Chereads / Legend Of Shanling: The forgotten past / Chapter 3 - Royal Wedding

Chapter 3 - Royal Wedding

The next day....

"Xiuying, Be safe. Our men will capture the Ying princess and her men from about two hours away from the river of tranquillity. You can change into her clothes, and continue the journey to Ling Kingdom from there. Remember, it is believed that when the balances start breaking, a scroll that Goro left which explains his prophecy should be found, so that the clans can know about what to expect. As far as we know, when Shanling was not divided into four kingdoms, all important scrolls, documents and books were stored in the soul fort. Which is situated inside the Ling palace complex as of today. Try to find it and it will guide you" Shen Yongzhi said as he hugged his daughter.

"General Zhan, I hope you and your men will help Xiuying in Ling as much as you can" he said.

"We will make sure that the princess is safe, we will protect her with our lives" Zhan replied.

Xiuying hugged her brothers and her mother.

"Lixian wanted to sent you off too. But he had to accompany his father to Heishan" Xiangyu said.

This made Xiuying think of what happened the other day. She has never felt that weak before. It felt like his kiss was drawing energy out of her but she still couldn't stop feeling good. It was like she fell into his trap. What on earth was happening? How did she lose her consciousness? Why did it have to be like that? If she saw Lixian today, she wanted to confront him about his move. She was now angry at herself and at him.

"The carriage is here" Ziyan said. This brought Xiuying back to reality. She got on the carriage with Chunli. General Zhan and his men accompanied her and moved forward.

The Shen King watched the chariot leave the palace. He was worried.

Two days later in Ling Kingdom...

As the wedding festivities began, the court officials and royal family took their places to witness the arrival of the new wife of the King.

"This is the beginning of the destruction of Ling", some officials said.

"It's time to change age-old beliefs", some others said.

The northern gate of the ceremony hall opened and Weilong walked in with Chenxi, Eunuch Hong and other generals, with his regal elegance and commanding presence. His tall and muscular frame is accentuated by a richly embroidered robe of deep blue silk which symbolizes his royal status and the power that the Ling Kingdom represents. His robe was adorned with intricate silver threads. His sharp nose, almond-shaped eyes with a striking deep brown shade, gleam with intelligence. He is the embodiment of strength, beauty and regal authority, which commands admiration from all that watched him walk towards the centre of the hall, waiting for his bride to enter.

"May the heavens protect us", the Dowager empress thought as she looked at her grandson, who she knew was about to take a dangerous path.

"Your royal highness, please trust his majesty. I'm sure he has a reason. He has not allowed any family or officials from Ying to attend the ceremony. Only the princess, her maid and a few other guards will enter the Ling kingdom.", said Qinyue.

Weilong looked at her. She smiled back.

"WELCOME THE BRIDE....", it was announced, and he suddenly fixed his gaze on the southern gate.

Grand music, played by the best musicians, reached the ears of the witnesses and the southern gates of the hall opened. The chariot carrying the bride entered. The bride stepped out of the chariot with the help of her handmaiden.

Princess Meili has a bad reputation. She was said to be cruel and selfish and always tortured the people of Heishan whenever she visited. Word spread throughout Shanling and, naturally, the audience and the groom himself, expected someone who looks evil as they imagined her to be. But to their surprise, she exuded a captivating blend of beauty and mystery. Her gown is a masterpiece of dark elegance, designed to reflect the sinister reputation of the Ying kingdom. The luxurious black silk flower gracefully around her slender figure, with shimmering silver threads representing twisted vines and thorny roses. Her adorned raven black hair, cascading in soft waves that framed her delicate face, totally opposing her evil nature. Her eyes, a captivating shade of emerald green, with long dark lashes. Her high cheekbones and arched brows. Her crimson, full lips added a hint of seduction to her appearance. Her gown swishes as she moves through the hall, with a calm and composed demeanour. She had this confident and strong look, yet there was something hidden in her deep eyes. The audience were mesmerized, and she had all the attention, including Weilong's.

She faced Weilong and their eyes met each other. For a moment he was lost in those deep mesmerizing eyes and appearance, but reality struck. He knows what she is. The daughter of the man responsible for his broken family. A cruel and spoiled princess, who has no qualities to be his wife. Yet he is about to marry her. The delicate and curious look of his face was now replaced with an expression suspecting her. He knew she would try to destroy his kingdom. He has to be careful.

On the other hand, she looked at him and understood at once the attitude he was about to have while dealing with her. She gave out a smirk.

