FATED FOLLY

"Why you? Of course," the woman said.

"No. No, thank you." I shifted, the floor creaking beneath me as if voicing disapproval too.

"Your dowry is sizeable, and you stand to gain much from this union, dear girl." The woman's voice was soft, and patient as if trying to explain a difficult concept to a dull child. Her smile barely concealed the iron underneath.

"Dowry?" Laughter burst from me uncontrollably. My money was spoken for. My parents relied on what I sent them, as did my siblings. 

Still, LARP land was likely the only place I'd see a wedding altar anyway. While other girls dreamed of fairy tale romances, I had dollar signs in my eyes. "Mama's gonna make me some money, honey." Was a line practically embroidered on my pillow, and used on my friends when they asked to come out for drinks.

Soo-yeon all but dragged me here today, convinced that I would become an old spinster and my obsession with wealth wasn't ladylike, nor healthy. 

She didn't get it. Money wouldn't sneak out at 3 a.m. to blow rent on poker night. It wouldn't yell, or hit. Money, unlike men, stayed loyal. It would wine and dine me in Paris, float me down a canal in Venice, and tag along when I went castle hunting in Europe. It would pay for rare books, silk dresses, as many facials as I wanted, and five-star dinners when it wasn't paying for the necessities of my family. And, if I got lonely, well, there were always dogs and robots.

The woman in plumed robes watched me closely, a flicker of something wistful in her eyes, as she could see straight through my bravado. "As you wish."

I followed her into an antechamber, the flickering torchlight casting interesting yet distorted shadows on the stone walls. Behind me, my would be suitor I presumed trailed.

His smile too greasy. His eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "What a strange creature," he mused. "I didn't think it would be this easy."

I looked down at my chipped nails and smirked, stalling for time to figure a way out of this sitaution. "Hey, it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride on the wedding day." I flashed my teeth, letting my gaze linger long enough to make it clear I wasn't the one being hunted here.

He chuckled, an evil low guttural sound that creeped me right the frick out. "Bad luck is a foreign concept to me. Besides, I've been watching you all day."

Any other man, I would have reported for stalking but he wore danger well. I mean... really well. The sharp lines of his face cut too perfect. His dark eyes were mysterious enough to get lost in, but evil enough to know whatever he was up to, it was no good. I'd seen women melt for less.

"Regardless, it's mine. So scram. I've got a train at six and work at seven. This wedding needs to wrap up quickly - I want wedding pictures." I pointed at him before the attendant rushed at me. Her face was draped with pallor and fear.

"Lady, please-" She begged.

"Yes, I'm here," I sighed and pulled the fabric closer around me. I didn't miss how her eyes darted nervously as if waiting for permission from the man.

A simple flick of his finger released us.

I watched her shoulders ease, and she exhaled softly, her demeanour as though I escaped the chopping block.

In the chamber, garments of various beauty lay organized upon small wooden serving trays. They had spared no detail in the historical context of this particular scene. The air smelled faintly of old paper and incense.

I ran my hand over the various bracelets stunned to see such a wide variety of colours. 

"Lady, have you seen this?" The attendant beckoned toward a gown spread across a cushion. Dragon scales glittered in the fabric, embroidered with golden thread. The matching headpiece crowned the set, heavy and fierce. 

I shuddered, recalling the ghostly souls I'd glimpsed before. The memory lingered on like a cold hand.

"I think I'll pass on the dragon look." My fingers hovered, then stroked another gown, vivid with fiery reds and golds. A phoenix moved across the fabric in a riotous dance. The headpiece was a golden phoenix with its talons firmly clutched around a dragon's throat.

"This one, I think," I said. 

The woman's eyes flickered with something soft, lifting the weight she carried. 

"Truly, you wish this outfit."

"Absolutely."

"Then I must also give you these."

She nodded and retried a set of scrolls, aged, yet regal, each adorned with phoenix crests. Pushing deeper into the room, she guided me behind an elaborate silkscreen decorated with ink drawn mountains and rivers. 

Behind the screen, the chamber lay beneath a veil of sheets, as though untouched by the hand of time itself. Statues loomed in the corners, guardians froze in marble.

As the woman busied herself uncovering the room's items, I was entranced a single hairpin. It shimmered, delicate and elegant - a phoenix with long, sweeping tassels. My breath hitched as my heart hammered.

I reached for it, knowing without a doubt, it belonged to me.