Kingdom of Power, of Courage, and of Wisdom

Kanyou's War - The Kingslayer

-Ryo-

Ryo rose to the sound of trumpets and horns. Departing his bed and stepping onto the balcony, he saw a great crowd had filled the streets as far as he could see. It was if every home was emptied. His concubines stirred and complained of the noise, but he ignored them, put on his outer robes, and departed. He talked with those in his house as to what had happened, and none could answer, though it was evident a great occasion had started akin to a holiday. The people were celebrating, not rioting nor mourning.

"There is no holiday... The Dragon Boat Festival is not for ten days," Ryo said.

"Then why do the people act as if there is a holiday?" His people wondered. "Is there an occasion we missed?"

Ryo sighed. He felt ignorant and out of control. Ever since Bi Ki appeared again, his carefully constructed foundation had shattered and he no longer had a careful overview of what was transpiring around him. He needed to regain his focus. He was slipping if a holiday had come without his knowledge.

So Ryo took his personal guard and entered into the city. He asked those he found on the street. They could tell him some things, but there was no clear answer. The people said that a messenger from the palace had stood and declared that today was to be a day of celebration, that this whole week was to be a week of joy, for the royal family was to be married.

Ryo stood shocked and numb in the street when he heard it. The royal family was to be married? To whom?!

"Who is Zelda marrying? I have heard nothing of this! How much have I missed?!" Ryo wondered.

He went to the gates of the palace, but was not allowed entry. With the marriage to come, then the palace was locked even from him. An understandable thing to do, as royalty are required to spend time in quiet solitude and prayer before the marriage.

Ryo sighed. There would be nothing he could learn or do with the palace under lockdown. He would have to wait until the hour in question.

-Two Days Later-

The celebration had not ended, nor the noise to Ryo's annoyance, but it had only increased in the last hour. Messengers on horses rode down every street loudly announcing the marriage was to be held at the temple at the sixth hour of the day.

(Note: Culturally, the 6th hour of the day would be 12:00, when the sun is at its peak.)

Ryo did not know when the hour would be, but he had made preperations anyway. He put on his finest clothing, ordered his men and soldiers to adorn themselves in holiday clothes and golden armor. (Gold is impractical in combat, and so is only used for appearance.) With his procession prepared, he headed to the temple.

The streets were filled with streamers and lantern-balloons. Singers and games were on every street corner. The markets were bussling with masks and food and clothing. Out of the corner of his vision, on the walls of the capital city, were set up with powder for fireworks.

Surrounding the temple was a literal wall of shields. The royal guard stood in formation around it in their golden, shining armor. Their spears were long and their shields tall. It was not that they had any intention of combat, the spears had caps on their ends surrounded in cloth and rubber to not pierce or cut anyone by accident, but it was still a powerful image of majesty. A majestic atmosphere encouraged more so by the Fae to fly about out of reach and the marble, moving statues watching the crowd from the temple steps.

Ryo was allowed entry, as well as two of those he chose from his group, in addition to three guards.

Ryo entered the temple, stopped, and nearly gaped in awe. It had been many years since he had been to a royal marriage, so many that he found himself missing his old friend, the king, but it seemed Zelda aimed to outdo her father in appearance. The walls were covered in tapestries hanging from the ceiling. There was a tapestry for every major house in Qin, a larger tapestry for the royal family and Qin itself, and the largest one in the center towards the back with the triple-triangular bird that represented the whole region as it was known hundreds of years ago: Hyrule.