Ren Xiyang felt like he was falling—literally falling. His arms weakened and his body collapsed on top of Rian. A little bit of last-minute manoeuvring meant he buried his face in Rian’s neck instead of smooshing their noses and mouths together.
“Ooff,” went Rian.
Ren Xiyang reddened a little in embarrassment. “Sorry,” he said, quickly getting off Rian and the sofa. The brief moment of full-body contact passed.
Rian’s smile widened. “You didn’t have to get up, I’m not weak.”
“I need to rest if my arms are that weak,” Ren Xiyang countered. “Given our plans, I need to sleep and recover.”
“That’s true,” Rian said with a regretful pout. He sat up, briefly smoothing down his messy hair.
“Is there anything last-minute things you want to talk about?”
Rian looked wordlessly at Ren Xiyang.
Ren Xiyang met his gaze firmly.
“Nothing right now,” Rian said. “Don’t forget to wear the clothes I planned for you tomorrow.”
“I know. Alright, see you tomorrow.”
Ren Xiyang unlocked the door and headed out. He nodded at the Royal Guards standing outside and strode to his rooms for the night.
Only once he closed his door did his cool expression crack.
Ren Xiyang covered his face with one hand.
What just happened?
His mouth felt dry, his heartbeat was loud, and he still had the phantom sense of Rian’s gaze and Rian’s heat.
His chest felt weird. His heart felt tingly; his head felt light.
Ren Xiyang frowned. No, it couldn’t be that, right? It was possible, but…
…But…
Ren Xiyang rubbed his forehead. He messed up his hair.
Even if he…
But Rian…
And they…
But everything…
It wasn’t that Ren Xiyang was afraid of thinking about it.
He was afraid of imagining something and stepping through a point of no return.
Ren Xiyang took a deep breath.
He clenched his hands.
No.
Not right now.
Regardless of what happened in Rian’s room just a few minutes ago, now wasn’t the time. They were about to enter the Angio Capital and meet King Augustus and all that entailed.
This was a distraction that Ren Xiyang did not need at this time.
Ren Xiyang squashed down the unsettled feeling and single-mindedly prepared for bed.
They set off early the next morning.
Duke Helios’s carriage was at the front of the convoy, leading the way. Behind him came the Sedaverian Imperial carriage and the rest of the convoy. The Terra carriage came last.
The surrounding plains were filled with yellow and purple flowers. Farmers toiled in their fields. They stopped and lowered their heads when the large convoy passed through.
Ren Xiyang was sitting alone in the Rosewood carriage.
He unconsciously sighed as his thoughts returned to Rian.
Ren Xiyang grimaced upon realisation.
Now was not the time to think about it.
Now was not the time to think about it.
Think about something else!
What happened last night all begun because Rian mentioned his lack of heat surveillance.
So, Ren Xiyang expanded his heat-sensing range.
There were over a hundred people in the total contingent, not to mention the numerous horses and donkeys. Further out, there were the usual tiny creatures in the fields and the occasional cluster of farmers working on their land.
Ren Xiyang didn’t find any peculiar ‘empty’ spots. It was unlikely that a hidden bandit base would be so close to the Capital. But he noticed how some of the farming fields were starting to get overgrown. Given the critical farming season, there were fewer farmers in the fields than usual.
From an environmental perspective, overgrown fields were a good thing. But from a human resource perspective, this clearly showed why Angio had faced a famine—it was of their own making, and any blame on the weather was overstated.
To be precise, the poor suffered a famine. The rich nobility did not.
Work on King Augustus’s big construction project continued, with conscripted farmers unable to return to their fields.
Ren Xiyang wondered if he should give a little help to those remaining farmers in the fields. He could help. He could help some people a lot.
But they weren’t his people. They weren’t his responsibilities. They might not even trust him.
And because of that, Ren Xiyang didn’t do anything right now.
The roads became noticeably smoother and wider. Soon, the tall buildings of the Capital came into view.
No one in the convoy was immune to the growing tension, not even Rian.
Rian had planned for this trip for over two years. He had gathered information about the Angio people, the Angio nobility, the Angio court, and the Angio king.
Duke Mauveine and Count Aegean were worried about whether he’d say the right thing. He was also worried about whether he’d say the right thing.
But Rian had gone through his plans and prepared words many times. Rationally, he trusted himself to remember. So he tried to find something else to focus on, like Ren Xiyang.
AHHH!!! He regretted not doing something more last night!!!!
