Mu Chen glared at his mother with ice in his eyes. "How dare you. My Rou'er is beyond gentle and you just witnessed that she is no orphan waif. I told you not to insult my wife. Now you will face the consequences." Mu Chen bowed to his father. "I must go to the Chief, I ask that you stay here until Aunt Mu comes to help Rou'er with the chores. She can't handle the work yet and Aunt Mu helps her with this until she can do it on her own." He didn't need to explain why Aunt Mu was coming but did so for his father. Mu Yuqin nodded and Mu Chen went into Lin Rou's room to tell her where he was going.
Lin Rou was pale as she rested on her bed. Her leg throbbed but she didn't cry in front of that hateful woman. Yin and Yan were curled up beside her when Mu Chen came in. He rushed to her when he saw her. "My sweet Rou'er, why did you do that? You could have made your injuries worse." She opened her eyes and smiled lovingly at her very worried husband. "I won't give her the satisfaction of seeing me weak. My husband is the pride of the village and I can do no less than him. I remember my father would stand proudly in front of thousands of men, even wounded he never faltered. I will not show weakness, like my father." Mu Chen raised a brow. "Do you remember what he was wearing? It will help us find him."
"A dragon blazed across black armor. His sword was black with a gold handle. Red feathers were down the back of his helmet and a black robe with a dragon on it in gold. I just can't picture his face." She sounded sad.
"That's okay. I can use the details to help find him." He hugged her and kissed her head. "I'm going to see the chief. My mother insulted you and made your injuries worse. I'll bring the doctor back to check on you. Please be good for me." Lin Rou hummed in reply her leg hurt too much to keep up the conversation.
Mu Chen knocked on the Chief's door and waited for it to open.
Chief Rong opened it. "Ah Hunter Mu, how is your wife doing today?"
"My father came to visit and give her the bride price. Mother also came, but she insulted Rou'er and caused her injury to worsen. I am filing a complaint against my mother for intentionally harming my wife. Also she remembered more details of her life. She remembers the armor her father wore. I think he is the Dragon General. She described his armor as if she had seen it before." Chief Rong staggered back. "Heavens help us. If he is her father, then any insult to her is a death sentence. We have to contact him to confirm."
"Send a message to the army camp. Say we found a wounded girl about eighteen years old and wanted to know if anyone reported a missing girl. Then send a sealed letter for the General asking if he wants to attend the wedding of Captain Mu. He will come. Mention her name in the invitation. That should get him here by tonight." The Chief was fast in getting the letter mailed with a silver hairpin with a dragon design. The hair pin was found on Lin Rou when Mu Chen found her at the base of the cliff she fell off of. He prayed this would answer the questions surrounding his bride. Once done at the Chief's house he went to the doctor.
"Doctor, my mother made my bride's injuries worse. She is in pain and I need your help." The doctor was quick, he picked up his medicine kit. "Take me to that sweet child. I won't charge you for her care this time."
Mu Chen brought the doctor into the main room. His entire family was there. Uncle Mu was glaring at his mother and Mu Yuqin was guarding the door to Lin Rou's room. "What's going on here?" Mu Chen spoke with authority. "She wanted to speak to Rou'er about her dowry. I said my precious daughter in law doesn't need a dowry. She tried to force her way into the room. Mu Dai and sister in law came in time to stop her. I have been guarding her door ever since. My nieces are in the kitchen with my grandchildren cooking dinner and your brothers in law are helping me keep her from Rou'er." Mu Yuqin answered his son, fury blazing in his eyes.
"Uncle, go get the Chief. Harassing my wife will have consequences." Mu Chen spoke so calmly that his mother shivered in fear. "Son, she needs to provide a dowry for the Mu family. I'm only acting as a mother in law. There is no need to be hostile."
