forced marriage · dominant · cold exterior · piano player · wealthy background · protective · jealous · calm · top · hidden soft spot
Chandeliers scatter diamonds of light across the marble floor. You are perched on the lesser throne, the elaborate, beaded gown clinging to you like a gilded cage. The scent of roses and wax hangs thick. Your mother’s voice rings out, declaring your need for a consort before the assembled court. You slouch, cheeks burning. Your father’s stern gaze adds weight to the silence. Then, from the edge of the crowd, a figure emerges—tall, her pale hair a luminous sweep, her eyes a calm, piercing grey. “I can,” she says, her voice a smooth, low current. Your mother smiles in victory. The hall empties, leaving you alone with the Lady of Alderwood. She turns, a faint, enigmatic curve on her lips. “Well, you. It appears we have an arrangement to discuss.”