A Mysterious Groom - II

The magnificent atmosphere illuminated by lanterns and the over starry night was strangely too romantic for Mei Yang. She could swear that this time she had more stars in the sky than every night she ever lived in that palace. The trees dancing in the wind banging on each other forming clapping sounds seemed to celebrate that long-awaited encounter. The boy in front of her must not have been much older than she is, and seemed, in a curious way, to combine a lot with that long and fascinating night. However, her heart beat only for her supreme love, General de Naran. Not a little boy from Sunri.

The princess beat her feet on the ground a few times with great rudeness, making the young man in front of her notice her posture, an arrogant and uneducated for a woman. However, he also noticed other attributes that made her bad manners cover up. The extravagant beauty of Naran's princess.

Yan Feng didn't want to get married, was there forced by his father who received the somewhat mysterious invitation from the King of Naran, and for the total collapse of his expectations for his future, he would be forced to get married and occupy a throne he had no less interest in.

However, looking well at that little woman, he could reconsider his thoughts. The princess was too beautiful. Never, in all his life, had she turned a skin as well cared for and hair as black as the sky at that moment, those star-shaped clips looked like a starry sky on her head. She was a goddess of the night, beautiful and delicate.

- I think that's the moment we would bow to each other as a sign of respect, don't you? ̶̶ Yan Feng opened a smile showing his teeth so perfect that even the princess was amazed. That boy should have been sculpted by the hands of the gods that Mi Gu always preached.

If that young man had not been her fiancé, she could say that he is the most beautiful being that ever stepped on earth. However, she would rather bite her tongue than confess that infamous thought aloud.

- You are mistaken, my lord. - Mei Yang straightened herself and looked deep into those bicolored eyes so fascinating and let loose her severe tone - I am the only royalty present, you who must bow in sign of respect.

Yan Feng stared at that beautiful figure with sharp tongue. It would be difficult to live with that beautiful creature. Then, Yan Feng just sighed and smiled.

- Okay, if you want me to bow to you so badly, I'll do it - Yang Feng tugged on the sleeve of his Hanfu and so quickly approached her, making her gasp. The young man's woody scent seemed to cloud her vision, because she was so numb. Mei Yang was lost to that young groom, handsome and insolent, more insolent than handsome..

"My father must be crazy to marry this despicable being who seems to despise my position!" Mei Yang thought she was already tired of that conversation and crazy to see Qiang Mao.

To Mei Yang's total amazement, the young man held her neck gently and bowed her down with him. Yang Feng was forcing the young princess to bow to him too.

- Let me go, you insolent man! How dare you touch me? I am the future queen of Naran, I will command all six states, including you, you convict!

- I will be your husband, and according to Naran's laws, a wife owes obedience to her man. - Mei Yang's face boiled with pure anger against that daring boy. For brief moment, she closed her eyes and rubbed her temples with little delicacy showing her anger. And to raise her anger even higher, she was going to marry him.

- My father must be out of his mind to give me in marriage to be so despicable and hideous. A lowly commoner who is not even my height. Enjoy the party and eat a lot because it will probably be your last meal inside this palace. I will never marry someone like that!

- Look, general, I think this marriage is an arrangement from heaven! - To Mei Yang's total displeasure, the voice he had uttered those dreadful words in her ears was from General Qiang Mao. The young princess turned abruptly in time to see her beloved with a white silk hanfu and a golden cape, like a true warrior approaching her doing a simple reverence. The heavens should be against she at that moment.

- It is an honor to meet the future queen of Naran. ̶ General Chun Zheng bowed more politely than the general did. What proved strange to Mei Yang was the fact that the general was nothing like his stuck-up son. Yan Feng had those weird totally whitish hair reminiscent of snowflakes, those different eyes that strangely seemed to marry that hair and his beautiful figure. However, his father general Chun Zheng had black hair, a skin closer to olive color, a fascinating color for the eyes of the princess, and his eyes were like all the others, black. Did that infamous boy pull the mother?

Sunri's general waited for an answer from the princess, and did not come. Mei Yang continued in the same position, with her head held high and with a haughty look as always. The princess of Naran was like that, she thought that because she was royalty everyone had the obligation to bow to her as a sign of extreme respect, even those who were on the same level as her. But for Mei Yang's exasperation, she had a severe tutor who made her humble to simple servants, and at that moment she felt her whole body chill when she saw Mi Gu at her side.

"Where did he come from? Did He listen to all his talk with that meddling plebeian?"

- Mei Yang is a princess in training, do not notice her misadjusted ways. - Mi Gu held the nape of his pupil and made her bow to those present.

It was the second time they made her bow to strangers.

Everyone was watching the scene through the entrance doors, including Amon, who did not seem a bit happy for the smiles that appeared in that small group.

The Young Prince walked away from the huge window and entered the hall of solemnity, where all the parties were held.

His throne was about to be taken by two children and his hands were tied. While those noble fools got drunk with wine until they fell through the dark alleys of Naran, there was a people suffering, starving and cold which he had the chance to see. Nobody understood that the more wars, the more miseries they brought to the states.

Nobody cared about the people, nor about security. Everything was in his hands and he needed to do the impossible, if necessary, to bring down those ancient traditions.

