Between the Vows

Episode 1: The First Meeting

🌿 Episode 1: “The First Meeting”

(Setting: Bangkok, Thailand – Present Day – Modern Noble Family Structure)

The soft clink of silver cutlery echoed through the open-concept dining hall of the Vannara Estate. Long crystal windows spilled golden morning light onto polished teak floors, and traditional Thai architecture kissed modern luxury in every corner of the room. Artifacts from Ayutthaya lined the walls; vases older than memory stood silently in place.

Seated at the far end of the long table, Freya adjusted her posture with a quiet grace her mother had taught her since childhood. A pale blue silk blouse framed her delicate shoulders, and her soft brown eyes flicked briefly toward the entryway.

She was nervous. Her palms had been clammy all morning.

Today, she would meet her future wife.

She still remembered the tone her father used when he told her — as if it were already decided, not a question, not a conversation.

“Khun Eirawan Suwichan is the only daughter of the Suwichan line. Your mother and I have agreed to the arrangement. She’s brilliant, successful, and will take over the family empire within the year. She’ll treat you well.”

Treat me well?

Freya wasn’t even sure what that meant anymore.

Then came the sound of deliberate, firm footsteps. Each one unhurried, confident. Measured.

Freya turned slightly, expecting someone with power, but when she saw the woman entering through the carved teak doorway, her breath hitched.

Eirawan Suwichan.

Everything about her felt… cinematic.

She wore a tailored black suit that fit her like a second skin — modest, high-necked blouse beneath, with not a wrinkle in sight. Her dark hair was tied into a low, precise bun. She didn’t wear jewelry, except for a silver timepiece on her wrist. And she had the kind of face that could both calm and intimidate a room.

Strong brow. Long, dark lashes. Sharp cheekbones. And eyes — almond-shaped and unreadable — that landed directly on Freya.

She bowed slightly, palms pressed in a respectful wai.

“Khun Freya.”

Freya stood immediately, startled by how poised she felt under such intense presence.

“Khun Eirawan,” she said softly, returning the wai.

A quiet nod. No smile.

They sat.

Freya tried not to fidget. Eirawan, on the other hand, was stillness itself.

“You’re younger than I thought,” Eirawan finally said, pouring herself water from the crystal jug.

Freya blinked. “I’m twenty-two.”

“Still studying?”

“No. I graduated last year. I studied design and marketing.”

Eirawan nodded once. “You don’t speak much.”

Freya’s lips lifted in a small smile. “I was told not to interrupt you.”

That made something in Eirawan’s brow twitch — not quite amusement, but close.

“I’m not easily offended,” she said, leaning back in her chair. “But I do prefer sincerity.”

Freya nodded quietly.

There was a brief silence before Eirawan continued. “Let me be clear. I don’t expect you to pretend.”

Freya’s gaze met hers, slightly confused.

“I’m not interested in playing perfect,” Eirawan said, eyes unwavering. “I know this is arranged. It isn’t love. Yet. But it’s a life contract, and I intend to honor it with full dignity and care.”

The words weren’t romantic. Not even remotely. But something in them stirred Freya’s chest.

It was… solid. Unmoving. Like stone carved for her protection.

Eirawan’s next words were quieter.

“I will never embarrass you. I won’t raise my voice at you. You won’t have to guess where I stand.”

She took a sip of water before finishing.

“But I may not always be easy to love.”

Freya held her breath for a moment.

“Maybe not,” she said gently. “But I think… sometimes love grows best where it doesn’t feel easy.”

Their eyes met again. And in that exact moment — one that would later be remembered in dreams — something shifted.

Not drastically.

But enough.

⸻

That night, Freya sat by her bedroom window at her family home, staring at the Bangkok skyline. Fireflies blinked lazily through the garden, and the soft sound of a traditional ranat played from her speaker.

She touched the small jade pendant around her neck — a gift from her grandmother.

Eirawan had shaken her hand when she left. Not kissed her cheek. Not lingered.

But her grip had been warm.

And when she stepped into the waiting car, she looked back once, just briefly.

Freya wasn’t sure what that meant yet, but it made her heart feel strange.

Not bad-strange.

Hope-strange.

Meanwhile, across the city, Eirawan sat in her private study, her fingers steepled beneath her chin.

She rarely met someone who didn’t flinch or flirt.

Freya had done neither.

Instead, she had listened. Spoken only when needed. And met her gaze with honesty, not fear.

That softness… it unsettled Eirawan.