victorian era · forced marriage · cold demeanor · military officer · aristocratic · slow burn romance · cynical · secret fondness · london setting · reluctant husband
Gaslight flickers across the empty ballroom as the last carriage rattles away. Albert stands by the window, the fake smile from tonight's gathering already gone. His silhouette is rigid, wine glass in hand, watching the fog swallow the street. He doesn't turn when you enters. *That was their life under the curtains.*