The dinner itself turned out to be a quiet affair. After introductions were made, Matriarch Carlisa led her guests to the high table. Unlike with the low tables, the high table remained bare of food and drink until everyone took a seat. When they did, Matriarch Carlisa clapped her hands together once. That must have been some kind of signal, because servants poured out from hidden entrances, each carrying food and drink for the guests at the high table.
Even from a glance, Darian could tell that there was something special about the food. Compared to the food served at the low tables, it looked and smelled more delicious. More than that, it contained a bit of spirit energy. It reminded him a lot of Ellen's cooking. Had it been cooked by an immortal chef? That would make sense. Matriarch Carlisa was hosting the leaders of two of the major powers within the Myriad Rivers region. Why not show off a little?
Darian took a bite of the dish in front of him, taking a moment to savor it. It was…okay. Honestly, Ellen's cooking was better, but this wasn't bad. Hell, if he hadn't been spoiled by his lover's skills in the kitchen, he would have been ecstatic. Almost everyone else at the high table exclaimed wonder and surprise at the meal. Almost. Darian's father, Lucius, and Vera were the only exceptions. They too had been spoiled by Ellen's cooking.
Ellen herself, along with the other retainers, stood along the wall behind the high table. Darian wished he could share the meal with her. While it didn't measure up to her cooking, it was quite good, and good food was meant to be eaten in good company.
Clan River Heart also served immortal wine, but Darian refrained from having any. He preferred to keep a clear head tonight. The last thing he needed to do was get drunk and make a fool of himself.
It would have been a good opportunity to talk with Willow, his future bride, and get to know her, but unfortunately they had been placed on opposite ends of the high table. At one end was Clan Wind Dance, at the other was Clan Stone Pillar, with Clan River Heart in the middle. Darian tried to catch a glimpse of Willow Stone Pillar several times, but there were too many people between them. For some reason, she had been seated next to Avaline Snow Heart.
At least, he sat next to Lucius and Vera, so he didn't lack for company.
Astra sat at the far end of the table, lounging like some kind of decadent queen. Darian suspected she was floating in the air, since the chairs at the high table weren't meant for lounging. Somehow she managed to convince one of the servants to feed her by hand. Darian admired the man's nerves. Astra's teeth were quite sharp, even in her human form. He wouldn't have tried feeding Astra by hand. The servant did all this while wearing a calm and composed expression on his face.
Darian compared Astra's posture and demeanor to the way his grandparents, Matriarch Carlisa, and Matriarch Ava held themselves. They comported themselves with dignity and gravitas, looking like the powerful cultivators that they were. Meanwhile, Astra acted like she didn't care what anyone thought of her behavior, even though she was the most powerful person in the room.
Maybe that was the true meaning of power, being able to act as one wanted without a care for what others thought.
After the dinner, Matriarch Carlisa stood up and clapped her hands again. This time Darian sensed a stirring of spirit energy, and the sound rang out across the entire main hall.
"Honored guests of Clan River Heart," she said, her voice filled the entire hall. "Now that we have eaten, it is time for dancing. Take a moment to walk around the grounds while we prepare the main hall."
The guests all cheered at this and stood up from their seats, including the guests at the high table. Darian went to follow Willow Stone Pillar, who headed towards the main hall's entrance.
However, just after he stepped down from the dais, Avaline Snow Heart intercepted him.
"Cultivator Darian," she said, giving him a brilliant smile. It was the kind of smile that would make most men weak in their knees.
Darian just felt irritated that she got in his way. Still, she was an honored guest of Clan River Heart. He couldn't just brush her off without saying something, much as he wanted to.
"Cultivator Avaline," he said, giving her a nod. "If you'll excu-…"
"We didn't have much time to converse earlier, and I had hoped to rectify that," she continued, acting as if he hadn't said anything. "Join me for a walk in the gardens. I heard the western gardens in particular are beautiful at night, underneath the light of the full moon."
Darian shook his head. That was the last thing he needed to do. Even someone as dense as him knew that taking a stroll in a romantic setting like that with someone as beautiful as Avaline was a bad idea. One of the reasons why he was here in Crescent Moon City was to negotiate with Clan Stone Pillar about his marriage to Willow Stone Pillar. Having a tryst with someone like Avaline would cause him nothing but headaches.
