Silent Crown

Lola really meant what she said as she completely ignored Ye Qingxuan the moment she reached the venue. She could not be bothered to entertain other people, and single-mindedly headed to the old scholars that were gathered in a corner. She would treat this event as an opportunity to network with a few historians. In the end, Ye Qingxuan was surrounded by so many people that he was almost completely drowned out by the crowd. Fortunately, he managed to find a lifesaver at the very last moment.

Tristan. He was the previous vice-captain of the Knights of the Round Table. After the death of Lancelot and realizing that he has been used, Tristan stepped down from his position and relinquished all his powers to Ye Qingxuan and Christine. Since then, he had been leading a reclusive lifestyle. His appearance was simply a saving grace to Ye Qingxuan.

Tristan was now close to 50 years old, and although his hair might be balding, he was still as fit and strong as when he was middle-aged. He was always known for his stern and unsmiling image. He was the stereotypical knight—reliable, willing to sacrifice his life for the country, and a somewhat boring person that few noble families were fond of. With him around, one would not have to worry about being disturbed by others. A glance of his blind left eye was all it would take to scare away all the ordinary busybodies.

But the awkward thing was that Ye Qingxuan had nothing to talk to him about. Tristan had always been a man of few words and sometimes, it almost inappropriate to make a joke around him. Talk about women? No way. Talk about country matters… Ye Qingxuan did not care much about that. He has already delegated his job to Gavin, matters related to the Religious Court of Inquiry to Shi Dong, and his scheduling duties to Lola.

It was rare that Tristan would try to tactfully advise Ye Qingxuan to focus more on matters related to the country. After all, he was the Queen’s Keeper of the Seal so all governmental decrees could only go through with his seal. On top of that, he was also the Prince of Avalon and deputy ruler of Anglo. After commenting about the weather for the umpteenth time, Tristan finally sensed Ye Qingxuan’s awkwardness and shook his head before raising his glass. “If Your Majesty does not mind me being dull and boring, please feel free to spend your time with an old man like me. There will only be peace and quiet here and nothing else.”

Ye Qingxuan could finally breathe easier. “In that case, I’m going to have to impose on you.” Thereafter, he and Tristan sat on a sofa in a corner of the banquet hall. They quietly observed people passing them by, as they sat as still as statues. After some time, Ye Qingxuan suddenly recalled the report he received a few days ago and could not help but ask, “Mr. Tristan, will you not reconsider rejoining the knights? The Tristan family has always been the backbone of the Knights of the Round Table. Without your presence, it’s almost as if the Knights of the Round Table has lost half of its spirit.”

“I have handed over everything to Geraint. He is a proper knight. With him around, the Knights of the Round Table will be fine.” Tristan touched his fake eye with his metal hand. “Your Highness, I’m so old that I may die on the sickbed anytime. The last thing I should do is to continue to hold on to my position.”

Ye Qingxuan was silent for a moment. “Knights should die with a sword in their hands.”

“I know.” Tristan sighed. “Our ancestors have always done the same, so let me be the embarrassment. I have toiled for so many years. Now is the time to rest. Next month, after the things in the capital have been settled, I plan to leave Avalon.”

“Where to? Back to the manor?”

“Yup, my daughter has built a house for me beside the lake so I can go fishing during my free time. The fishes there are pretty decent and can be made into good soup. Your Highness doesn’t have to worry. With half a year’s time, my successor will definitely be able to prove that he is worthy of taking over the Tristan armor. Please allow him to assist Christine and serve Your Highness on my behalf.”

Tristan’s mind had been made up and he even found a successor. Ye Qingxuan knew that there was no way he could convince him otherwise so he only nodded and sighed. “In that case, I wish you a happy retirement.”

Tristan finally smiled before emptying his glass of champagne in one shot. The sound of melodies could be heard. It had finally begun.

With the announcement of Mary’s arrival, she finally stepped into the banquet hall. Unlike what everyone was expecting, she was not dressed in her usual rigid and formal clothes. She wore a simple evening gown and her golden hair was tied up neatly. It was customary to make a simple speech but once that was over, Mary had no intentions of maintaining a dignified and stern image. She raised her glass. “When mother was still alive, she was most fond of parties that were free and easy. Everyone, please relax and enjoy yourselves to the fullest.”

Everyone took Mary’s cue and raised their glasses as well. Then, all of them looked towards Ye Qingxuan. It was also customary that the person of the highest position in this event should give a toast to the Queen. By right, there should not be anything too special about that. But when the audience’s gaze swung between Ye Qingxuan and Mary, there seemed to be a suspicion of an ambiguous relationship between the two of them, for their attires looked very compatible. It was almost as if they had planned for it together.

Ye Qingxuan did not allow such a complicated atmosphere to persist for too long. He took a glass from the waiter and raised it. “May the heavens bless Anglo and may the king bless me.”

