The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo

Author:Nghi Vo
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group

Chapter Six

There was another banquet that night, featuring fire-eaters and tumblers from the west. Chih heard a passing server whisper that the negotiations for Nhung’s hand must be going well—Lord Guo hadn’t had fire-eaters since the lady from Kirshan. Which lady was that, another server wanted to know, but they were both fiercely shushed and Chih learned no more.

From behind their screen, they watched as Lord Guo fed Nhung by hand, already foolish fond. He looked like he would prove an indulgent husband, giving her the best of everything off his plate, but Chih also saw that he would insist. Even if Nhung did not care for the finest morsels, she would be forced to eat them, or at least, it was difficult to imagine such a big man being balked in such a trivial matter. Far better to give him what he wanted when it was so easy, wasn’t it? On such things marriages were founded, Cleric Sun back at the abbey had said disapprovingly. They had left their own marriage in a fiery ruin and gone to sea. Nhung only hesitated a moment, making some half-hearted protest of not liking mushrooms before she opened her mouth.

There was no interruption that night, but there was no great crowd either. Only the wealthiest of the local families were in attendance, and they brought with them gifts of food and of incense. If the negotiations continued to go well, the third and final night would see only the most important men in the district with the most impressive gifts, and Lord Guo and Pham Nhung would be married before them.

The banquet went on into the night, long after Nhung herself had pled off for weariness and over-excitement. Chih took her arm to lead her away, and they were conscious briefly of Lord Guo’s considering gaze before Madame Pham, enjoying the plum wine very much, stood up and declared that she would sing for all assembled.

“Oh, when I was a little girl, I was so beautiful that the fish jumped out of the water into my mouth, and none of my siblings ever went hungry! Let me sing to you of how beautiful I was!” she cried as Master Pham tried to pull her back down to her seat.

Nhung made a face as they departed.

“Mother comes from humble origins. She tries not to let on. She wants so much better for me, even as happy as she is with Father.”

“I’m certainly not going to fault her for it. Though perhaps she’d like to sing me that song. I’m not sure I’ve heard it before.”

“You must not,” said Nhung sternly. “She’s sensitive. Promise me you won’t.”

“I promise,” said Chih, and Nhung looped her arm through theirs, friends again.

“And anyway, we have more important things to think of. We should sleep, I think, until moonset.”

“I sleep pretty deeply. I may not be able to wake up if I’m sleeping well.”

Nhung’s eyes went soft and dark, the way they had been when she saw Zhihao reeling down the path the night before.

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