Around her, two-dozen men dressed in fine silk robes danced as well, tracing patterns visible from the air -- a tree, a flower, a star, a sun-wheel. She stood in the center of the throng, though, the locus of all energy, while the spectators stood on a rise in the gardens, high enough to see the patterns but not so high they couldn't discern the individuals involved. All around stood the ready guards, just in case one of the westerners or locals tried to interfere with the ceremony.
Finally, the musicians placed their instruments aside, and the ranks of the priests parted. The princess walked down the line to the tree and reached up, taking a plump peach in hand and biting it. At once, the musicians began to play again, a stirring song of summer and joy. In a few slow, languorous bites she ate the fruit, before placing its seed into a hole that had been prepared earlier. Afterwards, Nailin turned to the audience and held her hands out, smiling as she welcomed her guests.
There was the Imperial Party; the Jinlong Emperor and his Kadrian wife. They were inaccessible, imperial guardsmen surrounding their balcony. The Emperor had no interest in mingling with either his people or the foreigners. More available was the elder Princess, Lixuan, and her husband Tsun. They had left the imperial balcony and removed to the noble seating, the better to see the younger princess and her dance. Most available was the young prince 'Xiao'. The boy was wandering the crowd with a small guard detail, occasionally peering at strangers.
Secretariat officials roamed the grounds, self-importantly fanning themselves in the summer heat. Some of them were followed by minions who laughed at each joke the great ones made. There was Grand Secretary Ren Linxin, dressed in bright blue robes and trailed by the largest mob of hangers-on. The second-most important man in the Empire, his acquaintance would be valuable to cultivate if one could stand his oily manners. There was also the Great Secretary for Internal Harmony Dai Ru. She was dressed in tight-fitting robes that showed her outstanding decolletage to best effect. It was rumored that they were lovers, but they stood far apart from each other today, seeming to take every pain to avoid one another.
The high nobility were there as well. The five princes of the compass would not have missed the coming-out ceremony of the princess even if it were an option. It was the social event of the decade so far. Most of them were well-disposed towards foreigners now. Or, at least, they were not opposed to foreigners. Some of them even were foreigners. At least, by comparison.
But the star was Nailin, of course. Her pale skin shone with exertion, her body trembled with each breath. She was beautiful, in that classical Roanian way. She wore her dark hair long, to her pert breasts that pressed tight against the silk of her dress. Her legs were nearly as long as her hair and were mostly bare, with her dress slit up each thigh to allow movement. As she left the field of dancing she was swarmed by her peers, delivering well-wishes and compliments, but soon she was free of them and she stood at the edge of the crowd, approachable but unapproached, drinking a tall frosted glass of some yellow-pink concoction.
OOC: It's a party! It takes place in the Closed City, where the Emperor and his Secretaries dwell, but not in the palace proper. Instead, it's in the imperial peach orchards. Anyone who's anyone is invited, whether or not your state has diplomatic relations with the Empire or not. There's a full bar (with an emphasis on peach flavored drinks), a buffet (with an emphasis on peach sauces), so don't worry about food. There's really only one rule:
1) Don't make the Emperor come down the stairs. The Emperor doesn't want to come down the stairs. He's feasting in perfect solitude with his favorite person. He very rarely gets the chance to relax. Leave him alone.
Princess Nailin
