The hour of the wedding was nearly upon them.
The palace opened its doors to the distinguished guests. People left and right are happily greeting each other. They are discussing the grand festivity with glee. The folks of the Capital city that weren't given the privilege to be invited, watched along the road to the palace. They await for the entourage of the bride to pass hoping to catch a glimpse of the new princess.
Inside the palace, there was a very hectic atmosphere. The eunuchs were making their last-minute checks. They need to ensure that the royal wedding will go off without a hitch. The guests were also arriving and were led to the grand palace ground to be seated.
Outside of the Xia mansion was also very busy. The bride's carriage, along with her entourage, was already prepared. Only one person was missing, the bride herself. But the wait wasn't long, for the bride had emerged from the main entrance's double doors.
Dressed in a very elaborate red ceremonial dress, Xia Yu walked down the steps towards her awaiting carriage. Her face was covered with a red dark veil. No one can see what she looked like. She turned to Boyang who was at her right side.
"Is everything set?"
Boyang bowed to her and said, "Yes, Young Miss."
Then, this is it. No regrets.
"Is everything set?"
"Yes, Your Majesty! All of the guests are seated. The players will begin the music once His Majesty appears." the eunuch replied as he bowed his head.
Empress Tian Ai took a sigh of relief. Soon enough, she was joined by her two sons. She dismissed the eunuch to talk to her sons.
"Greetings, Mother! Wow! You looked so young. The guests might mistake you for our sister." Prince Jinyi said with honest flattery.
"Jinyi's right, dear Mother. The passing years didn't affect you a bit." Prince Zhujin seconds the compliment.
"Oh, stop you two. Who taught you to be such sweet talkers?" Empress Tian Ai said embarrassed by the teasing of her sons. This earned laughs from the two princes.
"Oh, where's your brother? Is he ready?" the empress suddenly asked.
"Yes, he is with father," Jinyi answered.
The empress seemed pleased. But, there's still worry hanging over her head. She leaned closer to her sons to express her concern.
"Did he go out to visit that girl recently?" she asked. The question drew in an uncomfortable atmosphere.
"No, Mother. He never left the palace after he got engaged." Zhujin answered.
"Really? That is good to hear." the empress said with evident ease.
"Yes, Mother. Second Brother only remained in the palace. However, I seem to notice he always visited Second Sister-in-law in the Study Hall for Etiquette." Jinyi recalled.
The empress smiled wide.
"It seems my daughter-in-law had your brother wrapped around her finger already."
"I'm surprised by his behavior. He was very angry about the engagement. But ever since he met his bride-to-be, he calmed down." Zhujin said, remembering what he had observed.
"Well... that is a good sign... for now." the empress said.
Their conversation was interrupted when a eunuch came to announce that it was nearly time.
The excited voices of the people spectating the bride's entourage filled Xia Yu's ears. These people were praising her for how blessed she was to marry into the imperial family. She scowled under her veil. These people do not know how much Xia Yu would trade to be replaced as the bride.
It will only be for three years. You can endure this, Xia Yu.
She kept chanting to herself as her entourage entered the palace gates.
"It's time." the emperor announced.
The imperial family stepped out of the hall. The music began playing effectively silencing the buzzing crowd. The emperor and the empress positioned themselves on the left side of the ceremonial ground. The two princes followed and took the spot beside them. Opposite them is the Xia couple along with General Cheng.
Soon enough, a eunuch made the announcement.
"Presenting the groom, the Second Prince, His Highness, Zhang Miyojin!"
On his cue, Miyojin revealed himself. He was met by claps from the crowd spectating his marriage. People were delighted by how handsome Prince Miyojin was. He was indeed, the most handsome among the Three Golden Princes.
Miyojin kept his face expressionless. His nerves might be acting up but he remained composed. This will be over soon. He just has to bear with it for a little while. He wondered if Xia Yu would bail on him at the last minute. But in the few days he had known her, he knew she wasn't one to do such a thing.
Without delay, the carriage of the bride had entered the palace grounds. It was the largest entourage anyone had ever seen. It seemed Xia Yu brought an army! The scene brought both delight and fear to everyone on the palace grounds.
This was the very first time the Xia family showed their power. They may be a small family but they have hundreds of thousands of people loyally working for them. Their guards alone might be as large as the imperial army. It was even terrifying if these guards were trained under the Chengs.
The carriage stopped in front of the red-carpeted stairs which lead to the ceremonial ground. Then, the eunuch made another announcement.
"Presenting the bride, the daughter of the Xias and Chengs, and our Second Princess Consort, Her Highness, Xia Yu Ying!"
Xia Yu stepped out of the carriage and looked at the sight before her. She spotted the prince waiting for her at the top of the stairs. She began the procession to the ceremonial ground.
