𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐎 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐀, 𝗆𝖺𝗅𝖾! 𝗆𝗎𝗅𝖺𝗇

𝟏| 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲

"Y/n."

"Remember, the doctor said three cups of tea in the morning--"

"Y/n."

"And three at night."

"Y/n, you should already be in town. We are counting on you--" Her father begins.

"To uphold the family honor." Y/n finishes. "Don't worry, Father. I won't let you down." From behind her back, she pulls down her sleeve, covering her paint-marked arm. "Wish me luck."

"Hurry!" Her father ushers, watching as she jogs down the stairs.

The girl meets up with Milan, the two getting on their horses and riding into town. As they rode, they continuously glanced at one another, the girl's hair getting more messier as the wind flowed through it.

The two had been best friends ever since they were children. And let's just say, feelings came to them along the way, but they had been too scared to say anything to each other, so they kept it a secret. The boy was hoping that he would be picked for when the matchmaker would arrange for the girl. Eventually, they make it outside the building, Y/n hopping off her horse, landing beside her mother as Milan follows in suit.

"I'm here." Y/n announces, only to get a look from her mother. "What? But, Mama, I had to--"

"None of your excuses. Now, let's get you cleaned up." Her mother interrupts her as she pushes her daughter forward, glancing towards the boy beside her daughter. "Good morning, Milan."

"Good morning." Milan greets back with a smile.

Y/n glances over her shoulder, meeting her best friend's eyes and seeing the somewhat teasing smile he was giving her. In response, she playfully glares at him as she sticks out her tongue just as her mother pushes her the rest of the way inside, a woman standing there in front of her.

Letting go of her daughter, Y/n's mother watches as the woman lifts up a piece of Y/n's hair, looking at it in slight disgust.

"This is what you give me to work with.
Well, honey, I've seen worse."

The girl is pushed behind a small wardrobe, the woman then taking off all her clothes before she's being pushed into a bathtub full of bubbles, her whole body and hair getting all wet.

"We're gonna turn this sow's ear
Into a silk purse."

Y/n shivers at the coldness of the water. "It's freezing."

"It would have been warm if you were here on time." Her mother reminds.

The woman walks over, dumping a bucket of water over her head and starting to wash her messy h/c locks.

"We'll have you washed and dried.
Primped and polished
Till you glow with pride.
Trust my recipe for instant bride.
You'll bring honor to us all."

The girl's mother grabs her daughter's arm, then noticing the pain on it. "Y/n, what's this?"

"Notes, in case I forget something." Y/n replies, pulling her hand out of her mother's grip.

Just then, the girl's grandmother walks over, holding a cage with a cricket, Cri-Kee, inside.

Her grandmother hands it to her daughter. "Hold this. We'll need more luck than I thought."

Soon getting out of the bath, Y/n was led to somewhere else where two other women were at, the two beginning to design her hair as they pulled and brushed all the knots away, soon tying her hair up into a bun.