xXHyuugaSakuraXx - Heheh, glad you think so! By English name, what do you mean? I just tried to find the definition, unless whoever made the English version gave her a different name? o.o

Reminder

紫薇 - Zi Wei. 'Myrtle,' 'flower.'

小燕子 - Xiao Yan Zi. 'Swallow,' or 'little swallow.

金锁 - Jing Suo. 'A brass lock.

梁大人 - Liang Da Ren. (Administrator Liang)

紫薇 gazed up at the sign hanging above the main entrance. People were filing in by the dozens, toward the tables covered in red cloth, festive music loudly resounding. In all her life 紫薇 had never done something quite so daring. Leaving home after her mother's death was a large step for her, but she'd never, even then, thought that half a year later, she'd be dressed up in men's wear, trying to crash a wedding. She stood by the door, watching as 梁大人 welcomed everyone in with a greeting. 金锁, sensing her mistress' hesitation, squeezed her arm slightly, and the two headed inside.

梁大人 had dressed all his men in crimson, and someone had hung scarlet drapes over the garden. The traditional red lanterns were in every corner, and in clusters were the hired musicians. People sat at circular tables, talking, laughing, eating. Yet 紫薇 felt nervous. She anxiously searched the crowd for 梁大人, then, when the sun's glare was too fierce, decided he was still outside. She also feared her reserved appearance may point her out as a female, or that someone would come up to her and offer her wine. Finally, she saw the man head in, and started toward him, only to be blocked by a few scarlet-donning eunuchs carrying a heavy wooden case. She turned at the sound of cheers erupting from the tables and saw the groom's mother walking out with the soon-to-be married couple.

Stretching her mouth awkwardly, her eyes downcast, she could only find a seat and watch the bride and groom kneel down in front of their guests, their parents, each other, etc. In Ancient China, it was tradition for the bride to wear a piece of cloth over her head until they reached the bed chamber, and the groom lifted it to see his bride's face. Little did anyone know, that had been the key to the bride's escape.

小燕子 glanced down at the ground she was walking on, thinking that the lady she couldn't even see the face of had better be leading her into a quiet secluded room because her neck was starting to get a crick in it. She furrowed her brow repeatedly and impatiently, trying to keep from yanking her arm away, or snatching the red thing off of her face. Secretly, 小燕子 was glad she wasn't ever getting married, and that even if she was, the courtyard wouldn't have the money or the care to go through with these rules. A marriage was supposed to be for the couple's happiness, wasn't it? So why did the bride have to suffer the fear of stumbling into furniture for half a day while the guests got to sit down and enjoy themselves?

She heard a door open, and then the music distancing. This experience was definitely improving her hearing abilities. 小燕子 found herself wondering how she'd been dragged into this again. "Sit down, mistress," came a voice next to her and so she sat. Thankfully, this was a room. "Congratulations, this is a day to celebrate." 小燕子 could tell from the voice that the woman was smiling. "I have some soup here brought by the maids. It's very light. In a while, the groom's going to - "

"Go back out."

"But - " From this tone, 小燕子 knew she was startled.

"Go on," she said. "I want to be alone for a bit." Having nothing else to say, the faceless woman headed out and closed the door, therefore ending the world of laughter and dim music.

For the first time that day, she smiled. Looking up to eternal red, crinkling her eyes, she blew, very softly. Then, putting some force into it, again, and she was creating her own whirlwind. One last time, and the square of bright cloth fell to the ground. Swallow's eyes were the largest one could imagine, her lips had been painted a dark red. A silver-blue headpiece was the blatant cause of her aching neck, and wisps of hair on her thin fringe curled ever so slightly. What truly captures was the smile on her face, full of joy, and mischief. And not without reason.

She bounded up quickly, towards the door, and opened it a crack to check any pass byers. Of the important people none were close enough to be of a threat as of yet. Closing the door, she turned to the rest of the room, practiced eyes scanning it for valuables. First, the dowry. She started toward the wooden cases, but stopped at the table, spotting a bowl of grapes. Shrugging, she popped one in her mouth. Then, she rolled up her sleeves, and made to remove that spiky headpiece and laid it down on the table. Suddenly, she felt much better. She took the bottle of wine, peered into it as if she could actually see something, then poured it straight into her mouth. It wasn't as if anyone who'd care could see. Laying down the bottle, she plucked another grape from the bowl, and stood on a chair, regarding the large tapestry with the word '喜' as if trying to pretend she were literate.

By the tapestry, were twin candle holders that looked like they were made from gold. She grabbed them and put them down on the table. As if remembering where she was, she jumped down from her perch and opened up one of the boxes from the dowry. "Woah," she couldn't help but utter, and it sounded strange in the near silent room. She scooped the necklaces into her hand. There was jade and pearl and silver chains and various pendants all tangled in her palm. She darted by a larger box, finding silver chunks lying neatly in rows. "Now all the starving and kneeling has paid off." She grabbed a red drape, easily five times the size of the one that had been on her head, and laid it on the floor...

梁大人, oblivious to the mayhem in his very own manor, was still out, a smile pasted on his face, thanking a few people repeatedly congratulating him, greeting a couple extremely well-respected people of the hierarchy, encouraging everyone to eat and drink. 紫薇, slightly exasperated, made her way to the man for the fourth time that day, 金锁 with a pleading expression by her side. "梁大人," she started. "梁大人."

He looked her over with a shadow of a frown. "You are...?"

"I'm, I'm 夏紫薇. I have something to speak to you about..Could we go somewhere quieter, somewhere else?"

"Somewhere else?" 梁大人 repeated slowly. "Whatever for?"

As 紫薇 made to reply, he suddenly spotted another 大人, the smile once again on his face. 紫薇 bit her lip, left behind, as she began to lose heart.

"Candles, necklaces, silk," she muttered to herself. An assortment of objects lay on the red fabric. Feeling satisfied, she finally tied everything together, got up from the floor, and weighed it in her hand. Swinging the sack behind her and tying it once again, this time to her neck, she tested herself by walking a few steps. "This is actually pretty heavy."

Not thinking much of it, she stepped onto one of the chairs, and opened up a window. Just at that moment the no longer faceless woman walked in backwards, a tray in her hands. Turning slowly and seeing 小燕子, she froze as the tray dropped from her hands. 小燕子 in that position, about to leap out of the open window, her wide eyes, and the enormous bulk on her back said everything. "Thief, thief! Guards!"

Having no time to pause and roll her eyes, or throw something at the irate woman, 小燕子 scrambled out of the room, trying to get the shrieks out of her head. Faced with another building, she flew up to the top. But something went wrong that probably had to do with her package on her back and instead, she slipped. Grabbing onto a few tiles with her fingernails for dear life, she tried with all her might to haul herself up. No luck. She fell back down on her 'dowry' and what she suspected was a candle holder jabbed sharply into her back. "What's wrong with me today? I can't even get over a ten foot wall."

Just as she prepared herself to try again, she heard a stampede of people rushing down the small paved road. "Don't let her get away!" She turned and saw about a dozen of the guards that were called for carrying everything from sticks to spears to poles to rocks. As soon as the color drained from her face, she bolted in the other direction.

喜 - This word means 'happiness,' 'delight,' and in China, has been associated with weddings, which is why it's been painted all over in gold on wedding days.

'Flew' - In dramas, to make things more excited, those well-practiced in martial arts can leap from and up to very high places, from trees to rooftops to
staircases. In China, anyway. Although 'flew' may have been overdramatizing it a bit...