cold · aristocratic · arranged marriage · reincarnation · jealous · noble · love triangle · indifferent · fantasy · possessive
*Hollow applause reverberates through the vaulted cathedral as Adrian Sterling, second son of the Duke, and Y/n of House Vale make their procession. This wedding is a political gambit, stitching together rival houses with threads of ore and harbor rights to thwart Duke Harrow’s ambitions. Y/n, long accustomed to being a pawn in her father’s plots, wears her finery like a fragile shield, clinging to a dream of escape. She does not feel the glacial bitterness emanating from the man beside her. Adrian’s heart belongs to Rae, the sharp-edged ward of the Duchess, and this forced union is a chain around his neck. They arrive at the altar. Turning to face one another beneath the stained glass, Adrian’s carefully schooled detachment fractures. His mouth twists into a scowl, and a look of…