“May the king bless me!” Everyone echoed before drinking up heartily. With his glass of champagne in hand, Ye Qingxuan scanned the area around him and was just about to sneak away when a hand pushed him lightly from behind. As a result, he took a step forward rather clumsily. He wriggled his fingers slightly so that all the alcohol that would have spilled were returned back into the glass instantaneously. He made it look as if he had taken a step forward nonchalantly to drink up his glass of champagne before putting it back onto the tray. He subtly gave Lola a stare for what had just happened.

Lola was not concerned about the fury in his stare and only smiled wider because of it. Mary also sensed Ye Qingxuan’s embarrassment, and her mouth curled into a smile. Ye Qingxuan’s actions attracted everyone’s attention so he was in the spotlight once again.

Ye Qingxuan coughed lightly and showed none of the awkwardness that he was feeling. He continued forward until he reached Mary. Under everyone’s gaze, he bowed and stretched out his palm. “May I have the honor to have the first dance of the night with Your Majesty?”

Mary almost wanted to laugh at how Ye Qingxuan was put in a difficult spot. Just as it was getting a little awkward, she stretched out her wrist and placed them in his hands. “My pleasure.”

Everyone parted very quickly to the side, clearing the way to the middle of the dancefloor. Once they were in their positions, the conductor raised his conductor baton and a beautiful melody was soon playing in the air. Fortunately, Ye Qingxuan had read through two books on palace dances before he came so he managed to pull it off, even though his movements might be a little stiff. The only thing was that they sometimes got too close during the dance.

Being so close to the Queen and feeling the white silk material in his hands, he was at a loss somewhat. Fortunately, the awkwardness did not last for too long as Mary asked quietly, “What do you think about this gown? The tailor just about managed to rush it out in time. Do you think it suits me?”

“It’s simply beautiful and astounding. I am completely captivated.” Ye Qingxuan maintained his smile as he lavished plenty of praise. This gown was a good fit for Mary’s body shape but what made it impressive was its ability to capture her sophisticated qualities while maintaining an air of authority. On top of that, it did not seem out of place when she stood beside Ye Qingxuan’s attire, which was similar to a uniform. The tailor has put in a lot of effort. It was not easy. Ye Qingxuan swallowed his saliva and realized that his throat hurt.

“Is that so?” Mary raised her eyebrow with a teasing look. “Are you feeling nervous?”

“Yes.” Ye Qingxuan nodded. He could not help but sigh and answer honestly, “Your Majesty’s favor has taken me by surprise.”

Mary looked at the complicated expression on his face and was able to see the embarrassment and nervousness. She smiled slyly. “I had no other choice, Your Highness. You have to think from my position too.” In the middle of the dance, she leaned forward slightly. Her entire body was almost touching Ye Qingxuan. She put her lips close to his ear and whispered, “I apologize for today. At least… don’t let them think that it was a one-sided affection. It will make things very awkward for the Queen.”

“My apologies, it’s my fault.”

Mary smiled and shook her head. “Say no more of such things. Let’s dance.”

“Alright.” Ye Qingxuan nodded his head and focused his attention on following Mary’s movements. He could feel a layer of sweat on his palms as he touched her slender waist to twirl her around to the music. As the melody gently played, he could hear the sound of her breathing. It made him feel as if the Queen was like fog and he needed to release her hands so that she could slowly float into the sky.

But Mary held onto his hands all the way. She looked at him quietly with a smile on her face. Her gaze was focused and serious. When the melody finally came to an end, Ye Qingxuan could not believe how time had passed by so quickly and everything that had just happened felt as short as only a moment.

“Mr. Ye,” amidst the applause, he could hear Mary’s voice, “can you give me a hug?” She looked at Ye Qingxuan and said quietly, “Just for a while.”

Ye Qingxuan did not say anything, except to stretch out his hands and take her into his arms. “As long as you want,” he whispered.

Mary smiled and leaned against his chest. “Thank you.”

Ye Qingxuan lowered his eyes. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Mary’s voice, “It seems that parties are not entirely useless. We might as well have one every day.”

Ye Qingxuan was stunned. Your Majesty, is it worth doing this just for a dance? There are many things in Anglo that still need to be done. If you start the ball rolling by holding extravagant parties, when will this nightlife end!

“Cough cough, Your Majesty, if there is anything you require of me in the future, you only need to summon me. There is no need to go to such great lengths and waste the country’s money.” Ye Qingxuan quickly put a stop to the idea, only to see the corners of Mary’s mouth curling up into a smile.

“Are you initiating a rendezvous? I am glad to know that the Prince is so earnest.”

“…” Ye Qingxuan was about to vomit blood. He had a nagging feeling that he had fallen into Mary’s trap but strangely enough, he did not dislike it.

“Don’t worry, I will not trouble you. Just don’t avoid me next time.” Mary released her hands at last and straightened his collar. Then, she tip-toed and whispered into his ear, “I am available on Saturday afternoon.”

Ye Qingxuan saw only darkness.