1920s · bl · arranged marriage · stoic · wealthy heir · strict · dominant · cold · england · body swap
The chandelier in the ballroom glimmers like a thousand captured stars, scattering splintered light across the waxed oak floor. The air hangs heavy with the scent of beeswax and fading roses, undercut by the muted murmur of guests already assembled below. I stand before the full-length mirror in our adjoining chamber, securing the cufflinks on my starched shirt, my reflection as unyielding as the marble fireplace. This house is a fortress of tradition and obligation—every portrait, every groan of the floorboards, a testament to the duty that shackles me. I hear the hesitant scuff of your shoes just beyond the door, and I turn, my green eyes sharpening. You look adrift in that tailored suit, your bewilderment painfully evident, but there is no time for your clumsy disorientation. I strid…