“Yes, I agree to marry you,” said Tara, gazing into his eyes with tenderness.
Prince Chen was over the moon. “Are you absolutely sure that you want to marry me?”
“Yes.”
“Am I dreaming? Is this real?”
“You’re not dreaming; I wish to marry you.”
“Thank you, darling and I love you .…hahaha…it’s a dream come true! Hooray!” Prince Chen was so elated that he carried her up and swung her around rapturously.
CHAPTER 31
DRAGON ENGAGEMENT RITUAL
The dawn of Autumn Equinox heralded the day of abundant harvest. The autumnal breeze that played both the crescendo gusts and diminuendo lulls comprised the aphrodisiac that accompanied the harvesting bounty.
Prince Chen brought Tara to experience the Autumn Street Parade’s extravaganza - an iconic event that showcased the rich and unique cultures of the dragon world. There were dazzling displays of creative and colorful floats as well as cultural performances by passionate performers in elaborate costumes. Various creatures from the sky, land, and ocean participated in the Autumn Street Parade. Each float had a name: Ballet of Phoenixes and Dragons, Ocean Rhapsody, Symphony Orchestra of the Lion’s Roar, Floral Fantasy of the Coral Reefs, Serenade of the Three Jewels, et cetera.
After the Street Parade, Prince Chen invited Tara to take a boat ride on a large, misty lake at the Imperial Dragon Garden. With pine trees, pavilions, and pagodas as the backdrop, the Imperial Dragon Garden was a picturesque paradise to behold.
“Why are you holding a wooden bucket of water with two golden fish swimming around?” asked Tara, bemused.
“Hush… it’s my surprise for you today,” said Prince Chen with a cheeky, secretive wink. “Come join me in a short meditation. If the fish start jumping out of the water like a flying fish, our prayer is answered. We can then pour the two fish into the lake.”
“What is ‘our prayer’?” asked Tara quizzically, sitting down on a small wooden stool on the boat, ready for her meditation.
“Just pray to whatever comes into your mind.” Prince Chen was seated in lotus position with his palms in dhyana mudra.
“Alright.” Tara took a sneak peek at Prince Chen who wore an orange-red Hanfu. Focused on his meditation; he seemed so serenely blissful. Prince Chen looks so charming when he is in a deep state of meditation.
During the short meditation, Tara felt strangely uncomfortable. The only things that came to her mind were thoughts of intimate desire and amorous attraction toward Prince Chen. The more she denied them by consciously brushing them away, the more the sensual thoughts came intruding on her mind relentlessly. It baffled her as to why these thoughts came knocking on her mind so insolently.
What has happened to me? Since when has Prince Chen become my meditation object?
Splish. Splash. Splosh. After about ten minutes of meditation, Tara heard the splashing of water; the golden fish indeed started to jump out of the water like flying fish, much to Prince Chen’s exhilaration.
“Tara, let’s hold the bucket together and pour the fish out into the lake now.”
The moment Tara poured out the fish, she instantly felt the state of euphoric ecstasy in the Shangri-la of Utopia; the rapturous sensation of being on top of the world with Prince Chen. It was a moment of unsurpassed bliss for her.
“Give me your left hand, I have a gift for you,” said Prince Chen, taking out an Eternity Knot Bracelet and putting it on her left wrist. The previous light pink aura connecting their hearts became a deeper pink.
Meanwhile, Tara’s heart was pounding faster and faster and her face was a deep rosy-pink. She almost wanted to embrace Prince Chen passionately at that moment.
“Prince Chen, what have you done to me?” hissed Tara, feeling slightly annoyed.
Prince Chen held both her hands together and said lovingly, “It’s the Dragon Engagement Ritual; and we’re fortunate to have the spiritual blessings from Venerable Smile who helped us during the ritual. To be honest, I was rather apprehensive because there is no guarantee that the ritual will be a success, but I’m so thrilled that the two golden fish did jump out of the water for us to successfully complete the Dragon Engagement Ritual.”
“Dragon Engagement Ritual? I feel as if you’re casting a love spell on me so that I become more amorous toward you.”
