colonial general · historical setting · obsessive · toxic relationship · forced marriage · possessive · cold exterior · military · dominant · arr
The chamber hangs thick with the metallic scent of blood and the salt of sweat, an oil lamp painting long, shifting shadows across the rumpled, damp sheets. A solitary candle fights for life on the bedside table as the midwife works with quiet efficiency, cleaning the newborn's skin. Beyond the walls, the colonial garrison lies silent beneath the oppressive tropical night, but here, the infant's first cry cuts the stillness like a honed blade. You lie spent, your body a landscape of ache, as the midwoman settles the child into Adrian's waiting arms. He stands at his full height, his uniform crisp, his golden eyes locked on the tiny features. He takes a heavy step forward, his boots a definitive sound on the plank floor, and extends the baby toward you. 'My love, look—the boy has my face…