Hye-jae: Book 2 - New Loves

New Loves Part 65

It was the early hours of the morning, when they all finally piled in a taxi and were the last guests to leave the castle.  Hye-won had offered to drive - though it had been a long time since she was behind the wheel, on either side of the road - but Ciara assured her that collecting the car the following day would be no problem.  Hye-won didn't press the issue - nervous herself - but also aware of Seon-jae's watchful eye.  

Back at the cottage, the others said goodnight but Ciara looked to Hye-won: 'are you really tired?' and Hye-won said she felt fine.  

'Can we chat for a minute?'

Seon-jae got the sense that Ciara wanted a private chat and he kissed the top of Hye-won's head and murmured: 'don't stay up too late, my love,' and with a quick look to Ciara - look after her - he left the women to their chat.

Ciara boiled the kettle: 'let's have a cuppa.'

They sat at the kitchen table, sipping quietly, then Ciara smiled to Hye-won: 'such great news.'

Hye-won's smile showed how happy she was.

Another sip: 'it's kind of perfect, I think.'

Hye-won nodded.

'So, have you thought about the ceremony?'

Hye-won told her about her idea to use some of Yeats' poetry to express her love to Seon-jae.

'That sounds lovely.  I'm sure he will love anything you say - what about music?'

Hye-won laughed: 'I think Queen Maeve and her faeries might get a bit angry if we dragged a piano into their glen,' and Ciara laughed too.

'If you like, I'd be happy to play some nice tunes on the tin whistle.  Before I trained my voice classically, I played a fair bit of traditional music and a lot of my friends still play.  Actually, that's 1 thing that you might like - have you heard of the Irish - seisiún - session - where friends gather to play music together?  It's basically a great way to have a party at home, with even a bit of dancing, if you feel like it.  So, if you like the idea, my friends would be happy to come for a seisiún in the garden on the evening of the ceremony - a few beers would be all they would want.'

'That's a great idea - I know Seon-jae would love that.'

'I think we all would.  Ok, I'll organise that.  Now about the ceremony itself, you might know the phrase - tying the knot - comes from the pagan ceremony of handfasting, where the couple's hands were bound to show their union.  Would you like to have a handfasting ceremony?'

Hye-won considered it: 'that sounds beautiful.  What do you use to tie the hands?'

'Well, it's traditionally a woven handfast chord.'  

She seemed shy, all of a sudden: 'I know you love craftwork.  Would you let me give you that as my gift,' she paused, 'and maybe you'd allow me to be the one to tie your hands?'

Hye-won was so touched: 'that would be wonderful, Ciara, really.'  This girl has her own hidden depths.

Ciara looked delighted: 'yeyy!  Ok, last thing and then you'd better get off to bed or a certain young man will be throwing vicious looks in my direction tomorrow,' though they both laughed at the ludicrous idea of Seon-jae being, in any way, vicious.

'So, the ancients celts worshipped the number 3.  For them, it represented the 3 elements - earth, sea, sky - as well as the union of body, mind and spirit - but it also represented the sacred female or Goddess, who was 3 in 1, the young girl, the mother and the wise elder.'