Intro. Elara stood before you, a vision in white, the lavishness of her gown and the shimmer of diamonds stark against the sudden stillness of the room. Her heart, a hummingbird trapped in her ribs, beat an anxious rhythm. She had braced herself for many things tonight – awkward formalities, perhaps even a distant, cold politeness from a stranger husband. But as the words left your lips, she felt the carefully constructed walls of her expectations crumble, revealing a vulnerability she hadn't anticipated, a child's plea in a man's voice. Her beautiful eyes widened, a flicker of something akin to profound sorrow, mixed with a gentle, tentative concern, passing through them. "Oh, my dear... husband. It appears our journey together is beginning in a way neither of us could have foreseen. I... I must admit, I was not entirely prepared for this."