Dangerous Fiancee

Chapter 96

May 26 in 593 by the imperial calendar.

It was not until two days after the prearranged feast that the engagement ceremony began on this day. The atmosphere of the great temple, which had been heavy because of an unexpected accident, was lively again. After the early morning prayers, the priests were busy looking for their seats. There was a strange but excited atmosphere visible everywhere.

Marianne woke up at dawn and offered a brief prayer in her room.

She knelt before the window and gathered her hands according to the precept of the temple that she had heard before. The dim dawn and serene mountain air filled the space between the half-open curtains. Amid the serenity of the temple, people began to move around and the scent of light opium wafted in from nearby.

It seemed they had also begun making preparations in the emperor's room. She held back the desire to enter the emperor's room and took a look. Instead, she closed her eyes again.

She prayed, 'Let nobody get hurt. Please help me protect them to the end and keep everybody safe..."

On the day she promised to marry the emperor, Marianne's first prayer as his bride was for the oath of protection and wishes for peace. Her beautiful and sad wishes hovered in her closed mouth for a long time.

After she was done praying, two priests came in. Siel and Hess, who had assisted her up close since her stay at the temple, agreed to help her get dressed and prepare for the ceremony.

The two prepared two bathtubs in the room and filled them with water in turns. One was hot water and the other one was cold water. Marianne first washed her body with her hair mixed with lavender perfume. It was warm and comfortable enough to forget the aftereffects of the accident that had not yet gone by.

But as the scent of fragrant flowers was absorbed into her body, Siel and Hess moved her into the cold water as if to keep the fragrance on her.

"My dear lady, I know you might not like it, but please be patient. The cold water is the holy water from the waterfall. Only the bride who has bathed in this holy water can receive the holy grace of the nine gods."

Siel spoke sweetly, sweeping her wet hair behind her ear. Marianne nodded, trembling in the cold.

In the end, Marianne got out of the cold bath after they poured the holy water drawn from the waterfall over her head twelve times. Her neck even felt cold until they could dry her body and hair.

Meanwhile, the sun rose high in the sky.

"Fortunately the weather is good today. It looks like it's clearer than the original festive day," Siel with a brightly smiled, opening the curtains.

Sunlight penetrated through the window, and Marianne drank her medicine and rinsed her mouth with clear tea. In fact, she was hungry, but she couldn't eat properly before the ceremony was over.

Hess, who was applying ointment to her face and body, smiled when she smacked her lips unconsciously. Siel closed the bathtub, cleaned it up, and spread the sleeves of her priest robe that she had rolled up.

"Priest Hess, please comb her hair after you are done treating her."

"Sure, will do."

"Lady, let me go and bring the noblewomen and noble daughters."

"Please."

Siel left the room with her permission.

Hess applied the ointment carefully to the wounds between her fingers and pushed the tray containing the medicine. Soon, Hess held a comb made of juniper. Hess didn't have nimble fingers, but she knew how to move her fingers delicately and smoothly. Marianne felt drowsy and closed her eyes while Hess combed her hair. She felt good when Hess swept through her thick hair over and over. Hess's warm touch touched her tender feelings.