Mu Chen turned to face the hateful woman. "You never raised me. The only woman who has the right to ask for a dowry is Aunt Mu. She raised me. Aunt Mu did not ask for the dowry because she didn't need to provide one." Mu Yuqin followed the doctor into Lin Rou' s room while Mu Chen stayed in the main room with his brothers in law. The Chief arrived quickly with Uncle Mu, his face twisted with anger.
"Madam Mu, you are harassing a sweet child who is injured. The village does not allow such behavior. Brother My now has my permission to divorce you and kick you from the village."
Mu Chen went into the room. Lin Rou was smiling softly and listening to the doctor speak. Mu Yuqin stood near the window away from her. "The Chief wants you to divorce and kick her out of the village, father." His father nodded in understanding and left his son to do exactly that.
"Husband, what is going on? It's so noisy." Mu Chen sat down beside his bride. "My mother was going to force her way in here to force a dowry from you. If father wasn't here." The doctor finished resetting her leg and checked her back. "I'll prescribe some herbs for the pain and a sleep aid. Listen to me this time, child. No walking around until I say it is safe. I'll send the carpenter by to take measurements to make her a wheelchair so she can use that after the wedding for now." Lin Rou smiled politely to the doctor. "Thank you doctor. I shall listen to you." He left her several packets of medicine and walked out of the room. Mu Chen pulled her gently into his arms. "Never do that again. I can't take it, seeing you in pain. Let me and my family guard you. We are capable of that much." Lin Rou hummed in answer, the medicine already making her drowsy.
General Lin stormed into his quarters with fury etched into his very bones. His Lin Rou was missing. "General, a letter from the Crane." His messenger handed him the letter with a crane inked into the paper. "I haven't heard from my favorite scout in years. I wonder how he is doing?" General Lin Jukai opened the letter as his wife and sons entered.
The Crane is inviting you and you're family to attend his MARRIAGE to the gentle Lady LIN ROU.
Sincerely, The Crane.
General Lin read to letter four times before he hit his knees in relief. "Thank the heavens. Rou'er is safe with the Crane." He looked up at the shocked expressions on his wife and two sons faces. "Captain Mu found Rou'er. He is marrying her and invited us as her family to the wedding. Pack your things we leave immediately."
The military procession that came through the village that night terrified the people. Riding at the head of the procession was a man in dragon armor. Mu Chen waited patiently for them at the gate to his house. Lin Rou was inside the house making sure that everything was prepared for tomorrow before she went to sleep.
General Lin dismounted in front of Mu Chen, who saluted his superior.
"General Lin, I am honored to have you at my home for my wedding. Rou'er will be pleased." At the mention of her name his wife and sons were beside him immediately. "How is she?"
"Is she alright?"
"What happened to my daughter?"
Mu Chen began calming them down. "Please be calm, she lost her memory due to falling off a cliff near the village. My Tiger and I found her before anything could happen. She broke her leg and barely remembers what happened to her. She only remembers her name and a few memories of home and your armor. That was how I was able to figure out who she is. Lady Lin Rou is in the main room right now. Don't scare her or push her to hard. The pain returns with each memory." Lin Jukai nearly fell as Mu Chen told him how bad it was. His sons Lin Fendai and Lin Jinqin paled but nodded. His wife, Fu Ping began to cry for her child. "What about the wedding? Is this her idea or yours?" Lin Jukai asked. Menace dripped from his voice. "It was her idea. She said that it was the only thing she could repay me with at the time and considering we spent several days alone, it became the only course of action. Though I never slept in her room or anything, propriety says I must not dishonor her." Fu Ping nodded and thanked him. "Can we see her?"
Mu Chen turned and went inside. "Rou'er, some guests have arrived for our wedding tomorrow. They would like to meet you. Is that alright?"
Lin Jukai heard a soft and gentle voice that only his daughter had. "Of course. Any friend of Ah-Chen's is my friend." Fu Ping sobbed but pulled herself together.
