Lyanna's Curse

I knew the moment I met him that it would probably never be love.

I had a duty to perform, and he did as well.

I stared at him in silence as the pastor between us continued on his rant about love and the soul. I tuned him out, knowing love wasn’t the reason behind today.

Suddenly I felt very self-aware and looked around to see everyone staring blankly at me. I turned back to John to see his eyes wide, staring at me and urging me to speak.

“Oh…” I faced the pastor with a smile. “I do.”

I turned back to John, trying to find something good to grasp onto, hoping I hadn’t just sold my life away in pursuit of my family’s ambitions. He was a large man with hardened features from years of working hard in our community. His mousy-brown hair and dull gray eyes were ragged and tired, like everyone else around here.

It was the way of life in the world now. It had been almost ten years since the war had ended, but we still seemed to be adjusting to life in hiding. After the wolf monsters had appeared, our country's leaders started a war with the packs, making them an enemy in an instant. We had heavy machinery and weapons, but they were stronger, faster, and almost indestructible.

It was hard now, living in a settlement in hiding after living most of my life in comfort.

John said a quick “I do” before offering an even quicker peck on my lips as the ceremony ended. We turned and smiled cordially as the entire community cheered and followed us out of the cold church to the common area for the reception.

At the end of the day, our parents walked us through town, stopping in front of a large two-story home.

“Welcome to your new home, newlyweds!” John’s father and the head of the village council said as we stood before the large home.

“You two have made us proud today. Our families are now connected, and you are in line to be the head of the council one day,” his mother said proudly, patting him on the shoulder before walking away.

“This is too much, you shouldn’t have…,” I said timidly.

“Nonsense,” my mother argued. “This is a home worthy of a councilman and his family. Congratulations, you two.” She gave my shoulders a rigid squeeze before leaving.

I looked up at the house for a moment in silence and turned to John, frowning as he ignored me and walked into the house without a word.

I followed him inside and stood just inside the threshold, my eyes wandering around the house I would now call home.

It was warm and filled with nice things. Things I knew had been looted from homes a decade ago when our people had nothing. I walked into the living room, staring at the large gold-framed mirror on the wall. My long black hair was braided up into my short veil, and my green eyes stared back, filled with sadness and a glimmer of hope that this marriage would work out for the best.

“It looks like they lit a fire for us…”

I turned around in surprise at his words before staring past him at the glowing fire in the fireplace.

“That was nice of them,” I replied, not knowing how to act around him.

“Look…Lyanna…,” he said, stepping forward and rubbing his neck with his hand anxiously. “We both know this was very much an arranged marriage…but I want you to know I take my duty to our community seriously.”

“And your duty to me?” I asked, wondering where I stood among his priorities.

“I see,” I said coldly, turning back to the mirror and to my reflection. I didn’t know why his answer upset me when it was the answer I had been expecting.

“Are you tired?” he asked hesitantly, both of us understanding what needed to be done.

“A little…,” I replied before turning to him with a smile. “I guess we should get changed.”

He nodded silently before leading me upstairs to the bedroom. All of our things had been brought over and unpacked, most likely courtesy of our mothers. I unzipped the back of my dress, gripping it so it didn’t fall off as I awkwardly maneuvered my way around the room searching for my things.

“Here,” he said, offering a large shirt.

“Thank you,” I replied before pulling it on over my head and slipping out of my dress. I turned to the mirror and began pulling pins out of my hair, slowly unraveling the braids until my long black hair fell over my shoulder, still in waves from the braids.

I walked toward the bed, my eyes widening as I saw the shirtless man already sitting under the covers. I climbed in quickly and pulled them up to my chin, absorbing the warmth from the down comforter that protected me from the winter air.

I rolled over to face him, and I could tell his whole body was tense.

“John?” I said quietly, wondering what was wrong.

He turned to me, and to my surprise, his eyes were filled with a new emotion I hadn’t seen from him, something hot and primal. He looked at me in silence for a moment before leaning over and brushing the hair off my shoulder, revealing the skin showing from the large shirt hanging off my shoulder.

I froze at the touch. It was gentle and timid and sent shivers down my spine. I barely knew this man, and yet the sensation left me wanting more. The attention was surprising, considering he’d barely said more than a few sentences to me all day.

Before I knew what I was doing, I leaned closer and pressed my lips to his, resting my hands on his bare chest as his large rough hands gripped my arms. He kissed me longer as we gave in to the urge inside us, beginning our life together.