Besides, there was something about Avaline that set him on edge. Not only that, but Astra told him to avoid the woman as much as possible. All in all, he had several reasons not to go with her.
"I'm afraid that isn't a good idea, Cultivator Avaline," he said, giving her an apologetic smile.
He sidestepped her to continue going after Willow, but Avaline stepped into his path again. She wasn't wearing a smile anymore, and gave him a cold look.
"Are you so eager to be rid of me?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. "I simply wish for us to talk."
Darian didn't know why she was being so persistent, and he didn't care. Something snapped inside of him, and he realized it was his patience.
"Yes, I am," he told her bluntly. "Now get out of my way."
Without waiting for a response, he brushed past her. Willow had left the main hall while he talked with Avaline. Darian hurried outside. He caught sight of her heading west, and followed after.
***
Avaline stared after the retreating form of Darian Wind Dance, her hands trembling. Not out of embarrassment or pain or fear. They trembled out of anger.
How dare he treat her like that? After she graced him with her presence, he had the audacity to brush her aside like…like…like some nuisance. The mere thought of it galled Avaline. She was the daughter of Immortal Frost Moon, and personal disciple of the leader of the Frost Moon Sect. How dare some upstart from some no name clan in this backwater region treat her with such disrespect?
The only reason why Avaline bothered with him in the first place was because she was bored and he stood out from the other guests. The dinner turned out to be far more disappointing than she expected. That musclebound beast of a woman, Willow Stone Pillar, proved to be poor company, despite Avaline's attempts to converse with her. She figured that having a chat with Darian outside would make for an entertaining diversion, and alleviate some of the boredom.
However, Darian refused her generous offer. Instead, he had acted like he couldn't get away from her fast enough.
That would not stand. Oh no. She would make him pay for that. By the time she was done with him, he would be crawling on his hands and knees, begging her for forgiveness. Maybe she would, after she made him lick her feet.
Yes. That would do nicely.
Of course, that would require her to use her Beguiling Charm ability. Avaline had promised herself that she wouldn't, but surely using it just this once wouldn't hurt. Right?
Just as she started to follow Darian, the pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator's aura pressed down upon her. It was so heavy that she couldn't move, and she even had difficulty breathing. There were a few people remaining atop the dais, but none of them acted like anything was wrong. From that, Avaline surmised that she was the only one who could feel the aura of the Nascent Soul cultivator.
A trickle of fear ran down her spine. She hadn't realized that there was anyone at that level of power within the Myriad Rivers region. The most powerful person she met was Patriarch Darin, who was at the Golden Core stage. Even then, he was only a little ahead of Matriarch Carlisa.
The aura Avaline felt now was even more powerful than Sect Leader Trystan, he was the most powerful person she knew aside from her mother.
'It's best if you let that one be, girly,' a voice said in her head. 'Otherwise you and I are going to have issues.'
The pressure eased a bit, to the point where Avaline could move and breathe with ease. She looked around for the source of the aura, until her eyes fell on the cat spirit beast that had accompanied Clan Wind Dance. The cat woman remained at the high table, lounging in her chair and eating some grapes she had acquired somehow. However, the cat woman's white hot eyes were trained on Avaline. They pierced through her, as if seeing her soul. They made Avaline feel naked and vulnerable.
When Avaline had first seen the cat woman, she hadn't given her much thought, not even bothering to remember her name. Tamed spirit beasts, even ones that could take on human form, were a common sight on Mt. Frost Moon. Cordelia, her handmaiden, was one such creature. While spirit beasts were powerful and lived longer lives than humans, their cultivation speed was much slower. Avaline had never seen one above the Element Collection stage.
To meet one at the Nascent Soul stage scared Avaline more than she cared to admit.
'You dare threaten me, cat?' Avaline said to the cat spirit beast telepathically. 'I am Avaline Snow Heart of the Frost Moon Sect, daughter of Immortal Frost Moon. If you value your life, you would do well to tread carefully around me.'
