The King's Dancer

Chapter 4

Since the way to the throne room was indeed rather long, Banyue did indeed manage to teach him a little bit during their walk there. Still, if Xie Lian truly wanted to improve, he would simply need to keep practising. After all, he knew very well that skill could only be gained through constant training.

When they arrived at the throne room, the guards spared Banyue a short glance, but didn't attempt to stop her from walking into the room at all. Xie Lian was really starting to wonder what exactly the relationship between the king and Banyue was. Was it true that he had only found her on the streets? Did he ever even walk through the streets himself? Why was she allowed to go in without anyone sending someone ahead first, to let the king know of their arrival? Was she maybe an illegitimate daughter of the king?

Xie Lian came to a screeching halt when the king entered his vision again.

It had been months since the last time he'd laid eyes on him, true, but he didn't remember the king looking this handsome. Well, he hadn't exactly been in the best state to appreciate beauty at that moment, he figured.

The king's features were overall sharp, straight and angular. The look in his eye was especially sharp; very cunning, penetrating and clear. Xie Lian could see from where he was standing that the king was obviously intelligent, smart and quick-witted, just by looking at that eye. Though of course he should be all of that; anyone slow on the uptake couldn't possibly lead a country as huge as WuYong all by himself.

His hair was rather wild, loose strands hanging over his back and shoulders, with some single thin braids here and there. He also had bangs, which almost covered his black eyepatch on the right side of his face. Added to it was his whole countenance, which not only screamed 'alpha' at Xie Lian, but the way he held himself gave off a lazy confidence, a surety that the highest power in the country belonged to him, and only him, and the self-assurance that nobody would, or could, take it away from him rolled off of him in waves. He gave off the feeling as if he'd seen it all already, as if nothing could ever really surprise him, even though his face looked very young.

On top of that, the king was wearing black clothes, black pants and a black top, with red drapings over his shoulders and around his hips. There was something akin to silver armour around his shoulders and across his chest as well, but it served little protection, so it must've been some sort of fashionable accessory, Xie Lian guessed. The thing was just... those clothes couldn't be exactly called robes, because they left his midriff exposed.

Xie Lian figured it was the culture of WuYong to wear clothes in this style during summer, though to Xie Lian it had felt pretty hot since they'd first set foot in the desert. During practice earlier he'd already had half a mind to ask for lighter clothing, but he was a little scared of what they'd throw at him. With his luck, it was probably something like the clothes he'd found in his room yesterday. He didn't think he was at the point where he was willing to wear those yet, no matter how suffocating his own robes felt.

Either way, the king's stomach was toned and all muscles and Xie Lian wondered if the king could actually win against him in a fight. Xie Lian knew he had a good bunch of muscles himself, even if they weren't as visibly defined as the king's. He didn't know if the king had done any sort of training in the army before he ascended to the throne, but Xie Lian was nevertheless interested in having a spar with the king. Just for fun, of course. However, given the look on the king's face, Xie Lian doubted very much that he was up for anything fun. It was true that the king's face was handsome, but Xie Lian thought that, if he got rid of his grumpy expression and replaced it with a smile, it would be much more dazzling. And much less intimidating.

Since Xie Lian wasn't sure about etiquette in WuYong, he lowered his head and stopped himself from staring at the king for now. If he still had access to his library, he would've prepared for a meeting like this far in advance, going through all the etiquette rules and customs and memorising every single one of them in order to be at ease when facing someone like the king of WuYong. The fact that he hadn't been able to do any sort of preparation left him feeling incredibly wrong-footed and even somewhat insecure.