Lin Jukai led his wife and sons into the house and sitting calmly in a wood wheelchair, was Lin Rou. Her purple-blue eyes were bright and filled with affection for Mu Chen. She looked exactly like Fu Ping except for her eyes, those were Lin Jukai's eyes. She carried the poise of a noble she was raised to be. A white tiger cub was in her lap and a black wolf pup was at her feet. When she turned to look at them, she gasped in shock. Lin Jukai was wearing the armor her father wore. "I have seen this armor before. But I can't remember where. Do I know you sir?"
Lin Jukai began to cry for his child as he fell before her feet.
"My little Sparrow. Dad is here now. We tried to find you but I couldn't. I'm so sorry little Sparrow." Lin Rou watched the man in shock. She glanced to Mu Chen.
"Rou'er, this is your family. Your Father, Lin Jukai, your mother, Fu Ping, and your brothers, Lin Fendai and Lin Jinqin. When you described the armor your father wore, I pieced it together. I was once a scout directly under the service of General Lin. The Dragon General of the army. I wrote to them and told them what I suspected."
"Does this mean I knew you too, Ah-Chen?"
"Its possible, but you would have been a child when I left his service." Mu Chen remembered a little shadow that followed the General every time he was in camp. The general called her his Sparrow. Mu Chen was marrying the Sparrow he watched grow up. Fate was a funny thing. Fu Ping came forward and held out a jade hairpin with a sparrow on it. "Rou'er, this was supposed to be given to you as a birthday gift, but you disappeared. May I?"
Lin Rou slowly nodded and Fu Ping came forward and placed it in her hair. Fu Ping teared up. "Oh my poor child, mother as missed you." She hugged her close. "Madam Lin, be gentle she is still injured." Mu Chen came forward to rescue his wife. Lin Jukai chuckled. "Hard to imagine the Crane as a doting husband. Yet before me stands one that would slaughter for a single tear on Rou'er's cheek." Lin Fendai hugged his sister gently and let Lin Jinqin hug her next. Lin Jukai gathered her up in his arms. "Which room is hers?"
Mu Chen pointed to her door. The General took his daughter to her room.
Once inside he set her on the bed and look around. The décor was done, the new furniture was already delivered and the tatami mats were set. "Is he good to you?"
"He is a perfect gentleman. He was never inappropriate or treated me unkind." Her father nodded and sat beside her. "If you wish, I can take you away."
Lin Rou shook her head. Her smile was sad but full of hope. "No matter what, I am happy here. His Aunt is going to teach me how to cook his favorite foods. His sisters come by every day to keep me company. I am not unhappy here. If I go back, I will remember, but it will be painful. Mu Chen would rather I forget than be in pain." Her father had to agree with Mu Chen, it is better if she didn't remember so she wasn't in pain every time. "I just want you to be happy and safe, little Sparrow. If Mu Chen is what makes you happy, then you have my blessings to marry him." Lin Jukai kissed his child's forehead and left her to rest.
When he went back to the front room, Mu Chen had the west wing cleaned and set up for Fu Ping and himself. He turned to his sons. "Have the men camp in the field next door, set up camp with them. The wedding is tomorrow. We will be here for a week to complete the traditions. Then we head back to the military camp. Rou'er is not coming with us. She is staying."
Mu Chen nearly let the relief appear on his face. He had fallen for Lin Rou and it would hurt him if she decided to leave, but he would let her go. Knowing she was going to stay with him was a huge weight off his shoulders. "She will never want for anything. I brought her the tiger and wolf, for company while I work and they will protect her if I can't. I built a small farm just for her so she never had to go up the mountain to look for wild vegetables. She has been relearning the skills she can't remember. Every curtain and pillow in my house is her hard work. My family loves her and spoils her. My sisters keep her laughing and my Aunt and Uncle don't allow her to do the chores. They are teaching her how to manage the house slowly. I do all the labor for our family and she just stays here and plays." Lin Jukai chuckled. "You spoil her. Very well, keep my daughter safe, Captain Mu. She is adored by not just my family, but the whole army." Mu Chen saluted his father in law. "Don't worry sir, I will."