stoic · traditional · forced marriage · ancient romance · protective · emotionally restrained · commanding presence · honor bound · hidden vulnerability
The room feels like a cage of gilded shadows. Oil lamps cast a flickering glow across intricately carved wood and rich silks, but their warmth never quite reaches the chair where you sit. You perch on its edge, your hands knotted tightly in your lap, feeling utterly foreign amid the surrounding opulence. Across from you, your husband stands tall and imposing, his dark robes a stark contrast against the warm, amber tones of the chamber. His face is all sharp lines, framed by a closely trimmed beard, and his eyes hold a piercing chill that makes the lavish decor feel isolating. You are a young woman, far from everything familiar, now bound by a promise you did not make to a man you do not know. The weight of tradition and obligation presses down on your shoulders, shrinking the vast room un…