Following the instructions that were given, both of them completed the wedding ceremony.

"Congratulations Your Highness."

The couple walked towards the esteemed dignitaries. They bowed to the dowager empress first.

"May the heavens shower its blessings upon your marriage" she said.

"Thank you, Royal Grandmother"

"Welcome to Ling your highness and I congratulate you on your wedding", said Minister Gu.

Later, the bride was taken to her chamber to wait for her groom.

"My lady, everything is fine so far. It's according to the plan" said Chunli.

"Chunli, be alert. We are not in Shen anymore. We should be careful about all our moves. Our cover should not be blown until I fulfil the mission" said Xiuying as she looked at herself in the mirror placed in her new chamber.

"So far I don't think anyone suspects. We are fortunate that the Ling king only allowed the princess's maid and 5 other guards to accompany her. It was easier to kidnap her and take her place. " Said Chunli as she noticed that Xiuying was lost in thoughts.

"My lady, may I ask what's on your mind?"

"Do you really think it's as simple as it seems to be? King Weilong only let a few members in with the Princess in the context of not annoying the Ling officials and people with the presence of Ying people that they don't want to associate with. But I don't think that's his real reason. He also sent a few men to spy on the journey. Fortunately, we saw this coming and our men blocked them. He himself despise having an alliance with the Ying. So, he would definitely keep an eye on us while we are here. We have to make sure that he doesn't suspect my identity, and that the Ying King doesn't find out that we have captured his daughter. Ask General Zhan, Taiji and the others to be extra careful," Xiuying said.

Meanwhile, Weilong, his officials and other guests attended the banquet.

"Chenxi, did you find out about the men who accompanied Ying Meili?", Weilong asked.

"Yes, your highness. But unfortunately, the men we sent to spy on them during their journey from Ying to Ling couldn't keep track of them. Their road was blocked by a mob of locals near the River of tranquillity. Since they were in disguise, the mob accused them of theft. So, they could only catch up with the Ying from west of Shen border. They didn't find anything suspicious. But they should've somehow got the mob out of the way and not delay their task," Chenxi said.

"They did the right thing by taking their time to deal with the mob peacefully. Considering the place at which they encountered the mob, they could be villagers from Shen, out hunting or traveling to Heishan town. Causing a fight against them would involve the Shen administration. Word would spread. So, it's better to resolve it calmly. Now, tell me Chenxi, who are the men she brought with her?" Weilong asked.

"Your highness, she has got a general named Zhan. He seems to be in his late thirties. Then there are four other guards Taiji, Bingji, Yitian and Lizhi. They seem to assist Zhan" Chenxi said.

"Chenxi, make sure that our 5 guests from Ying get used to Ling town, including the pleasure house. Ask Meihua to take special care of them" Weilong said.

"Your highness, the food is extremely delicious" Minister Gu and a few others walked up to Weilong.

"Of course, it is, as always, Chef Zhao never fails to impress me" he said.

"Indeed!" Minister Gu said.

"How are things going down in the border" Weilong asked.

"Prince Ren has already met with the commander of the Ying army. Moreover, the Shen king has sent his most capable General Wen to Heishan as there have been reports claiming that some of the men from Rhalor has already been spotted in Heishan town. Prince Ren also suggests that more men should be placed in Heishan as a lot of people from the different clans still visit the temple and the town. He fears that the Rhalor men will try to attack the people. Some reports claim that these men are helped by the Graknor tribes in Heishan Valley." Chenxi replied.

"This is concerning, I will send word to Yongqi to be alert and let's send more men to Heishan. As for now, enjoy the banquet" Weilong said.

The banquet ended.

The king opened the doors of his wedding chamber and saw his bride waiting for him by the bed. He walked towards her. The doors closed.

"Greetings Your highness. What took you so long?", She said

"Consort Yanli, I hope you are satisfied with the hospitality of Ling," Weilong said as he walked towards his bride on their wedding night. 

"Your highness, it is indeed surprising, not what I expected" Xiuying said. 

Weilong smirked and got closer to Xiuying. He started stretching his hands towards her as if he wanted to hold her closer. With a sudden grab at her back, he pulled her towards him. His eyes stared deeply into hers. She could see that it's not love that his eyes wanted to express, it was a challenge, it was hatred and a lot of questions. She could feel his breath. His lips moved closer to hers....

 "Is he really going to consummate this marriage!?" Xiuying thought.