93: The Formal Arrangement Announced

The careful preceding small private formal arrangement was announced by the King's standing courtesy on the morning of the seventh day of the eighth month of the summer.

It was the careful preceding small private hour of one year and four months after the Tournament's preceding small private closing ceremony — by the careful preceding small private hour of three months earlier than the King's preceding small private original eighteen-month indication.

The King's preceding small private public address, delivered at the central plaza by the King's preceding small private chief herald at the careful preceding small private hour of the second hour past dawn, read:

*"By the careful preceding small private King's preceding pleasure, by the careful preceding small private mutual preference of the careful preceding small private parties involved, and by the careful preceding small private standing courtesy of the kingdom of Beicang's preceding standing arrangement, the careful preceding small private engagement of Princess Cang Xueyi of the Beicang Royal House to Su Yan, branch family Su, eighth district, Cloud Sky City, is — by the careful preceding small private hour of this morning's preceding small private public announcement — *formally restored*. The careful preceding small private formal wedding will, by the careful preceding small private King's preceding pleasure, be conducted at the careful preceding small private royal palace at the careful preceding small private hour of the third moon-cycle of the second year from this morning."*

The plaza, by Cousin Su Lin's later count, *applauded*.

The careful preceding small private applause was — by the careful preceding small private hour of one announcement that the kingdom's preceding small private public read had been preceding-time anticipating since the Tournament's preceding closing ceremony fifteen months earlier — *thunderous*. The kingdom of Beicang had, by the careful preceding small private hour of fifteen months of preceding small private public-read recalibration, *settled* into the careful preceding small private hour of one substrate-cultivator's preceding small private quiet preceding small private private public-read trajectory toward the careful preceding small private throne, and was — by the careful preceding small private hour of one announcement — *celebrating* the careful preceding small private hour's preceding small private formal arrival.

Su Yan, by the careful preceding small private King's preceding standing arrangement, did *not* attend the announcement.

He attended, by his preceding preference, at the careful preceding small private foundation platform of the Mirror that morning, conducting the careful preceding small private day's preceding small private inside-night cultivation work with his mother and Linglong.

By the careful preceding small private hour of the seventh inside-hour of the morning's preceding small private cultivation, his mother inclined her head — small, formal — and said: "Yan-er. By the careful preceding small private hour of one announcement at the careful preceding small private central plaza, the careful preceding small private kingdom of Beicang has — *committed* itself to the careful preceding small private hour of your preceding small private formal arrangement. By my own preceding preference, *go to her this afternoon*. The careful preceding small private hour requires the careful preceding small private private mutual courtesy of one personal acknowledgment between you."

Su Yan inclined his head.

He stepped out of the Mirror at the careful preceding small private hour of the morning's preceding small private fifteenth outside hour. He bathed. He dressed in his ordinary plain dark-blue clansman's outer robe. He went, by the unmarked carriage line, to the royal palace.

Cang Xueyi was at her writing room.

She had, by her preceding preference, *not* attended the public announcement. She was, by her preceding preference, in her ordinary plain pale-blue under-robe at her writing-table, with the seventh meal's preceding small private letter — *the careful preceding small private letter she had sent him before the extraction, with the three "I love you"s* — set out on the table beside a fresh pot of tea.

She looked up as he entered.

He inclined his head — small, formal — at the door.

She rose. She crossed the small writing room at her unhurried pace.

She — by her own preceding preference, this afternoon, in the careful preceding small private hour after the kingdom's preceding small private public announcement had passed — *embraced* him, fully, both arms around his shoulders, her face against his throat, in the careful preceding small private hour of one princess's preceding small private private preference she had been preceding-time saving for the careful preceding small private hour the kingdom had at last *publicly committed*.

He, by his preceding preference, returned the embrace.

They held it for the count of perhaps five hundred breaths.

She did not kiss him.

He did not kiss her.

By the close of the careful preceding small private embrace, she stepped back — small, careful, by her preceding preference — and inclined her head.

"Su Yan."

"Cang Xueyi."

"By my own preceding preference, the careful preceding small private hour of the next eight months will, by every careful preceding small private bookkeeping of mine, be — *the careful preceding small private hour of preparing for the careful preceding small private formal wedding*."

"Yes."

"And by my own preceding preference," she said, in her low even voice, "the careful preceding small private hour of the wedding's preceding small private close will be — *the careful preceding small private hour of one further small private private hour, between us, in the careful preceding small private private hour of one quiet preceding small private private wedding chamber, with no preceding small private public read, with no preceding small private etiquette beyond the careful preceding small private mutual preference of two people whose preceding small private columns have been preceding-time waiting for the careful preceding small private hour of three years.*"

She inclined her head — small, formal.

"Until the careful preceding small private hour of the wedding's preceding small private close, by my own preceding preference, *we will not* — by either of our preceding preferences — *kiss further*. The careful preceding small private hour of the careful preceding small private third small careful preceding kiss will, by my preceding preference, be the careful preceding small private kiss of the careful preceding small private wedding ceremony itself."

He inclined his head — small, formal.

"By my own preceding preference, Cang Xueyi. *Yes.*"

He left at the careful preceding small private hour of the second cup of tea.

By the careful preceding small private hour of the unmarked carriage's preceding small private return to the eastern wing, he had — by every careful preceding small private bookkeeping of his column-keeping — *received* the careful preceding small private hour of one princess's preceding small private private commitment to the careful preceding small private hour of the next eight months' preceding small private formal preparation.

In his chest, the ember pulsed — slow, considered, *gentle* — and the dry voice, very quietly, said: *Honored. By every careful preceding small private bookkeeping. Honored.*

Su Yan inclined his head, in the careful preceding small private rocking of the unmarked carriage on the careful preceding small private return through the late summer afternoon's preceding small private streets, in the direction of the ember.

The careful preceding small private fourth quarter of his preceding-time first arc — by the careful preceding small private hour of one announcement and one embrace — *gained* its preceding small private final calibration.