"All of you should watch the tables! Bring more food and drink out and hurry!" Madam Biah barked into the kitchen. "I did not hire you to stand around." Her scathing voice sent the maids scrambling out.
Two by two, maids rushed over with plates of food and jugs of wine. The pungent smells of roasted meat spill into the banquet halls. They head straight for the head table. Where only the prominent men of the Biah and Wey Clan sat. Soon they would go over the bride price and dowry.
Six maids converged on the table. Armed with youthful smiles and firm bodies exciting the noblemen, whose ravenous eyes rake over their most delicate parts.
"Take your pick..." Liang's fat Uncle laughed, but his voice barely made it out of his portly neck.
Another man watched with beady-eyes from the table as the young women approached. "Do you smell that?"
"Yes. Meeeat..." A man who sat on the bride's side growled, and the table erupted into a peal of boisterous laughter.
"Give me the one with the biggest teats." Liang's fat Uncle said between short breaths.
"Men suck on teats we don't nurse from them. You look like you've nursed on one too many." One of the Biah men reached over and patted his giant belly. Once again, the table erupted in laughter.
"Ahhh... Delicious!" Liang's Uncle eye'd the big-breasted maid who set down a plate of roast pig in front of him. His stubby hands clapped roughly on her backside.
"My Lord!" The maid gave him a giggle, then strutted off.
"Enough... I have an engagement at the Parlor tonight... I will not miss." The Biah clansman in charge of negotiations chimed in, and the men settled down.
"We're setting the bride price at a thousand gold," the Wey clansman said.
"One thousand gold?" Liang's uncle looked at the Wey's like they were asking for the whole Biah fortune.
"If he loves my niece, there's no price he wouldn't pay."
"A thousand gold coins a lot for a woman. You can get two - even three women for that price." The Biah men laughed.
"Yes, but would they bring in a dowry as large as my niece?" Yuliah's Uncle answered. "She comes with General Wey's entire estate."
"We need to discuss this with Advisor Biah first," Liang's Uncle replied. They excused themselves and headed over to where advisor and Madam Biah sat.
"How bold of them to set the bride price at a thousand gold. Especially for that useless girl." Madam Biah sneered. "General Wey should be happy we will even pay for that cursed girl."
"Stop Madam, before they Wey's hear you." Liang's uncle scolded.
Advisor Biah gave Liang a displeased look. "Pay it. The King arranged this marriage, and we don't have a choice." He stalked away.
The Biah clansmen returned to the head of the table. "Advisor Biah has agreed to the bride price," they announced.
"So it's settled then."
Clansmen from both sides raised their glasses and celebrated.
A few tables away Yuliah glanced over at the head table where the men laughed and talked about women, and decided that she were done. Done with this place. Great. She went back to smoothing out the red tablecloth in front of her. Doing these mundane things kept her mind off what would happen tonight.
She mulled it over for days, but they left her with no other choice. Yuliah set the vase of fresh flowers aside when the clinking of heels across the marble floors made its way towards the table.
Yuliah's Uncle had two wives, or more like four, and the two that were still alive were the least pleasant. Both of them were six years older than Yuliah. Her uncle was older than both of his wives' age combined.
She smiled stiffly when her Aunts approached.
"You're finally getting married!" the prettiest aunt patted Yuliah's hand but turned her attention towards Liang. They were more eager to see him than Yuliah. "He must be our new son-in-law?"
Liang scrambled to set his glass of wine down. "Yes," and flashed them a dashing smile.
"Ayooo... He's so handsome. Yuliah has chosen well for once." Her Aunts slighted. "My niece grew up without a mother," tears bud in her eyes. "With the General, she's lived a lonely and tough life." They both looked at Liang. "Please be good to Yuliah, she's like our own daughter."
Yuliah almost sneered at their fake words, but held back. Her Aunts were not women who would hold back their anger if she offended them. Today was already a bad enough day; she didn't want to add more unpleasantry.
"I will." Liang stood up and walked around the table. He wrapped an arm around the prettiest Aunt. "Here, let me show you to your table."
Yuliah rolled her eyes. He was such a great pretender. It wouldn't suprise her if Liang tried to sleep with one of them.
"Don't worry, I love Yuliah more than my life." He smiled handsomely and the two women gushed.
Yuliah gave Liang a disgusted look and eye roll before he walked away.
"Yuliah!" An angry voice sounded off behind her.
