Royal Guard's Badge

When they arrived at the mansion, the maids and guards greeted them.

"His Highness, Her Highness." They bowed as Yi Guan and the Prince walk pass them.

The only thing that concerns Yi Guan is the Prince, who still had his mask on from earlier until they've arrived at the mansion.

'How can they still recognized their Prince even when he's wearing a mask? Or maybe they knew him for so long that's why they're used to seeing the Prince hide his face.' Yi Guan wanted to speak out her mind, but she dared not to.

"Fu Cheng, is My Lady's room arranged?" The Prince ask Fu Cheng. Yi Guan and Yin Tian just walked behind them.

"Yes, Your Highness. The maids have already arranged My Lady's room." Fu Cheng said and face Yi Guan.

"My Lady, I will not be able to lead you to your room for I have important task to do as His Highness ordered me."

"It's alright, Mr. Fu." Yi Guan respond.

"My Lady, please call me Fu Cheng. I am not used to be called Mr. Fu by My Lady." Fu Cheng said still his head looking down.

"Alright, Fu Cheng. Please rise." Yi Guan smiled and help Fu Cheng to stop bowing.

"I won't be leading you to your room, but His Highness will." Fu Cheng smiled a bit.

Yi Guan look at the Prince and said, "I am sorry to bother you on leading me to my room, Your Highness."

"You don't have to be sorry. Besides, your room....is also my room." As the Prince said that, Yi Guan and Yin Tian's eyes widen.

'We are not yet married yet we are going to share a room?' Yi Guan thought.

Fu Cheng secretly chuckled seeing her lady's reaction.

"Your Highness, I think it's not necessary for you to say that since My Lady will eventually know." Fu Cheng quickly responded as he stand beside the Prince.

"My Lady, His Highness didn't mean to say that. It's just because you two will be wedded now so it's fine if you two will share room tonight."

"Wedded now?" Yin Tian ask.

"My Lady wasn't informed that the marriage will be held now. She didn't have her dress prepared yet." Yin Tian added and Yi Guan nodded too.

"My Lady, don't worry. Everything is already set, including your dress." Fu Cheng said and smile.

'Fu Cheng seems nice yet his master don't talk too much.' Yi Guan was comparing Fu Cheng to the Prince but then she realize that they have different status. That explains why the Prince don't need to talk like Fu Cheng did.

He then he added, saying, "The important task I've mentioned earlier is your wedding right now, My Lady. His Highness have already prepared it for you. And we apologize if we have not informed you about this."

"Fu Cheng, enough talking. Do what I've ask you to do now." The Prince said still his back facing them.

"Yes, Your Highness. Please excuse me, My Lady." Fu Cheng bowed and walked away from them.

"My Lady, please come with me." The Prince said.

Of course, Yi Guan knows how to respect others with much higher position than she has, so she replied,

"Yes, Your Highness."

As they walked for a few minutes, they have reached the master's bedroom.

"My Lady, this will be your room starting tonight. Your dress is already prepared in the bed. I'll see you later." The Prince didn't wait for Yi Guan's response as he walk outside the room.

'I haven't thanked you yet.' Yi Guan thought.

"My Lady, the journey we took is quite tiring. Let's change first and then you can sit down as I'll fix your hair and makeup." Yin Tian said and then she walk towards the bed to see the dress.

"My Lady!" Yi Guan was shocked a little bit in Yin Tian's loud voice.

"What's wrong, Yin Tian?" Yi Guan asked and walk where Yin Tian is standing while her hands covering her mouth.

"My Lady, the dress..."

Yi Guan was confused. "What's wrong with the dress, Yin Tian?"

"The dress is.....beautiful!" Yin Tian took the dress outside its box and show it to Yi Guan.

Yi Guan was also speechless on seeing the wedding dress. It is a wedding dress embroidered with a Royalty Phoenix on the back of the dress with gold lotus flowers on its sleeves. This kind of embroidered wedding dress in one of the rarest dresses in the whole city of Nanjing.

"Even though we are one of the nobles, we haven't seen this rare wedding dress for our years of existence. Right, My Lady?" Yin Tian still in awed seeing the dress.

"You're right." Yi Guan agreed.

"Alright, let's me help you change." Yin Tian help Yi Guan to wear the dress.

'I'm finally getting married.' Yi Guan thought.

