"The Heavenly Lights of our Great Empire of Wen, the Sacred Tien'Elhar," the herald announced, interrupting FeiWan's line of thought. This time even the music stopped, as everyone got to their feet.
Standing at the door was group of young women, all dressed in pearl-white gowns, their heads covered by shimmering white veils, the fabric so delicate and light that anyone could easily see the golden color of their hair. Their gowns, of a very simply cut, were all similar, falling all the way to their feet, dragging ever so slightly behind them, a silver cord surrounding their waists. Even though they had been designed to look modest and simple, the fabric they were made of was the most expensive fabric in the entire Empire, especially and exclusively crafted for tailoring their clothes. Silky and fresh to the touch, glistening naturally even when touched by the weakest of lights, it fell softly and smoothly over their lean bodies.
All dressed alike, the only thing that actually differentiated them from one another were the shiny, thin head circlets they wore around their heads, to keep their veils in place. The reason behind this evident difference was that they had all been gifts from their respective Chosen Ones. Almost like a mark of ownership, FeiWan thought, a sardonic grin twisting his lips. They might as well have put collars around their necks. But now. These were Tien'Elhar, after all. Sacred beings, sent by the Heavens to bless the land. And so their Chosen Ones offered them jewelry, instead of collars, that not only served to tell the entire world who owned them, but also openely flaunted their Chosen Ones' position and wealth.
Still, even though the shiny precious stones encircling their heads were all different in color and size, they could easily have been blood sisters, some of them even twins. They all had more or less the same height, except one of the girls who was obviously younger and still growing up. They all had the same eye color, down to the same tones and shades. They all had the same lean and delicate build. Even the shape of their faces was almost the same. And, of course, they all had the same elegant and yet distant posture, at least while being in public, FeiWan knew, his gaze inevitably falling on HenWan, his own Tien'Elhar.
With her chin held high, her golden eyes fixed somewhere in front of her, a fiery crimson circlet surrounding her head, she could almost have been a holy statue, placed there to be adored and revered. Nothing like the timid young woman he knew her to be, unable to look him in the eye even after all those years of being bound to him.
Led by CalWan's Tien'Elhar, Wen GinTin, the six young women solemnly stepped into the hall and, as they did so, everyone inside it fell to their knees, including his proud mother, at his side, and even LinDou, atop the dais. Everyone except the Chosen Ones, which were basically the Imperial children, NimWan and NimRen excluded. The only one amongst them who wasn't an El'Gin or El'Lin was their cousin, Ren JinWan, the only living child of the their deceased uncle. Nevertheless, unlike the El'Gin and El'Lin, he still bowed respectfully from the waist, a lot lower than it was expected of a Chosen One. And yet, somehow FeiWan couldn't find him any less dignified because of that, quite the contrary, he thought, watching him from the corner of the eye as he too bowed down just like he'd been taught, just the strictly necessary to conform with the imperial ettiquete.
The six girls halting at the center of the hall, GinTin stepped forward on her own, CalWan immediately covering the space between them to offer her his hand, as if he were afraid she might trip and fall.
Accepting his helping hand, GinTin looked up at him, a gentle smile on her lips, pure adoration dancing in her golden eyes.
"On this joyful and special day, we came here to offer our blessings, if our Chosen Ones will allow it," she stated, her voice soft and delicate, and FeiWan finally straightened his back, as did all the other Chosen Ones.
"Of course I'll allow it. It will be my honor," CalWan gently replied, still delicately holding her hand, and a warm blush immediately took over GinTin's cheeks.
FeiWan sighed. He hated all those customary rituals.
"I will also allow it," Ren JinWan declared, since he was the oldest of the Chosen Ones present, that evening.
"I will also allow it," FeiWan declared next.
"Yeah, yeah! I'll allow it," GinWan sighed, sounding more than bored, which was never a good thing.
"Do we have to allow it?" LinWan asked, with an annoyed frown, and FeiWan had to do his best to restrain his smile. Even though those two were as dangerous and unpredictable as any feral wild animal could be, he could always count on them to ruin solemn moments like that.
"You better allow it, or the old man will punish us again," GinWan sighed again, rolling his eyes.
LinWan sighed, crossing her arms over her chest, looking more than unwilling comply.
"You do want to be able to freely walk around the Palace grounds, right?" GinWan added and LinWan finally released a deep sigh of resignation.
"Fine. I'll allow it! We should fucking kill that old man!" she added and, of course, everyone present knew exactly who the 'old man', that they were now openly cursing, was. Still, everyone pretended they hadn't a clue. In fact, they all pretended that they hadn't heard anything at all.
