The Adventure continues...
Jul. 5th, 2009 05:34 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
mistresshuette.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
fandomaniaPlease click and view our eggs and hatchlings. I do the same for you. Thanks.
Our eggs:
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Our hatchlings:
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Although the hall was filled with family, I managed to find Donal and find a seat next to him. He was sitting at a table next to the wall, with the open windows behind us, so that we could benefit from the cool breeze that blew in. The table was perpendicular to the head table, at which sat Piatrus in the center, with Su Wei to his left and Ferrell and Suthi seated to his right. With Piatrus finally seated, the banquet finally began.
Chef Ifon outdid himself in the beauty and the subtle flavors of each dish. There were many dishes offered so that everyone could choose their favorites and not have to eat something they didn’t care for. The offerings included roast beef in a wine sauce, roast lamb in a rosemary garlic sauce, roast ham in a cherry sauce, white fish braised in lemon and butter, pink fish braised in beer and herbs, roast hen in stuffed with onion and sage leaves, and smoked duck stuffed with oranges. The side dishes included rice cooked with pine nuts and saffron, noodles covered with a cameline sauce, an omelet filled with mushrooms, cheese and spinach, and fresh salad greens with nasturtium and violet blossoms. The desserts included almond paste candies formed in clever shapes, sweetened cheese curds with candied citrus peals and stuffed in a hollow pastry shell, strawberry flavored sweetened whipped cream, and frozen egg custards shaped into sea shells and dipped in dark chocolate.
Despite all the beautiful foods and succulent smells, I wasn’t very hungry. Donal noticed that I just played with my food and rarely took a bite. It seemed like it was going to be a constant issue. I didn’t know why I wasn’t hungry, but I just wasn’t. Donal began to wheedle me, enticing me with his words. Before I knew it, I had eaten most of what he had put on my plate. He even managed to get me to eat a frozen custard and some strawberry whipped cream. Although he made me sputter and blush beet red when he said that he was going to get some of the whipped cream dessert for later, because he wanted to smear it all over my body and slowly lick it off.
I also noticed that Su Wei was having problems eating, even though she looked like she was very hungry. She kept staring at the food but not touching it. Piatrus eventually noticed her behavior and said something to her, which made her shake her head negatively. Piatrus then signaled his manservant and said something to him. His servant came back a few minutes later with a long black box. Piatrus opened it and brought out two decorated sticks that were pointed at one end and gave them to Su Wei. Her face brightened and she kissed him. She somehow managed to use these sticks to eat with. I had never seen anything like it. Within seconds, she was happily eating and picking up her food without dropping it. She looked so natural and graceful.
When everyone had their fill of food, some of the tables were cleared away and some of the men brought out their musical instruments; ouds, violins, flutes, and drums.
They started with a slow couples dance. One of the few I had managed to learn. Donal and I joined the other couples who wished to dance. We linked our right arms together with our hands clasped together and help upwards, we stood side by side, facing in opposite directions, but looking only at each other. When the haunting music started, we began to dance. Step left, together, step left and close. Then turn and change arms. Step right, together, step right and close. Then facing each other, in place, step left over right, then right over left and repeat. Repeat this starting to the right. And repeat it all over again. While everyone was dancing, Uncle Eoin started to sing the ballad in his beautiful, rich tenor voice.
My secret love, your sweet glance
Has lit a flame inside my heart!
Ah, my love, ah my darling girl!
Your two lips taste just like honey, ah!
Ah, secret love, your exotic face!
Madness starts to overcome me.
Ah, I cannot endure much more.
I must steal you from your family, ah!
My green-eyed, my wild secret love!
My life changes with a single kiss.
Ah, my love, ah one little kiss, ah!
From your sweet, perfect little mouth, ah!
The music and the song was repeated three times through to give everyone a chance to dance for several minutes.
The next dance changed to a men only line dance. The men lined up and held each other’s hand by linking only their pinky fingers together. They lined up, with Piatrus as the head of the line and Donal at the end. When the instrumental music started, all the men started dancing the same basic dance steps, as they moved their hands in a circle back and forth. When the second round of music began, Piatrus started doing a simple but strenuous series of solo dance steps for that round, while the rest repeated the same basic steps over and over until it was their turn to solo. When the music started to repeat, then Piatrus stepped back and let the next person solo, while he moved to the end of the line. The second person had to repeat what Piatrus had done, but add a second step to it. With the third repeat, the next man had to follow suit all the way down the line. By the time it was Donal’s turn to dance, the steps were very complex, but he executed them beautifully, gracefully, completely, adding his own final step to the solo.
Donal looked so wonderful, so lithe and carefree, it was a pleasure to watch him dance.