She's getting married to a Prince who's rumored to be ruthless but, never did she expect that the ruthless Prince they have been talking about is really the opposite on what she have seen during the assassination earlier. 2nd Prince is indeed 'ruthless' when it comes on fighting. But Yi Guan feels secure when the Prince saved her from the bandit.

'Maybe he's not that 'ruthless' as been rumored.' Yi Guan shake her head from her thoughts.

Yin Tian is fixing her lady's hair and then she spoke, "My Lady, You're getting married. Don't forget me once you and His Highness are together." Yin Tian thought that once her lady will be married, she will be forgotten by Yi Guan because of her position.

"Yin Tian, what are you talking about? You will still stay by my side after I get married. Nothing will change." Yi Guan spoke that makes Yin Tian erased her thought of her lady abandoning her.

"Alright, My Lady. I will always stay by your side and serve you well." Yin Tian smile and continued her duty on fixing her lady's hair.

"My Lady, what hairpin would you like to use?" Yin Tian ask as she handed two different types of hairpin in front of her lady.

A silver hairpin that has a pearl which there is a diamond inside of it representing their family's heirloom is given by her father, while the other hairpin is arranged by the 2nd Prince to match in her wedding dress.

"I would like to use this." Yi Guan pointed at the hairpin her father gave.

"Alright, My Lady. Let me put it now for you."

Several minutes had passed and Yin Tian is already done on fixing her lady's makeup and hair.

"All set, My Lady." Yin Tian said and help her lady to face the mirror.

Yi Guan gasped a little as she observe how she looks.

"Yin Tian, is this me?"

Yin Tian chuckled on Yi Guan's question.

"How beautiful you are, My Lady. You don't need too much makeup because you are already beautiful. Such a rare kind of beauty. I am lucky to be your servant, Your Highness." As Yin Tian said the word 'Your Highness', Yi Guan couldn't help but laugh a little and smack Yin Tian's shoulder slowly.

"Stop it, Yin Tian. Don't call me that. I'm not used to it."

"Sorry, Your Highness.....I mean, My Lady." Yi Guan and Yin Tian couldn't hold their laugh so they burst their laughs out.

Yi Guan is already well dressed as Fu Cheng went inside the room and said, "My Lady, the wedding will start soon. Are you ready?"

"My Lady will just have to put her veil on and then we will be out soon." Yin Tian response.

"Okay, I'll inform the Prince." Fu Cheng went outside after he spoke.

Yin Tian help her lady to put on her veil and guide her to walk outside.

Before they reach the wedding area, Yi Guan ask something.

"Yin Tian, what do you think is the reason why the wedding held so soon? Also, there are no guests who come today for our wedding." Yin Tian also don't know the reason why, so she replied, "My Lady, you have to ask His Highness about that for I have no idea also." Yi Guan just nodded.

'Let's just finish the wedding ang I'll ask him later about this.' Yi Guan said on her mind.

As they reach the reception, Yi Guan is now walking towards where the Prince is standing.

'Did His Highness took off his mask?' Yi Guan thought.

Literally, the Prince still has his mask on even on their wedding.

The maids, guards, and even Fu Cheng are well dressed too.

Yin Tian couldn't help but teared up as she is seeing her lady getting married.

"How I wish I could get married too." Yin Tian said in a low voice but she didn't know Fu Cheng heard her. Fu Cheng just smiled.

The setting is not just a normal wedding being held. It has curtains in red with embroidered gold on it. Rare flowers that has been set up each corner of the area and lamps shined on each hallways of the mansion. In short, a kind of noble wedding but with not so many guests.

As Yi Guan walk in the aisle, she took a quick glance at one of the guards on her right side and she notice something on his belt that caught her attention. She took another glance to another guard and they have the same thing on their belts too.

'A Royal Guard badge?' She thought they are just normal guards since they are wearing casuals when they entered the mansion earlier.

'Royal Guards are supposed to be stated in the Imperial Palace. Why are they here in the Prince's mansion?' Yi Guan's mind is full of questions and didn't notice that she have already reach where the Prince is standing.

A senior servant has been assigned to host the wedding.

"First kowtow!" Yi Guan and Prince kowtow in front of the altar.

"Second kowtow!" Since their parents are not there to attend the wedding, both of them faced the crowd and do the kowtow instead.

"Third kowtow!" They face each other and bow.

"I now announced you to be husband and wi-" The host couldn't finish her words when an arrow strike pass through in front of her.

"Assassins! Protect His Highness and Her Highness!"

'So this is the reason why Royal Guards are here.' Yi Guan said to herself.