Divine Empress (COMPLETED)

Chapter Nine

Raina's POV

Court Lady Rin was force not to be reckoned with, forget her humble appearance and grace at first meet. She was quick with stick, lightning speed and eyes like a hawk, she easily spotted my flaws and mistakes in etiquettes and was ready to hit me. Surprised I did not get any bruises by the amount of beating she gave me and pain I felt, even when I slept and woke up. I still felt the pain…

I spent the entire day perfecting my walk while repeating the rules of speaking to people. Like seriously, wasn’t my usual walk perfect!? When speaking to a stranger, I must remember to be kind but not too kind, talk to them seriously and take them seriously. If I had to laugh or blush in front of a stranger, I must make sure I hid my reaction under my hand because I do not know them, and it was a sign of disrespect. I mean, what if they were telling me a joke, and I hid my mouth when laughing to their joke, it’s that disrespect!?

Anyway, I must always keep my head high with confidence and talk like my words held value. Don’t my words already hold enough value?

During the training, I was excited about my dresses that came from Clothing Department the following day. Those dresses looked like they belonged in an Haute couture designer brand, fabrics were soft and sumptuous with beautiful proficiency embellishments on different garments. I was in love. But Court Lady Rin killed… No, she murdered my desire to wear one of the most beautiful dress and glide down the hallway and feel soft caresses of the fabric and feel like I a dramatic runway princess.

As I was about to create that dramatic run when her full attention was on my piece of jewellery, I felt a sharp pain on my back, and I fell. Slowly dropping to knees, feeling my soul crashing into misery. I failed in my mission; the great stick master had made the final blow which led to my death. Oh… The pain!

Okay, now being too dramatic but seriously, while she looks at the jewellery piece, I thought I had a chance. I took one step and her stick met with my back like always, and she did not even turn her gaze away from the pieces. How did she know!? She must be a mind-reader or something?

Even though I had a watchdog on my back, I was comfortable and joying the special treatment I had been receiving everyone around me; I forgot I was in another world…

I gasped for air as my handmaidens tightened the high-waisted corset like brown leather, “that’s tight enough.” Court Lady Rin said, she stood behind me and barking orders at everyone. Woken early in the morning, before dawn, dragged to a cold bath, then had six layers of clothing put on me. “Now the Imperial wedding dress!” She ordered.

Glanced over my shoulder, “there’s more!” I gasped in shock and out of breath. They ignored me, as they brought slipped me into a high collared, scarlet red dress embellished in gold feather applique, that was tight around the sleeves and bodice as there were slits on both side-seams from hips down. I mention I forgot about my marriage to the Emperor, which was happening… TODAY!

“Let’s get her hair done.” Hearing that I sighed, slowly turning to go take a seat but stopped by Court Lady Rin, “Divine Miss Raina, please don’t move.” She said, with that warm smile that had made me feel unease.

“Court Lady Rin, shouldn’t I seat down so it would be easier to do my hair?” I asked, crossing my fingers in my head and hoping there was some mercy in her.

Lightly shaking her head with a warm smile, “we don’t want creases on your Imperial wedding dress, Divine Miss Raina. Now please turn to the mirror.” I groaned as she gently turned me back to face the mirror. This was a nightmare. “Director Soul did a splendid job in creating the wig,” I heard her muttered.

“Indeed, he used Spider-silk!” I heard You Rina youthful voice.

Spider-silk?

Turning my head to look at the wig, Court Lady Rin stopped me by my jaw. “Don’t move, Divine Miss Raina.” She warned, feeling a pair of hands touching my hair. “He captured the hair colour well,” she said to You Rina, who gleefully agreed as my head became heavy.

Was it just the wig? I screamed in my head.

“Okay, time to put hairpins and followers,” Court Lady Rin said. Loudly I whined, throwing my head back, but she was quick to hit my back, “Divine Miss Rina, you need balance for your wig!” She scolded me like a child as people pushed pins into my hair, and when they finished. I glanced at Court Lady Rin with ‘are we done!?’ look, she shook her head and looked over to my handmaidens, “the Imperial coat.”

