Princess Lilith of the Void Kingdom stomped around her dimly lit chamber like a furious cosmic storm, her indigo gown billowing like an angry nebula. The room, adorned with tapestries that looked like they belonged in a space-themed horror movie, couldn't contain the tempest brewing within Lilith.
She huffed and puffed, her violet eyes shooting daggers at an unsuspecting vase on a nearby table. "I HATE it! Arranged marriage. 'Handsome Prince Ymir'. Ugh, my parents are worse matchmakers than a blindfolded toddler playing darts."
Yes, yes, the marriage was meant to establish peace between their kingdoms—the Void Kingdom and the Grimoire Kingdom—which had been at war for the past century. Blah, blah, blah. It was a political play, not about love. And couldn't she come to love Prince Ymir?
Those were the things her parents had said over and over, and over and over and over again! Ymir scrunched her eyes shut and clutched her head, pushing their words away.
With a dramatic flourish, she picked up one of the many crystal vases on the cabinet before her and sent it smashing against the wall. Stars, or rather, shattered glass, scattered across the floor like a failed fireworks display. Lilith surveyed the chaos she'd created with an enraged expression, still unsatisfied.
"Take that, arranged marriage! You won't get the best of me! No man is going to touch even my freaking elbows!" she snarled to no one in particular, her black hair refusing to be outdone in the drama department as it framed her face like a shining waterfall.
Storming towards the mirror, she examined her reflection, bitterly frowning. "Look at us, destined to be the power couple of boredom and forced conversations. Not on my watch!"
Lilith swung open the balcony doors, the stormy wind tousling her hair like an overenthusiastic stylist. It was always storming in the Void Kingdom. "I refuse to be a pawn in this intergalactic game of thrones! Hear that?" She shouted, supposedly up at the heavens. The heavens responded with more thunder and rain that splattered Lilith unceremoniously in the face.
As the rain splattered Lilith's face, she recoiled, her eyes blazing with a tempest of frustration. "Just what I needed—a soaking wet reminder of this wretched fate!" she seethed, wiping the raindrops from her eyes.
The chamber door creaked open, and Elara, Lilith's maid, entered cautiously. She surveyed the chaos within and Lilith's drenched appearance with a mix of concern and caution.
"Princess Lilith, what in the name of the celestial bodies is happening here?" Elara asked, her voice a soothing counterpoint to Lilith's storm.
Lilith turned toward her maid, fury etched on her face. "What's happening? Destiny's playing a cruel joke, that's what's happening. I'm shackled to a marriage I never wanted, and the heavens seem to be mocking me with this downpour."
Elara curtsied, maintaining a respectful distance from Lilith's anger. "Your daily potion, Princess," she offered, holding out a small vial filled with a mysterious, swirling black liquid.
Lilith snatched the vial, shaking it. "This better be a potion for making this entire kingdom disappear."
Elara smiled kindly. "It's your daily calming elixir, Princess. It helps soothe your emotions and keeps you presentable for the court."
Lilith scoffed, uncorking the vial with more force than necessary. "Presentable, right. Like I'm some doll they can dress up for their political tea party."
She downed the elixir, her frustration evident in the way she cringed at the taste. "Tastes like deceit and broken promises, just what I needed."
Elara sighed, maintaining her composure. "It's an acquired taste, Princess."
Lilith resumed her pacing, placing the bottle down on a nearby cabinet. "Elara, I can't believe they're forcing me into this wretched union with Prince Ymir. Can't we just send him a message saying, 'Sorry, the princess has better things to do than entertain a loveless marriage'?"
Elara chose her words carefully, a twinkle in her kind eyes. "It's more complicated than that, Princess."
Lilith flopped onto a cosmic-themed chaise lounge, her anger simmering beneath the surface. "Complicated, my foot. My parents know exactly why I'd never...I'd never want...to be...married to a man..." Lilith's voice trailed off at the end as she sat frustratedly on her bed. Her eyes had grown foggy, and her expression tightened as her sentenced faded away.
Elara hesitated, sensing the sudden shift in Lilith's demeanor. She approached cautiously, her eyes filled with concern as she observed Lilith clutching the ruby pendant around her neck. The chamber, once resonant with Lilith's fury, now echoed with a heavy silence.
"Princess, what's troubling you?" Elara asked softly.
Lilith's gaze remained fixed on the various tapestries, but her mind had drifted elsewhere. The memory, a haunting specter from her past, loomed in the shadows of her thoughts. She could feel the weight of the pendant, the cool touch of the ruby against her trembling fingers. She squeezed it tight.
A flicker of vulnerability crossed Lilith's face, and she whispered, almost to herself, "They know why I can't... why I'd never want to be married to a man. Yet they still..."
Elara's expression shifted to one of compassion, understanding the unspoken pain that lingered in Lilith's words. She took a step closer, offering silent support.
Lilith's voice trailed off as she sat frustratedly on her bed, her eyes clouded with memories she wished she could erase. The room, once filled with the echoes of anger, now embraced a somber stillness.
Elara, sensing the depth of Lilith's turmoil, knelt beside her and gently placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to face this alone, Princess. Whatever it is, I'm here for you."
Lilith's fingers continued to clutch the ruby pendant, seeking solace in its familiar presence. Her mind danced with fragments of a memory—a cryptic image, a blurred silhouette, and an overwhelming sense of violation. The details remained shrouded, like stars veiled by a cosmic mist.
Elara's voice, a soothing balm, broke through Lilith's pain. "Let me share this burden with you, my princess. You're not alone."
Tears welled in Lilith's eyes as she finally turned to face Elara, vulnerability etched across her features. "I never want to be touched by another man, Elara. I can't bear it. I think I'll go mad if I am."
Elara nodded, her eyes reflecting both empathy and determination. "Then we'll find a way to navigate this labyrinth together, Princess. Your pain won't define you, and I'll stand by your side, come what may."