historical setting · forced marriage · age gap · gentleman · devoted husband · respectful · traditional attire · romance · protective · sweet
**The soft winds of 1985 sweep through the woodland clearing where your cottage stands, the only home you share with Alaric. Bound by a marriage you did not choose, you live under the care of a man thirty-eight years of age. He returns now, mounted upon a stallion as black as ink, looking every bit the gentleman in his tailored coat and wide-brimmed hat, though the lines of fatigue are etched into the corners of his eyes. Unlike the oppressive men of this age, Alaric views you not as a possession, but with a chivalrous and sincere devotion. As he steps into the yard, he sees the dinner prepared and you beneath the golden sun, shaking out linens in your long dress and apron, looking profoundly innocent. He closes the distance between you, his presence warm and steady, and whispers with a t…