I groaned as I slipped on this big heavy scarlet red coat, decorated with a white pearls as they placed it on the edge of my shoulders, Court Lady Rin and two other handmaidens wrapped a wide gold waistband around my waist. Once that was, I huffed for breath, “are we done yet!?” I whined, wanting to stomp my feet but my body was heavy from carrying all these layers of clothing.

“Divine Miss Raina, we have finished…” I sighed in relief, turning my gaze to the length mirror. I gaped, seeing the woman in the mirror, she looked like an Empress and it was me. As I stared at the three giant flowers that could fit in both hands, two golden yellow flowers with a rosy red flower in the middle, and two hairpins sticking out above the red flower had blue jade on both ends and red fringes draping over the flower petals. “Divine Miss Raina…”

“Yes?” I answered without taking my eyes off the mirror.

“Please place the Emperor’s charm on your waistband, Divine Miss Raina.” I glanced over at Court Lady Rin who held the box, I placed the Emperor’s charm. She opened the box, and I stared down at the charm that laid on off-white silk laying of the box. Was this really happening? Was I really going to marry him?

Hesitant—I reached for the charm, the very charm that caused me this mess. Wrapping my fingers around the cold ornament, lifting it from the box. Is it too late to run?

I slowly slipped the hook into my waistband and looked back at my reflection. How can I run with these layers of clothing?" I groaned in my head, then turn my gaze to Court Lady Rin who smiled warmly, “now we go to the Royal Memorial Garden, Divine Miss Raina.” She said, bowing her head and the others followed, bowing to me.

“I seriously don’t trust your smile, Court Lady Rin…” I said with a blank expression.

She still smiled, “thank you for your honest opinion about me, Divine Miss Raina. Let’s take our leave.” She offered her elbow. Rolling my eyes and grabbed her elbow, will I be able to walk in this outfit?

The train of the coat was helping, keeping up with a graceful walk in this mass, and a train dragging behind was ten times difficult and annoying. I had seen celebrities striding enormous dress with ease on the red carpet and here I am making sure I was stepping on the hem of my skirts underneath. Light bells echoed in the palace, following the trail of flower petals until we turned, facing opened gates and looking I saw the Emperor.

“Remember, to keep your head up and don’t make one of those comments of yours,” Court Lady Rin whispered, as we stepped through the gates.

My gaze stayed on the Emperor, his jet-black hair braided, wrapped and pinned up by gold leave-like hairpins and a gold crown curved like the face of a beast. He had two hairpins sticking across his hair with a blue jade at the ends and royal blue fringes hanging above his ears. He wore a royal blue coat with white pearls, like mine, but his coat did not have a long train like mine.

That’s so unfair…

Standing in front of him, I felt nervous immediately. Feeling Court Lady Rin, pulling arm from my hold and stepping back a bit, she gracefully bowed and swiftly stepping backward before turning on her heels and heading to the gates. Gulping nervously, staring up at the red-eyed man before me. Why am I nervous!?

The bells stopped, remember the routine, I screamed in my head as I moved gracefully as possible, placing my left hand on my left hip and right hand on top, tilted my head slightly to the left then bend my knees and bowed. The Emperor also bowed, and the bell rang, then we both raised. He extended his elbow, and I was grateful to take a hold of because I do not know if it was possible to move in gear alone.

Bell rang again, we turned to face the building. With each rang of the bell, we walked down at the long path, heading towards Wooha(h) Family Hall. I glanced at the Emperor from the corner of my eyes; he did not look upset or angry, just looked like this was just a normal day in the family garden. If the situation were different and we met under different circumstances, I think we would had been good friends. I think… I mean; I admit I can be loud and talkative, and he seems to be quiet and would keep himself. Yeah, we would never have been friends, I would annoy him, and he would bore me.

So, would we be able to co-exist peacefully as a married couple? I wondered, walking up the stairs. But I should not worry about us! I need to worry about getting back to Earth, glancing back at him from the corner of my eye, I may return to Earth as married woman, but no one would know about it. So, I’m sorry, Emperor, but once I find a way back, then I’ll be gone like wind.

Stopping again, I turned my gaze up front and there were the very people that gave the green light to this marriage. An Omen stood in front of us, the one who would witness the Emperor and I exchanging vows and become Husband and Wife.