It had been the perfect time to wrap his arms around Ren Xiyang’s neck! The perfect time to roll around together! The perfect time to place a kiss on those lips!!!!!
The way Ren Xiyang had gone red was cute. It was not often that Rian saw his embarrassed face. He wanted to rub those cheeks and touch those lips…
Rian unconsciously smiled. There were many good signs that Ren Xiyang liked him. So maybe Rian didn’t need to use chests full of gold to seduce him.
Now, what would be the best way to confess and propose? How should he do it? Once he returned to Sedaveria, he was going to push forward with his plans to convince his parents to change marriage laws to match the ones in the Rosewood fief.
Rian sighed wistfully. It was a challenge he was willing to undertake.
They arrived at the Angio Capital in the late afternoon. Huge grey-rock walls of the city loomed over them.
Neat rows of Angian soldiers stood at the southern gates. Those in front were on foot, and those at the back sat upon large black warhorses. Large banners with the Imperial Lūpiter crest fluttered in the wind.
The arrangement was symmetric. In the middle, in front of the army, was a small group of people standing with their horses next to them.
Eldest Princess Aurelia Lūpiter stood at the front with a cold expression.
She was a tall woman. Her gold hair was split into two braids, wrapped around her head. They crackled faintly with lightning.
Next to her, on one side, were her ladies-in-waiting. On her other side were two of her siblings, Prince Marcus Lūpiter and Princess Marcia Lūpiter.
All the Sedaverian nobles exited their carriages to meet the group.
Rian bowed. “I greet Your Highness Princess Aurelia, Your Highness Prince Marcus, and Your Highness Princess Marcia,” he said in Angian. The others followed him.
Princess Aurelia inclined her head. “Welcome to my country. We all look forward to meeting you.” Her eyes swept across all the Sedaverian nobles.
Rian raised his head and smiled slightly. “I’m honoured to make your acquaintance, Princess Aurelia. I have some small gifts for you and the other princesses and princes, I hope you will accept them.”
“Send them later,” Princess Aurelia said. “We will take you to our palace first.”
Rian nodded.
Princess Aurelia waved her hand. Half of the army turned and started marching through the Capital gates. The other half moved outwards, leaving a gap for everyone else to pass through.
Princess Aurelia swung up onto her war horse to lead the way, while all the Sedaverian nobles re-entered their carriages
The Angio Capital had much wider streets, paved with concrete. Rain gutters delineated the main street from the nature strip.
There was a veritable parade through Angio Capital streets that afternoon. People flocked to the streets to watch the envoy pass.
Leading the way were stern-faced Angian foot soldiers and calvary, the Lūpiter banners fluttering domineeringly. Then, came Princess Aurelia, Prince Marcus, and Princess Marcia on their war horses. Princess Aurelia’s ladies-in-waiting—all noblewomen themselves—followed on their own horses.
Behind them were the Sedaverian carriages and carts. Sedaverian Royal Guards, all riding horses, were interspersed through the Sedaverian convoy. They also carried banners of the Azure family.
At the rear were more Angian foot soldiers and cavalry.
Unfortunately, due to all the Sedavarian Royal Guards flanking the carriages, not many people noticed that some of the Sedaverian carriages were floating…
“All hail Princess Aurelia!”
“All hail Prince Marcus!”
“All hail Princess Marcia!”
Prince Aurelia’s expression remained cold, her back tall and unwavering on top of her horse.
After almost an hour, the group reached the Imperial grounds. The city buildings ended and there was a huge open area.
A huge castle sat on a tall hill surrounded by a deep moat with rocky protrusions from the water. This was surrounded by open land, completely open to the elements. Some parts of that land looked burnt and cracked as though lightning from the skies had struck.
The Angio castle was much grander than Sedaveria’s Imperial Palace. It had an abundance of thick glass, including an entire top floor made from textured, coloured, and clear glass. It shone brightly in the sunlight.
In that open land, to one side, was a small man-made hill with a tall tower with a spire—a church of the Angio religion. On the other side was a building under construction, worked on by the Angio commoners under conscription.
‘Building’ was an understatement. As part of the construction, the builders had to make a hill and dig a new moat, all before construction on the actual building could even start.
As they approached the moat, the Angio soldiers moved to the side. Princess Aurelia and her group dismounted.
“You must walk into the castle,” Princess Aurelia said. “The servants stay here.” In a furl of magic, a bridge of stone built itself from the castle down to where they stood.
“Understood.” Rian and the other mages exited their carriages. They all knew this ahead of time.
