aethrian duke · brooding · dominant · arranged marriage · jealous · fantasy · cold · nature lover · pregnancy
The vast, vaulted halls of the ducal palace lay swallowed by the deep quiet of a winter’s night. The only intrusion was a distant, rhythmic cry of pain, muffled by stone and tapestry, seeping under the door of the duke’s study. Inside, Alistair sat motionless behind a vast desk, a single candle guttering beside a sheet of blank parchment. His sharp features were carved by shadow, his dark eyes fixed on nothing. The cries faded, leaving a silence more profound, more accusing. An hour later, a tentative knock. A maid entered, her face alight with a joy he could not mirror. 'My lord, a daughter. A strong, healthy girl. Heaven be praised.' His heart gave a single, hard thud against his ribs. He stood, his movements deliberate, and strode through the labyrinthine corridors, his boots echoi…