Chapter Four
The lights of the lanterns shown in the color of their papers, reds and yellows and green, the scent of their oil candles musky burn mixing with the array of foods being prepared. Dancers swung about and music strummed for what felt like miles; you could hear it everywhere. The food venders who openly prepared food were lined up down the roads of the villages, yelling in their native language to each other, exchanging shouts of joy and jokes.
The dancers were experienced, move their feet in such familiarity and heart that they almost seemed possessed by the music. Their grace came in feats, no one woman less graceless than the other, but only more graceful than the other. They jumped and twirled and bowed in ways that told stories, looked at you with irises of colored mischief. Sometimes they held the power of a dragon, other times they were fragile as flowers. Each group of dancer that scattered the medium sized village was dressed in different colored silks that were folded and sorted in different ways. Each one held lovely hair, dark as the evening sky, some had hair with the fur of a beautiful dear or a sweet golden brown color like those of hazelnuts, and each dancer wove her up intricately, each group member with hair as identically tied to the other.
There were performers too, those who hid in dragon costumes and marched around, bringing forth the prayers of their spirits, summoning the actual dragons or scaring the children who cheered and around the crouched man who waddled in silken suits, colored to match elements of the earth. Green for plants, blue for water, red for fire, gray for the mountains and rock and black for the elements of space. They were all beautiful and man followed each dragon with drums, singing songs of their stories. Of course, these stories were all just folktale, the true dragon was the Great Dragon, dressed purple like the royals who wove through crowds and represented the high and mighty elements of earth.
William and were near the village center when symbols rung loudly, the drums holding down the final few hits of the beat before leaving a resonating sound in the village. Everybody stepped aside, as if everything halted and the grandeur entrance of the royal family was sprung alive when the music started up by a 'marching band' that lead them in, dancers and young girls spun through the crowd, tossing flowers and spinning around. The young girls had bells on the sashes of their dresses, the bells tinkling as they ran down the streets tossing flowers.
The royal family was carried in on beautiful carriages, sat on high thrones covered in cushions and cotton woven as beautiful as their silken clothing. Daisy was beautiful as ever, the royal princess holding her head high and her eyes touching every being that crossed her way, only the faint hint of a smile on her glossed pink lips. Never introduce yourself weakly, always be the center of all attention and never let them doubt your power, your prowess. It was written on her wall, she memorized, she recited it, she kept it as her frame alongside grace beauty poise and power. So perhaps she could work on her grace and poise more frequently, but it seemed to be the basis of her life from balls to meeting other rulers and possible suitors. It all felt like routine, to be poised and graceful. Being clumsy and silly around the people she found to be family felt like a freedom.
William glanced up and offered a small smile and she smiled the tad back, never once breaking her royal demeanor. The carriages were stopped and set down from the backs that carried them, the strong guards standing in with arms crossed over their bodies, fists pressed to their hearts. Daisy stepped down and she glowed in a purple silken dress, outlined with gold patterns that formed flowers and even a dragon up the side in gold. Her eyes were outlined with a green liquid that boldened the irises of ice she glared with. Her parents stepped down themselves, her father in a purple silken robe, designed in gold with dragons and fire like designs. Her mother was in similar attire to herself, though her hair more elaborately tied up, with pins that had gems that dangled down from their placements.
"Ah I spot some of the foreigners, should we go say hi?" The empress asked, looking over at her daughter who blushed at the handsome young man she'd met earlier.
"Perhaps we should, lest they go exploring in the village again. There is so much to see…" Daisy drifted off, looking around at her people who buzzed with chatter as they kneeled before their highnesses. "Let us greet the people first, right papa?"
"Of course Dearest." Her father turned to the people and they all smiled, her father raising his arms and lifting his head. "May the festivities begin!" He called, the crowds cheering and some confetti popping and the crowds breaking off, Daisy taking her mothers hand as she lead her to the group of foreign men who's eyes scanned round to find where'd they would head off to.
"William! How lovely to see you again," Daisy greeted as she stood a good few meters from him. He looked up before looking down at the petite young woman and smiling.
"Always a pleasure Diànxià," William replied, nodding his head in respect. He glanced at the empress, evidently beautiful as she smiled politely. "I spose this is your mother?"
"Yes. Mama, this is William, he's from… from… Where are you from?" She asked, looking over at him confused, an eyebrow raised, her lips pursed a bit.
