Cai Ruolan climbed down the staircase carefully, she held the front of her dress so she wouldn’t fall, her golden phoenix hairpins swayed and dangled as she walked.
Cai Ruolan could see only males, they were all men of nobility and were also dressed in expensive silk robes just like emperor Cai Huateng.
They were no maid servants escorting her, because they actually thought that she deserves to die alone, no one would follow her to her place of death right?
She stood on the last stairs and lowered her head. It was such a relief that empress Hu Melien and her spoilt children weren’t present. She could only see Cai Yichen who sat with his arms folded across his chest and his face frowned, and Cai Daoming, he sat without any expression on his face.
Cai Ruolan never knew when a man in red robes walked towards her, she only raised her head and their eyes met.
He was stretching out his right hand for her to take.
Cai Ruolan immediately lowered her gaze when she saw him, it was clear that this was him. Her husband!
And he appeared to be a blue blood with his appearance, but she doesn’t like how he looks.
Though she could admit that she had never seen such a handsome person before, but she cared less about his looks.
She didn’t want him to touch her hand, she also believed that handsome men hurt ladies the most, just like her father.
To avoid suspense from the guests present, she slowly took his hand, it was a good thing she was wearing a veil, it had actually hidded her frown and gritted teeth.
She thought he would die from touching her, she thought he would stop breathing that minute he took her hands, but she was wrong. He walked towards the chair with her.
Emperor Cai Huateng was bewildered, but two men died three days ago instantly after touching Cai Ruolan. Was the crown prince unaffected by the curse?
Emperor Cai Huateng sent for his daughters and wives, he ordered the guard to explain everything to the empress and she should come with others immediately.
Cai Ruolan sat on a red colored chair beside the crown prince. She couldn’t figure out why he seems to be looking at her, and whenever she looked at him, he would turn away.
Cai Ruolan remembered what the harsh maid servant told her.
‘You must remove a hairpin from your hair and give it to your husband, he would fix it back in your hair once you both returned home’
She didn’t felt like taking one hairpin from her hair and giving it to this man beside her.
Cai Ruolan felt that he was just pretending and he would turn her to a slave once they arrived at his house.
She concluded that the man got concubines and slaves in his home, and was only marrying her for the political purpose only.
Little did she know that the crown prince loved her just when he saw her standing on the stair.
“But mother, won’t we die?” she heard Cai Qiaohui’s voice and their footsteps, they were all walking towards the palace hall.
Seems like the empress whispered her response to her daughters that was why no one heard them the next moment they spoke.
Cai Tianai felt bitter, her countenance changed when she saw Cai Ruolan seating beside the most handsome prince she had ever set her eyes on. She felt that her father had betrayed her by telling them false things about the crown prince. She hated her father that instant.
She watched as Cai Ruolan removed one of her hairpin and handed it over to the crown prince who collected it with a small smile.
‘Perhaps he likes her! Father what have you done? I never knew that you hated me this much’
She exchanged an angry look with Cai Qiaohui, they appeared looking very crestfallen and angry.
Empress Hu Melien on the other hand, never blamed her husband, the rumor was popular and everyone knew about it. However, she felt sorry for her daughters. Especially Cai Tianai who had once told her that she liked the crown prince of Huexiang. Empress Hu Melien had berated Cai Tianai and told her about the curse on the crown prince.
“Do you want to die? Please say not such a thing again. If a Cai should get married to that prince of darkness, then it must be Ruolan. They will both die in the dark together”
And it’s true, the rumor appeared false, and Cai Ruolan was getting married to him.
When it was time to exchange the wedding vows, Cai Ruolan was surprised, how could an arrange marriage have such procedures.
She doubt if they was even a matchmaker who confirmed the marriage since it was arranged in a hurry.
They both stood up and walked towards the man dressed in white robe, he got long grey beard and lot’s of gray hairs.
There was no time to waste so he quickly proceeded.
“Do you crown prince Xie Yuxuan of Huexiang take princess Cai Ruolan of Zhangqian as your legally married wife and forever be with her whether she has sickness or health, wealth or poverty, beauty or plain, in good and bad times, you’re willing to love and comfort her?”
There was silence as everyone awaited the crown prince’s answer.
This marriage was arranged for god’s sake! Why was wedding vow necessary?
“I do”
The man turned to Cai Ruolan whose head was lowered, he asked her the same question.
