Bk 2: Chapter Five (13)

It did not take long for silence to return to the night and daylight to peek through the skyline. Many woke early and hurried to hang up red drapes and prepare the receiving hall. The clan Head's eldest miss is getting married today. In the madam's wing, the wedding mama was led towards the eldest miss's courtyard. Like many others, when she walked into the room and bowed to the eldest miss, she was shocked by the dark circles under the eldest miss' eyes and even more so, the cold look on her face. Many were not sure how they should react, but the wedding mama smiled happily at the eldest miss, "Eldest miss was too anxious to marry she could not sleep the entire night," she said and those around giggled in answer. To many, this seemed like a harmonious scene, but the bride only sent them a cold look and allowed them to prepare her.

After a while, her mother came to comb her hair as tradition demanded before leading her out. Many waited by the eldest miss' door after that with anxious faces. It was time for the eldest miss to be carried out, yet the concubine son had not come.

"Miss…" one of the maids said in worry. They could not help but send glances at the madam by the side, who had a cold look. After a while of waiting, she turned to a boy fuming at the corner.

"Little Gon, lead your sister to the front yard," he said and the wedding mama seemed flustered when the boy nodded and held up his hands to the eldest miss and she took it.

"But… the bride should be carried…" she started to say.

"My son has died; wedding mama, yet the woman in the sideyard and her son refuse to do their part. The wedding must go on," the madam said and followed behind her daughter.

In the front yard, people gathered to see the bride. Many knew that the clan head lost his son in the alignment battleground and were expecting the second concubine son to carry the bride out. But the sight of a little six-year-old boy leading the bride in by hand made others blank. Was the concubine revolting? Just as the bride arrived, a beautiful older woman rushed in with her son.

"Ay, Eldest miss, why did you not wait for your brother to carry you? He was in recluse practising and only just got out," Many looked at the woman and back at the clan head's wife. The madam ignored her and followed her son leading her daughter outside. Seeing that she did not answer her, the concubine looked wronged.

"Jun, go carry your younger sister into the sedan," she ordered loudly in a flustered manner and the boy behind her stepped forward, but those leaving towards the door did not stop. They ignored them both and the little boy led his sister outside. When the bride emerged, many started to whisper. It was wrong for her feet to touch the ground, even if her elder brother had died, wasn't there a second son? Many pondered this. When the concubine and her son came out, she saw many people giving her dirty looks and she paused.

"Aya, Eldest miss, don't walk on your feet, my son may only be concubine born but he is strong enough to carry you," the concubine rushed forward to say. Many heard her words and looked at the cold-faced family of three moving forward and dared not direct their scorn at them.

Seeing that they had heard her words yet they did not send this family of three dirty looks as they had sent her, the concubine tried to rein in her anger. She watched as the eldest miss got on the sedan and then looked towards Lord Gunt on the horse. He only glanced their way and started leading the carriage away. He could not be bothered about the politics of the Ostie clan head's inner courtyard. Many did not notice that his saddle was padded slightly to make sitting much easier. After the ordeal of last night, his face was extremely dark. One could not tell why the young lord of the Vigron clan looked so angry. They did not understand the shame that rushed through his veins when he remembered the ordeal of last night. His hole still hurt and he found it quite hard to sit well. When he woke up the next day, he was untied and Madam Ry was gone. He could not bring himself to go find her as he had to hurriedly dress and come pick up his bride.