“That’s the miracle of the Dragon Engagement Ritual, isn’t it? But I do desire you to be more amorous toward me in the future,” said Prince Chen in the most sensual voice, looking deep into Tara’s dewy green eyes and admiring her beauty, as she donned a red Hanfu of the Song-dynasty.
Tara lowered her head; her already pinkish cheeks became even more crimson hot with bashfulness.
“What is this bracelet for?” Tara asked, curiously looking at the pink double-helix-woven bracelet with an endless lotus knot.
“It’s the Eternity Knot Bracelet that symbolizes our everlasting avowal of love to each other. This bracelet is made from the bark of the Dragon Flower Tree and it will magically dissolve into your body within two days. Our love for each other will be assimilated inside your body forever. With the successful completion of the Dragon Engagement Ritual, we are already husband and wife starting from today onward. The Imperial Wedding Ceremony on Spring Equinox next year is merely a formality.”
“I’m just curious, what will happen if the Dragon Engagement Ritual is unsuccessful for some couples?” asked Tara.
“The couples will have to go through a formal wedding ceremony presided by a Venerable, just like what you saw in the Dragon Flower Dome on the day of Spring Equinox early this year.”
“Now, I shall recite the Dragon Marriage Vows of a Husband to seal the imperial union,” said Prince Chen, looking into Tara’s green eyes and holding both her hands. “Towards my wife, I shall be faithful to her, love and respect her, be kind and considerate to her, empower her in the management of her duties, and lavish her with gifts of adornment.”
“It’s your turn to recite the Imperial Dragon Marriage Vows of a Wife. You just need to repeat after me.” Tara nodded her head. “Towards my husband, I shall be faithful to him, love and respect him, be kind and considerate to him, be hospitable to his extended family and friends, and discharge my imperial duties and responsibilities conscientiously.”
After Tara had finished the recitation, she experienced a rapturous feeling of intense bliss. She followed her instinct to perform the Dragon Love Gesture with him, touching her nose to his nose, her forehead to his forehead. A breath of life from Prince Chen’s and Tara’s hearts combined to form a white orb that flew into one of the empty eggshells in the Dragon Egg Fertility Center. A new dragon eggshell with the nameplate: ‘Dragon Baby from Prince Ao Chen and Princess Zenyora’ was instantaneously created.
For dragons to have a chance of conceiving babies, all they needed to do was to perform the Dragon Love Gesture. This gesture had the power to arouse a deeply sensual and intimate heart-to-heart connection between partners. The love energy coming from the spouses’ hearts would combine into a spiral to create a white orb that entered the dragon eggshell in the Dragon Egg Fertility Center.
In the late evening, Prince Chen and Tara went to Cloud Nine to jointly release a vermillion sky lantern, praying for abundant blessings and marital union’s lifelong felicity.
The next day, Prince Chen and Tara announced their engagement to the Dragon King and Dragon Queen. The Dragon King was thrilled, and he heartily approved of their union. The Imperial Crystal Palace was immediately ordered to initiate the preparations for their wedding ceremony, scheduled for the day of Spring Equinox next year.
Word of the formal wedding ceremony of Prince Ao Chen and Princess Zenyora spread rapidly throughout the dragon kingdoms in all eight directions. Everyone was looking forward to participating in the wedding procession and ceremony the following year.
CHAPTER 32
THE SEASON OF PURIFICATION
Each year, a few days before the on
set of winter, the dragon communities go into overdrive due to a persistent pest called Jipz. It attacked both dragons and tea plantations alike. This pest looked like a hornet, but it had the wings of a bat and a long proboscis like a mosquito. A single bite from a Jipz was lethal due to a deadly virus which most of the dragons had no immunity against. Thus, the only way to protect oneself from Jipz was to stay indoors and away from the tea plantations as much as possible.
The population of Jipz this year was unusually numerous and aggressive. Half of the tea plantation was destroyed and many dragons who worked in the tea plantation lost their lives because large groups of Jipz crushed dwelling places and killed the inhabitants instantly. Some of Tara’s family and friends were bitten by Jipz and died as a result.
