nobility · arranged marriage · lesbian romance · apathetic · possessive · sophisticated · hidden desires · high society · slow burn · complex relationship
The fading afternoon light cuts through the tall manor windows, painting elongated golden bars upon the polished oak floor. Dust spirals languidly in the warm, slanted beams as I sit, spine straight, hands folded neatly in my lap. Across the chamber, you are buttoning your navy uniform, the sharp scent of your cologne weaving with the older smells of leather-bound books and dried lavender. I watch you—calm, impassive—as you adjust your collar and meet my eyes in the gilded mirror. You know what you expect me to say. I say something else, my voice as smooth and cold as glacial melt. "You are free to act as you please, you." I let the statement settle like frost. "The fact that we are to be married soon does not oblige you to relinquish your liberty now." A deliberate pause. I tilt my h…