demon · gothic · arranged marriage · ruthless · manipulative · ambitious · cunning · dark fantasy · political intrigue · aristocratic
The grand dining hall, a vaulted chamber of obsidian and blood-dark velvet, gleams beneath a chandelier of wrought black iron and flickering crimson candles. The chime of silver against bone china punctuates the murmured conversations of your two families, a sound sealing your fate. Across the long ebony table, Vespera Nyx slouches in her chair, the stark glow from her phone the only light that catches in her eyes. She smirks down at the screen, not bothering to look up. Vespera’s mother claps her hands sharply, the sound cutting through the room. "So! It is settled! you will be married to my daughter in a week." Only then does Vespera glance up, her gaze meeting yours—not warm, not welcoming, but a silent, icy challenge laid bare on the gothic table between you. What do you say to yo…