"England. I'm from England. Its all the way across the world, I'd spose," he said, letting a small chuckle past his lips as he shyly glanced down before looking back up. "Pleasure to meet you, CÍxĬ," William nodded in respect again, not entirely sure how to bow before a Chinese empress. If her daughter laughed, she'd be in hysterics about the traditional English kneel to the ground and bow your head bow before the royals.
"Pleasure is all mine. What a lovely young man you are- are you an a tradesmen?"
"No, just an explorer. Though I'd kill for such lovely tea back home. You can thank your daughter for that one," He said looking to Daisy who giggled softly.
"So you bought some then?" She asked and he nodded. "I do love the tea, of course, tea is always a pleasure. Don't you think?"
"The english kind is rather bland, actually." He shrugged and she smiled.
"Well, then you best bring some home, shan't you? Now you two go ahead and enjoy the festival, I've a king to join after and some friends to catch up to." The Empress smiled and bid herself off to find her husband and friends, leaving the two young ones alone. William glanced around to find that his men had run off and he'd been left alone with the princess.
"Come with me, there's something I believe you'd be interested in," She admitted and he raised an eyebrow.
"Like what?" He asked, stroking his freshly shaven jaw line. She smiled and looked down, playing with her dress.
"A town tradition. But! Its a surprise, come along." She gestured, weaving through the crowd and greeting people as they did so. Some of her friends stopped her and they spoke whilst William went off and looked around, took everything in, soaked it like a sponge. To him, all of this was beyond beautiful, exotic and foreign and amazing. He'd never seen anything like it; though now that he has, he doesn't want to experience anything but this.
000
the grass flurried around their legs as the wind blew, a distant glow coming into view as they walked through the glass lands. Children were running and playing, some flying kites in the moonlight, their laughter like music with the wind. Williams eyes flitted around before focusing on the light that grew as they walked towards it. What was it? Perhaps a bonfire? Some sort of cookout?
Daisy glanced at him and smiled, knowing his head was racing with inquiries about the light that lead to their impending destination. It wasn't long before they were standing at the base of a tree, red lanterns with burning candles decorating its limbs.
"What is it?" William asked after a few moments of breathless awe.
"A tree. What did you think it was?" She teased, giggling her glittery laughter.
"I know that. I mean… why are the lanterns on there? What's this all for?" He elucidated, her eyes glancing up at him before looking back to the tree.
"Its always been village tradition for children and courtier to send their prayers and wishes to the ancestors before releasing them onto the tree with a burning candle. A man comes along to light them each night, so the ancestors see the prayers we've left and come to answer them. They are renewed each month."
William listened intently, pausing to process it all. The words slipped before he meant them to, his mouth moving before his mind. "Have you a wish up there? A lover you wish for?" They were calm, small words. Simple question and in a very dimmed down tone. It didn't feel right to talk loudly like they did in the village, this almost felt too precious to break, the silence that blanketed around them with the wind and distant laughter of children.
"I… I haven't. I don't think I want to get married… They say I'm to be a powerful empress but I don't know how I'm to be powerful when I'm expected to be a wife. I don't want to co-rule with somebody; I want to rule and to do so, I must stand alone. You understand that?"
"I do. You are married to your empire as I am married to the sea. I don't think I'd ever wish to be tied down anywhere that isn't the mer of the world," He said, eyes looking up at the tree. "I've never stayed in one place and I never will. The church disagrees with me, they think I'm risque but really, what is it for them to say? I love to travel, and maybe I'm no tradesmen, but I do take a bit more out of traveling than I do trading."
"So in sorts we are alike. Though what is a mer?" She asked and he glanced over at her.
"Oh. Oh. Mer is french for the ocean. The ocean is my home and I dare not leave her," He said with a chuckle and she smiled.
"Then you are a ruler of the ocean, the ocean is yours because you feel you belong to her. This empire is mine because I know it belongs to me even if i weren't meant to belong to it. perhaps I am more like you origin wise but that is it not how I grew up. I grew up a chinese princess and that is what-"
"You'll always be," he finished for her. "Though one day you will be more than that, I have immense faith in it. And I'll visit when you are in rule, though then we may not know each other."
"I hope we do…" She admitted, looking up at him as her heart fluttered. Something about the prospect of talking to William was exciting, dangerous and new. She enjoyed the feeling of having somebody who was like nobody else; somebody she could claim her own.
Please feel free to leave reviews and comments on the chapters and stories! Thank you for reading, those of you who are! ~A.M.E