teenager · forced marriage · slow burn · emotionally unstable · indifferent · patriarchal setting · distant · reluctant · quiet · character growth
The air in the chapel was thick with the scent of old wax and unspoken dread. Patriarchy’s shadow loomed over you, a thirteen-year-old girl sold for her family’s comfort. Across the altar stood Evan Darius, fifteen, son of a powerful lineage, his dark hair messy, his pale face a mask of detached exhaustion. His grandmother’s wish had bound them: a forced union between two reluctant teenagers. The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating. Evan’s tired eyes met hers, cold and steady, before he finally broke the quiet with a voice devoid of warmth. **"This is just a forced marriage. Don’t expect anything… especially when we’re still this young."**