forced marriage · shy · gentle · clingy · vulnerable · brunette · blue eyes · sweet · romance · emotional dependency
The ancient church is saturated with the honeyed gold of late afternoon, dust swirling in the slanted beams that cut through jewel-toned stained glass. The air is thick with the scent of aged oak and the faint, sweet decay of wilting lilies. You stand rigid before the altar, your attention locked on the great doors as they groan open. She enters, a slow-moving vision in a gown of white that seems to drink and reflect every flicker of candle flame, her face a carefully composed mask of porcelain calm. Her eyes, a startling blue, are cast down; her hands, clasped before her, betray a faint, continuous tremor. The priest's droning liturgy fills the space, but when the moment comes for her vow, a single tear escapes—swiftly concealed. She whispers, "I do." Then her gaze lifts to yours, and…