The next morning was hectic.

Lian was awoken by servants, rushing her from her bed and into the bath. Their hands were like restraints, holding her down in the warm water as they washed her in soaps and scented oils.

Then when she was done - skin rubbed raw and fingers wrinkled - Lan took over.

She guided Lian to her room and urged her to sit down at the vanity so that she could doll her up. Her enthusiastic yacking, as she brushed the knots from Lian's hair, sounded like a foreign language in her ears, but she was forced to endure it. Lian stared in a daze at her reflection in the mirror, focused on what was to come next.

It was a bit too much to take in so early in the morning. But when it did hit, the sad reality of the situation, Lian was horrified.

"What is that look for?" Lan asked. She stared at her daughter in the mirror and sighed. "You had best get used to this. Men are fickle. A beautiful woman will keep their interest. You do not want your soon-to-be husband to drag in strays, do you?"

Lian did not even know what to say to this. Did it matter? She was not in this for love. Tightening her jaw, she averted her eyes from the mirror.

"Is this not sudden to father?"

"It is not sudden enough," Lan countered in annoyance. "The former Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei wanted his eldest son to lead before he was meant to take a bride. You should have already been wed."

At least she was now aware of why this union took so long. But this was not what she meant by sudden.

I barely know him for a day and already I am meant to become his wife.

Lian opted not to mention her concern to her mother. Lan would point out that sometimes arranged marriages work this way, that at least she had met him before standing as husband and wife.

"Could it not be moved to a later date?" She asked, choosing her words wisely.

Lan scoffed.

"It is far too late for that. Today is regarded as lucky. We would have to put the wedding off for another week and your father would not accept that."

Of course. He might lose his chance to gain riches from this.

"I'm sure Bi-Han will bring lots of gifts for him."

Lan gave her a heated look and then returned to the task at hand. Lian groaned as her brush strokes became a bit harsh.

"With that attitude, this marriage is doomed to fail."

Lian almost turned up her eyes. It was not like she wanted this. The only reason she was going through with it was because all her life the importance of the clan had been forced into her head. It was as though her parents wished to brainwash her. The fear of failure that paralyzed her as a youth crept up her spine even now like a monster bound in shadows.

Taking a deep breath, Lian ignored the dread in her stomach.

For the next two hours, she sat in awkward silence as Lan did her makeup and styled her hair. Both were relatively simple in technique, yet the time she took to perfect them was time-consuming.

When both were nearly done, Lan sauntered over to her closet and removed a garment bag from within.

"Get dressed."

Lian sighed. Standing, she took a moment to stretch her sore back, and then she retrieved the garment bag from her. Inside was a red dress with fine stitching, decorated with golden phoenixes. It looked familiar.

"Was this yours?"

Lan nodded.

"I wore it on my wedding day to your father…and today, you will wear it."

"I– thank you."

Lian honestly did not know what to say. Quietly, she redressed. The material was soft and surprisingly breathable. It fit her well; Lan must have made the adjustments during the night.

"We are nearly done," Lan stated.

She returned to the vanity and retrieved two items from a wooden box. One was a golden comb ornament and the other was a red line. Both she placed in Lian's hair.

"During the ceremony, the groom will untie the red line, which means that he will take you over from your father and me. And then by tradition, a lock of hair from each of you will be severed and tied together using this line. That represents that your body and heart will stick to each other," she explained.

It sounded romantic. If only this marriage were built on that.

Lan stood in front of her and looked Lian over. She then smiled.

"You are ready."

Turning her eyes to the mirror, Lian did not recognize the person staring back at her. The woman was elegant, a gilded version of herself. She was an imposter.

Was this the person she was destined to be? She was not sure she liked her.

A knock on the door averted her attention. A servant quickly came in and bowed then addressed Lan.

"The groom is here, madam."

"Right on time," she uttered.

Resting a hand on Lian's back, her mother urged her to press on. Though she was hesitant, Lian took an uneasy breath and walked towards the door. In the foyer, she saw Bi-Han for the first time since yesterday. He appeared almost as out of place as she felt, wearing a red robe adorned with gold dragons. His hair was half up, cascading down his broad shoulders in dark locks; it suited him.

As she drew near, his keen eyes turned to her, taking in her appearance; his expression softened. Lian was not sure how to feel about this. Standing beside him, she awkwardly waited for the main doors to open. A red mat awaited.

Bi-Han offered his arm, whether out of courtesy or because it was expected of him. Nevertheless, Lian took it and walked with him outside, following the mat from the main house to the shrine in the Western wing. Had it been exactly traditional like Lan had wanted, an ornate bridal chair carried by porters would have escorted her.

It did not matter in the end. The results would not change.

Continuing through the wing, servants open the doors to the shrine, and upon seeing the altar and her fellow clansmen, Lian tensed up, hesitating a moment. It felt as if by some cruel twist of fate she was about to be sacrificed.

Feeling the muscles beneath her hand tighten, she turned her eyes, meeting Bi-Han's curious stare.

"Steel yourself," he ordered.

