"What of their simplicity and brawn? Far preferable to the humans, with their deep-laid schemes and manifold treacheries. Mother, my heart is set; I shall wed no other than the Beast King!"
Before the Empress could levy further rebuke, Elara deftly extracted a betrothal scroll from her sleeve.
In a panic, the Empress exclaimed, "Elara! Cease this folly at once!"
Yet before she could intervene, Elara had already signed her name; the scroll transformed into a beam of golden light, dispatched to the Beast King.
Overcome with fury, the Empress struck me sharply across the face.
"Villainous child! Why did you not intervene? Surely, you must have incited her, did you not?"
"You too shall not marry the human prince. Upon your coming of age, you will join Elara in the beast tribes' domain!"
Historically, whenever Elara erred, I endured the consequences.
Though Elara delighted in witnessing my punishment, the prospect of me joining her in the beast tribe swiftly altered her tune, leading her to plead coyly.
"Mother, surely not all of the Phoenix Clan should marry into the beast tribe? Perhaps let my sister wed the prince, would that suffice?"
The Empress, unable to harden her heart against Elara, relented slightly in her persuasion.
"Naive child, do you not recall the divine decree from the Holy Order? One royal must rise as a celestial sage. You need only stand by the prince as he matures; post-nuptials, your joint cultivation will surely lead to enlightenment."
"How befuddled must you be to desire union with the ignoble Beast King..."
Unperturbed, Elara countered, "And how can you be so certain, Mother, that the Beast King cannot reach enlightenment? He is, after all, my destined consort. Let us not belittle him so—it rings of mockery."
I stirred the pot further, "Indeed, Elara speaks wisely. The Beast King possesses a spiritual root, affording him a finer chance at immortality than any mere mortal."
Her conviction deepened with my endorsement.
"Mother, as you well know, mortals lack spiritual roots, making their ascent akin to scaling the heavens—an ordeal I cannot endure. My sister, ever so boastful of her unique talents, let her face the trials then."
Elara's eyes gleamed with barely concealed glee as she emphasized her point.
She eagerly anticipated my facing the same brutal fate she endured in her past incarnation.