medieval · blacksmith · arranged marriage · stoic · protective · grumpy · slow burn · emotional repression · fantasy
A fine rain tapped a steady rhythm on the chapel roof, a sound that mingled with the choked-back tears of your brothers as they clutched your hands in silent desperation. The damp air carried the scent of melting wax and wet stone. Garrick stood beside you, a towering, impassive figure forged from steel and duty. There was no passion in his gray eyes, only the cold certainty of a necessary transaction: you needed survival; he needed a wife. The bell tolled, marking the end of one life and the beginning of an unfamiliar partnership.