Chapter 62

2K 52 7
                                    

CHAPTER 62
------------------------

The fixing of the bride is held at her house.
Silk for the bride's dress was provided by the Queen. Red dress with a Gold strands in a each sides. The bride's silk dress robe shines beautifully. And in the middle of the robe there's a circle covered by the gold strings and has the Fire Nation emblem on it.

The hair pin of the soon to be queen is layed in the table. Gold hair pins and a red and gold crown, trinkets, red lipsticks, different color of powders were also put in the table.

The court ladies assist the soon to be queen in her bath chambers. And after she bathe the bride, Mai came out in the room wearing her ordinary white silk inner garments. The court ladies put the first red outer garment in her and then the robe she need to wear in the wedding ceremony.

She sit down facing a big mirror. The court ladies starting to fix her hair in updo they combed her hair beautifully and put the gold hair pin and the crown. They put powder in her and lipstick. The bride is finally set.

The courtladies helped her stand up due to heavy hair and dress accessories she walks outside the chambers wears hers red shoes entered the carriage.

The procession to the palace started, the villagers gather outside to see their soon to be Queen of the Nation

However, the Brides's face is covered by the curtains making the people disappointed, so the bride stated "Raise the curtains"

"What?" One of the court ladies asked

"Don't disappoint the people." She said

"Yes." The court lady answered politely

The court lady proceeded to the Eunuch and whispered the Eunuch exclaimed "HALT!"

The carriage stopped and the court ladies raised the curtains and the people saw the brides face. Everyone is in terrible shock seeing that the daughter of a criminal will be the next Queen of the nation

"MARCH!" The Eunuch exclaimed

They marched and bounded in the palace. The court ladies assisted the bride once again to go down in the carriage.

And then she walked in the red carpet with the 2 courtladies assisting her at the back and one eunuch at her side holding a white umbrella and another eunuch holding a female goose wrapped in big red and gold cloth

(Goose means a lifetime to love it's partner, and also it means that not leaving it's partner's side)

Beside the red carpet the noble class, family clans and the aristrocats gathered beside and at the back with a cherry and apricot blossoms smiling to walking bride

"will be the Queen" Mai whispers

And Zuko is waiting for her in the altar, a eunuch on his side holding a male goose also wrapped in big red and gold cloth and Queen Ursa and the Royal Consort's parents at the side

(Royal Consort- the selected crown prince or princess by the inner court.)

As soon as the bride arrives at the altar she go to the side of the groom.

"Bride bow down 2 times" the priest said
She bowed two times and out the Female goose in the table.

"Groom bow 2 times" the priest said
But, Zuko is not listening instead he is looking at the sky and a few water drops from the sky came down he raised his hands like catching the water drops and whispers

"Katara guide me, my crown princes." He whispers. The priest, Queen Ursa and hisbride looked at him

"Zuko!" Ursa whispers ligthly and made Zuko in a shock he looked at the priest and the the priest stated once again "Groom bow 2 times" he bowed and put the male goose at the table along side of the female goose

"We may now begin. The making of the bride and groom into one." The priest said

The bride's court ladies and The groom's eunuchs assisted them into tying the a thin rope in their wrist. And the seperated rope was tied

"You are now one. Bride will you accept him as your humbly husband who will take care of you, help you and proctect you even death will do you apart?" The priest asked

Mai smiled looking at Zuko but Zuko never glanced in her "I do" she said and look to the priest once more

"Groom will you accept her as your humbly and lovely wife who will take care of you, help you and proctect you even death will do you apart?" The priest asked to zuko

Zuko took a long time to answer and a tear fell on his right cheek he looked into the sky once again reminiscing and remembering His late crown princess and look to the priest again but never glanced at Mai even once.

"I do" he said in dry tone

The priest smiled and poured a small amount of wine in the gold cup he raised it
"As the Bride and Groom will drink this. This will be the conjugal ties of them making them as one." He said and gave the cup to the groom

Zuko stared at it and later on drink it and gave it to Mai, she looked at Zuko's eyes but zuko didn't looked back and Mai drink the cup and gave it back to the priest

"I may now announce you Husband and Wife. And now the King, his majesty has a graceful Her royal highness Queen Mai!" He said and everyone applaud and cheered

"Long live His Majesty and Her Royal Highness!" Everyone exclaimed repeatedly

And the newly married ones faced the crowd and started to walk outside the Ritual temple of the palace and procedes at the dining area where the reception will be held.

Water and Flame (Zutara)Where stories live. Discover now