Chapter Four: The arrival of the savages.

When they get into the city, Meilin fixes her eyes on the beautiful buildings and things surrounding them as the carriage drives through the City grounds.

She was so lost staring out the window that she didn't feel when the carriage drew to a stop. The feel of someone touching her thigh startled her so badly that she let out a scream.

She turns with her heart thundering in her chest to find Master Chang glaring at her.

" What is wrong with you, girl? You are jumpier than my old colt," he snaps.

" I am sorry, "Meilin mutters in a low voice, averting her eyes.

Master Chang shakes his head at her dumbness and turns to leave. He pushes the carriage door open and turns to Meilin with a deadly look. "Don't embarrass me, girl, " he warns before going through the door, his weight making it a little difficult for him to go through.

Meilin hesitates inside, not ready to start the journey of her new life. She tries to find the courage to step out of the carriage, but couldn't seem to find it.

A few seconds later, she knew she couldn't linger anymore and decided to get it out of the carriage. She stood up to make her way out of the carriage, but the sudden loud voice of Master Chang at the carriage door scared the living daylight out of her.

" Girl, are you planning on staying there all day! "

Startled, Meilin clicks her left foot with her right and finds herself falling towards the carriage floor. Her eyes widen in horror as she screams. 

Her hands fly around, trying to grasp anything solid to break her fall, but all she could reach was thin air. When she realizes the inevitable is about to happen, she closes her eyes tightly and braces herself for the hard impact with the floor, only her fall doesn't just stop with the carriage.

She crashes through its door and falls to the hard ground in an embarrassing heap.

" Aw! " Meilin groans in pain, silently moving her hands and foot to make sure that nothing was broken. She moves to get off the ground when she sees a pair of sandals before her. Slowly, with dread, she raises her eyes to encounter Master Chang's furious eyes. She gulps, her heart sinking to her stomach. 

Suddenly she feels the urge to wee. 

Master Chang looks like a cloudy sky about to pour as he stares down at his clumsy doll. All around him, dignitaries are arriving in their fancy and expensive carriages, with loads of servants trailing behind him, and his one doll is making him look like a fool before them. 

The urge to wipe the girl was very tempting, but he restrained himself as they were in the palace. 

He gives her a very dirty look before storming off. 

Meilin quickly gets to her feet, her knees trembling, and runs after her Master. 

At the Palace hall where the wedding is taking place, Master Chang walks in easily because of how he was dressed, but as Meilin goes to follow, two spears materialize and stop her from moving forward. 

" Where do you think you are going to? " A deep masculine voice barks with disdain and superiority.

Meilin jumps back in fear, her terrified eyes raised to masked guards in horror. She has never been this close to a guard and fears being pierced to the chest by one of their long spears. 

" She is with me, " Master Chang says to the guards, but they don't lower their spears immediately, increasing the tension inside Meilin. 

A few seconds later, their hands go down, causing Meilin to exhale in relief and hurriedly pass them. 

" You are always causing trouble, " Master Chang growls at her when she draws up beside him.

" I am sorry," Meilin murmurs in a meek tone, head bowed.

She raises her head when they walk into the hall, her eyes falling out of their socket at the grandeur of the place and the beautiful decorations that have been put up.

A female servant directs them to a table, and they settle down with the other guests. 

Meilin kneels beside Master Chang, with her head bowed. 

The King arrives and everyone gets to their feet to welcome him. 

Shortly after his arrival, the door opens again with force, attracting the attention of everyone in the room. They look with excited eyes to see the bride, only to gasp with disgust at the bare chested men who walked in.

The men, all six of them, were tall, taller than anyone in their kingdom, their skin tan and dark, their long dark hair in braids with feathers and other ornamental designs on them.

The leader, the one who looks almost the same age as the king looks the most intimidating of them. And they are all good looking.

They are the Fuanis, northern neigbours to the Empire. 

The arrival of the new group causes discontent among the guest, even the King, though unlike his guests, he masked his displeasure. 

"Savages," Master Chang spits in a low voice, his tone tinged with disgust. 

Meilin stiffens, her mind curious about the guests who had caused such an uproar in the room. Cautiously, she lifts her eyes and catches one of them with her eyes. 

