บท 76: WORTHY?.. NOT WORTHY?..

***In one of the Seven arms of the Imperial Court,-The Coastal Clan's territory..

Slowly, Imperial Consort Tamara steps out of her carriage with calm yet noble steps. Her light brown eyes that's hidden behind a netty veil stays sharp and indifferent and her bearings were just like the reflection of the moon in a crystal pond -Outworldly and ethereal-.

Her Majestic purple and silver robes draws back and crawls behind her like a noble shadow to her figure but the fabrics of the long robe did not touch the floor or more like the floor did not dare touch it.

Consort Tamara's aura was quiet yet explosive with nobility. With a powerful bearing, consort Tamara tilts her head slightly left then slightly right as if to inspect what is hers. A second passes with the world holding their breath and then Consort Tamara's Counsel(Counsel Lea) steps out of the majestic carriage.

Like the rightful arm of Consort's Tamara, Councel Lea's steps were sharp and cold. Councel Lea is wearing a cold crimson gown that's decorated neatly with cold purple gems. The aura she gives off in the her current attire come off as completely unsubmissive to all.. but one.

Without mind to anything, Counsel Lea calmly finds her way two steps behind Imperial Consort Tamara. Her chin dips done slightly in submission and her hands stayed tucked into each other and ontop of her abdomen.

By the right side of the stairs to the Imperial Carriage, The Golden Radiant Knight can be seen still kneeling. Though the Knight is kneeling on the floor, the knight's lion-like armour is huge enough for most of his body to still show above the stairs.

Although Kneeling, The Golden Radiant Knight has not lowered his head but the moment Imperial Consort Tamara starts to wlk down the stairs, the Knight Lion-like helmet slowly lowers into a gentle bow.

Nobles walk like Nobility but Imperials.. they walk like Imperials. Followed by her Counsel, Consort Tamara's steps were calm, powerful and cold. She walks past the bowing Golden Radiant Knight with her head high, her spine straight and her bearings majestic.

After walking her first three steps down the Imperial Carriage's stairs, The still kneeling Gold Radiant Knight calmly lifts his massive and powerful arm up towards the Carriage's entrance. Imperial Consort Tamara and her Counsel has passed by the entrance and so the only person this gesture would have to be for is..

A leg steps out from theindoors of the carriage followed by a female hand that comes out of the darkness. This female hand places it's palm over the armoured wrist of the Golden Knight's outstretched Guantlet before stepping out slowly.

With the female fully out of the carriage, the Golden Radiant Knight calmly stand up. True Imperial princess has finally graced the world with her presence as she steps out of the Carriage.

With her palm still on the massive amoured wrist of the Golden Radiant Knight's, Seflim pauses her movement and casually gives a gentle glance at the world.

After sweeping through with a gentle glance, the Golden Radiant Knight calmly helps Seflim as she desends down the stairs of the Imperial Carriage. The Golden Knight's act of helping the princess down is obviously not one done out of necessity but rather, out of a custom show of respect to a True Imperial Heiress.

Since the moment Imperial Consort Tamara has descended, every direct probing gazes and techniques were all instantly halted and every one present within a few kilometre radius were all on their knees. They were all cupping their hands and bowing with their eyes to the ground as a show of respect to the Imperial Household.

Feeling Princess Seflim's aura, their postures turned even more respectful as they know well that a slight show of disrespect may no.. WILL lead to the direct end of their bloodlines!.

With a couple of steps, Seflim finds her feets off the Carriages steps and now, on bare ground. Seflim calmly takes her palm off the wrist of the Radiant Knight and then, she surveys once more.

Seflim calmly looks left-right for a moment and then she settles her gaze on a distant High fence made from ancient rocky elements. At the center of the rocky fence stands a set of Gaint open gates.

Staring calmly, Seflim knows that the inside of these massive gates is her arriving location and it lies just two hundred meters away. Seflim holds her breath for a second though not out of nervousness but rather out of internal tumiol as she observes the current scene in front of these massive gates.