Her words were a front. If the cat spirit beast wanted to kill her, there was little Avaline, or anyone else nearby, could do to stop her. The only weapons Avaline had available to her were her connections and her mother's name. That would have to be enough.
'Oh, I know who you are,' the cat spirit beast said while eating another grape. 'I'm well acquainted with the Ice Witch. You look just like her.'
Despite the tense situation, those words both shocked and pleased Avaline.
'I'm not afraid of your mother,' the cat spirit beast continued. 'So don't think you can threaten me with her name. I'm in a good mood, however, so I'll give you this one warning. Stay away from Darian. Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite.'
An increase in pressure accompanied her words, before the pressure disappeared altogether. The sudden disappearance caught Avaline off guard, and she stumbled forward.
"Avaline, my dear," Matriarch Carlisa said, appearing at Avaline's side. "What's wrong? Are you all right?
Avaline nodded.
"I'm fine," she said. "I just need to sit down for a bit."
Matriarch Carlisa gave her an understanding look.
"Here, come with me. We have some rooms set aside for guests who want to rest in privacy. You can use one of those."
Avaline let the River Heart Matriarch lead her away. The entire time, she felt the cat spirit beast's eyes staring at her.
Yet, this did nothing to diminish Avaline's interest in Darian. If anything, the threat piqued her interest further. Who exactly was Darian? And why did he have a Nascent Soul cultivator looking after him? One that knew her mother, and wasn't afraid. No matter what the answer, it was bound to be interesting.
***
The past couple of months had been busy ones for Willow. While she spent most of her time focusing on her cultivation and forming her dantian, she had also helped her grandmother prepare for the journey to Crescent Moon City. Organizing several dozen cultivators for an important trip like this was never an easy task, even for someone as capable of Ava Stone Pillar. Willow and her Great Uncle Caleb had done their best to ease the burden.
At least Willow had been able to form her dantian before they arrived at Crescent Moon City. While she hadn't been able to do so before the four day journey to the city, she had done so during the journey itself. That had been an intense moment. Power had flooded her body as her dantian formed and she broke through to the Energy Gathering stage. She had crossed the threshold that marked her as a real cultivator.
There was a significant difference in power between the Foundation Establishment stage and the Energy Gathering stage. Cultivators in the latter were physically stronger, had more spirit energy, and their spirit energy was of a higher quality as well. This meant they could use higher level techniques, and their current techniques grew more powerful.
Best of all, Willow had formed a violet dantian. Her kin had been overjoyed when she told them, and they threw an impromptu celebration. They had limited means, because they were in the middle of traveling, but that did nothing to diminish their cheer.
Willow spent the rest of the trip, and their days in Crescent Moon City, stabilizing her realm.
Of course, as soon as she did that, the invitation for Clan River Heart's dinner had arrived. From what she heard, Clan Wind Dance had arrived in Crescent Moon City that same day and Clan River Heart wanted "to improve relations and foster the spirit of camaraderie" between the three clans.
At first Willow objected to going, since she didn't see the point. Everything important would be decided during the negotiations themselves. What was the point of socializing and making nice? It wasn't going to make a difference.
Her grandmother pointed out to her that it would make a difference, since personal connections often mattered at these sorts of things. It was also a good idea to get to know one's future friends and allies, since they would fight and die by each other's side. Plus, it would give Willow a chance to meet her future husband and get to know him.
That last part filled Willow with nervousness and dread. What if it was as she feared, and Darian was a cripple who couldn't cultivate? When she first heard that he was to be her husband, she accepted the news with relative composure. However, over the past few months, her fears had gnawed at her resolve.
A part of Willow feared that Darian would find her repulsive. She knew she wasn't beautiful, quite the opposite in fact, and she feared she would be married to a man who would resent her for it.
Even so, Willow steeled herself and prepared to go to this dinner. For the sake of her clan, any personal sacrifice was worth it.
Willow's first glimpse of Darian Wind Dance, her future husband, caught her off guard. In fact, when she first saw him, she didn't know who he was. She thought he was some foreign guest of Clan Wind Dance that they had decided to bring along. He looked almost nothing like his kin.
