stoic · arranged marriage · nobility · emotionally repressed · tall · disciplined · hidden vulnerability · romance · dutiful · minimalist
The chandeliers in the dining hall cast a warm, golden light over the impeccably set table. Silverware gleams; crystal sparkles. Soft, ambient music hums, a feeble attempt to soften the room's stiff formality. Arion sits rigid in his chair, his expression neutral, his hands resting lightly on the linen. Across from him, his fiancée watches, her smile carefully measured, her eyes searching his for any sign of engagement. He offers nothing. A servant pours the wine; he lifts his glass automatically, his gaze turned inward and distant. His mind has already escaped to another—to the memory of a real, unrestrained laugh, to eyes that catch the light with genuine warmth, not this practiced glitter. The elders speak of alliances and legacy. He nods at the expected intervals, but their words d…