chuckled at his own joke, and Lianne noticed how Shen rolled his eyes.

"Of course," Shen murmured, before standing, his wolf – who had been standing at the edge of the room, constantly on alert – stepped forward to flank his master. Lianne held in a sigh as she stood as well, but looked to the royal peacocks and bowed her head to them.

"Goodnight My Lord, Your Ladyship," she said to them softly and formerly. The peacocks bowed to her in return.

"Have a good night, Lady Lianne," Lady Jing smiled kindly.

Shen did not wait another moment, leading the way as he walked out of the dining hall, not bothering to offer her his wing this time. And that was fine by Lianne as she followed behind him, letting him lead her through the many levels of the huge tower. Upon the ninth floor, Shen directed her towards a room facing the east. Opening the doors, he revealed a beautiful room painted in gold, with a black marble floor that had been polished so well that it actually shined in the moon light that came in through the window, giving a perfect reflection like a mirror. The main room had a fire place that illuminated a comfortable arrangement of cushions before it, with a desk on one side of the room, and a table filled with different fruits and flowers. A slide door at the back led to the actual bedroom, where a huge soft looking and elaborately carved wooden bed lay. Double doors on the right led out onto a balcony that looked out to the east and onto the harbour and the north-eastern edge of the city, which now glinted under the light of the moon.

"I trust that these rooms will be to your liking?" Shen asked, his eyes narrowed to regard her.

"Yes, thank you," Lianne said simply.

"I will have chambermaids come to serve you in the morning and bring you any food and other material objects that you desire." the peacock told her, a slight edge of smugness returning.

Something inside Lianne wanted to scream, that he would think that any number of jewels or silks or other things could heal the whole that was burning away in her heart. But instead, her walls simply became higher as she listened to Shen talk.

"My parents wish for me to take you to the gardens tomorrow, there we can talk,"

"If that is what is required," Lianne said, acting completely aloof and distanced, as if she were a mechanical contraption.

"What?" he asked, looking at her as though she were crazy. Only then, did Lianne turn to face him with a cold glare.

"I shall do what is required of me, Lord Shen," she stated simply, walking towards him in a slow but deliberate way as she squared up to him, her blue eyes meeting his red orbs. "Nothing more."

And with that, she closed the door on him.

In the silence of the room that greeted her, Lianne was suddenly reminded of how far from home she was, and how alone she was in this place.

She refused to let even the first tear fall, knowing that once one fell, she would never be able to stop the others.