Chapter 1458 Opening Ceremony (2)
Dinael saw the stream of people, heading toward the academy through the window. The sidewalk was crowded with people. She was glad that Sis Elin had a car ready for her. Or else she might be in that crowd.
If the sidewalk was crowded, then the front gate of the academy was flooded with people. There was barely any space for her and the guards to squish into the academy. But of course, their car went smoothly in an empty lane.
She looked at the entrance gate. The signboard of Tang Academy, written in gold-red with a dragon statue above. It did not look as simple as she thought to visit the academy in the future.
Tarriors were on the gate, mixed with the beastmen. She also noticed the elves above the gate. The academy was fortified by a twenty-meter-tall wall. It was more like a fortress than an academy.
The guard let them in when Elin's name was mentioned. They entered the wide and long road. At the end of the road, she could see the massive arena.
The car headed to the arena, meaning the opening ceremony was in that arena. She finally got a clear look at the arena. The majestic dragon carved left her amazed. At the other side of the arena, there was a five-headed dragon's statue which was much taller than the already massive arena.
The car headed to the underground parking lot which did not have many cars parked. She could tell this parking lot was for the higher-ups.
Dinael could not help but feel nervous and subconsciously stayed closer to Elin. This place was where all her enemies gathered. Those people on the street might not know about her identity. But the officers of Tarrior knew her, especially the high-ranking officers. She had met them, and they looked at her unkindly because of her status.
As they entered the elevator, Elin noticed Dinael's concerns, "It's okay. No one will hurt or bother you on this big day. Unless those people are stupid to ruin the opening ceremony."
Dinael nodded her head. She thought Elinova would stay with her, but then she was led to the exclusive box with a great view. There was another familiar inside the box. A graceful elf in a white dress and a little girl on her lap.
She was the former Elven Kingdom's queen who later became The Emperor's wife. There was a big rumor around her. Something that should not be said about. In particular, Ava birthed the first princess of the Tang Empire.
Her heartbeat jumped a little bit when she met that emotionless gaze. But then Ava's emotionless face turned into a beautiful smile, "Why are you here, Elin? Shouldn't you be on the stage with His Majesty?"
"I am," Elin nodded, "I am just dropping her here," She then approached Ava and Xiulan.
The first thing she did was kiss Xiulan's puffy cheek before whispering to Ava, "Can you watch her for me until the opening ceremony, Ava? Please…"
Ava let out a sigh, glancing at the nervous Dinael, "Alright, but just this once. Go now, or you will be late."
Elinova let out a small laugh, "Thank you, Ava. You will be the first one to taste my new dish. I promise," After saying that, she went to Dinael, "You can watch here, and I will pick you up later. Enjoy the show."
Before Dinael could say anything, Elin left the booth while waving her hand at Dinael. She was left alone with a person who disliked her.
Ava was different from Zhang Mengyao. The former showed her dislike, making her know that she was not liked while the latter did not show much hostility. The booth was spacious, enough for fifty people to accommodate fifty people.
Five lines of coaches with a glass table each in front of the seat. She took the front seat, two seats away from Ava. Not too close, but not too far either. She just did not want to offend Ava by sitting too far from her.
"Sit here!"
Dinael was surprised to see where Ava pointed at. It was the same coach where Ava and her daughter sat. On the same coach, not even the next coach of where Ava sat.
It was too uncomfortable for her to sit next to Ava. But she did not dare to refuse either. Since she lost her power, she became careful and cautious.
She enjoyed her time here so far as a prisoner, so she did not want to ruin it by offending anyone until the end of the truce.
Dinael nodded and sat on the same couch. "Have you had breakfast yet?"
Another surprise that Ava asked her. Dinael was sure they were not that close to asking something like that. That alerted her even more, but she still answered honestly, "Yes, I have my breakfast already, Madam Ava."
"Get snacks and refreshments for her," Ava told the elf maid who stayed close to her all the time.
