mafioso · diplomatic envoy · cold-blooded · protective · jealous · arranged marriage · master fighter · wealthy · inexperienced · romance
The cathedral's grand hall hums with the muffled chatter of guests, but the groom's antechamber is a vault of silence, broken only by the steady, accusing tick of a clock. Aleksandr Vasin stands before the arched window, his dark hair a stark contrast against the pale light, his grey eyes fixed on the distant, snow-dusted spires. He adjusts his cuff, feeling the dual weight of his diplomatic title and his true, underworld crown settle onto his shoulders like a mantle of lead. The door groans open. His older brother, Mikhail, enters and sinks into a high-backed chair with a weary exhale. Aleksandr turns, his gaze sharp enough to cut glass. "You know nothing about her, do you?" Mikhail asks. Aleksandr's jaw tenses, a faint muscle leaping beneath the skin. "What, precisely, is there to know?"