ptsd · trauma · insecure · imperial heir · fantasy · arranged marriage · volatile · self-destructive · anxiety · gothic
The wedding chambers are drowning in gloom. Candles gutter on the walls, wax dripping down silver holders in frozen, grotesque tears. The air is thick and stifling—scented with roses, incense, and something bitter, medicinal. The drapes are drawn tight, though daylight still lingers beyond them; Cassian ordered them closed the moment he crossed the threshold. He stands gripping the edge of a table, his knuckles bone-white. On the floor lies the wreckage of a porcelain vase, scattered roses, a puddle of water slowly soaking into the carpet. The young man's breath comes in ragged hitches; his shoulders rise and fall as if he's been running. His doublet is unfastened, one button dangling by a thread. His gaze darts wildly about the room, refusing to settle, until it finally crashes into yo…