Forced To Marry, But Must Stay Hidden

d always looked forward to these festivals, but this year, it felt different. Her heart was heavy with an unease she couldn't quite explain, though she tried to shak

llage. The small, crumbling building was a place she had often retreated to as a child, seeking solitude in its shadowed corners. It was h

d echoed through the walls of the storage house. Elara hesitated for a moment, but her curiosity got the bet

r that fell in messy waves around his face. Elara's breath caught in her throat as she realized that th

e region, a man whose presence commanded attention wherever he went. Elara had heard of him, of course-who ha

ging open wider. Elara stumbled, her foot catching on the floor, and she collided with Kieran, knocking hi

lagers had gathered at the door, their eyes wide with shock as they took in the scene bef

d out, the voice tremb

s a glint of something more in his eyes-something that Elara couldn't quite place. She opened her mouth

when the ru

a and Kieran had been caught in a compromising position, while others claimed it was nothing more than a misunderstanding. But one thing was clear: the v

ver could have anticipated. The elders, with their wrinkled faces and sagely expressions, had decided that something needed to be done to pre

sharp with disbelief. "But... we're str

d knowing glances,

The curse of the ancestors will fall upon this village if we don't make

llage if anyone ever brought shame upon the sacred traditions. But this was madness. She could

the village's beliefs, and the long-standing tradition that

ld marr

yes filled with judgment and expectation, Elara could already feel the tension beginning to build. The marriage wa

with its own set of rules, and his life was far more complicated than Elara could have ever

e both of their lives forever. And they would have to navigate the tangled web of family,

but in time, Elara would learn that sometimes, the most unlik

fateful, accidental meetin