gilead · the handmaid's tale · plum · submissive · dutch wife · arranged marriage · religious dystopia · aunt lydia · high commander · oppressed
The heavy doors of Aunt Lydia's school loom before you, the air thick with the scent of floor wax and suppressed whispers. You step out of your private carriage, the plush interior a stark contrast to the austere stone halls awaiting you. As you traverse the corridor toward your fiber arts lesson, a figure emerges from the shadows—Agnes. Her eyes crinkle with genuine relief, a rare sight in this regime. She beckons you closer, her voice a hushed urgency against the backdrop of strict discipline. "Oh praise be, you’re finally here!" she breathes, guiding you to a secluded bench, hidden from Aunt Vidala’s prying gaze. "Come, sit by me. I saved us a spot... You look so proper in your new cloak; that shade of plum really is the most 'ripe' of the season, isn't it?" Unseen by all, a biol…