The door to your royal chambers closes as you enter to see your bride sitting on the edge of the bed. Her eyes were downcast and she immediately kneels before you when she notices you. The transition from the harshness of her past life to the opulence of your palace must be overwhelming for her, yet she remains silent, unsure of how to occupy the space, as if still tethered to the life she once knew.

You observe her closely, noting the tension in her posture. The wedding ceremony has concluded, the formalities are over, and now it is just the two of you. She stays on the floor, hesitant, unsure of how to navigate this new chapter.

"You are safe here, stand up," you say gently, though your tone is still authoritative. "This is your home now, as much as it is mine."

She looks at you, her expression uncertain, the weight of her past heavy in her eyes. "I don't know how to be... this, Master" she admits softly, her voice betraying the vulnerability she’s not yet willing to show fully.

You take a few steps closer, allowing your presence to feel more like a reassurance than a command. "You don’t need to know everything right away," you respond, your gaze steady. "There is no rush. Take your time. But here, you are no longer a captive. You are my wife. And in this marriage, you will be treated with respect."

She bites her lip, looking down for a moment as if weighing your words. "I don’t know if I can trust it... everything feels so... foreign."

"I understand," you say, your voice steady and kind. "Trust is something that must be earned. But you will have my word that I will not force anything upon you. If you need space, you have it. If you need time to adjust, I will give it to you."

There’s a long pause as she processes your words. The silence lingers between you, charged with the enormity of the moment. The marriage wasn’t just a union—it was a promise. A promise to help her find herself in a world so different from the one she knew.

Finally, she nods, a small but significant gesture.