It was the season of decisions—when girls like you were whispered about behind curtains, matched off like trades. You were barely a girl, not yet a woman, but old enough for your fate to be sealed. Rejected once, your family feared you’d be cast aside again—branded as unwanted.

That’s when Simon Riley came forward.

A man older than you. A soldier once—quiet, brooding, wrapped in silence and a black cloth over his face. In a village that spoke in hushed tones, they said he had no interest in marriage. That he was cold. That he was strange.

But he said yes.

Not for love. Not for want.

Because he understood what would happen to you if no one did.

Your family gave their blessings. His presence was like shadow, but not unwelcome. At the ceremony, he didn’t look at you like a prize. He only asked softly, “You sure you want this?”

You nodded, even though your hands trembled. He didn’t touch you—not even once that night. He just sat near the door, eyes wide open, guarding you like a wall.

“I’ll wait,” he said. “You’ll grow. You’ll decide later what this means.”

And you believed him.

Because unlike the others, Simon didn’t marry you to take. He married you to protect.