Prince Gyllen Ch. 22

The lissom frame of Bai-Suzhen's upper body rested upon her own serpentine tail coiled comfortably underneath like a makeshift stool, maintaining her sophisticated upright posture by a low table carved from oak with a ceramic teapot set in its centre, a wisp of steam rising from the spout as its contents cooled within, with two small, handleless cups made from matching material positioned equal distance from one another on either side of the glossy surface. The governor's hands were crossed over her lap as she patiently awaited for her present guest, Prince Gyllen of Snjórland, to finish changing into a provided article of certain traditional Yanchun formal wear at her request behind a folding screen printed with the image of a tiger prowling through a forest, of which he was all too keen to fulfil. In his eagerness, the naïve visitant failed to realise the true purpose of a lit candle, scented like pomegranates, strategically placed on his side of the panel, allowing for his slim silhouette to be plainly visible from the nüwa's point of view as he obliviously undressed from his blue coat, black boots, beige jodhpurs and white shirt in that order, causing the corners of Suzhen's thin lips to raise slightly as she observed the defined outline of his stripping figure

Once the prince had finished reclothing himself in the imparted attire, he emerged from behind the screen, exhibiting a smile to shew his appreciation to the governor in bestowing upon him the stately dress of her country. The apparel in question consisted of a short-sleeved gown woven from red silk and further embroidered with elaborate patterns of tree branches in bloom using golden thread. The material hugged tightly against his body from his neck to his thighs, where it then split on either side to leave two long, loose strips of cloth, one in front and one at the back, flowing downwards close to his ankles. The design led to his legs being visible but covered by a pair of white, cotton hosiery from his waist to his toes, while his dainty feet were nestled neatly into slippers of colours and motif corresponding to that of the gown.

"Thank you once again for lending me this raiment, Lady Suzhen! You know, I had always read this sort of dress was exclusively worn by the women of Yanchu. A 'qipao' I believe was the name of it..." Gyllen said, looking down both in front and behind himself to admire his appearance in the ceremonial garb. "I'm glad you corrected me on the matter! Clearly, there is still much I have yet to learn about your culture."

"Yes...you would be surprised at how common of a misconception it is." Suzhen responded, reinforcing the bluff she had told the boy prior to his changing in order to have him wear the feminine ensemble in the first place. "Trust me, darling, you look...phenomenal." She added, her smile genuine, though for different reasons than what the Snjórlandic prince was led to believe.

Returning the smile with one of his own, Gyllen then took his place at the table opposite of Bai-Suzhen upon a square, blue cushion with yellow tassels at its corners. The serpent-woman then took the pot of tea by its handle using one dainty white hand while the other balanced the container steady underneath, employing a folded cloth to avoid singing the tips of her fingers. The hostess tipped the pot and the golden-brown brew was poured first into Gyllen's cup and then her own, filling the vessels about midway full before setting the receptacle to the side, quietly waiting for her guest to take the first sip, as was customary for a Yanchun host to do during civil encounters. The prince, versed in the manners of this foreign nation, did so with gusto, though perhaps overdoing such as it led to his bright eyes widening from feeling the steaming drink scald his tongue and palate from forgoing waiting for it to cool first.

Gyllen pulled the rim of the cup away from his lips just as snappily as he had brought it to them, holding the boiled tea in his cheeks for less than second, though felt more like an embarrassing minute from his perspective, before forcing himself to gulp it all down at once, mildly burning his throat as it travelled to his stomach, all while never producing a single peep in complaint, conscious that doing so may offend his honoured company, going so far as to shew her yet another warm smile once the mouthful of the brew had been fully ingested to suggest nothing was amiss. Bai-Suzhen smirked similarly, though the prince was unsure whether it was in response to his own bearing or amusement derived from his hasty consumption. In either case, the nüwa next brought her own cup to her mouth, first gently blowing on its surface before taking a minor sip.

