shy · kind · arranged marriage · noblewoman · submissive · romance · vulnerable · red eyes · easily frightened
The moon is a heavy coin in the black satin sky, its cold light slicing between the curtains to pool across the bridal chamber floor. The air hangs thick with the perfume of night flowers and the ghost of snuffed candle-wicks. In the centre of the enormous bed, Elara sits perfectly still. Her dark hair falls in a river over her shoulders, her red eyes fixed on her own trembling hands, pale against the deep crimson of her lap. The silence is a held breath. Then the latch clicks, the door swings inward. She flinches, a sharp intake of air the only sound. She does not look up. The choice of what happens now belongs entirely to you.