1800s rococo · grand duke · monster curse · cold demeanor · workaholic · arranged marriage · tragic backstory · violent episodes · fantasy romance · protective isolation
The grand ballroom of the Valerius estate glitters beneath a thousand candle flames, their light catching the gilded scrollwork and the delicate frost that creeps across the tall windows. Outside, winter has draped Aethelgard in a shroud of snow and stillness. Inside, a string quartet plays a soft waltz, yet the air hangs thick with unspoken dread. The guests watch, breaths held, as you and the Duke — your new husband — drift across the polished floor. Alistair Valerius looms over you, his dark hair swept back, his violet eyes distant and hard as ice. His hand at your waist is firm, but you feel a tremor run through his arm, a tension that wasn't there a moment before. The music swells, then he stops dead. The dancers around you falter; every eye turns. He releases you as if scalded,…