But the music continued for another repeat as Piatrus did each and every step that had been done by the previous dancers. Despite his age, you could tell that he had been performing this dance many times over the years and it showed. He was a little out of breath when the dance ended, but then so were all the other men.
To give the men a rest, the musicians played some instrumental music. During this time, Su Wei left the hall and returned sometime later with her maids. All three of them were carrying musical instruments. One maid, Lili, carried a strange looking instrument and a bow. The instrument that looked like a small drum lying on its side, with a long wooden neck with two cross-bars and two silk strings. The other maid, Lotus, carried a flute. Su Wei carried an instrument like an oud, but smaller and teardrop shaped. When the musicians finished their piece, Su Wei and her maids walked over to them and asked if they could play and sing a song. When they had permission, they found chairs and sat down facing the family.
“I wish to sing a song for everyone that comes from my country, Shiangkau. This song was written over two thousand years ago by a court musician for the Emperor. When the Emperor heard this song, he was so moved that he questioned the musician about whom he wrote the song. The musician said that this was about a woman whom he loved, but who was above his class. The Emperor summoned the woman and fell in love with her himself and made her his concubine. When the musician realized this, he killed himself rather than watch his love with another man.
“I will sing this song first in my own language. I will then sing it in Common Tongue.”
She and her maids began to play and Su Wei began to sing. She sang in a very light high soprano.
Bei fang you jia ren
Jue shi er du li
Yi gu qing ren cheng
Zai gu qing ren guo
Ning bu zhi
Qing cheng yu qing guo
Jia ren nan zai de
An extraordinary beauty from the North
The most beautiful being of the world
A glance from her, the whole city bows down
A second glance leaves the empire in ruins
There exists no city or empire
That has been more desired
Than a beauty like this.
The gorgeous sound of her voice with the poignant song and music stunned everyone. There was absolute silence in the hall as she sang and for a few seconds afterwards. Once everyone realized that she had finished, they broke into a loud and long round of applause.
Su Wei and her maids bowed gracefully and then walked back to their seats. Minutes later, the music and dancing resumed in earnest.
Before she sat down, Su Wei spoke to me. “I sang this song because it seemed to be talking about you. If you allowed them, men would fight wars or conquer empires for you, you are so beautiful.”
Our eggs:
§ § § § Our hatchlings:
§ § § § Although the hall was filled with family, I managed to find Donal and find a seat next to him. He was sitting at a table next to the wall, with the open windows behind us, so that we could benefit from the cool breeze that blew in. The table was perpendicular to the head table, at which sat Piatrus in the center, with Su Wei to his left and Ferrell and Suthi seated to his right. With Piatrus finally seated, the banquet finally began.
Chef Ifon outdid himself in the beauty and the subtle flavors of each dish. There were many dishes offered so that everyone could choose their favorites and not have to eat something they didn’t care for. The offerings included roast beef in a wine sauce, roast lamb in a rosemary garlic sauce, roast ham in a cherry sauce, white fish braised in lemon and butter, pink fish braised in beer and herbs, roast hen in stuffed with onion and sage leaves, and smoked duck stuffed with oranges. The side dishes included rice cooked with pine nuts and saffron, noodles covered with a cameline sauce, an omelet filled with mushrooms, cheese and spinach, and fresh salad greens with nasturtium and violet blossoms. The desserts included almond paste candies formed in clever shapes, sweetened cheese curds with candied citrus peals and stuffed in a hollow pastry shell, strawberry flavored sweetened whipped cream, and frozen egg custards shaped into sea shells and dipped in dark chocolate.
Despite all the beautiful foods and succulent smells, I wasn’t very hungry. Donal noticed that I just played with my food and rarely took a bite. It seemed like it was going to be a constant issue. I didn’t know why I wasn’t hungry, but I just wasn’t. Donal began to wheedle me, enticing me with his words. Before I knew it, I had eaten most of what he had put on my plate. He even managed to get me to eat a frozen custard and some strawberry whipped cream. Although he made me sputter and blush beet red when he said that he was going to get some of the whipped cream dessert for later, because he wanted to smear it all over my body and slowly lick it off.
I also noticed that Su Wei was having problems eating, even though she looked like she was very hungry. She kept staring at the food but not touching it. Piatrus eventually noticed her behavior and said something to her, which made her shake her head negatively. Piatrus then signaled his manservant and said something to him. His servant came back a few minutes later with a long black box. Piatrus opened it and brought out two decorated sticks that were pointed at one end and gave them to Su Wei. Her face brightened and she kissed him. She somehow managed to use these sticks to eat with. I had never seen anything like it. Within seconds, she was happily eating and picking up her food without dropping it. She looked so natural and graceful.
When everyone had their fill of food, some of the tables were cleared away and some of the men brought out their musical instruments; ouds, violins, flutes, and drums.
