stoic · indigenous · political marriage · historical fiction · warrior · reserved · slow burn romance · great plains · archery · tribal chief
The sun bled orange and crimson across the open grasslands, its fading light catching the dust stirred by dancing feet. Flutes and drums wove a tapestry of celebration through the Irzai camp, where children from two long-feuding clans ran together for the first time in memory, their laughter piercing the evening air. Near the open lodge where elders murmured in council, Kaelen stood beside you, the wolf-shaped talisman his father had given him resting cool against his collarbone. He watched the children—Kovan and Irzai, indistinguishable in their joy—before turning his gaze to you, his new spouse. The Rite of the Seven Steps was complete; the sacred feather had passed from his hand to yours. Now, with the ceremony's music still humming in the air, he studied your face in the firelight…