Su Wang remained glued to Qin Yifan's side throughout the entire event. She had tried to get away from him but he always pulled her back to him, she eventually gave up as his mood started to turn ugly an she did not want to risk getting him angry.
Minister Zhen had a toothy grin while shaking the hands of his fellow ministers and other nobles who congratulated him while her aunt held a prideful face and boasted in front of other ladies from noble households that escorted their daughters, complimenting Su Wang.
Su Wang's heart grew heavy upon hearing the loud compliments coming from her aunt. This was the first time in her entire life that she heard positive words about her erupt from her aunt's mouth, she knew it was because of her new profound status if the prince had not chosen her Su Wang knew that he was going to be beaten to death.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" the eunuch's voice boomed throughout the ballroom, "It is time for the royal couple to perform the royal ancestral flames upon fire dance!"
Qin Yifan immediately stood up as the path was cleared to reveal a golden sphere in the middle of the room with delicate ancient carvings possessed a beautiful red glow. He looked down at Su Wang who remained rooted to her seat afraid to stand up.
Legend said the 'sacred golden sphere' would burn ones body to ashes if they were not fit to rule so naturally Su Wang was afraid and wanted to run away but she knew the prince would not allow her. She stood up with trembling legs as she looked up at the prince, gulping and then returning her gaze to the floor.
Qin Yifan frowned, delicately holding her hand and leading her to the sphere. As they walked, the entire room bowed in respect.
Unlike Su Wang, Qin Yifan knew the traditional royal dance as it had been taught to him from a young age. She staggered and constantly tripped but fortunately Qin Yifan always caught her in time before she could fall and make a fool of herself.
The audience watched in amazement as their bodies moved in synch as one with brilliant blue and red flames sparking around them. Su Wang had her eyes closed as she allowed Qin Yifan to guide her body, soon she relaxed onto him loving the feeling his touch brought. Qin Yifan threw Su Wang into the air who got consumed by the flames, her body disappearing into thin air.
The entire ballroom gasped in amazement as they saw Su Wang vanish in the flames meanwhile Qin Yifan continued dancing as if she was there, moving fluidly with his eyes closed.
Su Wang gasped as her body got sucked in an endless abyss, she instantly opened scanning the darkness that surrounded her. Fear and dread filled her as she moved around in panic.
'Where I'm I' she asked herself wishing she was next to the shameless Prince instead of this dark, empty cold place. Suddenly a blinding yellow light penetrated her vision and she had look away from the piercing light.
Before her, a old man appeared with a walking stick in hand his hair cascaded from the center of his head where his baldness ended and flowed to the floor like a white robe which contrasted his red garnets. His face was wrinkled due to his old age after all being three hundred and seventy three years old took a toll on his body as well as the prolonged life of the current king.
"Where I'm I?" Su Wang asked as soon as the blinding light dispatched.
"You're in the medium realm Su Wang," he said steadily.
'Medium realm!' Su Wang thought incredulously as she did not know what it was.
"It is the space between the spirit world and the worlds, you ended here after being consumed by the eternal flame combusted by you and the prince." he answered lazily as if he had said this phrase countless times.
"How?" she asked as she barely knew the dance
"You trusted him to lead you," he started "As a man and your king, during the dance, you gave yourself to him by letting him guide you."
"Who are you?" she asked a moment after analysing his words deciding not to pry as she did not understand his words.
"I am master Lee Xua Hong, Sage of the Kingdom of Fire. I am here to be your guide until you become queen, from there a successor will take over my task until the end of your reign and the nine generations that will come after you."
"What do you--" she started to asked but her body was sucked back into the ballroom falling into Qin Yifan's arms who lifted him arms on que as if he knew she was going to fall back into existence.
Everyone watched in bewilderment as Qin Yifan placed Su Wang softly on the golden surface. People had scurried away from the sacred sphere as it stared heating up. Su Wang stood on the sphere unharmed and a loud applause filled the room.
•
It was about midnight when the people started to leave the palace. Many left disappointed as their daughters did not get chosen while others were happy that Su Wang was chosen instead of the other overly ambitious maidens.
"Wang'er," Lu Man said walking over to Su Wang who once again was glued to the prince's side. Lu Man masked her jealousy and envy with a huge grin, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Lu Man," she answered wondering why Lu Man called her 'Wang'er', the name did not exist before.
"Congratulations!" she beamed after curtsying to the prince.
"Thank you," Su Wang replied truthfully, "I'll see you off, we can talk on the way to your carriage."
Su Wang looked up at Qin Yifan who tightened his hand around her waist restricting her movements. Not giving up she continued to look at him, frustrated Qin Yifan scooped her in his arms and left Lu Man there, her jaw dropping to the floor.
Lu Man angrily walked out of the ballroom, throwing a tantrum upon seeing her parents. She started weeping pitifully as soon as she was cushioned on the seat of her father's carriage while her mother consoled her.
"Put me down." Su Wang gritted through her teeth angrily but Qin Yifan continued walking. Her body channelled her anger to altering her temperature, soon her skin became too hot to touch but the stubborn prince held her tightly emitting a cold aura of his own making his surroundings turn frosty.
When they reached his private Chambers, Su Wang's temperature had fallen she was almost shivering in his arms. Once she was placed on the bed she grew nervous, why had he brought her here.
Different thoughts rummaged through her mind as he apparently her. He held her by her waist lifted her up with one hand, the other doing something behind Su Wang's back.
Both anxiously and curiously, Su Wang waited for the prince to finish what he was doing. According to their traditions, their s.ouls were bound together through the dance so even if Qin Yifan wanted to get intimate with her...it was completely legal.
He gently placed her on the bed and then let his body loom over her. Grabbing the quilt, he pulled it over her body and quickly left the room.