The core members of the Sedaverian convoys and a smaller selection of Royal guards followed Princess Aurelia’s group up the bridge.
The walk was steep—the bridge was half stairs, climbing up the tall hill to the castle—and Princess Aurelia had a brisk pace.
It was as though they wanted to tire out all visitors.
This would be much easier if Rian could fly up and even easier if Ren Xiyang floated everyone up. But there was no way Count Aegean would let Rian do such a thing.
At the top of the stairs, they were rewarded with the sight of the tall stone castle. The castle had numerous smooth straight towers topped with crenellations. Rows of guards wearing ornamental uniforms stood on the open square in front of the castle’s doors.
As Princess Aurelia strolled forward, the front doors swung open. She led them through corridors with high ceilings, up sweeping staircases, and stopped outside a set of golden doors. The doors to the castle’s throne room.
Before entering, she swept her eyes over the Sedaverian envoys, and then to the young Crown Prince Rian.
Rian smiled.
Princess Aurelia didn’t smile back. She turned and touched the doors.
The doors swung open.
The walls and floor were made out of white marble and the ceiling was made of glass so clear it looked as though they were entirely exposed to the elements.
King Augustus Lūpiter sat on the throne at the very end of the hall. He was a tall and broad-shouldered man. His golden hair was wavy, reaching to his shoulders, similar to the length of his beard. He wore shoulder armour, sharp white gold, and a black military coat beneath.
And there was a ring of lightning around his head like a lethal crown.
As Rian and the others entered, King Augustus stood up.
“Crown Prince Rian, welcome to my country,” he said, his voice low yet powerful.
Rian bowed his body. “I humbly greet His Majesty, King Augustus Lūpiter of the Angio Kingdom. I humbly thank you for this opportunity to visit your country and to meet you in person.”
“We humbly greet His Majesty, King Augustus Lūpiter of the Angio Kingdom,” the others followed.
“Raise your heads.”
Rian straightened.
King Augustus sat back down on his throne.
“So, what does Prince Rian want to talk to me about?”
Rian: Huh, Princess Aurelia is even more deadpan than Ren Xiyang. How is that possible??
Ren Xiyang: …
Princess Aurelia: …
@[email protected] So much description in this chapter, my weakness!!!
Ren Xiyang felt like he was falling—literally falling. His arms weakened and his body collapsed on top of Rian. A little bit of last-minute manoeuvring meant he buried his face in Rian’s neck instead of smooshing their noses and mouths together.
“Ooff,” went Rian.
Ren Xiyang reddened a little in embarrassment. “Sorry,” he said, quickly getting off Rian and the sofa. The brief moment of full-body contact passed.
Rian’s smile widened. “You didn’t have to get up, I’m not weak.”
“I need to rest if my arms are that weak,” Ren Xiyang countered. “Given our plans, I need to sleep and recover.”
“That’s true,” Rian said with a regretful pout. He sat up, briefly smoothing down his messy hair.
“Is there anything last-minute things you want to talk about?”
Rian looked wordlessly at Ren Xiyang.
Ren Xiyang met his gaze firmly.
“Nothing right now,” Rian said. “Don’t forget to wear the clothes I planned for you tomorrow.”
“I know. Alright, see you tomorrow.”
Ren Xiyang unlocked the door and headed out. He nodded at the Royal Guards standing outside and strode to his rooms for the night.
Only once he closed his door did his cool expression crack.
Ren Xiyang covered his face with one hand.
What just happened?
His mouth felt dry, his heartbeat was loud, and he still had the phantom sense of Rian’s gaze and Rian’s heat.
His chest felt weird. His heart felt tingly; his head felt light.
Ren Xiyang frowned. No, it couldn’t be that, right? It was possible, but…
…But…
Ren Xiyang rubbed his forehead. He messed up his hair.
Even if he…
But Rian…
And they…
But everything…
It wasn’t that Ren Xiyang was afraid of thinking about it.
He was afraid of imagining something and stepping through a point of no return.
Ren Xiyang took a deep breath.
He clenched his hands.
No.
Not right now.
Regardless of what happened in Rian’s room just a few minutes ago, now wasn’t the time. They were about to enter the Angio Capital and meet King Augustus and all that entailed.
This was a distraction that Ren Xiyang did not need at this time.
Ren Xiyang squashed down the unsettled feeling and single-mindedly prepared for bed.
They set off early the next morning.
Duke Helios’s carriage was at the front of the convoy, leading the way. Behind him came the Sedaverian Imperial carriage and the rest of the convoy. The Terra carriage came last.