She turned around to find Liang's mother. "Madam Biah." Yuliah bowed. Between Liang and his mother, Yuliah hated them both equally. Madam Biah was just as much of a bitch, as Liang was an asshole. They were definitely mother and son. Madam Biah told Yuliah before the wedding that Corrin was the daughter-in-law she always wanted. As though these words would hurt her. It didn't matter to Yuliah because the last thing she wanted was to be Madam Biah's daughter-in-law. They should have picked Corrin.
"Why are you wearing that dress? What happened to the one I told you to wear?" She barked at Yuliah.
"I wanted to wear my mother's wedding dress."
"What a disobedient girl you are already." Madam Biah stomped off.
She could already sense that life at Biah Manor would be miserable. Especially with Liang and his mother. Yuliah sighed. Oh, how she hated the Northern Kingdom. Women had very little rights. She sat back down.
It annoyed Yuliah how controlling Madam Biah was. Why couldn't she wear her mother's wedding dress? All daughters want their mother present on her wedding day, but her mother died a long time ago, and she wore this dress to feel that some part of her mother was here with her.
The design was simple - a red dress that flowed to the floor. Made of silk with lace sleeves and fastened in the back. There were jewels adorned to the dress that Yuliah she was certain, did not come not from the Northern Kingdom.
She had pulled her black hair up into a bun and tied it back with a golden hairpin. A pin so sharp she made sure not to touch it because the tip could draw blood. The way her hair sat it exposed just enough of her ivory skin and highlighted by the red of the dress - she could skip hearts.
Her eyes darkened as Liang sauntered back. "You look beautiful in that dress." He took the chair beside her. "I'll fuck you hard tonight, Yuliah," he whispered in his usual sadistic tone, then planted a wet kiss in her ear.
The liquor on his hot breath made her choke back a gag. "Get away from me." She leaned sideways.
"I told you this day would come. My ripe little peach." He happily reached for a glass of wine. "It's empty." Liang peeked inside. "Bring me another." He pushed the glass into Yuliah's hand.
"Why don't you ask that maid your sleeping with to get it for you." She yanked her hand away, and the cup crashed to the ground. "I'm sure she would love to do it." Yuliah's face twisted in disgust. From the sound of his voice down to his touch, and even the sight of him repulsed her. Yuliah wondered what she ever saw in Liang. He's the greatest disappointment in her life.
Two of Liang's Cousins were en route to congratulate him but quickly left.
Liang whipped around in his chair and slid a hand up Yuliah's skirt. He stopped an inch away from her womanhood. His pinch sent a shock of pain up her inner thigh, and she slumped forward.
"Stop it, you bastard." Yuliah clawed at his hands but he had a deathly grip.
"Don't embarrassed me in front of my family again." Liang squeezed harder.
Yuliah fought his hand and tried to stand up, but he slammed her back into the chair.
"Sit the fuck down," he said. "I'll get it myself. You better realize who's fucken house you're under now." Liang stormed off.
A lump formed in the back of Yuliah's throat, and her eyes stung. She hated him so much - she wished him dead. Yuliah would pray to the Gods that he'd drink himself to death tonight. Would the Gods even answer her prayers? These days their Gods seldom did.
She took a sip of water from the glass, but a few tears escaped and slid down her cheek. Yuliah pulled out a handkerchief from one sleeve and wiped the tears, and then the spit Liang left on her ear. She tucked the cloth back into her sleeve but not before glimpsing the two crimson birds embroidered on the handkerchief, now stained with Liang's nauseated spit.
Two beautiful majestic birds, with wings spread out ready to take flight. Yuliah sighed. Finally, she would be free tonight just like the birds. Free from the North, Liang, and this marriage. All her life she'd felt the weight of invisible chains shackled to her ankles.
She took another glance at the birds. Yuliah had seen these crimson birds before. Not in the waking world but in a dream. It's always the same dream. Where she chased a man through a field of grass. When Yuliah got within a foot of him, to see the shirt on his back ripped down to his midsection and seeped in blood.
Through the cut in his shirt, she could make out a pair of crimson birds tattooed on his back the same ones from her handkerchief.
Then both her legs suddenly turn into mush. Every step becomes a wobble and flop until she falls over. By the time she's on her feet again, the man's gone.
Yuliah believed that she willed them into her dreams — the Crimson Birds and this man because she were so desperate to escape. Looking back down at her handkerchief, she ran a finger over the wings of one bird. Yes, the vial was still there.
She spent a day carefully sewing in a hidden pocket, where she hid the poison. Luckily, she planned ahead too because General Wey forced the maids to check her things before she left. Yuliah took a deep breath. Now these beautiful birds were soiled by Liang like he would do to her later.