In spite of the awkward first impression, discussions commenced shortly thereafter and progressed naturally over the course of the next short while, though from an outward outlook, it appeared more like an interview from the one-sided stream of constant questions Gyllen was barraging the governor with, though Bai-Suzhen was all too happy to answer each and every one that was put forth. Topics ranged from how the serpent-woman got her start in such a human-orientated political landscape, to the policies she aims to fulfil during her time in office, to the complex infrastructure of Yanchu's parliament, with even one or two jokes exchanged intermittently over the course of the conversation. During this discourse, the prince could not help but find himself partially transfixed on the peculiar beauty which the half-snake possessed, especially now that he was up close in a more comfortable environment compared to when her two bodyguards were nearly breathing down his neck outside.

The Snjórlander had been brought to the third floor of the nine-tiered pagoda upon his admittance, following Bai-Suzhen up several smooth slopes of stone winding along the walls in place of where stairs would have been to better accommodate the nüwa's lack of legs. The wide interior of the chamber he now sat in was of striking antique opulence with all manner of traditional art hanging from its rondure walls depicting romantic scenes between androgynous lovers or of weird creatures wandering through wilderness, all splendidly captured within stylistically simple brushstrokes upon a scroll, with no two images being alike, further enhanced by the prominent display of ornaments crafted from ivory, jade and lapis lazuli representing oriental variants of dragons, unicorns and a few forms of more abstract conformation prominently on shelves or tables, further supplemented by the sporadic vases expertly crafted from bone china and embellished with blue illustrations which were masterpieces in their own right.

However, for all the splendour of the pagoda's luxurious décor, it was completely overshadowed by the presence of the hostess herself as she casually exuded an air of nobility just from the proud and lofty manner in which she poised herself while seated, further enhanced by the tonality with which she carried her words, flawlessly articulated and as smooth as the very silk she wore. Bai-Suzhen possessed a narrow profile blessed with a set of features arranged so perfectly symmetrical in relation to one another, one may have fancied they were consciously and painstakingly arrayed as such by the hand of a higher power. Even her eyes, like two shimmering voids of solid darkness set in almond-shaped orbits, Gyllen found to be oddly alluring in spite of how unsettling such optics devoid of readability would have appeared on most anybody else, human or otherwise.

However, far and away the most striking aspect of the serpent woman's form, as was glossed over prior, was the absence of any kind of colouration in her flesh, tresses or the scales on her tail, an extremely rare kind of colouration even amongst the governor's own exotic species. Her milk-white image made her seem almost ethereal in form, like a ghost which had drifted forth from a portal leading to the afterlife, especially from how she radiated spectacularly in the limited sunlight streaming through the latticed windows. The nüwa was not just pale; there was not a single blemish marring her porcelain-like skin which the prince could perceive, and not a single strand of her long, snowy hair cascading from her crown was a tint discoloured nor strayed in the slightest from all the rest, finely combed to both fall straight behind and spill over her shoulders, surmounted by a golden clasp adorned with strands of beads dangling on needles extending from either end, keeping the excess tresses bunched neatly into an ovoid bun. Lady Suzhen's attributes were of such breathtaking refinement and otherworldly magnetism, that the application of cosmetics to her visage even in the minutest of ways would have detracted from her natural beauty rather than enhance it.

"I must say, young Gyllen." The governor said in the midst of their conversation as she returned her now-empty teacup to the table. "Your Yanchun is excellent. I don't think I've ever met a foreigner who has been quite so well-versed as you before."

"Aha, you flatter me too much, Lady Suzhen." Gyllen nervously chuckled. "Second languages were merely part of my education during my formative years. My sisters are just as learned in the subject. "

"No need to be quite so modest." His host continued. "Being able to acquire and maintain such an ability takes a great deal of discipline not many are willing to commit, especially for one as young as you. Why, do you know how I whiled away my days when I was about your age? Long before I had any involvement or interest with the affairs of the state."

"Hm, I can't say I really recall reading anything of the sort." Gyllen answered. "But I am interested nevertheless, if you are willing to divulge."