Members of Clan Wind Dance tended towards pale skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. They were also often tall and slender. Willow expected the same from Darian. Instead, he was a dark skinned youth with dark hair. He was also shorter and bulkier. Even beneath the robes she wore, Willow could tell he had a well muscled body. The only feature he shared with his kin were his eyes. Like the rest of Clan Wind Dance, he had sky blue eyes.
He was handsome, though he had an air of innocence about him, as if he hadn't quite transitioned from boy to man. Not yet at least.
His looks, combined with the fetching red robes he wore, gave him a dashing and exotic air.
It wasn't until Patriarch Darin introduced him that she realized who he was.
To Willow's relief, she saw that Darian was a cultivator, laying to rest one of her greatest fears. She wouldn't have to give up on having children after all. She felt such joy in her heart at this, that it almost hurt.
Willow found the dinner itself an ordeal. Willow had no complaints about the food. In fact, it was the best she had ever eaten in her entire life. She overheard Matriarch Carlisa say that Clan River Heart had hired an immortal chef just for the occasion. The expense had been well worth it in Willow's opinion.
No, the food hadn't been the problem. The reason why she found the dinner an ordeal was the company. For some reason, she had been seated next to Avaline Snow Heart, an honored guest of Clan River Heart.
Willow disliked Avaline, purely based on the other woman's looks. She was honest enough with herself to admit that much. Petty, but true. Avaline Snow Heart was the most beautiful woman Willow had ever seen in her entire life. Even if she had no interest in women, Willow could appreciate beauty for beauty's sake.
Avaline was everything Willow was not, which made the Stone Pillar Young Mistress aware of her own shortcomings.
It didn't help that when the two were introduced to each other, Willow saw the condescension and pity in Avaline's eyes. The woman even smirked, as if reveling in her superior looks.
Things grew worse when everyone sat down to eat. Either someone had seated the two of them together on purpose, so everyone could compare and contrast the difference between the two of them, or fate was being particularly cruel to her.
To Avaline's credit, she did attempt to engage Willow in polite conversation. However, Willow was not in the mood to talk. She only replied with terse answers, and made no other attempt to engage back. Avaline gave up midway through the meal.
By the time Matriarch Carlisa announced that the dancing would begin after a short break, Willow could not get out of the main hall fast enough. Others had the same idea, and there were several others enjoying the cool night air. A few tried to engage Willow in conversation, but she ignored all of them.
Instead, Willow headed west, away from everyone else. At the moment she wanted some peace and quiet, so she could collect herself and regain her composure. She kept going until she reached a beautiful garden with a large wooden pavilion in the center. Flower beds and stone pathways were arranged in geometric patterns that were pleasing to the eye. There were no lanterns to light. Instead, the full moon provided more than enough illumination. There was no one else around, which suited Willow just fine.
The beauty and quiet soothed her soul.
Willow headed towards the pavilion. It had a short railing, allowing anyone inside to gaze out towards the garden. Pillars held up the roof. It was surrounded by a small pond with fish and lily pads. A wooden bridge with decorative railing crossed the pond. Willow crossed the bridge and entered the pavilion. The interior was as large as her sitting room back at Fort Stone Pillar. Benches lined the inner edge of the pavilion. Willow sat down, closed her eyes, and let out a long breath.
With some luck, the rest of the night wouldn't be as tiring. She hoped that she would have the chance to talk with Darian and get to know him more. That was the main reason why she had attended this dinner in the first place. While their marriage was all but set in stone, on her clan's end at least, she wanted to know more about the man she would spend the rest of her life with.
Willow both dreaded the idea, and looked forward to it. If fate was kind, Darian was the kind of man she could tolerate, if nothing else. Love was a distant possibility, and she had no illusions that she and Darian would fall in love with each other. Friendship was the best she could hope for.
Ancestors, when had her standards become so low? Or had they always been that way? She didn't remember.
As for dancing, that was out of the question. While Willow was a skilled dancer, despite her build, she didn't feel the need to embarrass herself in front of everyone like that. The last time she danced in public hadn't ended well for her. She had been a child at the time, but she had already towered over her peers by that point. The whispers and laughter had left their mark on her.
