The Kingdom of Roses

10

The Dragon Rider

Jiàn Shēng earnestly sought to discover all that the Bride delighted in and loved, so that he could win her attention and love. It was a futile attempt from the very beginning. How could one compare with her heart? It was large enough to contain perfect love for all the beings dwelling in the realms. This was directly opposite to Jiàn Shēng’s heart which was slowly growing smaller in its grasp and capacity for such perfect love.

It was a beautiful morning in the southern realms. Jiàn Shēng woke up to the sound of laughter and music. His lovely dreams had caused him to forget that the King and his beloved were visiting the Tiānshǐ. He was ready in the twinkling of an eye, and he ensured he was dressed to perfection. His outer robes were as black as the stones of Méiguī shān and the inner robes matched the deep maroon shades of the flowers that grew upon its cliffs and gardens. A lovely clasp made of crystal and shaped as a rose held the two sides of his black cape in place.

Many of the Tiānshǐ were at the tables feasting and enjoying the banquet spread the Bride had prepared for them. All the living beasts in the realms were immortal creatures and it was not permitted to attempt harming them in any manner. The food was not comprised of their meat for that would be impossible. The food eaten was not for sustenance either for none in the heavens needed such things. The table was a place for conversations and relationship building. There was a lot of joy and laughter around the table in such gatherings. The Bride knew how to make delicacies with the various fruits the trees sent her. They went well with the wines she provided. It was not unusual to find various creatures making their way to the tables for they were open to all the beings in the twenty-four realms. Xióng Zhǎn was at the table among the Tiānshǐ who were also his brothers.

Pèi Zhōng and Yīng Fēng were playing in the waters with the King and other Tiānshǐ. It was a game similar to water polo, except that the wooden ball had to be cast into a ring that dangled from a tree close to the banks of the stream.

In between the banks and the table, the Bride sat beside Zhì Shēn as she taught him a new tune she had composed. Jiàn Shēng avoided them and chose to join those at the table. He had a clear view of the Bride and those around her from the seat he picked. To his chagrin, he noticed that the Bride held Zhì Shēn’s hand as she corrected him. It was a world in which no one had to fear another’s ill intentions. It was not improper for her to do so, as she bore no lust within her, neither did Zhì Shēn. He never forgot that she was his mother first and then his teacher, no matter how young she looked.

Where there is perfect love, no one needs to be told what is right or wrong for there is an unseen, inner law that governs their hearts. Jiàn Shēng used to be without any fault for he held onto this inner law dearly. However, he was slowly losing vision of it in his determination to pursue this forbidden love that was growing stronger by the day within his heart.

‘Darn you, Zhì Shēn! What is so great about you and your music?’ he thought to himself. He promised to find a way to draw the Bride’s attention even if he had to learn to play music better than his brother.

There was much laughter in the waters. Even the King was impressed by the speed and accuracy with which Yīng Fēng was playing. Both teams were equally matched. Slowly, some Tiānshǐ scrambled out of the waters to the little island in the midst of the stream to talk and rest. Even the King swam towards the shore and got out of the waters.

Jiàn Shēng noticed the Bride blush as she gazed upon her beloved. The King was bare-chested, and the water dripped over his muscles and off the edges of his long, dark, wavy hair that fell to his waist. He sat beside his beloved and she smiled shyly at him. She had stopped teaching Zhì Shēn as her attention was fully focused on the one she loved with all her heart.

She gently wiped the water off his face while shyly gazing at his chiseled jaw and cleft chin. He was often clean-shaven as he was this day. His dark eyes glowed with a gentle warmth like the fire in a fireplace, as he gazed upon his beautiful Bride. His heart was full of happiness knowing that he was hers and she was his. He pushed a strand of her curly, wayward hair off her face. It was as wild as her and unrestrained. She smiled at him and placed her head upon his chest as he encircled her with his strong arm.

Such days of fellowship between the Tiānshǐ and their Makers were common. They were without fuss or fanfare. The Makers entered the southern realms unannounced. There was no pomp or show as the rulers of our world are accustomed to display. But there was much mutual honor and love between the Makers and the beings they had made. It was not strange to see the King roll up his sleeves and join his sons, helping them improve their dwellings or in other creative pursuits. One of the things that he was unsurpassed in was the pottery wheel. The vessels he made were both beautiful and practical.

Jiàn Shēng did not dare to stare at them directly, but he caught glimpses of the King and his beloved from the corner of his eyes. He soon forgot his resentment towards Zhì Shēn and his anger started to build towards the King instead. His thoughts were broken by the appearance of a large swan that was making its way towards them through the stream.

The King and his Bride made their way towards the swan. The King got onto it and gave her a hand. Its wings were large and formed a covering over them as they sat upon its soft, feathered back. The stars glittered in the sky above them as they slowly glided over the waters like a beautiful dream.

When they were far from prying eyes, the King whispered to his Bride, ‘Close your eyes, my love.’ She smiled and obediently closed her eyes. He opened his right hand and a crown appeared in his palm. He had personally crafted it for her. It appeared like the twisted branches of an almond tree with scattered blossoms all around. Nestled among the flowers were twelve brilliant stars made of fire stones. She opened her eyes when he prompted her to and looked at the work of his hands.

‘Since I am claimed by my beautiful Bride,’ the King said as he gently touched the locket she had given him, ‘This is my gift to you. This crown is the key to our kingdom. All the realms are yours,’ he gently told her.

‘Oh? Are they not already mine?’ she asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

‘Well, it is the same as this locket. It is an open declaration to all who see it that I have placed the realms under your guardianship,’ he continued. She nodded her head in consent and kissed his cheek as he placed the crown upon her vibrant tresses.

