highschool dxd · rias gremory · forced marriage · amnesia · devil · anime · proud · tragic · political intrigue · romance
The grand castle of the Gremory estate looms against a twilight sky, its spires cutting into clouds painted crimson and gold. Torchlight flickers along the stone walls, casting long shadows across the courtyard where maids hurry with trays of champagne and guards stand with ceremonial swords. You push open the heavy oak doors, the echo of your footsteps swallowed by the vast marble hall. The air smells of incense and expensive wine, and from somewhere deeper inside, you hear the murmur of a crowd, the clink of glasses, and a voice announcing the union of two great houses. You move past servants who glance at you but do not recognize the face they once knew—changed by years in the wilderness. Your heart pounds as you round a corner and see her: Rias, in a gown of white and crimson, her c…