Willow's musings were interrupted when she heard footsteps and felt a familiar aura approach. He was the last person Willow wanted to deal with right now, when her emotions were in such turmoil over Avaline's presence. She didn't bother opening her eyes. Maybe if she ignored him, he would leave her alone.
"Care for some company?" Darian asked her.
He had a rich voice, though like his face, it contained traces of the boy he had been.
"If I said no, would you leave?" Willow asked.
"Yes." The reply surprised her, and she opened her eyes to look at him. Darian stood at the entrance to the pavilion, just before the threshold. "What I want to discuss with you is important, but not urgent. It would be best if we talked before the negotiations between our two clans begin, however."
While a part of Willow wanted to tell him to go away, a larger part of her was now curious. Why did he seek her out? Was it for the same reason she came to this dinner? To get to know her? If that was the case, she might as well get it over with now and save herself some time.
"You might as well come in," Willow said. "Since you're already here."
Darian nodded at that and entered the pavilion. He sat across from her and looked at her with an intense look in his eyes.
"Well?" Willow asked after several moments of silence. "What did you wish to discuss, Cultivator Darian?"
"Since we will be married in the near future, I think we can dispense with the formalities, at least when we're alone," he said with a smile. "Just Darian is fine."
Under normal circumstances, Willow would never be so informal with someone during their first meeting, but Darian had a point. It was better to get comfortable with each other now.
"In that case, you can call me Willow," she said.
"Willow," Darian said in a soft voice, as if savoring the words. "A beautiful name for a beautiful woman."
Willow snorted at the obvious attempt at flattery. Still, she let it go. The fact that he made the attempt pleased her, just a little.
"It was my father's idea," she said. "He thought I would turn out like my mother, dainty and slender." She gave Darian a self deprecating smile. "As you can see, things didn't turn out as planned."
Darian shrugged at this.
"This look suits you better, if I'm being honest. A bold opinion, since we just met and barely know each other, but that's how I feel. You're beautiful just the way you are."
Willow resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Darian's continued attempts to flatter her. A little bit was fine, but there was a limit.
"So, what did you wish to discuss, Darian?" she asked in an attempt to change the topic. "I assume it wasn't to flirt with me in the middle of a beautiful garden, under the light of the full moon." She looked around. "Though, this is the place for that sort of thing."
Darian gave her a small smile.
"It is, but you're right. The reason I sought you out was because I wanted to discuss our upcoming marriage. I want to talk about what we both expect out of it, what we both want."
Willow arched an eyebrow at him.
"Shouldn't you wait until the negotiations begin, if that's the case? Everything important will be discussed then."
"No, not everything important," Darian said with a shake of his head. "What happens then will be between our clans. What I want to discuss is between us alone. Our kin aren't the ones getting married, we are. Isn't it best to set expectations now, so we don't run into unpleasant surprises later on?"
Willow considered his words. He had a point. Their clans would discuss the details of the alliance and the trade agreement. If she understood Darian, what he wanted to discuss was the more personal nature of their marriage.
"I also have something of a confession," Darian continued, speaking with some hesitation. "One of those unpleasant surprises I mentioned earlier."
Willow snorted at that, but felt a bit disappointed. Of course things wouldn't be so simple.
"What?" she said, her voice containing a hint of sarcasm. "You already have a lover?"
"Yes."
His answer caught Willow off guard. She stared at him. When she said that, she hadn't actually thought he would already have someone. She just threw it out there because it was the first thing that came to mind.
A complicated emotion arose in Willow's heart. She wasn't sure what to call it. Hurt? Humiliation? Anger? A mix of all three? Whatever it was, it was dark and ugly.
While she knew that Darian would end up having more than one wife since she was the one joining his household, or at least prepared herself for the possibility, she hadn't expected he would find someone before they were even married.
It was…Ancestors, Willow didn't even have the words to express how she felt. Instead, she decided to express herself through action.
Willow stood up and marched over to Darian. He stood up as well and watched her approach with a calm expression on his face. It was a facade. She could see the nervousness in his eyes.
Willow stopped right in front of him. This close together, it was easy to see the difference in height between them. Darian came up to her chest. He had to crane his neck to look up at her. She grabbed him by his robes and slammed him against one of the pavilion's pillars. He did nothing to fight back and let it happen. Not that he could fight back, given the difference in their realms.
