After an hour of frantic sprinting that would have killed a lesser athlete, the young
lady—now revealed to be named Jasmine—finally skidded to a halt. They stood at the
peak of a jagged mountain, breathless before the magnificent Shrine of the Water
God, Suiseiryu. The architecture was a marvel of white stone and flowing water,
echoing the ancient "Current of the Winged Messenger". Jasmine stood nervously
outside the towering gates, her mismatched stockings torn and her pink pigtails a
tangled mess, yet she still gripped Jee-shahn's hand with the strength of a drowning
woman.
Beside her, Jee-shahn was a shell of a monster. He didn't even care that he was
standing before a holy monument of a sibling god. His head hung low, his silver hair
shadowing his face, and his soul was visibly weeping over the "pancaked" Grey Hawk
he had been forced to leave behind. To him, the majesty of the shrine was nothing
compared to the tragedy of a lost snack.
The massive shrine gates groaned open with a heavy, rhythmic sound like a rising
tide. Standing in the center was Jasmine's father, the High Priest of Aurex. He
possessed a sharp, disciplined presence, his face initially set in a stern mask that
softened into a terrifyingly polite smile as he looked at his daughter. He was sofocused on her that he didn't even notice the small, heartbroken boy standing in her
shadow.
"Jasmine," the High Priest spoke, his voice vibrating with the weight of the sea. "Do
you have any concept of the time? We have guests. Other Royal family members have
already arrived for the meeting—including the candidates for your groom to be
chosen tomorrow."
Jasmine's face went pale, her blue eyes wide with shock. "I... I won't marry any of
them, Father!"
The High Priest sighed, a sound like receding surf. "If you truly disliked my choices, I
would have no problem if you had found someone yourself. I only wish for your
happiness. But hear me clearly: if your heart is empty, you will marry the one I choose
for the sake of the foundation."
A desperate, wild thought flashed through Jasmine's mind. She looked at the
silver-haired "traveler" she was still clutching. In one swift motion, she yanked the
grieving Jee-shahn forward, thrusting him directly into her father's line of sight.
Jee-shahn didn't even look up; he was still mentally calculating the amount of gravy
he could have made from that bird.
"Father!" Jasmine cried out, her voice trembling. "I love him! I'm going to marry him!"
The clearing went silent. The High Priest froze, his sharp gaze finally landing on the
boy. He looked at Jee-shahn's ornate, fur-lined robes and his aura of profound, lazy
indiference. He released a long, slow breath, his eyes narrowing as he performed a
silent, intense evaluation of the "groom."
"Fine," the High Priest finally said, a sharp glint in his eyes. "If you love each other, I
have no problem with this."
Jasmine's face lit up with a triumphant smile, but it vanished instantly as her father
continued.
"Since you have chosen your own groom so suddenly, I shall inform the other Royal
families immediately. Your marriage will be formally announced tomorrow during the
Royal Meeting."
With a final, sharp smile that felt like a death sentence, the High Priest turned and
vanished back into the depths of the shrine. Jasmine stood frozen, feeling as though
a thunderstorm had just struck her soul, while Jee-shahn finally blinked, looking
around with a confused, vacant expression.
"Did someone say something about a meeting?" Jee-shahn asked lazily. "Is there
going to be food there, or am I just here for the scenery?