"Oh, of course I will allow it!" TenWan immediately stated, looking as if he had been eagerly waiting his turn, his excited gaze locked on the youngest Tien'Elhar, a young girl of only ten years of age. "ZwaWen! Please bless my brother for me!" he added, and the girl nodded shiyly, lowering her gaze, her young cheeks reddening from embarrassment.
Since every Chosen One had given their consent, GinTin gently released CalWan's hand and stepped back to join her sisters. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, and the other girls immediately followed her lead, six golden arrays surrounding their feet. Parting her delicate lips, GinTin started to sing, her crystal-like voice making FeiWan's hair stand on edge, giving him goose-pumps at how beautiful and yet unworldly her voice sounded. And then the entire Pavilion was filled with that warm, golden light, and he knew that not only the Golden Forest Pavilion, but the entire Palace grounds were being touch by the Tien'Elhar's combined blessing. At that moment, everywhere in the Palace grounds, from servants, to officers of the court, to nobles, people were on their knees, most of them prostrating themselves in gratitude, as all their illnesses were healed, their pains taken away, a sense of tranquility and harmony seeping into their hearts.
And then, somehow, FeiWan's gaze found its way to CalRimRan. He too was on his knees, his forehead glued to the ground. And yet, strangely enough, the golden light that had enveloped everything in sight didn't seem to touch him.
Frowning in bewilderment, FeiWan took a closer look at him and, true enough, he was the only one, the pillow where he knelt the only place, that the golden light didn't touch. CalRimRan's clothes, even his hair, remained as pure white as they had always been. No. Not as it had always been, FeiWan realized. They were even whiter. Almost as if … as if he too was glowing. A different kind of glow. A pure white glow, like the glow of snow under the sun. A glow that was easily and yet gently pushing back the Tien'Elhar's golden light.
Why?, FeiWan couldn't help wondering, his frown digging deeper into his forehead. Was he doing that on purpose? But why would he? If anyone was in need of some urgent healing that person was him! Who knows? Maybe the Tien'Elhar's golden arrays could mend whatever was wrong with him, whatever was making him lose more energy than his body was able to produce and storage. Did that mean that FeiWan wouldn't be able to heal him even if he were to ask HenWan to help him? Now that was a scary thought, FeiWan thought, at the same time amazed at how CalRimRan was still able to look so elegant and distinct, even while kneeling on his hands and knees. Because up till then FeiWan had always been counting with that insurence. In the worst case scenario, if somehow he became unable to share his energy with him, or CalRimRan unable to receive it, he would ask HenWan to help him. But if what he was witnessing right now wasn't a result of CalRimRan's conscious choice, if it was simply some kind of natural occurrence due to the fact that his people were fundamentally different from the people of Wen, then … what was he supposed to do if something went wrong with their energy exchanges?
As Wen GinTin's song ended, she timidly bid CalWan farewell and, together with the other Tien'Elhar, left the reception hall, a couple of Jundai waiting just outside, ready to accompany them to the Imperial Temple.
Bowing respectfully as they left, FeiWan only straightened his back again when all the Tien'Elhar were completely out of his sight. Stepping out of his place, he filially helped his mother to her feet, even though KimLay was more than capable of standing up all on her own. His gaze, however, remained fixed on CalRimRan, watching him as, like everyone else in the room, he too stood up.
Now that the golden light had disappeared, he too had stopped glowing. Was CalRimRan unable to receive the Tien'Elhar's blessing because he wasn't one of Wen's citizens?, FeiWan thought, unable to stop himself from following his every move, as he straightened his clothes and sat down again, his back very straight, his long hair as impeccable as if someone had just combed it. In a way it made sense, FeiWan had to admit. After all, the Tien'Elhar had been sent to bless the Empire of Wen. And everyone knew that the Heavenly Mountains, where the Demon Clan lived, were neutral ground, not belonging to any of the three Empires. He had to have someone investigate that, he immediately decided. Have them find out if there was any records of people from the other Empires being able to receive a Tien'Elhar's blessing.
As he watched him, however, something else captured his attention, bringing a new frown of annoyance to his forehead. Sitting at his side, NimRen stole a few timid glances CalRimRan's way, and ended up raising her glass, proposing some kind of toast that FeiWan, sitting where he sat, couldn't hear. And then the music was back, warm conversations filling the solemn silence that had remained after the Tien'Elhar had returned to the Temple. And, in less than a few seconds, all that holy, awe-inspiring atmosphere that had ruled over the entire place during GinTin's song, all that tranquil, harmonious feeling, all that was just simply gone.
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Author's Note: Ah, CalRimRan is definitely full of mysteries!😊
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