4

Ye Chenzhou, Lord of the Camelia, General of the Crimson Army, First Sword of the Empire, was nothing like Eirian had been expecting.

For one, he had several inches on her. Which, while it was a small matter that affected nothing more than her pride, was annoying because this should have been the one place where Eirian was the tall one and some how she'd turned up a husband who managed to be the exception to his own genetics.

Tall and lithe and now she was stuck being the short one again...maybe a wedding night death was still on the table.

Two, while he had the dark hair and matching almost shaped eyes she'd been expecting, there was almost a gentleness to the slope of his eyes and the tilt of his lips. He had, she was annoyed to admit, beautiful features. Not overly masculine, but not feminine either. A strong jaw and pale skin. Every strand of his inky black hair was pulled into a perfect top knot and set with an intricate guan.

Dressed in spotless ceremonial armor and robes in red and black, he'd greeted her with perfect steps, but a stiffness and a guarded expression that suggested she wasn't the only one unhappy with this arrangement.

His court stood a few paces back, an interesting arrangement of men and women of several ages and the mixed genetics one would expect in a borderland between two such different empires. 

"Welcome to the Camelia," Ye Chenzhou intoned, bowing neatly at the waist. His robes fluttered around his feet as he moved. Eirian paid a seamstress a heavy price for dresses that moved that beautifully.

Eirian inclined her head, unwilling to offer more than that when by blood and station, she was above everyone else in the room. Before this exile, she'd cared little for the norms of nobility and social practices, had actually relished breaking them to the endless exasperation of her father. But there wasn't a single person in this room not wearing some kind of military uniform or without a weapon.

And there were enough of them that if Eirian was forced to fight all of them at once, she stood a good chance of injury and she'd likely have to bring the building down on top of them all. 

She wasn't quite ready to do that, so she gave ground. Just a bit. "Thank you."

He straightened, "Would you like to change before the ceremony?"

She blinked, surprised. "You want to do it now?"

He looked equally surprised, "You do not? The contract stated-"

She cut him off, "What contract?" She knew the arrangements had been made, but she hadn't realized there'd been a written contract. Generally, those were saved for marriages that involved a significant inheritance or exchange of property, and while Eirian had plenty of gold and jewelry, she was land poor. There was no need for a marriage contract unless something had been exchanged.

Ye Chenzhou looked taken aback, glancing over at an older stately gentleman with close cropped hair and a matronly woman dressed completely in black.

"Show me the contract," Eirian demanded.

The woman in black gestured discreetly to a maid at her shoulder and the young woman hurried out.

A priest stepped forward, "Ah, Lord Ye, does this mean the marriage isn't taking place immediately?"

Ye Chenzhou looked a bit lost, but Eirian felt the same and it made her angry. He was complicit in her exile, but here he was looking as upset as she was.

"No, the marriage will still happen. We just need a moment. Leave." They filed out one by one expect for the woman in black. The maid returned, handing her thick sheaf of papers, which she passed to Ye Chenzhou before bowing and leaving, the young maid at her heels.

The heavy doors swung shut behind her, leaving Eirian and Ye Chenzhou alone in the great hall. It had been an intimidating room when she'd first stepped inside. With its great vaulted ceilings, the glittering silk tapestries and the huge fireplaces lining the walls. 

The same miasma she'd seen from the cliff's edge was still here, floating just below the roof and in the corners like smoke that couldn't escape. It settled over the floor like morning mist and Eirian had to concentrate to see her feet through it.

Ye Chenzhou held out the papers, lips pursed. "Your family was very insistent on the contract. It is not common practice here."

Eirian snorted, "The only family of significance here is yours. Of course you don't need contracts." Who the hell would even try to negotiate with the Ye family out here? 

She snatched the contract when he held it out, flipping past the first pages of pleasantries and descriptions of the parties to the details of-

"YOU PAID FORTY POUNDS OF GOLD?!"

And, "Ten pounds each of sapphires, rubs, and emeralds?!"

Her husband-to-be was an idiot.

~ tbc