WHEN EMPIRES MEET KINGDOMS (BL)

9: Wedding

The entire kingdom was abuzz with excitement and anticipation,  the whole city filled with whispered murmurs and joyous festivities. The entire capital city was decorated with red, festive couplets were hung at the door of every home and shop, and the sound of bursting firecrackers was intertwined with the mischievous laughter of children.

Today was an auspicious day, the emperor was getting married and whether it was an auspicious day or not no one knew, but if the emperor said it was an auspicious day then it must be so, everyone was excited this was the first imperial wedding in Feng were commoners were invited.

As the entire capital city was in a festive state, Han Liang's chambers too shared the same atmosphere, young servants bustling here and there with smiles on their lips as they busied about their duties, the sound of the drums and the jingling bells just outside his door, amid all this happiness Han Liang felt strangely alone, he couldn't quite fathom the feeling of sadness and nervousness that bubbled in the center of his chest making him choke and strangely out of breath.

Like most royals he had never entertained thoughts of getting married from love, all royal marriages were simply an alliance to gain more power, although Han Liang would not lie that when he had been younger there was a small foolish part of him that dreamed of marrying a man he loved and being whisked into a fairytale happily ever after, now grown he knew it was impossible it was the reality that he found himself in and while it saddened him he never quite hated it.

But he had never quite expected his fate to be like this, he had expected his marriage although loveless to be one of respect, trust, and mutual happiness, marrying the emperor of Feng, a man whose hands were stained with the blood of his brother, and countless other Hans was never what he imagined, the marriage felt like a cage, trapped and suffocating, a mocking chuckle left his lips as he remembered that weeks ago he had prayed for the death of the same man he was now about to call a husband at the temple in Han.

"Your royal highness it's time to go the procession has arrived and the phoenix palanquin is ready".  Su Lian whispered startling him out of his thoughts, and snapping him to his reality Han Liang took a discreet deep breath and nodded at her, she broke into a smile, scarlet-painted lips widening on her rouge-filled face, dressed in forest green robes she seemed five years younger, more happy and nervous than him seeming like the bride.

As he stood she quickly called Lu Xiao over smoothing out nonexistent creases in his robes and fussing here and there before she stepped away from him, with Su Lian in the lead and the other servants trailing behind they stepped out of the chambers, Han Liang walked carefully trying to see as much as he could through the veil, careful so as not to trip on his robes, the clothes, and the jewelry were heavy.

Dong Fu was waiting in the adjourning hall, dressed sharply in a yellow robe, a small smile alternating between happiness and sadness hung on his lips, Han Liang was startled it was the first time that he had seen the man smile, Dong Fu knelt fist cupped and head bowed as he greeted Han Liang, Han Liang simply nodded in reply, he could not speak to any man before speaking with the emperor, a tradition in Feng.

Grasping Han Liang's small hands in his own larger ones, they continued outside the palace, the first thought on Han Liang's mind after he stepped out was how he wasn't yet deaf, the booming sounds of drums and loud cheers were deafening.

A man in his sixties, slim and kind-looking with a long grey beard approached them, a red sash with auspicious words written in it was tied around his forehead, he cupped his fist in greeting, "This humble one is called Feng Baoyuan, this one is here to receive the empress", Dong Fu nodded and handed Han Liang's hand to the man, Han Liang was lead into the phoenix palanquin, the sounds of drums followed as they made their way to the palace of peaceful tranquility were Han Liang would pay his respects to the empress dowager.