9 Chapter 9. A Bad Omen

Not wanting to leave the handkerchief behind Yuliah pushes the maids aside lifting her veil. She quickly turns around scanning the ground frantically, looking for her handkerchief — the crowd gasps at the sight of Yuliah turning around and start to chatter among each other loudly.

"Oh my! She turned back!" A small old lady with greying hair gasps.

Another woman with darker hair and a thick face could be heard asking, "What is she doing?"

While a shorter woman starts clicks her tongue shaking her head, "That's bad luck! A bad omen of what's to come!"

The crowd of women continues to whisper loudly among each other, but Yuliah could care less. Her only concern is to find that handkerchief. Then she spots it; the Crimson Birds were getting trampled beneath the feet of two thick legged looking woman. Ahhhhh! Her poor birds and handkerchief! As Yuliah makes a mad dash towards them pushing through the crowd of people and then shoving the two woman aside.

"Move!" Yuliah yells at them.

The two women were older than Yuliah and were stunned by the way she spoke to them, still in shock they stood there with mouths opened but manage to move aside, as Yuliah picks up her handkerchief. By this time the maids caught up to her and from behind her, grab her arms turning her around forcing her back towards the wedding chambers.

Liang finally appears his face flushed and sweaty, "I'm here Uncle. Something urgent came up that I had to take care of right away. You know how it is when you've had too many glasses of wine," he smiles politely at the crowd and Yuliah's uncle. They chuckle back at him. He wasn't really using the bathroom though; he was crammed inside a tiny broom closet hardly able to breathe in the middle of inserting his fingers into that maid, who had been giving him the eye earlier, while she sucked on him until he heard someone shouting his name. Angry that he didn't even get to finish with his arousal still partially hard inside his pants, he came running out just in time.

"Yes, please escort my lovely bride to our room," as he walks over to Yuliah and reaches for her hand and plants his second wet kiss of the night onto her the back. She could smell the musk and stench of another woman's sweat on him. Disgusted, Yuliah tries to pull her hand away, but his grip is too firm.

"I'll see you in a bit he winks smiling at her," sending the crowd into a loud cheer.

He was such a great pretender, even though the veil covered her eyes Yuliah rolled her eyes and struggled again with Liang's grip until he releases her wrist. She wipes the back of her hand off on her dress.

She had to bow to Liang's side of the family and her father-in-law first to pay her respects before she could leave. Then the maids led away to the wedding chambers.

It was the tradition in the Northern Kingdoms for a woman on her wedding day to wear a veil covering her head. Yuliah wore a headpiece in the shape of a circle with a hole in the middle, that sat on her head, and red silk sewn around the headpiece. Attached to the veil were shiny red pearls stringing down.

Removing the veil could only be done by a woman's husband once they were inside the wedding chamber. In the Northern Kingdom for a man and woman to be officially acknowledged as married, first, he had to be the one that lifted the veil and then also the one that consummates the union. If a man failed to do either one of these things, the marriage would be considered invalid, and his wife would be free to wed whomever she wanted. Many men in the past were able to steal back their girlfriends, who had been forced to marry another Man by working around this loophole. These stories and possibilities were frequently happening now, and so whenever a woman was getting married, her husband's family would assign a bodyguard known as a Green Lady. This Green Lady would be a woman from the groom's side, whom he trusted to follow the bride around. She would watch the Brides every move making sure no Men were lurking around, she would also wait inside the wedding chamber with the Bride until her husband came, but Liang did not trust or like any of his female relatives. Plus he felt safe inside his home being that his Father was Advisor to the King. No one would dare come and challenge them, and Liang knew Yuliah had no other Man in her life. Besides her Father and his Ward Yujen there was no one to worry about, and therefore he did not assign anyone to keep an eye on Yuliah.

Lifting the veil was also a symbol of rebirth and removing all of a Woman's past to start a new life with the person who raised her veil. With the veil covering her head the maids had to lead her over to the bed.

They were giggling excited for Yuliah, while Yuliah feared what was to come, "One of the maids was too excited and spoke first, "Oh you are so beautiful! With Liang's vitality, we'll probably have little Lords running around here within a few years, she laughed."

Yuliah on the other hand almost fainted hearing the maid's words causing her to misstep and lose her balance. The maids had to catch her and hold her up dragging her over to the bed where they sat her down.

"Wait here for your handsome husband to come," as she pats Yuliah's hand.

Yuliah instead grips tightly onto the maids' hand refusing to let go, "Please don't leave me." She wasn't ready for this.

The maid laughs at her, "I cannot be here for your wedding night too! There's nothing to worry about Madam. Consummating your marriage is a rite of passage for every married woman," as she pries Yuliah's hands off hers.

Hearing the last of the maid's footsteps leaving the room, and then the door closing loudly, Yuliah silently prayed to the Gods for a miracle.