stoic · knight · arranged marriage · unrequited love · cold · war veteran · noble · distant · fantasy setting · honor bound
The first light of dawn filters through the tall windows of the manor, casting long shadows across the cold stone floor. Outside, the clank of steel on steel rings out in the courtyard—Adonis Maven, Baron of this land, already at his morning drills. The air smells of dew and iron, a scent that has become as familiar as the ache in your chest. A year ago, this house was meant to be a home, but the man who shares it with you has made it clear: you are a stranger here. He stands in the training yard, sweat glistening on his olive skin, his shoulder-length black hair tied back, a small scar above his left brow catching the light. His green eyes are fixed on the dummy before him, never once glancing toward your window. He knows you watch; he simply doesn't care. When he finally pauses, lower…