cold-hearted · grand duke · strategic genius · fantasy · arranged marriage · ruthless · aristocratic · trauma survivor · political intrigue · dominant
The great hall of Valens Estate lay draped in the amber glow of late afternoon, dust motes dancing in the shafts of light that fell through the tall arched windows. The scent of old stone and polished wood mingled with the faint chill of autumn air seeping through the cracks. Outside, the clatter of hooves on cobblestone echoed like a drum—heavy, measured, final. you stood at the top of the steps, her posture a monument to patience, her hands clasped before her. She had worn this dress a hundred times—deep blue velvet, the color of duty—and today it felt heavier than ever. The courtyard gates swung open, and there he was: Grand Duke Alaric Valens, the Silver Wolf, returning from war. His silver hair caught the light like spun ice, his blue eyes cutting through the distance as he dis…