She gulps nervously, her heart flying to her throat at the intensity of his stare. It feels like staring into fire and getting burned by it. 

She quickly averts her eyes, her heart racing. 

The leader of the six steps forward to pay homage to the King. He greets the King without bowing respectfully to him, causing the air of discontent to rise in the room. The members of the royal court begin to murmur at what they perceived as insult to their King, while their King maitains a calm expression. 

He knows the savage before him is taunting him, but he will not entertain him by stoopy low to his level. 

Looking to get a reaction from the King, the leader of the savages continues with his words. 

"Your Highness, you sent invitations to your neigbours, except us. We believed it an oversight and decided to grace the occassion with our presence. Hope you are not annoyed?" 

The King smiles at the savage coldly, before responding through a purse lips. "Of course. I am not annoyed. All are welcome to my wedding. After all, it is a celebration." 

The savage returns the King's smile with a false one, before finding a table for him and his men. They took up two tables. 

The sound of drum beats, gongs, announces the arrival of the young bride, and the hall grows quiet, the savages forgotten as all stare toward the door in anticipation of the bride. 

When she walks into the hall, she shocks everyone, not with her beauty, but with her choice of wedding apparel. 

While everyone gawks at the bride's black wedding dress, Meilin stares in awe at her beauty. Even through the dark veil over the brides face one could see how beautiful she is. 

YUELAN'S POV

ZHANG HOUSEHOLD

Yuelan’s mother couldn’t wait to get up this morning. It is her daughter’s wedding day. Today she becomes the mother-in-law to the King, and she happily anticipates the prestige that comes with that tittle. 

She goes to find her daughter, with her maiden servants behind her. 

At the door of her daughter's room, she pushes the door open with Force.

"Yuelan, are you rea.... " The words trail off when she finds the room devoid of her daughter, and only her maidservants are present in the room.

Her sudden entrance startles the two young women so badly that the clothes and jewelry cases in their hands slip and crash to the floor.

Their eyes momentarily bulged out in great fear with a quick look in the woman's eyes before they flung it to the floor, their slender frame trembling badly.

" Madame! " they gasp, their voice quivering, knees shaking, making the courtesy that followed awkward.

The woman's eyes narrowed in great anger at the servants. " Where is she? " She barks, glaring at the servants.

The harshness of her voice makes the two servants cower before her, their bodies trembling like leaves.

" We... don't... know, " they stuttered, trying to protect their young mistress. The madame of the house hates for her daughter to go out riding, especially unescorted, which is what their young mistress had done.

The Madame  hisses like a snake, her ire building. She knows the servants are lying to her, and she has a suspicion as to where her errant offspring might be. Since she wasn't here to bear the brunt of her anger, her servants will do nicely.

She stares down at the servants, wondering how to punish them for letting their mistress leave their sight. And that is when her eyes saw it.

A look of disbelief flashes through her eyes at the audacity. She couldn't believe they would dare.

" What are you wearing? " she hisses at the servant who dared to put her daughter's clothes, her voice low and deadly.

" M-me! " the servant in question stutters, eyes wide, with a finger pointing to her chest.

The woman doesn't bother acknowledging her obvious question with an answer, but rather raises a perfectly carved brow at her. 

The servant gulps, a nervous look in her eyes. 

Their mistress has always allowed them free rein over her clothes she no longer wears. Yesterday, the king's men and servants had arrived with loads of boxes containing wedding gifts for their mistress and her parents. When the gifts got into her room, their mistress stared at them scornfully with no interest in ever touching or wearing the dress. This morning, they couldn't resist the temptation of the beautiful clothes and decided to try them on.

" Eh...Em..I... was... trying..... " the frightened servant stammers, trying to find a good excuse. Her terrified eyes looked to her friend for help, but the other servant refused to look in her direction, also scared.

A dejected feeling fell upon her as her eyes reverted to the imposing woman before her. 

Irritated by the servant's floundering attempt to lie to her, the woman blows a fuse.

" WILL YOU SHUT UP! " she yells and slaps the servant hard on the cheeks. " How dare you put on your mistress's clothes on that filthy body of yours. "

The woman looked back at her servants. " Take her to the courtyard to be lashed with twenty strokes of the cane, " she orders with a look of menace.