She stepped out of the sedan, but was stunned.
This was not the main palace as she had imagined. Logically speaking, the king of this country should be waiting for her in that solemn place, but in fact she was taken directly to the harem.
The palace in front of you, called the Jade Palace, is located in the Royal Palace. It is large in scale and majestic. Although it is surrounded by large buildings, it looks like brand new.
Suddenly, the wind picked up, and bright sunlight hit the sunny side of the majestic building, while the other two sides were shrouded in green shadows, revealing its perfect geometric shape.
The flags hanging on both sides of the avenue ahead fluttered and danced in the wind. On the golden pillars, the gilded tent poles, and the street lamps, the patterns of those flags represented.
There are also gardens scattered around. They are lush and green, with irrigation systems pumping water from the ground to the surface, creating an oasis.
The pond sparkles, the sprinkler system fills the air with mist, countless tiny rainbows appear out of thin air, and the palm trees sway in the wind.
Afterwards, she was led into the palace by a eunuch wearing red clothes and velvet shoes. The man walked as quietly as a cat and said nothing. He just stared with his enigmatic and heavy-lidded eyes. Holding her.
After arriving at an open hall, he bowed slightly, leaving him here, and retreated as smoothly as he came.
She was a little overwhelmed for a moment and could only stand where she was, but at least the environment was comfortable.
The air here is cool and clean, and she can hear the lazy gurgling sound of the fountain in the courtyard outside. The colorful carpets have scenes of soldiers conquering. There are several soft cushions on the ground, and there is a bed in the middle of the room. The low table, on which sat a kettle, a towel, a copper plate filled with fruit and two crystal-cut cups, shimmered in the soft light.
Just as she was counting silently for about thirty seconds, a thick voice suddenly sounded.
"I think that for you, the atmosphere in the main hall may be too tense. You may feel more relaxed here. This is my personal idea."
Hearing this voice, her shoulders trembled slightly, then she lowered her head and whispered:
"Hail to you, the great King of Kings, Lord of the Earth, Sky and Mountains, Son of Fire and Son of Light, Your Majesty Artaxerxes, may you live long and have eternal kingship."
"Ha, how can royal power be eternal?"
Suddenly, accompanied by laughter, she felt a shadow covering her whole body, so she raised her head.
For a moment she almost screamed.
But her years of etiquette training allowed her to suppress her emotions, but the surprise and fear could not be concealed in her eyes - if she had not been wearing a veil, she might not have been able to hide her expression.
Is this really human?
She finally realized that the rumors were true!
What appeared in front of her was a terrifying giant, almost three or four times her size!
He has a handsome appearance that transcends ordinary people, his facial features are as cold as mountains and cliffs, his eyes are like stars, his black hair is casually hanging on his shoulders, and the oversized gold-red gorgeous robes on his body show his imperial temperament and graceful manner.
In contrast, wearing a jeweled and gold headdress, an exquisite shawl, a dress and loose trousers, she looked like a caged bird in front of him.
"Are you scared? Sorry, many people are like this when they see me for the first time."
Xerxes spread his hands helplessly, then walked behind the table and sat down.
"Sit down too, Princess Elena."
Elena hesitated for a few seconds. She was used to the complicated palace rituals and was a little uncomfortable with this casual attitude.
But she doesn't hate it.
Then she sat sideways on a soft cushion, about three meters away from the other party.
"It's been a hard journey."
"It's not hard."
After speaking, she added.
“I’ve always wanted to get out and about.”
Even when Xerxes was sitting cross-legged, he looked like a hill. He looked at the somewhat uneasy little princess and suddenly smiled.
"Princess Elena, I heard that you like horseback riding and hunting? Do you also practice swordsmanship?"
Elena nodded with a slightly red face.
"Just passing the time..."
"That's good. There is no distinction between men and women in skills. No one has ever stipulated that great warriors must be men."
With that said, Xerxes picked up the kettle and poured some water into the cup.
Although those things were as delicate as a child's play house toys in his hands, he could still control them with ease.
Afterwards, he handed the cup to Elena.
"The wedding will be held in three days. At that time, all the kingdoms will send envoys to watch the ceremony, and my people will also. We will walk through the great temple, the palace and the square. The wedding may take a long time and be very tiring. In the past few days, you You need to take a good rest and conserve your energy.”
Suddenly mentioning the wedding, Elena was stunned for a moment, then nodded slightly.
"Everything...follow His Majesty's arrangements."
Xerxes tilted my head, looked at the princess with a smile, and said:
"Princess Elena, are you not curious about me? There should be a lot of rumors about me, right?"
Elena put down the water glass, turned around, and bent down gently.
"Ahura Mazda created man and woman, like clouds and rain, each with their own duties. The husband must protect his wife, and the wife must obey her husband. This is the rule of heaven and earth. You will be my husband, Everything you have is everything to me, and I will accept whatever you are, so I don’t have to question it.”
Xerxes sighed softly when he heard this.
"Really... What a pity. Originally, I wanted to answer all your questions."
After hearing this, Elena straightened up and opened her mouth.
Have you and your wife consummated your marriage?
Just as she was about to ask, she immediately closed her mouth and realized that she had almost said something immodest, and her face immediately turned red.
"What's wrong?"
"Ah, no...nothing, then...Your Majesty, can I ask you a question?"
"Can."
"Did you...really come from heaven?"
Xerxes thought for a moment, and then said softly:
"You can say that."
"Is there really...a god in the sky?"
Xerxes suddenly grinned and said in a teasing tone:
"It would be terrible if the high priest heard what you said."
Elena immediately shrank her neck, realizing that what she had just said was indeed very serious - in this land with strong divine power, speaking disrespectful words to God is a serious crime, and in many kingdoms it is a death sentence.
"I know my crime."
"Don't be nervous, don't be nervous, I was just joking."
Seeing the tears in the little princess's eyes, Xerxes quickly waved his hand.
"Ah, back to the question just now, heaven, how should I say...gods, if you look at them from your perspective, there may be them."
"Then you are really a child of God?"
Speaking of this issue, the smile on Xerxes' face gradually faded and turned into an indescribable heaviness.
"It's not easy being a child of 'God'."