The surrounding plains were filled with yellow and purple flowers. Farmers toiled in their fields. They stopped and lowered their heads when the large convoy passed through.
Ren Xiyang was sitting alone in the Rosewood carriage.
He unconsciously sighed as his thoughts returned to Rian.
Ren Xiyang grimaced upon realisation.
Now was not the time to think about it.
Now was not the time to think about it.
Think about something else!
What happened last night all begun because Rian mentioned his lack of heat surveillance.
So, Ren Xiyang expanded his heat-sensing range.
There were over a hundred people in the total contingent, not to mention the numerous horses and donkeys. Further out, there were the usual tiny creatures in the fields and the occasional cluster of farmers working on their land.
Ren Xiyang didn’t find any peculiar ‘empty’ spots. It was unlikely that a hidden bandit base would be so close to the Capital. But he noticed how some of the farming fields were starting to get overgrown. Given the critical farming season, there were fewer farmers in the fields than usual.
From an environmental perspective, overgrown fields were a good thing. But from a human resource perspective, this clearly showed why Angio had faced a famine—it was of their own making, and any blame on the weather was overstated.
To be precise, the poor suffered a famine. The rich nobility did not.
Work on King Augustus’s big construction project continued, with conscripted farmers unable to return to their fields.
Ren Xiyang wondered if he should give a little help to those remaining farmers in the fields. He could help. He could help some people a lot.
But they weren’t his people. They weren’t his responsibilities. They might not even trust him.
And because of that, Ren Xiyang didn’t do anything right now.
The roads became noticeably smoother and wider. Soon, the tall buildings of the Capital came into view.
No one in the convoy was immune to the growing tension, not even Rian.
Rian had planned for this trip for over two years. He had gathered information about the Angio people, the Angio nobility, the Angio court, and the Angio king.
Duke Mauveine and Count Aegean were worried about whether he’d say the right thing. He was also worried about whether he’d say the right thing.
But Rian had gone through his plans and prepared words many times. Rationally, he trusted himself to remember. So he tried to find something else to focus on, like Ren Xiyang.
AHHH!!! He regretted not doing something more last night!!!!
It had been the perfect time to wrap his arms around Ren Xiyang’s neck! The perfect time to roll around together! The perfect time to place a kiss on those lips!!!!!
The way Ren Xiyang had gone red was cute. It was not often that Rian saw his embarrassed face. He wanted to rub those cheeks and touch those lips…
Rian unconsciously smiled. There were many good signs that Ren Xiyang liked him. So maybe Rian didn’t need to use chests full of gold to seduce him.
Now, what would be the best way to confess and propose? How should he do it? Once he returned to Sedaveria, he was going to push forward with his plans to convince his parents to change marriage laws to match the ones in the Rosewood fief.
Rian sighed wistfully. It was a challenge he was willing to undertake.
They arrived at the Angio Capital in the late afternoon. Huge grey-rock walls of the city loomed over them.
Neat rows of Angian soldiers stood at the southern gates. Those in front were on foot, and those at the back sat upon large black warhorses. Large banners with the Imperial Lūpiter crest fluttered in the wind.
The arrangement was symmetric. In the middle, in front of the army, was a small group of people standing with their horses next to them.
Eldest Princess Aurelia Lūpiter stood at the front with a cold expression.
She was a tall woman. Her gold hair was split into two braids, wrapped around her head. They crackled faintly with lightning.
Next to her, on one side, were her ladies-in-waiting. On her other side were two of her siblings, Prince Marcus Lūpiter and Princess Marcia Lūpiter.
All the Sedaverian nobles exited their carriages to meet the group.
Rian bowed. “I greet Your Highness Princess Aurelia, Your Highness Prince Marcus, and Your Highness Princess Marcia,” he said in Angian. The others followed him.
Princess Aurelia inclined her head. “Welcome to my country. We all look forward to meeting you.” Her eyes swept across all the Sedaverian nobles.
Rian raised his head and smiled slightly. “I’m honoured to make your acquaintance, Princess Aurelia. I have some small gifts for you and the other princesses and princes, I hope you will accept them.”
“Send them later,” Princess Aurelia said. “We will take you to our palace first.”
Rian nodded.
Princess Aurelia waved her hand. Half of the army turned and started marching through the Capital gates. The other half moved outwards, leaving a gap for everyone else to pass through.