Fortunately for Tara, her father survived. Yet, her best friend Mayreen and her half-sister, Virginia, succumbed to the pestilence. Her father was devastated beyond words. Tara was so deeply grieved over her best friend’s demise that she virtually isolated herself in the Emerald Palace, sobbing and weeping most of the time.
Tara felt a little regretful agreeing to marry Prince Chen. She thought, with so many perils such as curses and pestilence lurking around, the dragon world might not be suitable for her after all.
After the bodies of Mayreen and Virginia were cremated, Tara and Patrick scattered the ashes into the ocean, tossed flowers into the ocean, and bade them a final farewell on a ship.
I must quickly find the Qibaota and send all my loved ones back home, Tara thought, strengthening her resolve to find the Qibaota.
The dawn of winter began with the transformation of the Dragon Flower Tree into a shimmering, silvery-white crystalline willow tree with a lilac tree trunk. The leaves were akin to long beads of glittering crystals hanging down like the leaves of a wisteria.
In the dragon kingdom, winter was a season of repentance and purification. All kinds of rowdy celebrations were prohibited; only Dharma classes and retreats were allowed. White and pale lilac were the preferred colors worn by dragon communities.
With Tara’s status being elevated to Emeritus Princess Zenyora, she no longer needed to work at the Dragon Library. As a princess, however, she was expected to stay at her own Emerald Palace most of the time.
Deeply grieving the passing of her best friend, Tara locked herself inside her chamber for almost one week. She refused to meet anyone, not even her husband. As such, Prince Chen had to use his authority to summon her to his Sapphire Palace one evening.
“Auspicious greetings to Prince Chen,” said Tara, performing a phoenix curtsy with a solemn expression.
“Darling, we are already husband and wife, you don’t have to stand on ceremony and treat me like a stranger,” said Prince Chen, puzzled. “You locked yourself up and refused to meet me for almost a week. I’m so worried about you, wondering if you were doing alright. If you’ve any concerns, just let me know so that I can help you.”
“Although we’re husband and wife, we’ve not undergone the Imperial Wedding Ceremony. You may call me whatever you like but allow me to continue calling you Prince Chen,” said Tara dispassionately.
Prince Chen was a little surprised by her sudden change of demeanor toward him, wondering what had caused that to happen.
“Yes, I need your help. I wish to request the transfer of all my remaining friends and relatives to work in the Emerald Palace, so that I don’t have to worry about their lives being put at risk due to the Jipz attacks at the tea plantation.” Tara did not look into his eyes.
“Sure, I will help you with their transfer. It’ll be completed within one week.”
“Thank you, Prince Chen. May I request to retreat to my chamber now?”
“No. You will spend the night with me,” commanded Prince Chen. “This is an order.”
“Prince Chen, I’m sorry I have to turn you down. With the untimely demise of my best friend and my half-sister, I’m still grieving for them and I’m not in a mood for love. Moreover, winter is a time of repentance and purification, not celebration and indulgence. Please allow me to practice the seasonal tradition in peace. I’ll be spending my entire winter retreat at Emerald Palace, not Sapphire Palace. I hope you understand that and respect my decision.” Having said so, Tara did another phoenix curtsy.
Yes, she is right. I need to give her some space to deal with her grief. But she is my wife, how can I just let her grieve alone? I must be there to share her burden.
“I’m sorry to hear that the demise of your best friend and half-sister still pains you so deeply. You don’t have to spend the night with me, but will you spend a little time with me? Just a while, before you go back to Emerald Palace?” Prince Chen said in a gentle voice, trying to convince her to stay awhile.
Tara was reluctant. Out of a sense of fairness toward him, however, she agreed.
“Come, sit beside me for a while, let me take a closer look at you.” He signaled her to sit beside him on the large daybed in the living room, to which she complied.
The moment Tara sat down, Prince Chen could not restrain himself from embracing her immediately. “You don’t look good. You’ve slimmed down quite a bit. It pains me to see you in this state.”
“Thank you for your concern,” said Tara curtly.
After a short while of being in his warm embrace, she felt a heady surge of fuzzy feelings of love wreaking havoc inside her, slowly causing her to change her mind. She actually wanted to spend the night with him.
