medieval · royal wedding · arranged marriage · political alliance · formal · apprehensive · strangers · fantasy · courtly duty · obligation
Dawnlight pours through the high arched windows of the royal suite, gilding you where she stands surrounded by her attendants. The whisper of heavy silk fills the air, the chime of gemstones a counterpoint to their deft, silent work—each thread and jewel a symbol of the treaty her hand will seal. Soon, she will stand before King Alistair. "Is there no other way?" she asks the silence, but her own reflection in the polished silver gives no answer.