They started with a slow couples dance. One of the few I had managed to learn. Donal and I joined the other couples who wished to dance. We linked our right arms together with our hands clasped together and help upwards, we stood side by side, facing in opposite directions, but looking only at each other. When the haunting music started, we began to dance. Step left, together, step left and close. Then turn and change arms. Step right, together, step right and close. Then facing each other, in place, step left over right, then right over left and repeat. Repeat this starting to the right. And repeat it all over again. While everyone was dancing, Uncle Eoin started to sing the ballad in his beautiful, rich tenor voice.
My secret love, your sweet glance
Has lit a flame inside my heart!
Ah, my love, ah my darling girl!
Your two lips taste just like honey, ah!
Ah, secret love, your exotic face!
Madness starts to overcome me.
Ah, I cannot endure much more.
I must steal you from your family, ah!
My green-eyed, my wild secret love!
My life changes with a single kiss.
Ah, my love, ah one little kiss, ah!
From your sweet, perfect little mouth, ah!
The music and the song was repeated three times through to give everyone a chance to dance for several minutes.
The next dance changed to a men only line dance. The men lined up and held each other’s hand by linking only their pinky fingers together. They lined up, with Piatrus as the head of the line and Donal at the end. When the instrumental music started, all the men started dancing the same basic dance steps, as they moved their hands in a circle back and forth. When the second round of music began, Piatrus started doing a simple but strenuous series of solo dance steps for that round, while the rest repeated the same basic steps over and over until it was their turn to solo. When the music started to repeat, then Piatrus stepped back and let the next person solo, while he moved to the end of the line. The second person had to repeat what Piatrus had done, but add a second step to it. With the third repeat, the next man had to follow suit all the way down the line. By the time it was Donal’s turn to dance, the steps were very complex, but he executed them beautifully, gracefully, completely, adding his own final step to the solo.
Donal looked so wonderful, so lithe and carefree, it was a pleasure to watch him dance.
But the music continued for another repeat as Piatrus did each and every step that had been done by the previous dancers. Despite his age, you could tell that he had been performing this dance many times over the years and it showed. He was a little out of breath when the dance ended, but then so were all the other men.
To give the men a rest, the musicians played some instrumental music. During this time, Su Wei left the hall and returned sometime later with her maids. All three of them were carrying musical instruments. One maid, Lili, carried a strange looking instrument and a bow. The instrument that looked like a small drum lying on its side, with a long wooden neck with two cross-bars and two silk strings. The other maid, Lotus, carried a flute. Su Wei carried an instrument like an oud, but smaller and teardrop shaped. When the musicians finished their piece, Su Wei and her maids walked over to them and asked if they could play and sing a song. When they had permission, they found chairs and sat down facing the family.
“I wish to sing a song for everyone that comes from my country, Shiangkau. This song was written over two thousand years ago by a court musician for the Emperor. When the Emperor heard this song, he was so moved that he questioned the musician about whom he wrote the song. The musician said that this was about a woman whom he loved, but who was above his class. The Emperor summoned the woman and fell in love with her himself and made her his concubine. When the musician realized this, he killed himself rather than watch his love with another man.
“I will sing this song first in my own language. I will then sing it in Common Tongue.”
She and her maids began to play and Su Wei began to sing. She sang in a very light high soprano.
Bei fang you jia ren
Jue shi er du li
Yi gu qing ren cheng
Zai gu qing ren guo
Ning bu zhi
Qing cheng yu qing guo
Jia ren nan zai de
An extraordinary beauty from the North
The most beautiful being of the world
A glance from her, the whole city bows down
A second glance leaves the empire in ruins
There exists no city or empire
That has been more desired
Than a beauty like this.
The gorgeous sound of her voice with the poignant song and music stunned everyone. There was absolute silence in the hall as she sang and for a few seconds afterwards. Once everyone realized that she had finished, they broke into a loud and long round of applause.
Su Wei and her maids bowed gracefully and then walked back to their seats. Minutes later, the music and dancing resumed in earnest.
Before she sat down, Su Wei spoke to me. “I sang this song because it seemed to be talking about you. If you allowed them, men would fight wars or conquer empires for you, you are so beautiful.”
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no subject
Date: 2009-07-06 01:23 am (UTC)the first part made me hungry, and the dancing made me want to join in! :D
no subject
Date: 2009-07-06 10:25 am (UTC)The song that Su Wei sings really is a 2000 year old song. It was written in 98 BC, during the Han Dynasty. When I stumbled across it, I just had to use it because it fit so well. Freedonia and Alfaria both are way north of Shiangkau.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-06 01:29 pm (UTC)and cool abou Su Wei's song! :D