“Your sweetheart is learning fast and doing exceptionally well, isn’t she?” whispered Singha to Prince Chen as he watched Tara demonstrating all the movements.
“Yes, indeed. It takes an ordinary person six years to master the twelve steps. Yet, she did it within three weeks. That’s truly phenomenal. Her talent is impressive beyond my wildest dreams.”
Tara walked over confidently, knowing that she did well in the demonstration. “So how is my performance? Am I ready to receive my magical beast?”
“Not so soon. You need to apply what you’ve learned and pass my test. Let’s start now.”
Prince Chen had the first mover advantage and he kept launching attacks. Tara was in a defensive state; trying to switch to attacking but to no avail. It did not take long for her to be completely subdued by him.
Scowling at him, she bellowed, “Let go of my hands! It hurts!” Her pride was dented. She was not thrilled by her own performance. She wanted to be better than Prince Chen.
“You did really well for a beginner,” Prince Chen said, releasing his grip. “A little more practice and you should be ready.”
If Prince Chen could master the Waltz within an afternoon, why can’t I master the dragon fists after three weeks of learning? Tara was certainly not too pleased with herself. Despite all the efforts and hard work, she was still unable to gain the upper hand when dueling against Prince Chen. Stalking off to the nearby pond, she sat beside it and stared mindlessly at the wriggling tadpoles. She picked up some pebbles and threw them into the pond, trying to vent her frustration.
“Hey Tara…wait…” cried Prince Chen, sensing her disappointment. “I shall grant you an exemption this time. By virtue of your love of animals, I think you’re qualified to select your own magical beast,” declared Prince Chen.
Tara’s eyes sparkled with exuberance and delight. “That’s awesome! Thank you so much!” Animals were the joy of her world. She used to volunteer in the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Singapore. For her, love was incomplete without love for children and animals.
The air was fresh with misty clouds floating all around on Cloud Nine that day. There were spectacular silvery mountain peaks and valleys where the golden deer, lions, peacocks, and elephants roamed about. White pine trees jutted out at creative angles on the mountain cliff while red-crowned cranes, eagles, and phoenixes flew in the sky. There was a majestic waterfall gushing down and vanishing under the clouds.
As they trotted along the winding path to enter the inner mountain where the beasts resided, Prince Chen showed Tara some plants in Cloud Nine. He knew each of them could her build her strength and immunity.
“Tara, come take a look at this medicinal herb. It’s called the Phoenix Ginseng. It’s commonly known as Dang Gui in the human world. This herb is especially important for women in building blood health, boosting blood circulation, and treating abdominal cramps. Let me dig out some of the Dang Gui roots for you,” said Prince Chen, digging out the Phoenix Ginseng root.
“Okay, sure.” She helped him to put the ginseng inside the basket she was carrying.
“Take a look at the fresh Red Crystal. This is called the jujube fruit or the Chinese red date which is also beneficial for women. It helps replenish Qi and develop a healthy blood circulation. It’s also good for the spleen and stomach. I’m sure you’ll love it; it’s sweet, just like a candy. Would you like to try it? Open your mouth now. Let me feed you,” said Prince Chen, plucking one Red Crystal and handing over to Tara’s mouth.
Glancing at Prince Chen with a fluttering heart, she opened her mouth and tried one Red Crystal. “I like it! It’s so sweet and chewy!”
“Do you see this medicinal plant? It’s called the Dragon Ginseng. We have three types: the small, the medium, and the large. Let’s pluck some of them so we can make herbal soup for you at home. It’s healthy and delicious.”
“How sweet of you! Will you be doing the cooking? Cooking is not my forte, and I’m not confident in churning out appetizing dishes.”
“Of course! How can I let you do the cooking? You have such a pair of exquisitely smooth hands. It’s a pity if they’re used for menial jobs like cooking or gardening, am I right?” He looked at her hands in such a lustful way that Tara almost wanted to slap him again.
“Stop looking at my hand! If you don’t, I’m going to slap your face.”
“That’s exactly what I want!” laughed Prince Chen, scampering away.
