Mo Yuan, Bai Qian, Ye Hua

Part 40

The Wedding Part 1.

It is dawn and the entire Fox Clan are awake and preparing themselves.  Bai Qian is locked in her room with her mother and several Qing Qiu girls are bathing her in fragrant peach blossom scented water, after which they roll her hair and begin the dressing of the bride.  

Once the Dragon and Phoenix candles are lit, Bai Qian is ready for dressing.  First to go on is the red silk undergarments which are also lightly scented.  Then a rich white satin under gown is gathered and wrapped about her lithe frame, followed by her own choice of wedding dress and the one Zhi Lan was forced to model.   A 3 layered Silk Lavender gown with a thin strip of Royal Purple that circles her waist, bedecked with miniature pearl  blossoms.  The whole skirt of the dress flares and falls in waves about her, highlighting her slender waist and full bust.  The bust is sheer lavender lace with flecks of Royal Purple and splattered with small diamonds as are her shoes, which are also lavender in colour.  

Next a small amount of make up is applied to her eyes and lips, not too much, but enough to highlight her large brown doe eyes and a small amount of  red tinted dye for her lips to soften them and to bring out their fullness.

Next her hair is unrolled, and the soft curls that have formed are styled and the sides are pinned back lightly behind her with the Dragon pin gifted to her by Zhe Yan, leaving the rest of the curls to fall softly about her face.  Her mother then adds the remainder of the small pearl blossoms throughout her hair until they are all gone.

It is then, that Feng Jiu is allowed to claim the memory for the crystal, which she will add along with everything else she sees this day.

And what a beautiful memory she is.  She is absolutely stunning, ravishingly beautiful, beyond anything any of them had ever seen.  

It was then that the tears really started.  Bai Empress could no longer hold them in as she took in the exquisite loveliness of her only daughter. "Oh Qian Qian." she whispered softly as the tears rolled down her cheeks, which Feng Jiu also caught in her memories.    Taking her daughter into a soft embrace, she held her gently as the girls about them also begin to cry.  Then with one last look and one last embrace, her mother stepped back so the girls could complete her bridal outfit.

The final part of the dressing is the veil, which is the same colour and material as her gown with a thin strip of Royal Purple around the edging.  It is light and the beads and tassels carry all the way down to her bust completely blocking her face from everyone but allowing her a shaded view of what is around her.

She is then helped onto her mothers back, and once ready to leave the room, her door is thrown wide and her mother carries her out to the main den to the wedding dais which is bedecked with the familys ancestral tablets, that has already been prepared by her father, who is waiting with Zhe Yan, Bai Yi and Bai Zhen,  

They are all dressed in Emerald Green and Qing Qius pastel yellow trim including her Mother and Bai Feng Jiu and all of them have tears in their eyes, though her father is by now weeping openly and loudly to light chuckles from Zhe Yan, but more to keep his own tears at bay.

Once on the dais, Bai Qian bowed low to the ground, first to her parents and family, then to her ancestors in gratitude.  She is then helped up and sat down to await the Groomsmen who would soon arrive to collect her.

____________________________________________

The Disciples were also up at dawn preparing themselves for the collection of the Bride.  Amidst nervous laughter and lighthearted banter they dress themselves quickly so they can assist Mo Yuan with his dressing and the ritual that he would have to complete.