Kunlun Mountain Part 2 - The Masters Disciple.

Chapter 14 - Part 1. Jianyu

Prince Huang Jianyu of The East Seas arrived early for his day with Bai Qian, who having met so many at The Festival of Peaches, did not remember him and she was nervous.  Though she trusted her fathers judgement, she had many times over the past week wondered why he was even bothering with courtship, when she herself would be given the opportunity to choose her husband anyway.  The young man who was waiting for her in the main den with her parents was not someone she really cared to know, not when she already had one she loved deeply and another who she liked enough to give a chance to grow her love.

But she knew she had no choice but to go through the day with him, she only hoped he would take her somewhere memorable, so she would at least have a good memory to remember him by when she rejected him which she had every intention of doing.

Now walking into the Den with her father who had come to collect her, she was not prepared for Jianyus exceptionally good looks.  He was handsome and very tall, taller than her father who in her eyes was a giant.  She had a vague recollection of meeting him, he had been one of the men who had been talking to Die Feng when she arrived at the Festival of Peaches, and she remembered him only because of his height.  His long black hair had been gathered loosely up at the sides, and the rest was left to fall softly about his shoulders which only enhanced his height, but his style also gave him the appearance of being much younger though she knew he was a few years older than she was.  

Giving her an appreciative glance, they greeted each other warmly, in fact his eyes were taking in every inch of her, but not uncomfortably so,  it just enough to make her feel very beautiful that she couldn't help but revel in his soft stare.  Turning once to bow to her parents,  Bai Zhi and The Empress bid them a good day, with strict instructions to have her back in time for dinner with her family. 

And with that, they left immediately.  Initially conversation was awkward and stilted, but after a few rough starts, Bai Qian and Jianyu found their momentum in shared interests which was war strategy and Taoism debating, which saw them both trying to outdo each other as he led her back to The East Seas, a place she had never visited before, and a journey that took an hour of non stop cloud jumping, which she found she was enjoying despite herself, and both of them were laughing by the time they arrived at their destination.

He had brought her to a small clearing in one of the many forests that straddle the mountainous regions of the far East, and what immediately struck her was the intense colors of the surrounding foliage.  It was so unlike the forest of Kunlun which was almost typical of the Earth forests.  This one was definitely alive with all manner of life but she did not feel unsafe and nor did she think the day would be boring either.  

"I thought we could spend the day here." he said smiling down at her.  "This is a place I would disappear to with my friends when I was younger.  And though my family know I still come here when I want to be alone, one can easily lose themselves if they want to, they have never been able to find me when they do come looking." he laughed down at her.  His laugh was vibrant and resonant, something she was not prepared for, in fact it was infectious, she found herself laughing with him, having many places of her own on Kunlun that she also ran to when she wanted to be alone and that he wanted to share his private place with her, had her feeling very honored.

Taking her hand, he led her slowly onto a path of which there were many into the forest itself and with the sun lighting the way through the tree tops, the surrounding foliage was even more enchanting as the colors of the rare flowers and strange plants among the many shades of green lit up under the glare of the sun that seemed to only grow brighter the further in they went.  

The vividness and richness of life was captivating, she could not help but stop every few minutes to admire the beauty of each bloom that caught her eye. There were also numerous birds that flitted about the tree tops above her, and every so often, one would catch her eye, its plumage so rich and vibrant, she could not help but feel they were in some exotic land far removed from the world she knew.   In fact, the whole scene reminded her of a Mortal Realm Play that spoke of a fantastical place that a young Princess had found herself in after being stolen from her family by a mighty Dragon and held prisoner, one she would later fall in love with and spend the rest of her days with.