Into the Array
This is going to take so long to finish and I am already starting to regret it.
Inspired by the musical 'Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress' and also the 'Lan Ling Wang.'
Please enjoy.
A luxurious horse carriage drives from afar on an uneven road, it jumped and fall, bringing along its passengers along with its tide. The driver whipped the horse even more, for the setting sun have already started casting elongated silhouette against them. The shadows from the other side mimic their every move, they look like monsters trapped in the setting sun waiting for the night to set them free.
Indeed, chances of being slaughtered and robbed by bandits are extremely high in the night. Especially when they are still in no man's land. Among the passengers sits a single royalty, Ivan Braginsky, son of the late King ruling the border of his destination. But he is no King, for he have gladly abdicate his chance of being one to his brother Viktor. He have no ambition to rule a country, for he sees a mystery in every person and he seeks to paint their story out. He just wants to travel and paint the world he lives in.
However, it was his painting for a particular emissary that brought him on a long, perilous journey to the East. Among the land where the Orient emperors rule, there exist an empire so powerful that even his prideful brother is not willing to offend. The Han Dynasty, ruled by the current Emperor Wang of Han, is reputed to have technologies so advanced in agriculture that harvest are always bountiful, policies are made to destroy corruptions and benefit its people, where music, poems and arts are celebrated everyday as a way of life.
The kingdom of Han was at the peak of its time, and it is a paradise on earth that was made possible by his 13 children. 8 sons and 5 daughters, his children are each well known for different aspect within their country. But perhaps the most well known among them would be his 9th son: Wang Yao.
A paradise like Han would surely attract a lot of green eyes from its neighbouring countries, and maybe it's a little too much that it requires an army of monsters to protect its sovereignty. Wang Yao is a man known for many things, but he is first and foremost the third and current general in line for his father's infamous army, a man that both friends and foes alike dubbed as the 'God of War'.
Ivan let out a big sigh on purpose, it have been incredibly boring. There are so many beautiful scenery and he wish that he could even sketch it on his way to the East, alas the road is anything but smooth and all attempts to do so are futile. His mind started to wander back to the reason why he even bother to make this trip.
And It all begin because of his itchy fingers on a fateful day.
Ivan was rarely in the palace, preferring to roam around his country sketching and painting. He is good with disguises and was thus rarely caught by ill-will people who wishes to use him against his brother. He chose a wrong day to visit his brother and was kept waiting outside the court room while his brother is entertaining an emissary from Kingdom of Han.
Bored half to death, he wandered into his brother's vast garden, hoping to sketch a few things to entertain himself. The garden is huge and being absent for such a long time render the map in his brain rusty, but after some sweat and recalling, he finally found the pavilion he used to hang around when he was younger.
Much to his dismay, it was occupied. But much to his delight, it was an exotic looking lady in flowing dress, right beside her is a lady in waiting. Ivan recognize those clothing as the ones from the East, it was his first time seeing it other than the ones from the illustration books in the palace library, but Ivan swear to god it was even more exquisite.
Ivan got himself comfortable behind the bushes and started sketching the lady. He made sure the grass patches hid himself for he did not want to startle the ladies. Where they are and where they stand, it was a picture perfect scene, and Ivan have roamed the world enough to know that a re-enactment will never cut it.
The sketch was soon completed and he quickly add on the shadings, even using brushes to fill in the colours. With all his concentration gathered on his painting, he was oblivious to the cornering soldiers.
'ANNOUNCE YOUR NAME!' a voice shouted, startling Ivan as his eyes quickly noticed the number of swords pointing so near to his body.
Ivan dropped his brushes onto the grass before slowly looking up. Surrounding him are soldiers in uniforms he have never seen before, but he recognize them. They are soldiers from the Kingdom of Han.
'NAME! SPEAK YOUR MOTIVE INTRUDER! ARE YOU TRYING TO ASSASSINATE LADY WEI?' one of the soldiers shouted again.
'No no no no! I..I'm just. Look.' Ivan retorted defensively, pulling up his sketch book and showing it all to the soldiers around. 'I'm just sketching a picture of that lady, it's just a drawing! Look.'
'What happened?' another worried voice is heard from the background. Ivan can't quite see but he knows from the accent that it must definitely be another man from Han. And he was right, for the soldiers from the front moved aside to reveal man with beard wearing similar dress albeit darker colours like the lady in the pavilion.
'Lord Wei, there is an intruder!' one of the soldier said.
'Why is there an intruder over here? Are the soldiers of Han this careless or are they dead? Disgraceful.' the man berated the soldiers around. 'Drag him out.'