“Oh yeah, come try it and don’t regret it,” hissed Tara, chasing after Prince Chen in a failed attempt to whack him because he scuttled off too quickly.
Large clouds started to gather, and it began to rain, moistening all the plants, thickets, and medicinal herbs on Cloud Nine. Tara and Prince Chen scrambled to find shelter and they ended up taking refuge under an enormous Bodhi tree.
“A Bodhi tree in Cloud Nine? That’s really marvelous!” exclaimed Tara as she admired the luxuriantly gigantic Bodhi tree with awe.
“Do you know why the Bodhi leaf is shaped like a heart?” asked Prince Chen, moving closer to Tara.
“The heart represents boundless love and compassion of the Buddha toward all living beings,” replied Tara with a contented smile.
“Bingo!” said Prince Chen with his trademark smile, plucking a Bodhi leaf from the tree and presenting it to Tara. “Here is the gift of the Buddha’s boundless love.” Tara accepted the Bodhi leaf delightfully.
Once Tara had accepted the leaf, Prince Chen continued, “The heart of the Bodhi leaf also represents my everlasting love for you.”
Holding the Bodhi leaf in her hand and hearing Prince Chen’s unabashed declaration of love to her, Tara turned rosy pink and her heart was warm with fuzziness. “I’m accepting the Buddha’s Universal Love, not your romantic love. I hope there is no misunderstanding between us in this regard.”
Prince Chen gently held both her hands, looked into her eyes and said sincerely, “Tara, I love you deeply and my heart is all yours. Will you be my girlfriend? I promise to adore you, dote on you, and bring you true happiness forever and ever.”
Tara observed his facial expression, which seemed sincere to her. While she was touched by his declaration of love, she thought it was impossible for a human and a dragon to have a marital union.
“Prince Chen, it’s heartwarming that we share the joy and love of Bodhi in our hearts. You know I’m a pragmatic person and I always make decisions based on reason. You’re a dragon and I’m a human; it’s just impossible for us to be together.”
“I’m not just a dragon but a dragon-human. I can transform myself into a full-fledged human anytime. If you’re agreeable, we can always have both dragon babies and human babies at the same time,” said Prince Chen, placing both her hands on his heart. “Love is not something that can be analyzed and rationalized using our brains. Love without emotions is like a lifeless body without a soul. Do you feel my heart now? That’s how I feel about you.”
The rain poured harder. Yet, that did not dampen his blazing heart pounding wildly as he slowly moved his head closer to her face.
Tara stood in front of him, her heart was thumping faster as Prince Chen’s lips almost touched her lips. Before he managed to give her a kiss, she pushed him away, retracted her hands, and turned her body around. “I’m sorry, Prince Chen… it’s just that…I’m not ready yet.”
Prince Chen was a little disappointed. “It’s alright. I’ll wait for you until you’re ready for me.”
The rain stopped after a while and the duo continued to walk along the meandering path.
“Cloud Nine is a paradise for plants and animals alike. Most of the species of trees found on Earth are available here in Cloud Nine. Secluded and isolated, all types of trees and plants flourish in their natural habitat over here. If you love Nature, you’ll love Cloud Nine,” said Prince Chen.
“Hush…we are getting closer to the home of the magical beasts. Follow me.” Prince Chen whispered as he held Tara�
�s hand to guide her into a secret passageway covered with hanging ivy vines. The path led to the mountainous area where the magical creatures lived. Red-crowned cranes, phoenixes, eagles, lions, elephants, peacocks, and golden deer were enjoying themselves in the secret paradise. The misty clouds, majestic waterfalls, and luxuriant jungles were so surreally beautiful that Tara was completely mesmerized.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of something sparkling with a golden hue. Her curiosity was piqued. As her gaze turned to the golden light, she spotted the most beautiful golden deer in her life. The golden fur glittered like a multi-hued gem. Its eyes were as blue as sapphires, and its horns and hooves glimmered like a cluster of precious jewels. As she inched closer, the golden deer started to trot away. “Stop! Don’t run away!”
“That means the golden deer is not your personal Rider,” Prince Chen chuckled.
