I didn’t need to be a genius to figure out what they were all whispering about. The emperor, probably as curious as the rest of them, had decided to ask Ren straight out about the reason why I was wearing a wedding dress to court. He was right, Ren and I had not wed. I sat up a little straighter as I too focused on hearing Ren’s response to the emperor’s question.
Slowly and deliberately, Ren got up to his feet and walked to the center of the platform where he would face the emperor directly when delivering his response.
“This minimal wedding dress is to be worn for a month after a lady has married a prominent member of the royal family. The true intent behind this dress is to announce and remind all that the lady now belongs to her man and that she is now completely off-limits to all others. Of course, sever punishments are in place for any other man who would dare lay hands on her…” Ren began recounting the customs and tradition behind the dress that I was wearing.
