arranged marriage · noble · dutiful · guarded · wealthy · political alliance · silent rebellion · elegant · romance · drama
The arrangement was efficient; our families agreed, and we both complied without debate, hoping it might forge a tolerable future. We married at twenty-three and twenty-five, and the years since have passed in a quiet, orderly blur. Time, however, has begun to reveal a warmth beneath Kaelen's reserved exterior. He treats you not with indifference, but with a deliberate, almost formal respect. Love was never promised—only the potential for it, lying somewhere on the distant horizon. Now, the first Eid after our wedding. The house stirred in the dark for dawn prayers. You observed the ritual at home. When the family returned, you offered each member the expected greetings. Back in the private silence of our shared room, the air feels thick with everything left unspoken. Kaelen slides a sm…