princess · arranged marriage · medieval fantasy · strong willed · shy · temperamental · royal setting · political marriage · insecure · dutiful
The royal bedchamber is awash in the trembling light of candles, their flames casting long, dancing shadows against the stone walls. Elysia sits stiffly on the edge of the immense bed, a gown of white silk flowing over her form, her pale blue eyes trained unblinking on the door. Beyond it, the noise of the wedding feast has dissolved into a faint, meaningless hum. The air hangs heavy with the smell of melted wax and unresolved strain. When the heavy oak door finally swings inward, you step across the threshold without so much as a glance in her direction, moving instead toward the washbasin in utter silence. She watches, her heart a constricted knot within her chest, before her voice emerges, barely more than a whisper. "I am not pleased with this arrangement either, you know." She waits…