A SMALL MATTER OF MARRIAGE PART XI (*THE REUNION* FAITH FAN FIC)
Untitled
Part XI
The wedding date was set in a few months. The astronomers predicted an auspicious line up of the planets, with both hers and his on the same meridian. The queen took all the precautions and monitored the scientific parts of the decision herself, in addition to holding consultations with two separate Buddhist monks, who were considered experts in this field. But it was not soon enough for one person, who did not want to wait. Lady Choi was not a woman of science or religion, she was not a woman of superstition either, but she was a woman of tradition. She believed that a piece of paper, even if it was stamped with a royal seal, was just a piece of paper. It can be torn, altered, lost, or burned…
"A marriage is a marriage," the weekly nagging commenced. "The whole palace knows that you have got a woman. You live together. The bed, ahh," she rolled her eyes, "I don't even want to repeat the kind of things I hear. How the people at the market run their mouths! I know that the king declared you are married, and I know that you both believe that you are married, but in my time, in this country, this is not how it was done."
Choi Young was standing, lazily leaning against the wall, head slightly tilted back, eyes wondering, clearly bored out of his mind, he was playing with a dagger, passing it through fingers and juggling it with the left hand, for practice, not to waste time.
"Yes, aunt. I'm sorry to disgrace our household name," not even trying to cover sarcasm in his voice.
"You punk!"
He easily moved away from the impending slap.
"You, you!" she was stumbling, righteous indignation sparkling in her usually steely eyes. "How dare…" and she went for the second try, missing the back of his head again, as he turned away.
"I think we should stop now," he finally spoke. "I know how you feel. You have been telling me the same thing every chance you got. We are working on it. There will be a ceremony and if you stop nagging me, I might even invite you," he smirked.
"Young-ah, how are you going to have a ceremony when her stomach is too big with a baby?" she asked in a serious tone.
"A baby?" he screamed. "What baby? We weren't planning. We are careful. She told me that there are days…" he bit his lips and his cheeks turned beet red.
"Aha, so you are sharing a bed!" victoriously concluded the aunt. And turning on her hills, walked away, leaving Choi Young feel like an idiot. Mission accomplished. After the conversation, she was sure, he would hurry up.
She clearly knew his weak point, the remark did get under his skin. Choi Young's face was clouded with concern.
"Is everything OK?" inquired Eun Soo.
"Yes. No problem," and he looked at her body intently, focusing on her stomach.
"Am I getting fat?" she worried.
"No, no, you look fine. Just thinking."
"About what?"
"A wedding."
"Again", Eun Soo sounded bothered and annoyed at the same time. "Remember, you will take care of it and you said that the queen will make the arrangements… I will be there, pretty and with a smile. Just don't make me deal with preparations, they are such a headache." She approached him, beguiling him with a sway of her hips. She lifted her arms and placing them around his neck, she pulled him for a kiss. But the kiss was awkward, and he tensed up, tightening his lips. He took her hands off his neck and stepped back, avoiding to look her in the eye.
"What the hack is going on?" now she was upset. "Tell me right now? Did you do something? Is it another proposal? Somebody wants to marry me?" By his body language, she saw that was not the right answer. "To marry you?" That was not it, either. "We have the decree, it's official, anyway, nobody can touch us as long as we are the citizens of Goryeo."
"I know," muttered under his breath Choi Young.
"Then was is the matter? I thought the queen is working on the most auspicious date, I even heard they chose one. I am meeting with her tomorrow for a walk, she will tell me everything."
"What if it is too late," he blurted out, now expecting a slap from her, he grimaced, waiting for the pain.
"Too late for what?" she was still not getting it.
"If you have a baby, it will be too late." He closed his eyes, expecting a storm to befall on his head, fully ready for a serious beating.
"A baby?" Eun Soo broke into her infectious laughter, the kind with a tinkle, the one she had when she was extremely entertained.
