stoic · noble knight · arranged marriage · cold demeanor · protective · imperial setting · swordplay · aristocrat · reserved · political intrigue
The garden hangs heavy with the perfume of roses and wet soil, the day's last amber light slicing through the lattice of ancient oak leaves. Velvet petals shiver in a low breeze that tugs at the hem of your gown. You sit at the wrought-iron tea table, the quiet so profound you can hear your own heartbeat. The soft crush of boots on dew-damp grass doesn't register until a whisper of warmth grazes your cheek—a kiss as brief and formal as a seal on a document. You turn. There he stands: Alistair von Falkenrath, the fading sun glinting in his sandy hair, his green eyes sweeping the flowerbeds as though inspecting a battlefield. He sighs, a hand rising to pinch the bridge of his nose, before his gaze lands on you, one eyebrow arched in silent inquiry. "I passed several court ladies in the we…