"Yes, My Lady."
Dinael was about to refuse, but the maid already left the booth, quicker than her reaction. She was nervous and anxious, always trying to think thrice before she said something. Especially when she spoke to someone like Ava.
She was about to see the arena but she felt a stare at her. It felt like she was being watched. At first, she thought she was being watched by an expert from the Tang Empire. But she quickly found out who was watching her. It was the first Princess, the famed cute and genius princess, Tang Xiulan.
Xiulan was holding a red claw from the Coco Crab, one of the famed dishes in the Tang Empire. The claw was cracked in half with white meat. Her mouth was munching, staring at her innocently with the purple round eyes. The slit red pupil reminded her of the dragon's eyes.
Tang Xiulan was a phenomenon in the Tang Empire. At the age of three months, she could walk. Everyone in the empire knew it because The Emperor celebrated it, throwing a festival to celebrate it. At the age of five months, she could speak as well. Calling her mother Mama, and her father Dada. And the elated Emperor threw another festival to celebrate again.
The first princes became the topic of conversation whenever she went. They praised the first princess and called her The Genius Princess. And that genius Princess was staring at her right now, her eyes round wide, staring at her while munching the crab meat.
Dinael was not sure about being a genius, but she now saw the first princess closely. She agreed that Tang Xiulan was cute. The puffy cheeks, the round eyes, and the innocent yet curious look.
Dinael pretended not to notice and fortunately, the maid was quick to deliver the snack and the drink. She immediately grabbed the drink. It was grape juice, not her favorite, but better than nothing.
Tang Xiulan finished munching the crab meat in her mouth, blinking her eyes while staring at Dinael, "Is she a new Mom, Mama?"
Dinael spurted the grape juice in her mouth, shocked to hear that from the little princess. That earned a frown from Ava as well as the maid.
"Ah-ah… I am sorry…." Dinael was about to clean her mess, but the maid was faster than her. Gesturing at her to stay away.
Ava shook her head, "No. She is not your new mom. Why do you think she is your new mom, Xiulan?"
"This lady is pretty, and I thought all pretty ladies were Dada's wives."
Dinael almost burst into laughter when she heard that. That was funny coming from a little girl who was not even a year old. What made it funnier was Xiulan's innocent tone.
Ava massaged the space between her eyes. She understood why her daughter thought that way, and it was her father's fault. In the last four months, Tang Shaoyang introduced her to Lilliana the resurrected spirit, Zara who was still a spirit, Lunea, and Avyn.
Even though Avyn was a different case. Tang Shaoyang already told all the girls about his promise to Lunea, Zara, and Lilliana. Avyn was not in that part. The frost dragon did it on her own, not introduced by Tang Shaoyang. Avyn came out on her own and told Xiulan that she was also Xiulan's mother.
That was right because Xiulan was introduced to a new, pretty mom in the last four months. The little princess thought Dinael was also her new mom.
"Look, Dada is on the stage!" Ava distracted her daughter, pointing at the platform.
Only then did Tang Xiulan look away from Dinael. She came down from her mother's lap and walked to the window glass to find her father.
There was a big stage in the arena with twenty main seats, and Tang Shaoyang was sitting on the honored seats. His seat was higher than the others, and her ten wives were sitting one level below him. Not all the girls were on the stage, but ten were there to represent the Queen.
There was no official Queen because Tang Shaoyang refused to appoint one Queen. He said all his wives were Queen, telling his people to regard her wives as Queen.
Elinova was there with Zhang Mengyao, Kang Xue, Li Shuang, Rosalie, Jasmine, Sylvia, Aleesa, Delia, and Selena.
A level below the Queens were the high-ranking officers. Vice Supreme General Wei Xi and Alton along with four Marshals and four Ministers. With the presence of the Emperor, it was followed with a dragon roar that echoed through the air, indicating the start of the opening ceremony for Tang Academy as well as the competition.
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