"Oh, you won't find such a tale in any official biography of me, though it may yet still be whispered amongst the common folk on dreary nights when the moon is high and the fire is warm..." The serpent-woman enigmatically stated, continuing before Gyllen had a chance to ask her to elaborate. "Let's see...where would be best to begin...?" Suzhen mused, exhaling through her petite nose as she closed her eyelids, casting her mind into the recesses of her memories. "Well, perhaps I should preface this anecdote by first stating that nüwa were not always held in the same regard in Yanchun society as we - somewhat - are today. For centuries past, we were universally regarded as monstrous creatures to be at once feared and respected: viscous maneaters who had slithered their way from the depths of Diyu to prey on those who dwelled on the surface. Even in living memory, this belief continues to persist amongst a minority who insist on the ways of old tradition...and I was once the source of such dread, as have countless others of my kin before me, as will numerous others for a time yet I'm afraid." In just a few scant seconds, the once congenial ambience of the chamber was sucked away completely as the governor's words and manner sobered substantially, and although Gyllen found the jarring shift in mood to be rather discomforting, he simultaneously found himself oddly engrossed by his hostess' preamble, opting to remain silent and attend to what she had to divulge of her unrecorded history.

"It was not long after I had reached adulthood, not dissimilar as you are now, that I took to wandering the length and breadth of this land to discover what wonders it had to offer outside the narrow grottoes from which I was hatched and raised." The governor continued. "As I think back on it, I suppose my reasons were simply conceived out of ennui for the banality of my life up till that point and a desire to discover novel thrills, even if I tried to embellish my motives to anybody who would ask by claiming it was all in an effort to 'find out who I was as a person', or 'find my place in the world', or whatever such tripe I believed in that week." Lady Suzhen sardonically laughed. "One day, after about a year of ceaseless travel, I took up residence in a grove, not unlike the one where this very pagoda now stands, under the roof of an ancient shack which I believed belonged to a bamboo cutter at one time. I only intended to recuperate for a few days before resuming my journey, but matters were complicated when a couple of human boys discovered me bathing in a nearby spring while they were on an errand to fetch some fresh water for their village. I only learned I was being espied on as I was leaving the pool and my gaze just so happened to cross theirs as they peeked out from the thicket. I'm not sure whether it was my eyes, my tail, my pale skin or any given combination of those characteristics which ultimately sent them fleeing - and screaming - back to their homes, but, well, that's precisely what happened next..."

"Of course, I was already fairly used to reactions like that from non-nüwa and did not think much else of the incident until the next evening, when I found somebody robed in sacrificial garb knelt prostrate on the pathway leading out from my temporary abode. When they looked up, I recognised their face as one of the two who had stumbled upon me the day prior, and although he presented a stalwart façade, it was plain from his trembling body language that he was petrified to be in my presence. When I asked him to state his business, he explained - through stuttering sentences - that the village elder had hand-chosen him to serve as an offering in a bid to appease me from bringing my wrath down upon the rest of the community. For as grim as he made this suicide mission out to be, I could not help but to guffaw at how absurdly monumental of a fuss was being raised just because I happened to have taken a bath at an inopportune time, though I think my chortles may have only served to frighten him further."

"By all rights, I should have been offended by this response to my sighting, but instead I found the situation rather amusing and ended up staying in the area a while longer just to see how things would play out. Although the rational thing would be to return the boy back to his home to show the locals I meant no harm, I instead did the exact opposite and took the lad in to live with me on pure impulse, uncertain for how long I intended to keep him though quick to set him to perform various menial chores in my stead while I spent most of my following days lounging, napping, eating and little else beyond that. I always had the impression he came to loathe me during those first few weeks, though was too afraid to voice a complaint or attempt any sort of escape."

