One Year

Wedding Day

Siri was sitting in the carriage as the wedding progression continued on its way to the royal palace. She was dressed in the finest red silk, embroidered with a gold phoenix resting on a peach tree. Gold chrysanthemums and Gold lotus's were also embroidered on the sleeves and collar of her dress. She wore a gold head piece that had string pearls and small beads of green jade that dangled in front of her face like a curtain. When she moved her head, the string pearls and beaded jade would swing, opening up the curtain for a glimpse of her face.

Her family had only 10 days to prepare for her wedding and could not afford to insult the royal family. The dowery for her marriage had 140 chests of of jewelry, bolts of fabric, gold, paintings, and vases. Her party of the wedding progression was a train that lasted a mile long and brought attention to the wedding day. A crowd had built up on the side of the street and had joined in the celebration. They have heard all the rumors around Lady Siri. She was the 'left over' of the Crown Prince who had refused to marry her because of her ugly visage. They heard of her stubbornness and her unladylike behavior.

As the carriage came to a stop in front of the palace gates, another carriage waited there for her to transfer to the carriage that would bring her to the palace banquet hall. Rose was waiting outside of the carriage to help Siri down her own elaborate carriage. As she alighted, Rose held on to her hand and as gracefully as Siri could, she walked down the steps and held on to Rose's arm to get into the other carriage that Prince Ryu provided for her. Siri went up the stairs and when the curtain opened, there sat a man inside the carriage and Siri hesitated before entering the carriage.

Inside the carriage, it was dark, the heavy curtains didn't let in any wind and made the inside hot and stuffy. But with the spirit of the cold embedded within her, she didn't feel the hot air as annoying or uncomfortable. It actually felt nice as she arranged her dress properly before sitting back to settle herself for the 40 minute ride to the banquet hall.

She didn't speak as she sat still in front of the mysterious man. She watched carefully to him through the beaded curtain and watched with every movement how he stared back at her.

"You're not going to scream?" Ryu asked.

He had decided to pick up his wife at the palace gates. He was curious of her and had heard the rumors about her and what Eunuch Tomo had said about her. His spies have told him of her staying inside her courtyard and never venturing out. She had no visitors and did not visit anyone else. And yet, she was a contradiction to her rumors that he couldn't figure out.

"Should I scream?" Siri asked. "What is there to be afraid of? Either you will take my life or you don't. Should you choose to kill me, my screaming would be too late to notify the guards to save my life. And screaming in fear would only make me a coward and I will not give you the satisfaction of knowing that I'm scared. My screaming for help or in fear will not change the outcome."

"Do you know who I am?" Ryu asked.

"Should I?" She asked him back. "I know no one outside my courtyard. Should I know you?"

Her voice died in her throat as he moved across the carriage within a blink of an eye and pinned her down to her seat. Her hand were pinned to her lap where she had laid it there earlier. One of his hand held her shoulder down, while the other hand swept the beaded curtain to the side then held on to her chin.

Her cold silver eyes locked on to his dark onyx eyes as they stared down each other, trying to see who would back off first.

"You truly dare to stare at this Prince with those eyes?" Ryu asked. He watched as her cold silver eyes lit up with the knowledge that he is her husband and inside he rejoiced to see the realization of his identity. "You heard about this Prince's ability to make this Prince's wife die, should you marry this Prince, this Prince will kill you."

Siri cursed at her luck. She wanted to live a peaceful life, however her future husband was making it difficult for her to do so.

Ryu froze as he felt something cold touch his inner thigh.

"Should your lovely wife cut off your third leg and make you a Eunuch now? Seeing how your wives wouldn't live to see the next sunrise, you have no use of this third leg. And as your current wife, it is my duty to take care of this problem before my spirit leaves this place."