Princess Aurelia swung up onto her war horse to lead the way, while all the Sedaverian nobles re-entered their carriages
The Angio Capital had much wider streets, paved with concrete. Rain gutters delineated the main street from the nature strip.
There was a veritable parade through Angio Capital streets that afternoon. People flocked to the streets to watch the envoy pass.
Leading the way were stern-faced Angian foot soldiers and calvary, the Lūpiter banners fluttering domineeringly. Then, came Princess Aurelia, Prince Marcus, and Princess Marcia on their war horses. Princess Aurelia’s ladies-in-waiting—all noblewomen themselves—followed on their own horses.
Behind them were the Sedaverian carriages and carts. Sedaverian Royal Guards, all riding horses, were interspersed through the Sedaverian convoy. They also carried banners of the Azure family.
At the rear were more Angian foot soldiers and cavalry.
Unfortunately, due to all the Sedavarian Royal Guards flanking the carriages, not many people noticed that some of the Sedaverian carriages were floating…
“All hail Princess Aurelia!”
“All hail Prince Marcus!”
“All hail Princess Marcia!”
Prince Aurelia’s expression remained cold, her back tall and unwavering on top of her horse.
After almost an hour, the group reached the Imperial grounds. The city buildings ended and there was a huge open area.
A huge castle sat on a tall hill surrounded by a deep moat with rocky protrusions from the water. This was surrounded by open land, completely open to the elements. Some parts of that land looked burnt and cracked as though lightning from the skies had struck.
The Angio castle was much grander than Sedaveria’s Imperial Palace. It had an abundance of thick glass, including an entire top floor made from textured, coloured, and clear glass. It shone brightly in the sunlight.
In that open land, to one side, was a small man-made hill with a tall tower with a spire—a church of the Angio religion. On the other side was a building under construction, worked on by the Angio commoners under conscription.
‘Building’ was an understatement. As part of the construction, the builders had to make a hill and dig a new moat, all before construction on the actual building could even start.
As they approached the moat, the Angio soldiers moved to the side. Princess Aurelia and her group dismounted.
“You must walk into the castle,” Princess Aurelia said. “The servants stay here.” In a furl of magic, a bridge of stone built itself from the castle down to where they stood.
“Understood.” Rian and the other mages exited their carriages. They all knew this ahead of time.
The core members of the Sedaverian convoys and a smaller selection of Royal guards followed Princess Aurelia’s group up the bridge.
The walk was steep—the bridge was half stairs, climbing up the tall hill to the castle—and Princess Aurelia had a brisk pace.
It was as though they wanted to tire out all visitors.
This would be much easier if Rian could fly up and even easier if Ren Xiyang floated everyone up. But there was no way Count Aegean would let Rian do such a thing.
At the top of the stairs, they were rewarded with the sight of the tall stone castle. The castle had numerous smooth straight towers topped with crenellations. Rows of guards wearing ornamental uniforms stood on the open square in front of the castle’s doors.
As Princess Aurelia strolled forward, the front doors swung open. She led them through corridors with high ceilings, up sweeping staircases, and stopped outside a set of golden doors. The doors to the castle’s throne room.
Before entering, she swept her eyes over the Sedaverian envoys, and then to the young Crown Prince Rian.
Rian smiled.
Princess Aurelia didn’t smile back. She turned and touched the doors.
The doors swung open.
The walls and floor were made out of white marble and the ceiling was made of glass so clear it looked as though they were entirely exposed to the elements.
King Augustus Lūpiter sat on the throne at the very end of the hall. He was a tall and broad-shouldered man. His golden hair was wavy, reaching to his shoulders, similar to the length of his beard. He wore shoulder armour, sharp white gold, and a black military coat beneath.
And there was a ring of lightning around his head like a lethal crown.
As Rian and the others entered, King Augustus stood up.
“Crown Prince Rian, welcome to my country,” he said, his voice low yet powerful.
Rian bowed his body. “I humbly greet His Majesty, King Augustus Lūpiter of the Angio Kingdom. I humbly thank you for this opportunity to visit your country and to meet you in person.”
“We humbly greet His Majesty, King Augustus Lūpiter of the Angio Kingdom,” the others followed.
“Raise your heads.”
Rian straightened.
King Augustus sat back down on his throne.
“So, what does Prince Rian want to talk to me about?”
Rian: Huh, Princess Aurelia is even more deadpan than Ren Xiyang. How is that possible??
Ren Xiyang: …
Princess Aurelia: …
@[email protected] So much description in this chapter, my weakness!!!
