DISCLAIMER: Hagaren is Arakawa's.
Pairing: Ling Yao/ Lan Fan
Prompt: The Bride
Rated: K
She did not cry on his wedding day.
The bride's dress was beautiful, she couldn't deny that, though she noted with a small amount of worry that the flowing red skirts threatened to trip her if she was not careful, as well as Ling should he stand too close. Her was done very intricately by someone with nearly as much dexterity and skill at her craft as Lan Fan had at her own. Small blossoms had been woven in, bobbing slightly with the bride's gait - which, she noticed, was rather clumsy.
As the bride made her way down the aisle, Lan Fan's mind wandered into the future. She could already picture the dark-haired, narrow-eyed children the couple would produce, most of them probably growing up to be buffoons like their father. She envisioned her master growing old with his bride, gray hairs sticking out from the sides of their heads and laugh lines setting into their skin, drinking tea and chatting about everything and nothing. She imagined that despite the impending stresses of ruling a country, when it was just them, Ling would still manage to laugh when he was with her. Lan Fan knew his bride made him happy, and she was thankful for that.
The bride was not handed off to her groom as was tradition; there was no one to give her away. She merely took the emperor's hand in her own and knelt with him, bowing her head as the ceremony began.
As the procession drew near to a close, Lan Fan did not feel bitter.
As Ling tied a symbolic necklace around his new wife's neck, Lan Fan did not mourn.
As Ling pulled his bride in for a sealing kiss, Lan Fan did not weep.
After all, it was pointless to cry at your own wedding.
A/N: Terribly, terribly short. Sorry. Leave me a review anyway?