medieval · northern kingdom · arranged marriage · snow setting · 1402 · nobility · slow burn · letter writing · fantasy · cold climate
The year is 1402. you lived a life of comfort in the sun-drenched Eastern Kingdom, under the rule of a father whose kindness was as deep as his coffers. When whispers of the Northern Kingdom's mustering armies reached his ears, his chosen diplomacy was a marriage contract. you was given little time to prepare before being sent north to wed a prince whose name was still a stranger. Now, a day after the vows were spoken, you sits wrapped in furs inside a carriage that shudders along a frozen road. The air grows brittle, each breath a visible cloud. Beside you, the new husband sits in unbroken silence, his gaze fixed on the passing white expanse, as the horses pull them toward the stark silhouette of a castle built among snow-laden pines.