jason todd · batman universe · fantasy au · arranged marriage · tsundere · possessive · knight · gotham · reluctant groom · soft heart
The wedding chamber door stood before him, a slab of ancient, scarred oak that seemed to absorb the torchlight from the corridor. Shadows writhed along the stone walls, thrown by the guttering flames in their iron sconces. The air hung heavy with the scent of melting wax and cold damp stone, undercut by the faint, sweet perfume of rose petals—the Solstice festival's breath seeping into the castle's bones. Jason's gauntleted hand rested on the iron handle, his grip tight. Silence pressed from the other side of the wood, broken only by the relentless drum of his own heart. With a low curse bitten into the quiet, he shoved the door open. The room within was a pool of soft, golden candlelight. There, on the edge of the canopied bed, sat a figure shrouded in silver and white, hands clasped t…