Looking down at her was Prince Miyojin.
Is that her?
He can't tell because of the thickness of her veil. He couldn't believe this was happening. He is indeed marrying her. But if she didn't back out, why should he?
When Xia Yu finally reached the top, she spotted her parents and her uncle. Though she can't see their faces, she can see their form. She knew that they didn't want this but they were trying to put on a brave act. They did it for her, so she did the same.
Miyojin and Xia Yu looked at each other. He offered his hand to her which she took with hers.
"Are you ready for this?" Miyojin said in a whisper.
"We don't exactly have a choice here, do we?" Xia Yu replied.
Miyojin smiled a melancholic smile.
"Yeah, we don't."
They walked forward to the priest who began to officiate the wedding ceremony. Throughout the ceremony, Miyojin was very nervous. His feet never felt this cold. He never realized how worrisome it is to get married. He did his best not to let it show.
He took a peek at his bride. He can't see her face but he can tell she's very calm. He thought to himself that he should be like her. He took a deep breath and brought his attention back to the ceremony.
When will this end?
Xia Yu thought to herself as she resisted the urge to tap her feet. Who would have known that a wedding ceremony is so dreary? She once dreamed her wedding would be her happiest moment. She used to get excited just thinking about it. But now, neither happiness nor excitement was the emotion she was feeling.
Miyojin and Xia Yu followed through with every ritual the priest asked them to do. And finally, after what felt like a lifetime, they reached the last part of the ceremony. It was time to unveil the bride.
With a slightly trembling hand, Miyojin picked up the stick that was handed to him. He used the stick to remove the veil. The first thing he saw when he lifted the veil a bit was her lips. They were painted in blood red. Then, with care, he lifted the veil.
Miyojin was dumbstruck to see Xia Yu's face. The red lips, the pale smooth skin, the eye makeup, and the jewels decorated on her hit him. Xia Yu's natural and simple look is indeed the fairest. But seeing her all glam up had him seeing her in a new light. How could someone who is already so beautiful can become even more beautiful?
Miyojin wasn't the only one who was awestruck. Everyone on the ceremonial ground was pleasantly surprised. Xia Yu looked like a reincarnated goddess. Miyojin held Xia Yu's hand as he guided her by the stairs to present themselves to everyone. They were met with cheers and praises.
Soon, they proceeded to the banquet hall. Entertainment and food were served to everyone who attended. The atmosphere was very lively and friendly. Everyone was enjoying themselves. This also includes the newlywed couple.
Miyojin had never tasted such delicious meals. The appetizers, the main courses, and even the side dishes are all good. Where did these come from? Did the palace kitchen hire new cooks? He thought that this could be a good topic to strike up a conversation with the silent goddess beside him.
"This meal is quite scrumptious. Don't you think so, Xia Yu?"
Xia Yu smiled at him.
"I'm glad you like it."
Miyojin raised one eyebrow at her. Xia Yu saw the prince's confused look so she proceeded to explain.
"The food served tonight was from the Xia restaurants."
Miyojin was impressed. He was aware of the popularity of the Xia restaurants. But he had never thought of visiting one. Now that he knows what their meals taste like, he will definitely schedule a visit.
"This is impressive."
Miyojin soon realized his mistake. He ended their conversation unknowingly. He doesn't know what to say next. He looked at Xia Yu who already continued eating. What should he do next? But right before he could think of anything, Xia Yu placed something on his plate.
"You should try this. It's a personal favorite of mine."
Miyojin was delighted. He looked at the food that was placed on her plate. It was a piece of shrimp. It was the plainest food on their table. He hadn't tasted it yet because he was distracted by the other colorful dishes.
He picked the shrimp up with his chopsticks and brought it to his mouth. He was so surprised at how flavorful it was. The juices that oozed from the shrimp when he bit it were a treat to his taste buds. It was the best tasting of all the dishes.
"This tastes great. Who thought of creating this dish?" he asked.
"I did."
This is something Miyojin couldn't believe. He realized that he had been frequently surprised by her since they met.
"I never thought of you as someone who sets her foot in the kitchen."
"Was it that hard to believe?"
"Indeed. I only pictured you on a work desk reading business reports and inspecting your establishments. But, I never thought of you in the kitchen doing the cooking."
Xia Yu laughed at Miyojin which the latter smiled at.
"All I can say is, it is such a crying shame if a restaurant owner doesn't know how to cook."
They both laughed at that. But before Miyojin could say his comment, a few maids approached them from the side and bowed at them.
"Excuse us, Your Highnesses. But, it is time for the bride to leave to prepare." one of the maids said.
Miyojin was confused for a bit. What would Xia Yu need to prepare for? Then it hit him.
The wedding night!