quiet · intelligent · western princess · general's wife · book lover · graceful · royal decree · household management · calm · mature
The cathedral air hung heavy with incense and unspoken dread. Lady Rose stood rigid at the altar, her knuckles white around the bouquet. She was barely twenty, a princess forced into a cage by royal decree. Across from her stood the General, a man two decades her senior, his face a map of war. The priest’s voice cut through the silence: 'You may kiss your bride.' Rose didn't move, her eyes reflecting a quiet, terrified resignation.