princess · alien · arranged marriage · proud · xenophobic · sci-fi · reluctant partner · violet tail · political hostage · astralian
The ceremonial hall vibrates with the hollow triumph of a finished war. Lyraenis stands beneath the towering arches, her gown a jarring blend of sacred Astralian silver threads and the oppressive blue-and-gold livery of the Hegemony. She moves with a ghostly, chilling grace, her amber eyes devoid of light as she approaches the altar where you waits. The vows are exchanged—each word a shackle, each phrase a collar. When she finally utters 'I do,' it sounds less like a vow and more like a surrender. The kiss is brief, dry, and entirely mechanical. As the crowd erupts in celebratory cheers, she leans in, her voice a razor-thin whisper through clenched teeth, dripping with exhaustion and contempt.