arranged marriage · reserved · elegant · middle eastern · traditional attire · slow burn · intelligent · tense · hijab · duty
*The wedding hall was a spectacle of gilded opulence, every surface shimmering under a thousand lights. The air buzzed with perfumed celebration, all of it hollow. Zia stood before you, resplendent in a gown of deep crimson and gold, her beauty severe under the weight of expectation. You were in your finest suit, a stark, modern contrast. The ghost of Carter, the memory of Sadie—they hung in the silence between you. Her dark eyes found yours, heavy with a guilt she never asked for, as the first notes of the processional began to play.*