They continued to amble in the vicinity and Tara spotted a graceful, red-crowned white crane of which she was particularly fond. However, when she approached the crane, it just flapped its wings and flew away.
Then, something sparkling with a reddish golden hue caught her attention. Once again, her curiosity was piqued. As she gazed toward the light, she spotted the most beautiful reddish golden phoenix with golden eyes and rainbow-colored plumage tail glittering like multi-colored diamonds.
“Is that a phoenix?” Tara asked. “How splendid!”
“Yes, this phoenix is the crème-de-la-crème among the phoenixes. She is called Queenzy. Would you like to see if she has an affinity with you? Try moving closer. If she likes you and chooses you to be her master, she will come and accept the food you offer her,” said Prince Chen, passing her some donut-shaped seeds of Dragon Flower Tree.
With the seeds on her palm, Tara walked toward the reddish golden phoenix. Sure enough, the phoenix did not run away. Instead, it came closer to her and started to munch and crunch the seeds of the Dragon Flower tree, much to her delight.
“Congratulations! You’re indeed lucky to have found your Rider so quickly!” said Prince Chen. “You know what, there are advantages to having a phoenix as your Rider; you won’t have to witness her passing, at least in your lifetime. After all, it’s the nature of the phoenix to regenerate itself until her master is gone.”
“That’s wonderful! Hooray! I love my baby Queenzy!”
Looking at the beautiful phoenix made her remember the fond memories she had with Bo– building a playground for the pandas, playing with them, and sharing their love with her Shiba Inu dog, Coco. Thinking about the adorable pandas and her dog made her heart sing with joy. Her mouth curled into a smile.
“You were thinking about something again?” said Prince Chen, scrutinizing her radiant expression.
“I was just thinking of some sweet memories with a man who had saved my life. I’m grateful to him for giving me so much happiness. I do miss him dearly,” said Tara, deliberately wanting to make Prince Chen feel jealous.
“Who is he? Where is he now?”
“I’ve no idea. We had lost touch ever since I was captured and brought over here. He is the most handsome man I have ever met in my life! About 2.5 meters tall, he emanates a golden aura, has the most luscious golden curly locks and a pair of seductive eyes of the deepest blue. It’s surreal that such an attractive man exists in this world.”
“Are you engaged to him?”
Tara grabbed the opportunity to tease him. “Well, what do you think? For a man who had saved my life, what is the best way of repaying his kindness other than marrying him and becoming his wife?”
Prince Chen clenched his right hand into a fist. “Ha! What a load of baloney! If you’re married to him, why are you here dating me right now?”
“Hey, I’m not your girlfriend yet and I’m not dating you. Yes, no doubt you’re fond of me but our relationship is purely a professional transaction: you teach me martial arts and I teach you dancing. Period. Anyway, I know you are jealous, don’t try to deny it.”
Prince Chen laughed it off, trying to conceal the pang of jealousy surging inside him. “It’s ironic that love is always blind. I’m afraid you’re still in the dark, my darling.”
“In the dark? What are you talking about?” Tara blurted out quizzically. She was unaware that she was already Prince Chen’s girlfriend as she accepted the dragon flower bouquet on the day of Spring Equinox.
Prince Chen certainly did not want to reveal this truth to her. Instead, he smiled and diverted her attention by saying, “Since you have your lovely baby, would you like to take the first ride with her?”
“That’s awesome! I can’t wait to learn how to fly my baby Queenzy.”
“You need this rein with an anchor pendant to make your ride smoother. Just put it over Queenzy’s neck and you may ride her,” said Prince Chen. “Be careful while riding on a phoenix. It might seem shaky and unstable for you at first, but you will soon get the hang of it.”
“What is so difficult about riding a phoenix? Isn’t it the same as driving a car?”
“You need to talk to Queenzy in your mind. Give her specific instructions such as Fly, Stop, Go Down, Go Right, Go Left, and Touch Down. She will understand you and heed your command. Before you master flying with her, I will fly side-by-side with you to ensure your safety. Always stay focused and avoid being distracted by frivolous thoughts, especially the tall golden man you adore.”