There were twenty-four realms but there were three main portals in each direction, with each of them opening into two realms, thus making up for the twenty-four. The King had used stars as his beloved was called the Evenstar, and he crafted twelve of them to show that she had the authority to open or seal the portals to the realms.

Jiàn Shēng planned his next move. He did not comprehend the nature of love that existed between the King and his Bride. He thought that he could win her favor and love by appealing to her eyes the way the King did. When she arrived in the northern realms to train him in the Way of Water, he appeared bare-chested before her. He was quite a sight to behold. Among the Tiānshǐ no one looked as perfect as him, but he could never compare to the King.

The Bride showed no response at all. Her eyes belonged only to the one she loved. She was not even moved by his brazen show, and since she held no such forbidden thoughts within herself, there was no guilt or shame in her, let alone any shyness. Jiàn Shēng continued to come before her in this manner whenever he found the opportunity, but she never blushed, nor did she show the slightest interest. She never thought anything of these times. It was Jiàn Shēng who burnt with the lust of the eyes when he was alone. It shone like a stark darkness leading into an endless corridor straight to his heart.

When these attempts did not work, Jiàn Shēng tried other means. He began to ask the Bride to accompany him as he flew with Wěi Hóng across the skies. It was his desperate attempt to recreate the manner in which she rode with the King upon Bái Fēng. He took the chance to gently brush his hand against her arm or touch her wild curls. Even these gestures failed. However, the Bride loved heights and flying, and Wěi Hóng felt drawn to her on account of his master’s feelings.

There were many times when Wěi Hóng sought her out on his own and at times, she sought out Wěi Hóng as well. At such times Jiàn Shēng was not present, and the Bride rode the Sān sè Lóng. She taught him to do many air borne maneuvers and even trained him in combat moves. Wěi Hóng increasingly obeyed her as if he was her soul beast, and the more his master obsessed over her, the more the dragon was drawn to guard and be bonded to her.

One morning, Wěi Hóng lay in the soft snow of the northern peaks while his master and the Bride dueled together. The sunlight cast rainbows around as it reflected off the icicles hanging on the trees. The Bride had released the lion and the eagle as two streams in her attack against Jiàn Shēng while she pursued him with her Water Sword. The latter almost ran into Wěi Hóng before making a sharp turn to face her. Suddenly, the dragon hit him slightly with the edge of his tail, causing Jiàn Shēng to fall forward and onto the Bride. Jiàn Shēng took the chance to steal a kiss from her lips while making it look like an accident.

She quickly pushed him off her and stood up. ‘What did you do?’ she asked indignantly and with questioning eyes focused on him.

He quickly got up and apologized to her, ‘It was Wěi Hóng! He pushed me forward and caused me to fall!’ he said. ‘It was an accident, I promise!’ he insisted.

She thought for a moment before warning him, ‘Do not ever allow yourself to make such a mistake again. Take up your sword and fight me!’

As Jiàn Shēng picked up his sword, she turned her gaze upon Wěi Hóng. ‘You, too! Let me see you both in action, and test if you have learnt my lessons well!’ she said as she charged at them with the ferocity of a lioness.

After dueling for some time, the two took to the skies and she followed them as they engaged in an air borne duel. She pushed them forward with her moves till they were flying over the southern realms. Suddenly she unleashed her two streams again and while Jiàn Shēng and his dragon engaged with her lion, she rode the stream of her eagle and landed on Wěi Hóng’s back. As Jiàn Shēng and the Bride engaged in swordplay upon him, the dragon twisted and tried to fly in all manners to get them off him as he was simultaneously engaged with the stream unleashed by the lion. On many occasions, Jiàn Shēng found himself dislodged from his dragon while the Bride took control of Wěi Hóng’s flight.

Seeing that Jiàn Shēng was ready to give up as he was flung into the air yet again by a wave move she had cast, the Bride relented. She was riding the dragon and she maneuvered him to break his master’s fall. But Jiàn Shēng saw that all the Tiānshǐ had gathered below to watch their duel. Filled with pride, he opened all three sets of his crystal wings in grand display just as the Bride got the dragon below him. At that very moment, the eagle in the Bride’s sword caught her and raised her off the dragon’s back as she rode the wind. She turned around to face Jiàn Shēng and what a sight they were!

The Tiānshǐ who were gazing upwards saw in the heavens a sight to marvel at. On one side there was the beautiful Wěi Hóng with a magnificent Jiàn Shēng on his back. The latter’s wings, clothes and entire being were shining like lightening. On the other side was the even more magnificent and fearsome beauty of the Bride. Her whole being was flowing with a matchless light that overshadowed that of Jiàn Shēng's, and on her head, the crown she was given, glowed with the brilliance of the stars at night. They were like peas in a pod – so similar, yet one was greater than the other.

She smiled at him and the dragon as she said, ‘You still have much to learn,’ and without warning she flew straight at him and kicked him right off his own soul beast. She patted Wěi Hóng’s neck as she instructed him, ‘Well done! Let us head down into the southern realms before your master does.’

The dragon raced downwards in a spiral that appeared so out of control, that the Tiānshǐ quickly made way for them. They did not have to worry, for the dragon and his rider landed perfectly with skill and ease. Jiàn Shēng landed shortly after they did, his wings folded back and hidden from sight. He marveled at the Bride as did all the others.

From that day onwards, though Jiàn Shēng remained Wěi Hóng’s master, the Bride came to be called the Dragon Rider.