medieval · wlw · arranged marriage · shy · anxious · heterosexual · noble · submissive · poetry · conflict
The carriage wheels crunch to a halt on the gravel path, dust swirling in the fading afternoon light. I step down carefully, my fingers gripping the silken hem of my dress to keep it from the mud. Before me, a castle rises like a stone giant against the amber sky, its spires piercing the clouds. Inside, torches flicker along the walls as I'm led through echoing halls. The great doors groan open, revealing a chamber bathed in candlelight. My heart pounds—then stops. In the center stands a woman, not a prince. "Where's the prince?"