The wood groaned and Willow heard something crack. She paid no mind to it. Instead, she kept her eyes on Darian. He gazed back at her, maintaining that calm facade of his despite the pain.
"I have endured a lot of humiliation over the years," Willow said, her voice low and full of menace. "But this? This has to be the worst insult I've suffered in my entire life. We're not even married, and you're already unfaithful."
"I thought it was better to get this out in the open now, rather than have you find out later," Darian said. "I could have kept it a secret, but that would have felt too much like lying. You're going to be my wife. The least you deserve is honesty."
When he said that, Willow pulled him away from the pillar and slammed him into it again. The wood cracked some more, causing splinters to fly out. This time, it was Darian who groaned. A savage part of Willow felt satisfied that she caused him pain, even if it was just physical.
Ancestors, she wanted to kill him. If her clan didn't need his, she might have actually done so. It wouldn't even be that difficult. The difference in strength between them was like the difference between the heavens and the earth. She could crush his head with a single blow, reducing it to bloody pulp.
Before she lost control of herself, Willow tossed Darian aside and marched towards the pavilion's exit. Otherwise, she might actually kill him. Before she reached it, however, she felt a surge of spirit energy.
"Wings of Wind."
A breeze rushed past her, and Darian stood in her way, blocking the entrance. What was this death-seeking fool doing now?
"Move," Willow said, her voice hard. "Or be moved."
As she spoke, Willow hit him with her intent. To her surprise, Darian didn't fall, despite the difference in their realms. While he staggered a bit, he remained upright. He either had a strong will, had trained to resist intent, or both. A part of Willow was impressed by this, much as she hated to admit it.
"No," Darian said, a determined look on his face. "Not until we've settled things between us. Otherwise, it's going to fester, like an infected wound." His eyes hardened. "Hurt me, beat me, break my bones. Do whatever you need to in order to vent your anger, but we are having this discussion."
Willow barked out a laugh that contained no traces of humor. Instead, it was full of bitterness and pain.
"What is there to discuss, Darian?" she asked. "We're supposed to be betrothed soon, but you have a lover. What exactly do you want from me? My permission? You clearly don't need that. My blessing? Don't make me laugh."
Willow hadn't expected that her first conversation with her future husband would end up being such a disaster. It made her want to cry and rage. She wouldn't cry, not in front of this bastard. So that just left rage.
"It's not fair," Willow said.
She slammed it against a nearby pillar. It was either that, or punch Darian in the face. She wasn't sure if she would be able to hold herself back if she did that. The wood cracked. The pavilion must have been made from a special kind of wood to stand up to this much abuse.
"I have to give up everything up for the sake of my clan. My home, my family, everything. And what do I get in return? I get someone like you." Willow let out another bitter laugh. "You know what the funniest part is? When I first heard we were supposed to get engaged to each other, my biggest fear was that I wouldn't have any children. You know why? It's because I refuse to bear children for a cripple who couldn't cultivate."
Willow saw her words hit their mark. She hadn't been sure they would. While she saw that Darian was indeed a cultivator, and a genius at that given how high his realm was compared to his age, what if there had been some truth in the rumors about him? It had been a shot in the dark, one that hit its mark.
Darian's eyes widened, and he took a step back. A pained expression crossed his face. It spoke of an old and deep hurt, that kind that left scars. Willow was familiar with this kind of pain.
She regretted her actions immediately. Darian had hurt her, yes, but he hadn't done so out of maliciousness. He was a bastard and an idiot, but not malicious. Willow had spoken out of anger and spite.
Anger twisted Darian's expression, and something dark filled his eyes. He gripped the edges of the entranceway, his knuckles turning white. He clenched his teeth and looked down, taking deep breaths as he did so.
Willow felt a shiver run down her spine, despite her higher cultivation realm. The darkness in Darian's eyes scared her. She had only seen it briefly, but she saw endless anger and malice in that darkness.
"This was a bad idea," Darian said in a rough voice, still looking down. "I was stupid for thinking that this would work."
With that he turned to leave.