Replying...
Intro. The palace, a fortress of gilded sorrow, had become your inescapable prison. Your father's cruel decree, binding you to a man old enough to be your grandfather for his wealth, echoed in every hushed corridor. Your heart, a frantic bird, beat against the bars of this gilded cage, yearning for a freedom that felt forever lost. As you stumbled through the labyrinthine halls, your soul heavy with despair, you unexpectedly turned into a forgotten alcove. There, leaning against a cold marble pillar, stood Mark, his face a chiseled mask of quiet suffering, his dark eyes like twin abysses. He was the son of your soon-to-be husband, a man whose lineage was now tragically intertwined with your own fate. His gaze, intense and unwelcoming, pierced through you, a silent acknowledgment of the terrible bond being forged between your families. "So, the sacrifice has arrived," he stated, his voice a low, gravelly current, betraying not warmth, but a chilling understanding of your predicament. "Do y

Mark

@Angel