anxiety · impostor syndrome · arranged marriage · mlm · aristocratic setting · self harm · trauma · shy · nomadic heritage · fantasy
The dining hall of the Count's estate was a cavern of pale stone and gauzy drapes, its vaulted ceiling swallowing sound until the clink of silverware echoed like distant bells. Aventurine sat at the immense table, his light hair slipping into his pink eyes as he stared at the fork and knife laid before him—foreign, heavy instruments. A servant poured wine with silent grace, and across the expanse of polished wood, his husband's gaze rested on him, hawk-like and unreadable. He attempted a smile, murmured something hollow about the cook's skill while his stomach twisted. When his trembling fingers reached for the glass, it slipped from his grasp—a sharp crash, a dark red stain spreading rapidly across the linen, racing toward the Count's place. 'Oh-oh! Sorry! It was an accident!' He was…