“Not an issue. I will think of no one except you and only you. Is that alright? Thinking of you is not a frivolous thought, am I right?” Tara snorted with her arms crossed in front of her.
“That’s right!” said Prince Chen unabashedly. “I am looking forward to the day when you will be all mine.”
“Just dream on, Prince Chen,” Tara told him, slightly vexed. “It may come true one day; that’s if you treat me not as a possession to be owned by you. I’m an independent lady who doesn’t need a frivolous man to direct my every movement.”
Having said so, she rode the phoenix high up in the vast azure sky dotted with white marshmallow clouds. Worried about her safety, Prince Chen quickly followed suit.
Tara maneuvered the phoenix relatively well on her first flight. She enjoyed the blustering gust of wind blowing onto her face; it was so liberating and carefree to be in the vast expanse of a limitless sky. She even tried playing with him by deliberately banging into him, much to his chagrin.
As she was having fun playing with Prince Chen, she was not aware that a flying purple dragon was flying into her path. By the time she noticed the dragon, it was too late. She bumped into the dragon and fell from the phoenix.
“Tara!” Prince Chen yelled.
He let go of Singha and quickly transformed himself into a dragon and flew straight down to save Tara in the nick of time. He caught her in his warm embrace. His gaze penetrated straight into her eyes with such tender loving-kindness that it made her heart melt like snow in the morning sun.
CHAPTER 23
KATONG LAKSA
As usual, Tara spent her morning working in the Dragon Library before coming over to Cloud Nine to practice her Dragon Fists martial arts.
Today was special. Instead of going back home right after practice, Prince Chen invited her for lunch at his humble abode for the first time.
“Your humble abode exudes the aesthetic simplicity of Zen minimalism, what a stark contrast to your personality,” chuckled Tara, glancing around the room that exhibited tasteful oriental minimalist sophistication.
“Oh yeah. If I don’t live with simplicity, how can I have the capacity to deal with the complexity of a woman’s mind? Just think about it,” said Prince Chen with a whimsical smile, pointing to his head.
Tara burst out laughing. He is probably right.
The cleanliness and simplicity of Prince Chen’s humble abode reminded Tara of her cluttered penthouse in Singapore. Her bedroom was in such disarray that people might have mistakenly thought that burglars had just broken into her house.
She had
bought too much of everything. Shoes, bags, clothing, cosmetics were strewn pell-mell in the cabinets and wardrobe. Many of the cosmetics had not even been opened, and some of the unopened cosmetics had already expired. Her exorbitantly expensive branded outfits, designer handbags, and high-heeled shoes were also haphazardly squashed in the wardrobe and cabinet. In fact, her bed was often a mess too. Despite having so many clothes, handbags, and shoes, she knew she wore only a few outfits that she could conveniently reach in the wardrobe.
She bought a book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondō but she was too busy dating, going to the gym, dancing, preparing for a wedding, and working overtime in the law firm to have any time to read. She wondered where the book was, Oh, it must be lying somewhere in the piles of her other books. If I go back home one day, I must declutter my room, and become an aesthetic minimalist just like him.
“Tara, why don’t you come and join me for some harvesting activities at the Green House?” said Prince Chen, distracting her from her rumination.
“Sure.” Tara followed him to the Green House in his backyard.
The Green House was a crystal glass dome. Inside the dome were rows of hydroponically grown vegetables. There was also a relatively large pond used for the farming and cultivation of kelp, seaweed, flower corals, and various mollusks such as scallops, oysters, abalone, and mussels. A dragon well was situated in the corner of the Green House for his daily water use.
“You have green fingers, don’t you? The vegetables look so green and fresh! The kelp forests and mollusks are growing in abundance. How lovely!”
“It’s actually not that difficult to do gardening and farming; all you need are the four elements of air, water, fire, and earth. All life forms are aggregates of the four elements – oxygen or carbon dioxide, water, sunshine, soil,” explained Prince Chen.
“You seem to be enjoying yourself doing gardening.” Tara was impressed that a frivolous man like him enjoyed gardening.
Tara Zenyora : and the Seven-Jeweled Lighthouse Page 15