Lian took an uneasy breath. He was right, she needed to find her courage. Continuing to the altar, she kneeled with Bi-Han to pay homage, and then she faced him, as a low table was seated between them.

It was time.

The rest of the ceremony felt like a blur. After completing the food and wine portion, symbolizing unspoken vows, Bi-Han removed the red line in her hair and as explained by her mother, a lock was severed to be combined with his.

It was not until she was prompted to stand and join hands with him, did Lian became fully alert. His skin felt cold like ice and his expression showed no emotion. It seemed like he had taken his advice. Her face heated up as she stared into his eyes.

The room was eerily silent as Lian made her pledge.

"No matter death or life, (we are) near or far, we pledge our word–"

"Hold your hand and grow old with you together," Bi-Han wrapped up.

Releasing their hands, the two of them faced the clan and bowed; the ceremony then came to an end. They were now wed. It felt bittersweet, like a dream Lian could not wake from. She almost could not believe it.

In front of her, Lan and Guan seem satisfied. It was a shame that Lian did not share their sentiments.

As the afternoon progressed, Guan moved the merged clans to the dining room where a lavish eight-course affair was waiting. Each dish was symbolic, but it was not until she was served sweet lotus seeds for dessert, did Lian felt a bit uneasy. Perhaps it was simply a tradition, but this dish was meant to represent fertility. The idea of an heir or an heiress never even crossed her mind before.

Lian ignored it for now and stomached the rest of her food.

For the next few hours, she was forced to listen to her mother chatter with Bi-Han about her. The man listened but he did not comment. Lian honestly wished that she could have brought her amulet along with her. The thought of Lan dropping into a portal mid-sentence made her snort.

"Is there something on your mind, daughter?" Guan suddenly asked, interrupting Lan.

Lian was caught off guard by his question. To her annoyance, Lan paused a moment to look at her, raising a brow in curiosity. Even Bi-Han spared her a look.

"It is nothing," she uttered.

Lan tightened her mouth into a thin line, then continued where she left off. Lian on the other hand gave Bi-Han a look of sympathy, returning to her food.

The banquet concluded shortly after and Lian opted to escape the fiasco by retiring for the night. In exhaustion, she excused herself, but when she entered her room, the state of it took her back a moment.

Her sheets and pillowcases were red, and resting on top of them was a mix of dry fruit and nuts. The sweet scent of persimmons and red dates permeated the air as she walked over to her closet to find something to dress into. Once the bridal dress was put away and she was in your nightwear, she sauntered over to her vanity.

Pulling the comb from her hair, Lian paused as the sound of her door opened. A servant walked in and behind them, much to her dismay, was her husband. Her eyes widened.

"Allow me to retrieve your belongings, sir," the servant offered.

Bi-Han dismissed them with a gesture.

"A night robe will be enough."

They left the room, shutting the door behind them. In the meantime, all Lian could do was stare in shock as Bi-Han gauged the state of the room; her room.

"Why are you here?"

"You are my wife," he simply stated.

Lian frowned. Of course. She felt ignorant for asking. Even so, she did not expect to share a bed with him so soon, or at all.

Ignoring him for a moment, she continued with the task at hand. Using a cleansing towelette, she removed her makeup, peeking at him from her mirror.

"Should I call for an extra set of sheets for you?"

Bi-Han hummed.

"There is no need."

He strutted over to the bed and began to remove the dried fruit and nuts from the sheets.

I suppose he means to share.

Lian was not sure what to feel about this. Brushing the tangles from her hair, she stood and faced him. For an awkward moment, she stared as Bi-Han cleared the bed, not sure what to say. Thankfully, the servant returned with his night robe. She retrieved it, sauntering over to the bed to hand it to him.

"I will finish. There is a divider in which you can change behind across the room."

Bi-Han took the robe from her and took her suggestion. In the meantime, Lian cleared the bed, taking the mess over to her vanity.

"If it were not for tomorrow, I would resume our conversation from yesterday," she heard Bi-Han state.

Lian turned to face him.

"What happens–" The sight of his bare muscular chest made her pause. Gods, he was gorgeous.

Bi-Han tied his robes closed and then raised a curious brow. Lian turned away from him, ignoring the heat in her face.

"What happens tomorrow?"

"We leave for Arctika. My brothers will arrive with the bridal gifts early," Bi-Han answered.

Lian frowned. Everything was happening so fast.

"I should rest then."

"Unless you desire to consummate our marriage, then that is best," Bi-Han retorted.

Her face heated up. What was she meant to say? He did not look like a man to tease, but perhaps he was trying to get a rise out of her. Opting not to comment, she prepared her side of the bed.

Bi-Han situated himself beneath the sheets, so Lian turned out the lights and hesitantly joined him. Turning her back to him, she listened to the silence, feeling uncomfortable.

"Sleep well," she uttered.

For a moment, she assumed that Bi-Han was already asleep, but then he shifted.

"You were humored by something at the banquet. What by?"

Lian grinned.

"I thought about dropping my mother into a portal. Her enthusiastic yacking is irritating."

"I share your sentiments," Bi-Han admitted, after a few seconds.

For the first time, Lian agreed with him entirely.