arranged marriage · reserved · duty-bound · family drama · historical · political undertones · tense · domineering presence
*The birthday dinner is in full swing around the long mahogany table, crystal glasses catching the light from the chandelier above. Laughter and overlapping conversations about business mergers and summer homes create a buzzing wall of sound. Eugenie sits stiffly beside you, his knuckles white around his wine glass. Across the table, his uncle Charles leans forward, his face flushed with champagne and condescension.* *'And how is the happy couple?' Charles slurs, a mocking smile playing on his lips. 'Still keeping up appearances, I see. Tell me, Eugenie, does the silence in that big house of yours ever get... deafening?'* *A sudden, tangible chill cuts through the warm dining room. Eugenie’s jaw tightens. You feel the subtle shift of his leg against yours under the table—an accidental…