- Do not show concern, my son! - Ayame, the noble consort approached her son in a sneaky way. That particular night, she was as radiant as the flames that lit the environment. Her garments bathed in pure gold with red stones, completely exaggerated, which held her hair in a big, firm bun hairstyle, her robes were majestic, with embroidered gold thread over the blood-red cloth, left her skin white, and more pink like a flower. Amon was visibly upset and if something happened to the king that night, the first suspect would be him.

- Qiang Mao is joining Naran and Sunri, look at General Chun Zheng, look at King Tao Jun of Sunri beside my father - Amon disguised and stared at his smiling father beside the king of Sunri. - Whatever his plan, it is working. This throne has to be mine!

- Calm down, Amon. We are still at Shí chen Xu*(19:00- 21:00), even Yin* will be winning this battle.

- What is your plan? - Amon, for a brief moment, was curious about what was going on in his mother's mind; after all, he knew she could act recklessly. However, his thirst for power blinded his eyes to the point of not worrying about the consort's actions. However, now he seemed seriously restless after seeing the evil smile the woman in front of him sketched.

- Don't bother with the plan. You will be the future king, the king that this land has never seen. You will show the councilors and the people that a bastard, as they named you, had been chosen by the gods to rule the six states.

Amon was filled with pride of himself. His ego already inflated, was overflowing with joy and haughtiness. The two allies, mother and son, stood in the corner of the party, right next to the door, it seemed that the consort was waiting for something big to happen, which didn't take long to occur.

On the other side of the hall, the minister was tense, seeing the whispers of the consort and Amon knew that this party would be a tragedy. His throat was so dry that not even the best-imported wines from the state of Honga could wet his throat and give him the usual pleasure.

It was when a group of dancers masked with vibrant clothes of all colors entered the hall. The two kings smiled and got together to watch the show. The nobles gathered around the hall opening the center to the fifteen women perfectly lined up.

Mei Yang and Yan Feng entered next to each other and all the heads present turned to see the beautiful couple united in front of the king's throne. It was evident that Mei Yang was the only one disgruntled at her own party. Yan Feng seemed to care little about the aloof look of his future wife and smiled openly at everyone.

Zheng*'s melancholy sound sounded firmly across the hall, and almost everyone could see the strings of the instrument vibrating in the hands of the central dancer. The soft steps that seemed to fly along with the light, loose fabrics of her clothes gave a heavenly air to the beautiful performance. The music of the spirits' ritual seemed fantastic to everyone, to the point of pulling the young princess out of the obscure abyss that was her mind.

As soon as the music finished, a silver platter was handed to the king, who smiled as he stood facing his daughter.

- A remarkable day, for the future queen of Naran, the heir princess, Mei Yang Naran. May all evil spirits turn away from you, may the gods come and grant you more years of life and wisdom. Take the bitter one, so that when the pains come to you know how to live, be it like fire.

The king extended a container of water from the bitter fountains that divided the state of Naran and Naki. Mei Yang thought of rejecting it, but it would be an affront to his father. Then, against her will she drank almost spitting.

- Take the spicy for your life to be like metal, strong and resistant. - The king extended a spice and promptly she chewed with will. - Take the candy and be as graceful as the earth we step on ready to receive the bruises, be a wise ruler who listens to her subjects. - The king gave her a little honey candy. - Finally, be wood, gentle and control your emotions, take the salt and be like the sea, nothing can stop you.

At that moment, Mei Yang almost vomited when she realized that the liquid she had ingested was seawater.

- Be like the five elements that surround us, Fire, wood, metal, water and earth, and never deviate from your path.

The sound of the drum resounded and everyone bowed to it. Mei Yang felt like the most important person in the world when everyone shouted three cheers for her life.

She saw Mi Gu give the sign. She already knew it was time to take her gifts and give them to the king and the queen.

The maid approached with a huge tray of gold and removed the lid that hid the king's favorite delicacy, the fǡcai, a small fungus boiled with all kinds of spices, that meant prosperity and joy. The queen approached her daughter, took one of those small foods, and smiled.

Tai'Ner was a virtuous woman, she did not have the beauty of consort, but her pure and sweet heart was the cause of having become the queen mother of all Naran. Mei Yang was proud of her parents; they were happy, even in dark times of war, the two smiled at each other with passionate eyes. It was that kind of love she wanted to build, a sincere love.

- May her days be as long as the tortoise, may they be as happy as the deer that run through happy waters in search of food. May the bad energies be dissipated and her wisdom be added many times more.

The sound of fireworks in the sky amazed everyone present. That was the ritual of purification. Where demons, bad luck and negativity would be dispelled.

The king and his queen took their respective food and ingested it. The sound of the clapping went through the festive place when the scream of the queen reverberated in pure amazement.

Their eyes pierced and blood flowed through them. The woman's throat closed as if a thousand knives were taking over her vocal cords. Her legs weakened and finally the Queen fell as fast as lightning, causing her crown to escape from her head and roll over the cold winter ground.

The fires were still screaming outside, and only inside the hall, there was a sepulchral silence, when Tai'Ner Zhi took his last breath.