"Are you afraid I will get pregnant before the wedding? I know whose doing it is. It is that nagging old witch, your aunt."Welcome to the family, Eun Soo-shindash; she imitated her voice. "Backstabbing bitch!"
"Imja, please watch your language, she is still an elder," Choi Young had to speak up.
"Elder for sure, from the dark ages," the storm was gathering on the horizon, just like Choi Young predicted.
She was pacing around the room, her hair now taking the brunt, in disarray.
"Eun Soo-ya," he called her name. It was rare that he used her name. It never failed to get her attention.
"What?" she snapped. She fiercely rubbed all the surfaces in the room with a cloth, supposedly dusting them.
"Don't be so mad at her, she is old fashioned."
"Old fashioned, my ass!" sometimes Eun Soo's Heavens talk was not censored and she enjoyed a chance to use some strong words which did not sound like much to others.
"You sound like you are cursing, my lady," Choi Young was no fool.
"You are too smart for your own good." Her vigorous dusting subsided in the intensity. "I do not like when people assume and meddle in our business, that's all. Even if it is your aunt, who I love dearly. You know that."
"I know, I know," Choi Young hugged her sweetly from behind, putting his head on her shoulder. Having him so close immediately soothed her.
It has not been long since they survived that awful flue and life was back to normal. Choi Young was busy with his duties and armed with this new experience, Eun Soo began developing a manual on how to deal with such epidemics in the future. She still could not write Chinese characters, so the project has been taking longer than she expected, but she had a whole Woodalchi band at her disposal. Most of them could read and write and there was always somebody who could take her dictation.
Eun Soo could not get the conversation out of her mind. She never wanted to have children before she met Choi Young. With him, she could imagine a family. Although his occupation did not offer a stable life style and he did not seem on the surface a kind of guy who would make a good husband and a father, she knew the true nature of the general. He was the most loving, caring, kind, thoughtful and sensitive man she ever met. She had a chance to see him around children a few times, and he was so great with them - they felt very comfortable in his presence. He told her a story about the baby he played with at the market, when she was still gone. He did not really say it directly, but she knew that he would want to become a father.
However, Eun Soo was not prepared for such a drastic change. Although they never explicitly discussed it, since she did not get pregnant from a few times they made love without any precautions, she assumed it would not happen that easily. She was already over 30, so it might take time even if they tried. And now they practiced "natural contraception", which she explained to him in simple terms. There were days when they could not be together, just a few days of the month. Choi Young pouted for a bit, but agreed. He only asked, "Imja, is it because you do not want to have a child with me?"
"I do, I really do, just let's wait a little. Do you mind?"
"I don't. I missed on 5 years with you, I want you all for myself for as long as possible", he responded with all honesty.
They talked about the future and the family and the kids sometimes. But today's conversation stirred herA baby. A girl with his eyes and my hair.un Soo knew from history that they would have a daughter, she just did not know when…
They were in bed, getting ready to go to sleep, both quietly lost in the recollections of the past day.
"Honey, I'm late," whispered Eun Soo.
"Late for what?"
"Late, like…" she stared at him with hesitation.
"Like what?" he turned to her completely misunderstanding till he saw it in her eyes.
"Are you saying?.."
"I might be pregnant," she blinked anxiously, breathing fast.
He held her face tenderly, then kissed her forehead and hugged her, wrapping around her precious body.
"I love you," he breathed into her ear.
Eun Soo heard the loud beat of his excited heart.
"I don't know for sure yet," she added, just in case.
A few days later, she found out it was a false alarm.
As she delivered the news to Choi Young, she explained that it was probably because of the flue, that her body's clock was reset, sometimes it happens, that she wished it was not so, that she is sorry she even told him before she was sure…
Choi Young's eyes filled with tears. He realized that he was ready, but she was not. He loved her so much and for her, he can wait. Yet, he waited for her too many times, for too long.
"I'm sorry," also with tears said Eun Soo, understanding that she just broke his heart and it would not be completely healed till their little girl comes into their lives.