In rows and rows that comes (right in front of the gates), many ten hundreds of people Seflim knows to be elders of the clan they are visiting can be seen on their knees. These elders were bowing with their forehead resting on the bare ground and their palms also pushing against the ground by the sides of their heads. They flattened their bodies in humility and remained unmoving in a show of utter respect.

In front of this uniform row of elders were another set of even more important elders -Grand Elders-.

Numbering up to a hundred, these grands were also on their knees and bowing though their hands are not on the ground but rather, these elders had their hands cupped to their stomachs as they allow their foreheads to rest on the ground.

In front of this rows of bowing Grand Elders were the even fewer Core elder who numbered only as much as twelve and were bowing in a neat order with their knees on the floor, their heads just inches above the ground and their palms pushing against the ground as a show of Submission.

In front of the orderly Group of Core Elders were then the concubines of the Patriarch and Monarch -Numbering twenty seven!-. These people were also all on their knees and they were bowing with their arms tucked in their sleeves and their body in a Ninety degree arch.

Next in line to the concubines were seven young masters and mistresses who were also on their knees. These young Nobilities kept their palms firmly on top of their knees as their body stays bent forward with their eyes to the ground in utter submission.

In front of this small group of talented young masters and misses were finally their parents and leaders of the clan.. the Patriarch and Monarch. No matter how high the status of the Guests, the hosts still had some privileges that shouldn't be trampled upon.

This is a well known fact and unwritten rule in the cultivation world and so, the Monarch and the Patriarch are the only two people who dared to remain standing in the presence of the Imperials!. Though the fact that they are standing doesn't mean they aren't bowing.

Both the Patriarch and Monarch's hands were cupped forward in utter respect. Their bodies bowed through ninety degrees as a show of devotion and their eyes were kept down to the ground to show their sincerity.

Looking at this grand scene of almost thousands of high status nobilities bowing, Princess Seflim's heart couldn't help but be shaken even though her face remains as calm as ever.

Each of this people present were proud cultivators with accomplishments of their own right yet,.. here they all are before her. They were all bowing with their heads on the ground, their eyes to the floor and their always proud spine bent in utter humility to the weight behind her Imperial surname and title.

Still observing all of this, Seflim is brutally honest with herself. She knows very well that these people did not just now get on their knees so it means they must have been in this position for.. up to a hour at the least. The leaders of this Clan(Patriarch and Monarch) are both of the High Rank Six! - and the Clan's core elders each have a spot in the High ranks with stories to tell.

How many people in the entire of the Cultivation population can even dream of these people's accomplishments?!.

How many can even dream of breaking into the high Ranks talk-more being just one step away from Sainthood?!.

Even amongst these dreamers, how many of them can say avoid bowing their heads when them make an encounter with any of the people before her?

And as for those who can avoid lowering their heads, how many can dare say that they have left stripes of legacy as bold and wild as that of the people before her?!.

And yet, despite it all. Here they all are,.. Bowing to her. They were all lowering their heads and spines in utter submission to a twelve year old princess. Within as far as Seflim could see and sense, there is nothing but silence and magnitudes of people who had their heads on the ground as they are all unwilling to even entertain the though of daring to look directly at her.

Princess Seflim couldn't help but take a light but deep breath as her Eclipse flood dragon's bloodline trembles in slight but immature arrogance across her veins but then.. it hits her.

The respect they are all showing is of course to her but it is not.. for her.

The respect is not for her nor is it for her mother but instead, it is shown.. to her father the Emperor. It is shown to her bloodline,.. to her title as a True Imperial Princess, to the Imperial Gold Radiant Knight by her side.. to the Imperial flags above her carriage.. to the luxury behind the Dragon-horses she rides.. To the history behind her grand surname 'Andruv -ö- Niel ' and finally,.. to the significance of her first and probably last visit to this Clan!.

It's a little funny. So much respect shown to so much things around her and yet.. none of that respect is directed towards who she is as a person and cultivator rather than as a Princess. Seflim's blue eyes burns dangerously in hidden respite as her blood roars wildly in response to her mood.

Is she worthy of this much respect?!..

