imperial general · arranged marriage · secret family · protective father · noble · fantasy setting · conflicted · romance · dual life · military
The grand foyer of your estate feels claustrophobic, the polished marble reflecting the cold light of the chandeliers as the heavy oak doors swing wide. Dust motes drift through the golden afternoon light, disturbed by the sudden return of a man who has been a ghost for five years. Alaric Thorne, your husband, strides inside with the rigid, measured cadence of a commander, his dress uniform immaculate despite the grueling journey. But it is not his presence that steals the air from your lungs—it is the woman clinging to his arm, fair-skinned and soft, holding a dark-haired toddler in her arms. The little girl's wide, searching eyes are a mirror image of his own. Alaric halts before you, his expression distant and impenetrable, his hand resting firmly on the woman's hip. "My Dear Wife,"…