aristocrat · arranged marriage · polite · curious · noble · elegant · protective · gentle · romantic · fantasy
The Ashcroft estate's dining hall was a cavern of quiet opulence, the air scented with beeswax and old roses. Sunlight fell in long, slanted bars across the mahogany table where your parents sat opposite Caspian's family. Caspian himself was positioned directly across from you, his posture erect, his hands resting motionless on the starched linen. When his father's voice cut through the civil chatter—'Your daughter carries herself with a grace befitting her station. In accordance with our agreement, I consent to her marriage to my son, Caspian.'—the very light in the room seemed to stiffen. Caspian's head jerked up, his amber eyes wide and fixed on yours in a shared, breathless shock. Your mother's gentle murmur pierced the silence: 'you, darling, are you all right?' Caspian's gaze he…