'YES SIR!' the soldiers shouted in unison.
The soldiers around began to man handle Ivan, and they wound their fingers so tightly around Ivan's wrist that he can only look on helplessly at his beloved sketchbook lying on the ground.
'NO. PLEASE, DON'T TOUCH THAT SKETCH. THE PAINT IS NOT DRY YET. PLEASE I BEG YOU ' Ivan screeched out when he saw the man whom the soldiers called Lord Wei bending down and picking up his sketchbook.
'NO NO NO. D-DON'T FLIP THE PAGE.' Ivan shouted, worrying about his sketch so much that he is oblivious to the way the soldiers handle him.
Lord Wei seems to have heard his words, and he gingerly flipped the pages, taking care to not let the latest painting to touch the others lest the colour transfer. But still Ivan eyed his every move carefully, muttering anxiously and flinching whenever he thought that Lord Wei is making a wrong move handling his baby.
'Let him go!' a stern and familiar voice commanded from a distance. Ivan broke out into a smile upon hearing it, there's hope this time for his sketchbook.
'Viktor! Viktor!' Ivan called out, trying to wiggle out from the firm hold of the domineering soldiers to take a glance at his brother. 'Help me! VIKTOR!'
Lord Wei was still engrossed with the sketches, drawing his brow together in concentration before he gave a huge wave to dismiss the soldier, and they immediately loosen their grip, sending Ivan falling down with thud.
Ivan stormed over angrily and snatched the sketchbook off the hands of Lord Wei.
'Ehh!' Lord Wei sounded, hands followed the book, almost on the verge of snatching it back before asking again nicely 'Can I have the book back.'
'Not to men like you.' Ivan retorted, snorting at the bearded man before storming off towards the rooms in the palace, leaving his brother to pick up the pieces.
'Hey Ivan, don't leave just like that.' he heard his brother said, but he kept on walking faster and faster, and soon he was gone. After all, he do have the luxury to be a brat, and he might as well use to his advantage to save himself from some trouble.
Ivan finally reached his own room, a room specially reserved and kept for his rare return. And even before the door is fully closed behind him, he was already at his desk looking at the damages done to his sketch book. He have filled in countless sketchbooks, yet the one thing that made this one different is the lady at the pavilion. It was the first time he saw people from Han, and the rumours where men and women of Han wore beautiful dresses are true.
'A little crumpled here and there, but thankfully no paint have overlap or stain each other. This is lucky.' Ivan let out a sigh of relief, slumping on the chair, staring contentedly at his work. A yawn slowly creeps up his throat and he suddenly realise that he could probably use a few hours of sleep.
Ivan stood up and stretched himself, he could feel a little sore here and there from where the soldiers gripped and drag. They are really strong for men that look so small, Ivan thought. But all these was pushed to the back of his head upon the sight of his big luxurious and soft bed. He waste no time flopping down the feather stuffed bed and was knocked out within seconds.
His sleep did not last long before his brother atrociously barge into his room. Viktor push the door with such strength that the two heavy doors are slammed loudly onto the wall from the side, startling his older brother half awake.
'W-what happened.' Ivan mumbled, heart pumping while blood shot eyes flew wide open at the prospect of something urgent or bad. He propped himself up and looked around, and before he could have any further reaction, Viktor came up to him.
'My dear brother.' Viktor articulated dramatically, holding the two sides of Ivan's shoulder, gripping it tight. 'I know that you have given much. And I know that anymore that I asked of you would be ridiculous, but..'
'What?' Ivan knitted his brow, patiently waiting for his brother's request, for Viktor is never the kind to pray to God without a cause.
'Would it be too much to ask of you to draw portraits for a family in a far away land?' Viktor requested earnestly.
'That's all?' Ivan let out an incredulous snort. 'Viktor, my King. I gave up my chance for this crown you're wearing to travel around for this precise reason. Of course I will.'
Viktor broke out into a childish grin. A grin he only showed to his older brother.
'You're the best.'
'Yeah yeah yeah.' Ivan waved his hand dismissively, plopping back into his soft pillows. He felt his brother's weight off the bed, and as he close his eyes, he heard his beloved brother say: 'You should prepare yourself then, for it will be a long trip to the Kingdom of Han. Rest well!'
It took Ivan a few moment for him to realise that his brother's "far away land" meant the Kingdom of Han. Is he crazy!?
'VIKTOR!' he screamed out after the door which was slam shut upon his realization. His brother have conned him once again into doing something he doesn't want to.
'This damn boy.' Ivan muttered in annoyance.