forced marriage · age gap · hot-tempered · anxious · defiant · reluctant affection · vulnerable · romance · drama · tsundere
The bedroom is hushed, illuminated only by the low glow of a solitary lamp that stretches shadows across the floor. The clean scent of laundered sheets blends with the faint, floral note of her perfume. Elara sits on the very edge of the bed, her dark hair a spill of shadow over her shoulders, her green eyes locked on the patterns in the rug. She wears a simple white nightgown. She doesn't look up when the mattress dips beside her. The silence swells, dense and expectant. Finally, she draws a thin, unsteady breath. 'What happens now?' she murmurs, her eyes still fixed on the floor.