The Legacy Collection Box Set by Ruth Cardello

Author:Ruth Cardello [Cardello, Ruth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-06-15T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

It was impossible not to compare the somber marriage-contract ceremony with what modern women in Beijing often enjoyed. A wedding wasn’t supposed to happen all in one day. These legal documents and the gift exchanges shouldn’t be meshed into one event.

Is today even an auspicious date? Since she hadn’t been given a choice of day, she hadn’t checked the Chinese calendar. Sometimes it’s better not to know.

Lucky or not, it was her wedding day. There should be fireworks. Pranks. More than one dress for me to change into. Not much was matching how she’d always imagined the day would go. Except that the result is that I’ll be married to the man I love.

Zhang looked around the rectangular table of what appeared to be a conference room in the palace. Her parents were seated on one side beside her. Across from her sat Rachid and his father.

Both the king and Zhang’s father were intently reviewing the contracts that Rachid’s attorneys had prepared in both Arabic and Chinese. Her signature would be required at the bottom of the document, but the terms of the dowry and bride price were something that the eldest man in each family had to agree to. Some things were best not challenged, and family honor was one of them, as far as Zhang was concerned. She could have demanded that all of this was her decision to make, but her father was discussing the contract with the king of Najriad and he looked proud to be doing so.

Before either father signed, the king gave her parents a thick red envelope of cash. Rachid then presented her parents with a large gift box of gold coins and jewelry. The king presented Zhang with an equally large gift box of gold jewelry and diamond necklaces. Her mother gave her blankets, a new tea set and more gold.

When all but their signatures were required, King Amir asked Zhang to sit beside Rachid. He stood above them and asked Zhang if she joined into this marriage of her own free will. A week ago that question would have posed a problem, but now Zhang answered yes with sincerity.

The king spoke briefly about how Rachid would honor his wife by caring for her and being her caretaker for all time. He turned to Zhang and gave her the same speech. It was her duty to honor her husband and to be his caretaker for all time. If she agreed, all they had to do was sign the two contracts.

There was no laughter or kissing, just a quick signature and an exchange of rings. Zhang might have been able to handle the rigidity of the ceremony had Rachid smiled at her once. Was he also thinking of all the things their wedding was not?

It was not part of a weeklong celebration. The dinner that evening would replace what might otherwise have been a large reception. The next day promised to be a quiet gathering of friends and family.

Maybe that’s all you can ask for when you’ve publicly embarrassed both families on a global level.

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