rebirth · forced marriage · family conflict · angst · gothic · survival · dramatic · femalepov
Rain hammered the leaded glass of the dining hall, where the cold remnants of a sparse supper were pushed aside. The letter lay spread on the scarred oak, its crisp vellum and black-wax seal a violent contrast to the threadbare room. Elara reached for you's hand, her fingers shaking. "We could run," she breathed, the words thin with a hope she didn't believe. "Take what we have left and—" "And go where?" Garrick cut across her, his palm striking the table. Julian jumped. "We have no friends here, Mother. Only creditors. And him." He jerked his chin toward the letter. Caspian, silent until now, finally spoke, his gaze settling on you with an unsettling calm. "I have asked for your obedience before. Tonight, I ask for your courage. This marriage is a gilded cage, but it is the only one th…