Ishkhandar - Part 2

King Xenon entered the throne room accompanied by two other people. The hem of his imperial purple cape swept the marble floor as he walked toward the throne. His companions were a step behind him, and they all walked past Leiyu and merchants as they headed toward the dais. The king walked up the steps and sat on the throne while the other two stood on either side of him. Leiyu knew that it was improper to look at royalty directly, so he kept his head down. However, curiosity got the best of him, and he tilted his head upward ever so slightly, glancing at them through his curtain of bangs.

The king wore gray shoulder pauldrons with metal rings in the front that were connected by a chain. His cape was open, revealing a vibrant royal blue chapan robe with gold trim. A vermilion sash wrapped around his waist. He wore a diadem across his forehead with a sapphire at the center. His brown hair was tied up in a high bun and held together by a gold ring with another sapphire.

The man to the left of the king wore a doppi hat with an embedded violet gemstone at the front. His long chapan robes were midnight gray with a twinkling of gold embroidered thread. His brown hair was several shades darker than the king’s and was tied in the back.

When Leiyu shifted his eyes to the person to the right of the king, his breath hitched.

Is this the queen? he thought. No, she looks closer to my age. The princess, perhaps?

She had long, silky auburn hair piled up in a half bun held together by a golden flame-shaped ornament with an embedded ruby. The jewel at the center of her diadem and her teardrop-shaped earrings were also rubies. She was draped in a lilac cape that also had metal rings connected by a chain near the shoulder area. Her amber eyes were shaped like peach blossoms, and she had a delicate nose and softly curved lips. Although she was ostensibly staring straight forward, Leiyu thought he saw her gaze turn slightly toward him. His heart quickened, and his cheeks flushed. He stared at the cold marble, hoping that it would douse the heat on his face.

The king crossed his legs and eased his back into the throne. “Welcome, weary travelers,” he said in regal-sounding Sargheshi. “From whence did you come, and for what purpose did you travel to Ishkhandar?”

Chen Yun lowered his head further and replied in Sargeshi. “Your Gracious Majesty, we humble merchants hail from the Eastern Region and have come here to deliver a shipment of silk and porcelain. We hope that Your Majesty finds our meager goods to be satisfactory.”

“And pray tell, how long was your journey?” the king asked.

“We embarked from our capital Tianyucheng during the height of the spring peach blossom bloom and journeyed across the vast desert for many months. Once we crossed the mountain, we saw this golden city shining like a beacon and ventured towards it.”

Leiyu was surprised at how formal Chen Yun sounded, but he supposed that was why he, and not any of the other two merchants, was appointed the group leader.

“From mid-spring to midsummer,” the king remarked. “You must indeed be weary. This is the ideal time to arrive since our Summer Festival is about to commence, and the palace is open to everyone. Tonight we have a banquet, and you are all invited.”

There was a collective gasp amongst the merchants, although they tried not to make it too obvious. Chen Yun lowered his head even further. “Many thanks, Your Majesty!”

The prospect of food always filled Leiyu with a quiet joy, and he looked forward to the meal. When he lifted his head a little higher, he noticed that the princess was still glancing in his direction.

Intriguing, to say the least, he thought as he returned his gaze to the floor.

“You are all welcome to stay in the guest quarters for the week of the festival,” the king said. “The attendants will show you to your rooms.”

“Your Majesty is indeed generous,” Chen Yun replied. “Many thanks, ten thousand times over.”

Attendants with shorter blue chapan robes approached Leiyu and the merchants. “Come this way, good sirs,” one of them said. They were led into the main hallway and through a labyrinth of corridors until they reached a large shared living space lined with bedrolls and carpets.

“The guest quarters, good sirs,” the attendant said. “You may place your belongings here, and the guards will keep an eye on this room. If you have any valuables, we have lock boxes you could store them in.”

“Nothing valuable ‘cept the clothes on my back,” Liang Fusheng remarked. “Thundercloud has those magic sleeves, though.” Leiyu bristled, and Chen Yun covered his face with his palm.

“Shall we go to the banquet hall?” the attendant asked.

“Yes, please,” Chen Yun replied. “Thank you.”

They went through another convoluted pathway of corridors. Leiyu could tell they were getting closer once the fragrance of spices and roasted meat became stronger and stronger. When they approached the double doors at the end of a corridor, the attendant pushed them open.

“Good sirs, welcome to the banquet hall,” the attendant. “Please enjoy your dinner.”