Cai Ruolan’s heart were pounding in her chest.
How was she going to say yes?
‘I hate you crown prince, just say you don’t want this marriage’ she thought within her.
She wasn’t trying to be an ingrate, she was finally leaving her father’s hell and she should be grateful. But she didn’t like the idea of starting a new life with this mischievous looking man.
“Princess Cai Ruolan, do you accept…”
“Of course she does” Xie Yuxuan answered hastily making everyone speechless.
‘Does he loved her this much?’
“But your majesty, she needs to…”
“If she hesitated then that shows that she accepts it” emperor Cai Huateng said grumpily, he casted a displeased look at Cai Ruolan.
The message was clear.
‘Don’t act like a fool here, or I’ll give you what you want’
Xie Yuxuan looked at her. “Do you accept it or not?” he asked her calmly, though he was a little bit pissed off, but what more could he expect, it was an arranged marriage and they knew nothing about each other. So he wouldn’t blame Cai Ruolan for hesitating.
She nodded reluctantly, her lips parting to say the word. ‘I do’ but tears welled up in her eyes even after trying to restrain them, they fell.
Cai Tianai hissed inwardly. “Such an incompetent fool!” she said in annoyance.
Cai Ruolan wiped her tears with her palm and stood beside the crown prince.
She never heard when the man in white robe announced them as husband and wife.
She wished she could see Wang Eumeh.
Did she suddenly forget about the tea party?
Another tradition which must be strictly adhered to.
The guests stood up and walked out of the palace hall to the garden where the tea party would take place.
Cai Tianai and her sisters left with gritted teeth.
Only Cai Ruolan and the crown prince were left in the hall, they were also a few guards present.
Cai Ruolan lowered her head as usual, she wanted to avoid looking at his eyes.
He walked towards her, the sound of his footstep made shivers chilled down her spines.
It was such an irony, she hated him at first sight, while he loved her at first sight.
As if he could tell what was in her mind, he asked her.
“You don’t want to marry me?”
Cai Ruolan was shocked by his question, yet she chose to answer him truthfully. She nodded.
Surprisingly, he hugged her tightly, Cai Ruolan felt warm in his embrace, but she also felt like pushing him, yet she remained calm.
‘Shouldn’t he die yet?’ she wondered.
He released her, then looked into her eyes in a smile before leaving.
“I’ll see you at the garden little wife”
Cai Ruolan watched as he left, she sneered to herself. Of course he was only pretending.
She waited for the maid servants to get the cups and utensils to the table at the garden, before she would head there.
“What are you waiting for new bride?” she heard a gruff voice that made her turned back.
Cai Yichen.
He looked very stern, and even despite the fact that he was wearing an expensive silk robe, one could still mistake him for a palace guard because of his short and thin stature.
He was also the most ugliest among the emperor’s children. Though he wouldn’t be considered ugly by commoners or outsiders, but by the royal family. He just didn’t reach the Cai’s beauty standard.
Cai Ruolan thought that it was better to keep quiet and leave when it’s time to.
“You’re not answering me? You are probably happy that you are having the crown prince all to yourself, but I must tell you that he doesn’t like you. He’s my enemy and he doesn’t want the best for you. I do care about you Cai Ruolan” he told her smiling wryly.
Cai Ruolan wondered if he would say all these to Cai Tianai if she had been the one to marry the crown prince.
“Thank you very much Cai Yichen, I never knew you do care for me” she said more in a sneer than in gratitude.
Cai Yichen clenched his fist, he felt like tearing up Cai Ruolan’s face with his bare hands.
“Yes I do. You’re my elder sister right?” he asked sheepishly.
Cai Ruolan shrugged. “You’ve never said this before Cai Yichen”
Just as he was about to continue talking, Cai Ruolan was called by a maid servant.
“It’s time young miss”
Cai Ruolan waved at her brother. “Thank you for today’s revelation, I’ll never forget it” she told him as she left.
Cai Ruolan saw small teacups on the white table, she couldn’t imagine the fact that she was going to serve the tea to everyone present there with the crown prince
She started by pouring the tea on the emperor’s cup, and the next thing was that, she must kowtow to him.
The crown prince also poured a few tea on some elders cups and received blessings from them.
Just as Cai Ruolan had reasoned, her father barely opened his mouth to say any prayers to her, she also never expected one.
She never even wanted to kowtow to him, just that it was a tradition that doesn’t need to be neglected if one wants good luck in their wedding.
