A simple tale

22. The feast

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while but ya know I've been busy cause of Christmas and New Year. So forgive me and I hope that you like the chapter.

Ai Jei POV
As we stepped into the royal banquet hall a crowd of faces turned towards us. A barrage of colours and smells assaulted my senses, my prediction is that there were nearly 300 people there. As we took our seats near the king I properly looked around to grasp the seating plan.

The political and military sides of the government were split - the ministers on the left side of the king and the leaders of the army on the right side of the king. They were then seated in terms of rank, first ranked ministers and the supreme generals were seated closest to the royal family. Whereas fifth ranked ministers and captains were seated towards the entrance -the ministers and army leaders also brought their wives and sometimes first sons and daughters with them as these banquets were a good place to match make with other powerful families. The royal family was also divided; the king, crown prince, empress and concubine Chen were seated on the dragon and Phoenix podium, 2 steps above the hall. The kings concubines sat behind him with their young children and the princesses. The older princes, however, were divided as to which side of the government they were more inclined to. For example the second prince was a scholar of the highest order and therefore sat on the side of the minster, whereas Xi was more militarily inclined and therefore sat next to the supreme generals whose power he matched.

As I looked around the room I felt a cold stare burning into my back. I whipped my head around to see Imperial Niece Siwang glaring hatefully at me. I looked her in the eyes and just smirked, I had decided prior that I wouldn't do anything unless provoked - so her fate lies in her hands. Her eyes flashed then whispered something into the ear of her aunt. With a nod of approval from her aunt she quickly departed the feast.

The night progressed and the food was quickly consumed. Soon the emperor asked everyone to return to their seats for the after dinner entertainment. A flood of dancers floated into room , filling the center of the hall. With a sharp beat of a drum the dance began.

The dancers in elaborate costumes of midnight blue began to twirl and spin to the beat that the musicians spun. At the heart of the dancers was a young woman who had donned a mask and pale yellow beaded costume. Her movement seemed like a harsher version of the other dancers. Even though I wasn't looking around I could tell that all the young men present were enraptured with the young woman. As the beat began to fade away the crowd broke into vivacious applause.

With a hand signal from the emperor the young dancer in pale yellow stepped away from the rest of the group, and towards the Phoenix and Dragon podium.

"Bestow upon the dancers and musicians 500 gold coins. However for the young woman in yellow I think that you should be given a wish for me to grant. However I request that you remove your mask first!" Boomed the emperor.

The young lady removed her mask to reveal non other than Siwang.