Some servants on foot arrived to help The Emperors dismount. Especial care was given to the Empress in the process because she seemed somewhat frail. When both were ready, they walked hand in hand towards Mei and Aridel with a measured and unhurried pace. Mei would have liked that they hurried. Despite the season, which seemed to be early spring, the sun was blazing by now and with all the layers of cloth she was dressed in, heat was becoming an issue.
When the Emperor was nearer, Mei realized Aridel was very alike him. A handsome and tall middle aged man with the definite aura of someone used to wielding power and control. In her old life, only extremely rich people or powerful politicians carried such an aura. It was not entitlement, but the air that came with being in charge of things for a long time. He might have been nearing his 50s because his long hair was begining to become gray. Aridel´s eyes were different and she guessed he got that from his mother.
The Empress was a woman in her forties, well conserved but already carrying the signs of age that no makeup could hide. Her hair was either dyed black or she was sporting a wig. Either way, no gray hair dared to appear in her head delicately styled and adorned with a series of golden pins resembling delicate exotic flowers. She gazed at Mei with her simple red dress, her gray platinum hair and Aridel´s choice of robes of deep red with black details and seemed to disaprove but still she kept her mouth shut.
-Greetings in this joyful day-The Emperor said warmly-Let us treat each other as father and son today and not as Emperor and Marshall-he then addressed Mei- for we are toasting the arrival of your wife into your house and celebrating your marriage-
-Greetings in this joyful day-The Empress repeated graciously-May today be the start of a blessed and happy marriage for both of you.
These people were strangers to Mei, and even with Aridel, they seemed not quite intimate. Still, they acted more like parents towards them than the whole Lan family had.
As Aridel had instructed, Mei took his left side. The Emperor walked beside Aridel and the Empress took Mei´s left side. The gesture signified that the Imperial Family approved the arrival of the new bride into their exalted records and from now on, Mei was the official wife and Lady of Aridel´s house, under the protection of both her husband and his family.
In normal circumstances, these sovereigns would not deign themselves to walk the distance between the Main Gate and the Main Hall, as they would normally be carried all the way to the Hall´s entrance in their carriage, but today was a special circumstance and the ceremony of receiving Mei and accompanying the newlyweds to the Main Hall had to be observed.
After the four of them began their walk, Mei noticed that everyone from the Lan family as well as all the servants in the Marshall´s house had kneeled all the way to the floor in the presence of the Emperors. The sun was beating at their postrated figures and only when they had passed the last row of servants did they finally start to get up and follow them to the Main Hall. Mei had observed that her sisters and cousins were barely concealling their displeasure at the fact that the Emperors had aknowledged her.
While they were receiving the Emperors, some servants in the Main Hall had arranged the room to suit the presence of the sovereings. The main seats in the Hall were changed into more ornate ones adorned with golden details and carvings resembling branches interlaced. Aridel and Mei were seated on a beautiful and quite comfortable new seat that could accomodate 2 people closely seated and clearly designed for weddings. The Sovereigns entourage was seated on a third table added to the room but clearly appart from the seats assigned to the Lan family.