Eastern Sun

Chapter 2 | Our Lot

嘒彼小星、三五在東。
肅肅宵征、夙夜在公、寔命不同。

Small are those starlets, three or five of them in the east,
Swiftly by night we go; in the early dawn we are with the prince. Our lot is not like hers.

Fragment of《小星 - Xiao Xing》Odes of Shao and the South

***

The guides and servants that had been travelling with them had set up camp for the last time. Everyone was tired and wanted to sleep as fast as possible for as long as possible.

It did not stop Xiān Chíi from walking a few minutes from the campsite to an open spot where she could practise before going to bed. Every day of her life she had practised for at least an hour and she would not stop that simply because she was travelling. That would be the start of several bad habits she could not allow.

Breathe in, breathe out.

The qi flowed through her body warming it in a way the campfire hadn't. Her thundering thoughts slowed down together with her breath till she was completely focused on the wind softly caressing the maple leaves.

Now that she had found her calm she could start her practise. Movements she had memorised before she had learned to speak flowed through her limbs, her figure performing the dance in the open spot bathed in moonlight.

Once the first tàolù was finished, she seamlessly moved through the second and third, her breathing never increasing as all her essence was focused on the performance. No other thoughts were important in the face of training, not even the short gasp of breath she had heard halfway through the fourth tàolù.

No she would not be distracted by the softly breathing noises she could hear from the treeline, ones she could recognise with her eyes closed and halfway across the fields. In the Imperial Palace she could not get distracted either, so it was best to start practising as fast as possible. She had let it continue for far too long anyway.

Xiān Chí was a guard and warrior first.

"Jīn Sù, you should be asleep in the tent. It is dangerous in the forest on your own."

A beloved partner second.

"I know you can take care of yourself, but you really shouldn't risk it this close to the Imperial Palace."

Jīn Sù etched closer to where Xiān Chí was standing with only a serene smile on her face as answer. She knew what Xiān Chí had said before she had opened her mouth, it had not deterred her from following her into the forest, nor would the words actually spoken do so.

It was truly a lost cause to make Jīn Sù more careful when she, rightfully, thought herself safe and protected.

"I could have done that of course, but then I would have missed watching your practice. It isn't so that I am losing sleep here, I would have lain awake anyway till you had returned."

Her arms carefully etched around Xiān Chí's shoulders, making her drop her carefully maintained pose. Her sword now carelessly resting on the grass where it couldn't accidentally hurt anyone.

"Now if you are done and ready we can return, and you can make sure no wild and dangerous animal tries to eat me."

Xiān Chí was more than done, and even if she wasn't she was more than ready to retire to their tent and catch some much needed sleep. Tomorrow would be hellish enough without being sleep deprived.

"Alright, because you are asking so nicely and didn't try to disturb my training."

The smile Xiān Chí received for that was blinding enough to chase away the night and put the sun to shame.

The Crown Prince had no idea how lucky he was to marry her. No idea at all.

***

"My Lady, the Imperial Palace is in sight, we will arrive shortly before sundown. It is time to make yourself presentable for the Queen Mother of the West."

The captain of the guard had lifted the curtain separating Jīn Sù and Xiān Chí from the outside to report. And though it was all positive it made Xiān Chí's insides rebel.

They were so close to the end of their destination, and though they had made so many plans, who knew what would come of them in face of the cold reality of palace life.

Xīwángmǔ would destroy all of their carefully cultivated plans with a wave of her hand. They could only hope the Empress wouldn't care enough about them to stop them.

"Thank you dàgē, we'll be sure to do that."

Jīn Sù didn't grace the captain of the guard with a look. Her graceful body already clothed in the red wedding dress commissioned by her father. There was very little left to do, apart from waiting.

"Well, this is it."

Xiān Chí could only agree as Jīn Sù reached up and pulled the veil carefully over her face, obscuring the clearness of her eyes with the transparent red, fitting a bride. She looked stunning, but under all that red Xiān Chí knew she wasn't all that happy.

"Do I look good? No stray hairs or smudged make-up?"

She always looked stunning, but Xiān Chí didn't yet know how she was going to survive watching Jīn Sù walk into the Imperial Palace dressed like that.

"You look perfect, no need to worry about that."

They waited in uncomfortable silence as the carriage devoured bù after bù, till at long last the carriage was standing still. The horses could be heard stamping their hooves in agitation at standing still. The crunch of the gravel falling still, before sounding again as the guard dismounted from their horses.

"Hear, hear. We have arrived in company of Jīn Sù, daughter of Jīn Cái the Benevolent, daughter of Jīn Yuè the Ruler of the East. Who arrived on this day to marry the Crown Prince of the Heaven's, son of Xīwángmǔ the Queen Mother of the West."

The curtains were pulled back and Xiān Chí jumped out of the carriage to help Jīn Sù descend gracefully down the steps. Flowing red robes behind and a daring gold head piece woven in her nightblack hair.

When her feet touched the ground of the Imperial Palace for the first time, the gong sounded and could be heard echoing through the mountains.

Jīn Sù raised her head lifting up her head and, against ceremony, removed the veil to gaze upon the nobles.

The new Empress had arrived.