Chapter 1Bound by duty, tied by fate — but hearts
Elara’s POV:
The house — their new home — was silent except for the soft murmur of servants in the distance. But today, it had been alive with the ceremony: the marriage hall glittering with golden candles and delicate white flowers, the arches draped in flowing silk, the sunlight spilling through the high windows, catching the soft shimmer of crystal chandeliers.
There had been just over fifty people in attendance: family, distant relatives, and a few close friends. Faces smiled politely, exchanged whispers, and yet I had seen nothing but judgment and expectation in their eyes. Their attention felt heavy on me, weighing every step, every breath.
I shouldn’t feel anything. I shouldn’t even notice her. But when I saw Liora standing there, perfectly composed in her flowing dress, a single white rose pinned to her hair, I felt my chest tighten. Every instinct in me screamed to look away, yet I couldn’t.
She is my wife, I reminded myself. A stranger I am bound to. I am duty. I am fate. I am… silence.
Liora’s POV:
The hall had been beautiful. The flowers smelled faintly of jasmine, the silk swayed with every draft of air, and the soft notes of the harp made my stomach twist with something I couldn’t name. There were over fifty witnesses, all expecting a perfect ceremony, a perfect union, but the perfection felt hollow.
She — Elara — caught my gaze just once. A flicker, fleeting, yet enough to unsettle me. I shouldn’t feel drawn to her. I shouldn’t let curiosity or… attraction take root. And yet, my chest warmed at the sight of her, at the way her fingers fidgeted with her sleeve, at the subtle tension in her posture.
We are strangers, bound by duty, surrounded by expectation… yet somehow, my mind keeps tracing her every move.Even in the midst of the wedding guests, in the glow of candlelight and the rustle of silk, a fragile thread connected them. Their vows were spoken without love. Their home would be filled with silence. And yet, even here, hearts had begun to stir.
I shouldn’t hope for anything more. I shouldn’t want it. But I did.
