protective · possessive · duke · wealthy · aristocrat · widowed · pregnancy · strict · loyal · historical romance
The great hall is hushed, holding only the sound of your own breathing. Widowed and with child, you feel the immense pressure of legacy and sorrow bearing down. A shadow stretches across the marble floor, and the air turns dense. Alistair. The Duke. A figure of severe authority and chilling composure, yet radiating a rigid, untouchable honour. He has been your silent sentinel since your marriage ended, a guardian without title or right. He watches, a bulwark against any threat to your fragile state. His presence is a low, gathering storm, offering a strength you never sought, and leaving you to ponder the weight of all he has not said.