"Despite this, we lived in relative harmony this way for an entire month with plenty of fruit and game to be found in the forest that would never leave us for want. However, things were soon shaken up when I found a second figure in sacrificial robes kowtowing at my doorstep whom I identified as the other boy who had found me in the pond. Needless to say, he was shocked to discover his friend lived yet, and just as equally shocked to learn I could speak! As it turns out, the village was to offer a young man to me once a month from that moment on until the day I would remove myself from the forest. How they ever reached this conclusion was beyond me, but my bafflement was exceeded by disgust towards how these humans were so readily willing to send one of their own to his presumed slaughter in a bid to save their own selfish hides...and I was the alleged monster in this situation! Can you believe that?"

"As before, I did not harm this boy either, though nor would I allow him to return to his home, still set on seeing how long I could carry out this charade, though this time with a hint of sympathy as I could not even begin to imagine sending the young men back to what I then construed to be a callous community in good conscience. I also set this second addition under my self-appointed charge to labour around my lodgings, not knowing what else to do with him, but it must have been a great relief for the first arrival now that he had someone to share the workload with. Another month flew by and, as sure as the second sacrifice had claimed, a third boy, this time one I had never before set eyes on, was sent to the old shack with the exact same purpose as the first two, again bringing him into my custody soon after salutations were exchange, still unbeknownst to this elder who was dispatching them in the first place. A fourth came the month after that, then a fifth the month after that, and so continued for an entire year until I decided this ludicrous pantomime had been taken far enough...that, and I was rapidly running short on space in my modest accommodation."

"Within the week of having the twelfth boy dumped outside my door, I had gathered all my unwanted guests and led them back to their village. The very instant I emerged from the verdant stalks into the collective of quaint cottages, an alarm was sounded and several human commoners rushed to meet me with fishing pikes, butcher knives and farming sickles brandished in their quivering hands, though they quickly lowered their makeshift arms when they saw their surrendered sons standing very much alive and well behind me. The implements were dropped at their feet with a clatter as they ran straight past me to embrace their loved ones they had given up for forever gone, their fear and hatred dispelled as joy and tears took their place. I myself took the rare opportunity to confront the village's elder directly, meeting no resistance as I made my way to his home where I made my ire and revulsion of his practices over the past twelve months painfully plain to the old fool, leaving him stunned absolutely speechless by the time I finished my tirade, though he afterward recognised his folly and practically begged for forgiveness, as if I were some sort messenger sent by the gods!"

"I did accept his apologies however, and from that day forward, I was treated with far more tolerance by the villagers. I continued to stay in the area for a while yet, able to come and go within the hamlet as I pleased, though many would still give me a wide berth if they saw me approach but it was still preferable to having them close their borders to me entirely. I conversed with a number of the residents during my times there when I was able and came to learn a great deal about humans and their ways of life, and in turn, the residents generally became a little less ignorant when it came to the typical behaviour of the average nüwa. Overall, I found them to be pleasant enough folk in contrast to what I previously believed, if just a bit misguided, and quickly became aware of their own plights they had to endure as peasants on a day-by-day basis while their dukes and barons lived in carefree luxury in mansions maintained by the hefty taxes collected from their blood and sweat."

"My eyes had been opened to the great rift between classes within human culture, and it served as the catalyst for me to seek a way to improve the quality of life for those less fortunate on the lower rungs of society's ladder. The people in that village had certainly left their mark on me, and I wanted to shew my appreciation for the eventual acceptance they had shewn me in turn, as well as countless other folk just like them throughout the country, and what more effective way for me to do than directly involve myself in kingdom's administration and upheave what has been the status quo for centuries? The rest of this tale you should know quite well. After many years of gruelling self-taught study and a gradual climb through the ranks of bureaucracy, I became the first non-human in Yanchu's recorded history to hold the position you now see me in today."

Bai-Suzhen concluded her narrative, only to be greeted by a moment of silence as her solemn mood was abruptly allayed into a rapidly-blinking agape of surprise as self-realisation kicked in. "Oh, dear! Did I prattle on too long? Apologies, young prince. That tends to happen when I reminisce on simpler times..."