Into the Array C6
I swear to God that Yao is appearing in the next chapter.
As usual, thank you all and please enjoy.
If the outside of the palace is this fascinating, the insides can only be describe to be a million times more magnificent. They are greeted immediately by a large space that lead to where another equally impressive gate stands. The other soldiers are talking to the guards from the side, leaving Ivan to soak in this absurdity.
'Hey foreigner, we will have to bade our farewell from here onwards. We will accompany you till the palace carriage arrives which will bring you to your room for the rest of your stay. I have heard that our Emperor have been looking forward for your arrival ever since Lord Wei's letter.' Wu explained.
'Tha-' Ivan started.
'Speak of the Devil, there's the carriage.' Wu interjected, he was quickly joined in by the other soldiers whom all said their piece of farewell.
'Remember what I warned.' Shui leaned forward and reminded him seriously.
'I will. Thank you guys for everything these few months.'
Once he hopped onto the carriage, he suddenly felt incredibly lonely without those bunch of rowdy soldiers and pretty empty without his painting supplies by his side. To kill his boredom, he started imagining how the Emperor of Han is going to be like, is he going to be fierce and stern, kind and benevolent or loud and decisive or perhaps, quiet and intimidating like Viktor?
'How would I be if I was the King.' he asked himself, but he shook his head with a smile. For he knows he could never be a King, the world calls out to him and not answering them will be his greatest regret.
Ivan's mind then wandered to how the rest of the royal family looks like. He heard so much of them and now he will finally be able to meet them all, to understand them and to paint for them.
But the carriage soon came to a stop again before any concrete thought came to his mind, and this time round, a man dressed in a royal blue dress is standing there with his heads down. The long baggy red sleeves covered his hands which was obscured when he slot them against each other. Ivan came out of the carriage and was immediately greeted by him.
'Good afternoon Sir, my name is Jin Xi and this will be your lodging from now on. Everything you need have been prepared for your usage, and your luggage is inside as well. Please wait here at 6 o'clock tomorrow morning and a carriage will bring to you to the court session tomorrow, it will be followed by the meeting of all the princes and princesses.' the man in blue bowed, speaking enthusiastically.
'Alright. Sure.' Ivan replied gratefully. The sun have not been merciful and he is thoroughly soaked inside, he can't wait for a bath.
Night time came fast for a man who did nothing but laid on the bed all day complaining of the heat. But the night also brought in cooling winds that turned cold from their speed, the way they unreasonably force their way in through the windows reminded Ivan of home.
'Feels good.' he stretched.
He set up the canvas by the blaring wind, beside the window so that he can paint where the moon illuminate. It's been such a long time since he could actually sit down and paint, throughout the journey, he is only able to sketch a little here and there but nothing else.
Ivan reached out for a piece of charcoal, thinking of what he could draw and paint at such a short timing. He thought of drawing the soldiers, Man Man, Wu, Shui and Da Lao, but his fickle heart is not really with them. The cicadas sang it's song outside while the willow trees rustle in the distance, it's a really peaceful night. Yet the dark seems to turn everything ominous, giving an unfamiliar slant to shadows cast by the moon, and among these, Ivan's brain is etched with the image of those horrendous masks, he could not get their image out of his head.
He started sketching the mask out, as though drawing them out would get them off his head, that fearsome mask with protruding eyes and brows. When it's done, Ivan felt compelled to paint it black with it's eyes and brows being yellow. That's right, Ivan thought, no other colour scheme will make it right. Strange, it's as though the sketch is demanding to be made while he is just a vassal.
The more he draw, he more his hands moved on its own. A menacing demon begging for its face to be torn off, a phoenix in the background, the ground in blazes, Ivan drew them all. Even.. him, as the commander of an army, backing off.
'But why me?' he muttered as he finishes the last stroke of sketch. Ivan stood up and took a few step backwards, he thought he would have gone rusty from the lack of practise, but looking at the sketch, Ivan have to say he have apparently not. Everything is emptied from his mind and imprinted on this canvas now, Ivan smiled as he felt his head is less cluttered with nonsensical thoughts.
'Time to sleep! I should be able to start practising my painting on it tomorrow night!' he decided, before heading off to the bed.
Ivan woke up to someone shaking him, and he opened his sleepy eyes just enough to see the inner side of the bed, he have stayed up too late sketching and he sincerely regret it right this moment. Glancing to the other side with his blood shot eyes, he saw the man he met yesterday knitting his brows.
'Sir, you are late. Please get ready for the morning court session.' he said, bowing a little.
Ivan's sleepy eyes demanded to be closed and Ivan follow suit.
'Sir!' he heard the man called, but his eyes refused to listen, and then thinking it was all over, he snuggled right back into the tangled blanket. It's so soft, it fitted so perfectly with his skin, they are a match made in heaven, and no one can ever pull them apart.
'Bring in, bring in.' he heard the shuffling of feet.
Everything went quiet again for a few moment. And then it begins:
Multiple gongs were repeatedly hit that produces deafening sounds, sounds so loud that Ivan swear his sleeping soul wandering about were pulled right back into his body, and then propelled away to Heaven.
'Oh my god, stop it. Stop it! Stop it! I'm awake!' Ivan cried, sitting up and pressing his fingers into his ear.
Jin Xi gestured for a stop and immediately bowed again. 'Sir, it's time for your wash up. I will help you with it.'
Ivan looked up at him with an incredulous look.
'It's okay. I can do it for myself.' Ivan reject, he is not used to being wait by people he don't know.
'Sir, I insist.'
'No.'
'Sir. It is important to be dressed for the court.'
'I..' Ivan wanted to reject again but.. he's in a foreign land with no underlings to maintain his authority. 'Fine.'
And thus, the next half an hour was spent feeling awkward as the man wash his feet, wiped his body and clothed him in the silk dress that the Eastern people wore. Ivan felt a little airy underneath, which felt kind of good in his opinion.
'Sir, it is now time for the morning court session. Please get on the carriage.' Jin Xi said, bowing again. Ivan looked at the back of Jin Xi's head, feeling the pressure emitted from his polite words, there's something about his politeness that gives Ivan an annoying vibe. It's as though he is openly forcing you to do things you don't like, yet you can do absolutely nothing to them. It reminded him of his nasty teacher when he was younger.
Ivan smiled politely in return with annoyance in his heart, and said 'Okay.'