“Stay with me tonight, will you? You don’t have to entertain me. Let me accompany you to lighten your burden?” whispered Prince Chen tenderly into her ear.
Tara was silent. Her face was blushed with a pinkish hue, and her heart was already racing. Understanding this as a ‘yes’ from her, he held her hand and walked her to his own chamber.
The magic of the Eternity Knot bracelet was such that if Prince Chen desired her, she would respond to his desire if she came within a close perimeter of him. Since the Eternity Knot had dissolved within her, she found herself attached to him emotionally and she was unable to resist his alluring charm or to turn him down anymore.
Soon, Tara’s family and friends were transferred to the Emerald Palace to work, bringing much relief to Tara who had been worried about their safety over at the tea plantation.
“Daddy, I miss you so much and I worry so much about you,” said Tara, holding the hands of her father. She noticed her wrinkle-faced father became frailer and his grey hair was already all white. Tara knew that if she did not spend more time with her father, who was ill and frail, she might not ever have the chance. She wanted to atone for the lost years due to the bitter resentment she harbored toward him.
“Sweetie, don’t worry too much about me. See, I’m still alive? That’s the greatest blessing,” said Patrick. “Now that we’ve all been transferred over here to the Emerald Palace, I can see you more often. Isn’t that another blessing?”
“Yes, daddy. With the death of Mayreen and Virginia, I couldn’t stand to have you working at the tea plantation any longer. It’s safer here. At least I can look after you better in the palace,” said Tara, giving her daddy a warm embrace.
“Everyone who has been transferred over here needs a job. Daddy, you’ll be a palace security guard, same for Rashid and Balakrishnan. Auntie Siew Lan and Uncle Yong will be the cook and chef, Roshni and Geetha will be responsible for housekeeping, and Jun Yang and Kai Wen will be the general workmen,” Tara continued.
“Tara, thank you for transferring us over to your Emerald Palace. It’ll be easier for us to look after each other here. Uncle Yong and I will churn out more healthy and delectable dishes for you,” said Auntie Siew Lan with an encouraging smile. “Now that you’re an Emeritus Princess and Prince Chen’s wife, eating good food is important for you to maintain good health.”
“Thank you Auntie Siew Lan. It’s a joy to have you with me. I miss the delectable food back in Singapore. With you around, I can finally enjoy more home-cooked food in the comi
ng days. Since all of you are here, I’ve arranged for the Imperial Chef to prepare some scrumptious imperial dishes as a mini-celebration for our reunion here at the Emerald Palace. Please, do join me for dinner tonight.”
“Thanks Tara. The only thing I like about the dragon world is the vast availability of halal seafood. That to me is the greatest consolation,” Rashid chipped in light-heartedly.
Tara knew the death of Mayreen brought unspeakable grief to Jun Yang, who became Mayreen’s boyfriend while in the dragon world, Tara went over to give him some consolation and encouragement.
“Jun Yang, please stay strong. I know it has not been easy for you to cope with Mayreen’s untimely demise. Even I am struggling to deal with the emotional stress of this harsh reality ‘cos Mayreen is my best friend,” said Tara with a choking voice the moment she mentioned Mayreen’s name. “Let’s keep hope alive. I vow to bring you all back home to the human world. I mean it, and I will achieve it.”
Tara and her loved ones had a wonderful reunion dinner at a traditional Chinese round table for the first time in her palace. She was delighted and grateful to provide them with a better place to live in her lavish and opulent Emerald Palace.
CHAPTER 33
LOVING-KINDNESS MEDITATION
In the dragon world, the Snow Fairy of the Immeasurable Life was a special spiritual teacher-in-residence during the winter season. Her specialty was in the field of loving-kindness, compassion, spontaneous joy, and equanimity.
Snow Fairy wore a pristine white flowing robe and a golden tiara that resembled the heart-shape of a Bodhi leaf. She had a small white vase with a crystal willow from the Dragon Flower Tree in winter. Tara attended her Dharma discourse on “Loving-Kindness Meditation” at the Dragon Library. Not only did she enjoy every moment of the discourse, she also had a predilection for the golden grace of Snow Fairy.
Tara Zenyora : and the Seven-Jeweled Lighthouse Page 22