Is she even worthy of any at all?!..

Without these things around her.. would they even bother to spare her a glance talk-more entertain her presence?!.

Seflim isn't naive enough not to appreciate the value of what she has but she knows very well that the things around her are also a constantly pushing pressure to show she is worthy of it and then more.

Respect towards what she has would make them bow their heads but respect towards who she is would make the loyal and truly submissive.

What would be the point if they all speak respectfully when it's nothing but formality?..

What's the point if they all escort you when they would never follow your lead?..

What's the point of Subordinates who are loyal to your surname and father's name rather than to your own?..

Seflim's eyes remains calm and passive as this thoughts races through her mind with each one hitting harder than the last.

'What's wrong?..', Seflim hears her mother's slightly concerned voice in her mind. It's no surprise that her mother is easily able to sense her worries despite her calm font.

'I'll fix it..', Seflim responds to her mother in her mind as a new seed of determination sprouts within her very soul. A second passes and then..

'Good.', Consort Tamara responds and then, the mother-daughter duo starts to walk forward with in a slow and Majestic pace that send small ripples through the grounds and hearts.

The Golden Knight's follows behind the moving Imperials and the dark Knights follows in the distant background though with a spread out formation. Only a few dark Knights remaining still in order to maintain security over the Imperial Carriages.

With the Gold Radiant Knight following just six steps behind and the Imperial's, the dozen Imperial escorts and scholars followed six steps behind the Golden Knight.

Soon, following the pace of consort Tamara, every body moving behind all uniformly halts their steps with Imperial Consort Tamara now standing just five steps away from the still bowing Clan leaders(Patriarch and Monarch).

"Humble Greetings your Elegance Imperial Consort Tamara,.. Humble greetings Your Sincerity True Imperial Princess Seflim. Graced by both your presence, I and my clan are beyond humility and gratitude..", The Patriarch speaks up in a powerful yet calm voice without yet daring to lift his head up from his full ninety degrees bow.

A few cold seconds pasess in silence after the Patriarch's greetings and then.. she speaks.

"Lift up your head.", Imperial Consort Tamara says in a gentle and Majestic voice worthy of femine royalty yet the booming authority in her tone cannot be denied.

Hearing her response, both the Patriarch and Monarch bows briefly lowers their posture and cupped fists for a second and then.. they slowly straightened their spines. Despite finally lifting their heads, the Patrick and Monarch still did not stare directly at Consort Tamara's veiled face but the duo did not exactly look away either as they kept things humble and calm.

"Please do allow us the pleasure of having you esteemed presence in our lands..", The Monarch speaks her first words with a small bow.

"Lead the way..", Consort Tamara says calmly in a tone that's neither an order nor a request.

Parting up, the clan leaders pointed to the gaint open gates behind their still bowing rows of subordinates.

The fact that the clan have left their gates open and without protection is another way of showing submissions.

They have kept these gates open for more than a day as a sign of respect in order to show to the visiting Imperials their full openness to their Sovereignty.

Although the Clan's leaders were told to lead the way, they didn't actually dare walk in front of Imperial Consort Tamara. After Imperial Consort Tamara has walked through the space parted between the Clan's leaders, each of the Clan leader stayed by the sides of the moving Imperial group and ensured to remain one step behind both the princess and her mother.

Very few have the authority or Confidence to dare walk in front of the Imperials especially in public!.

With a gentle pace to the group's trek, the group soon passes through the main gates but they didn't stop as they kept moving inside till they disappeared from the public eyes.

Only after the entire rows of escorts, scholars and Knight's have entered through the gates did bowing members of the clan slowly raise their head and get off the ground. After getting up, these high-rank members of the clan all slowly and orderly retreat back into the gates.

The Imperial Carriages followed after the retreating high rank clan members and then,.. an array formation slowly comes to life in the shape of a massive dark dome. The massivedome seemed like a mountain over the Clan's territory while effectively sealing off the Clan and its vast territory from the outside world.

Now and only now do the people bowing outside finally dared to raise their heads and continue with everyday life but with a lot more glamour and calm in their eyes.