‘But the wedding itself was already a bad luck’ she thought
She walked towards empress Hu Melien who she never wanted to serve.
As soon as Cai Ruolan started pouring the tea out on her cup, the empress moved the cup from the normal position it was before, making the tea pour directly on her clothes.
“Oh your majesty, you shouldn’t have moved your cup!” Cai Ruolan spoke immediately, because she knew that the empress would start raining abuses on her if she had spoke first.
The empress gritted her teeth, why would this stupid thing speak first? She wanted to ruin the wedding at all cost.
“It was my h…” before she could finish speaking, Cai Ruolan walked to the next person. She served a few elderly people seating.
“Bless you”
She then poured the tea on royal concubine Weici, and royal consort Xia’s cups.
She soon walked towards crown prince Cai Daoming, she smiled as she poured the tea on his cup. Though he couldn’t see that she was smiling due to the veil covering her face.
She was glad when the tea tradition was done. But was there a need for the joining of hairs?
Cai Ruolan was irritated, thank goodness for the red veil on her face.
“Cai Shuang, I don’t know why I hate this girl so much. I can’t drink the tea she gave me” Cai Suyin tapped her elder sister.
“Yes, same here. She even reluctantly gave out her hair while the crown prince did it with glee” Cai Shuang hissed.
This wasn’t what she wanted, she had always dreamt of marrying the crown prince. And she was the only one who believed that the rumors were false. She even managed to get the crown prince’s portrait so she could admire his face everyday.
She couldn’t believe that Cai Ruolan was getting married to him very easily.
She watched enviously as the marriage procedures were done, the couples hair were tied in the knot.
Cai Ruolan was glad when all the traditions were done, her father and his chiefs were talking about something they just found out.
Cai Ruolan was unaware of the false rumors surrounding the crown prince, she was surprised to see the females coming to the palace hall late, and they avoided looking into the crown prince’s face.
The crown prince left her side for the first time and walked towards her father.
Cai Ruolan felt very lonely, she thought of Wang Eumeh again. And this time, she tried to hide her tears, she cleaned it as fast as possible with the edge of her sleeve. Darn! her veil got tears too.
The crown prince returned to her side, she soon knew that they were about to leave.
Cai Ruolan quickly remembered the cream colored bag she had kept at the palace hall entrance. She had kept it at the back of a pillar, she was sure that no one would see it.
“Excuse me” she left the crown prince’s side and walked towards the garden’s gate.
Xie Yuxuan followed her immediately, what kind of a girl is this?
She walked briskly towards the palace hall entrance and halted in front of the large round pillar, Cai Ruolan reached out for the bag and untied it.
She sighed in relief, nothing was missing.
Before she left her palace, she had added the transparent white glass and the maroon clothe inside the bag.
She turned and saw the crown prince standing in front of her.
“What’s that?” he pointed to the bag she was holding.
“It’s…” her voice trailed off. What was she going to say. “It’s necessary”
“Come on let’s go” he took her right hand.
Cai Ruolan could see the golden colored carriage waiting, one could tell that it was the couples carriage because of it’s intricate designs.
As soon as the footman opened the door of the carriage, he brought his hand out for the bride to take.
But the crown prince stretched out his for her.
Cai Ruolan scoffed inwardly as she took his hand, she sat inside the carriage clutching her bag tightly.
She watched as he sat down, Cai Ruolan tried not to peep out of the window, they was no one to wave to anyways. But she was sure her father, her sisters and other aristocrats were standing outside.
Perhaps she might never see them again.
Cai Ruolan felt sleepy as soon as the carriage rode off, but she tried to hold her sleep.
“You can rest your head on my shoulder” Xie Yuxuan told her as soon as he noticed how her head was shaking.
“No thank you” she muttered.
“Don’t be stubborn little wife, you’ll hit your head if you doze off” he smirked.
Cai Ruolan never responded, she just closed her eyes and pretended not to be asleep, but she dozed off a few minutes after, her bag fell off her hands.
Xie Yuxuan sat close to her, picked up the bag, then placed her head on his shoulder, as the ride continued.
He seemed to like his little wife and couldn’t wait to begin life with her even if she’s proving to be stubborn.
A/N
How’s the story so far guys?
Need your comments and votes, please support me and this baby till the end. If you got any tips or corrections, then be sure to lemme know.
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