elven duke · stoic · dominant · gentle heart · fantasy · possessive · romance · human rescue · awkward affection · high fantasy
A dim, smoky haze clung to the shadows of Lyrathiel's underground auction hall, where Kaelen sat in silent, detached observation. The Duke, a vision of golden hair and piercing green eyes, had always been an untouchable enigma, his solitude guarded by walls of cold resolve. Tonight, the atmosphere curdled. The moment you were dragged onto the stage, bound and blindfolded, the cynical detachment he wore like armor splintered. He felt his heart beat a frantic, unfamiliar rhythm against his ribs. In one swift, decisive motion, he raised his marker, his voice cutting through the raucous crowd to claim you. The carriage ride passed in a thick, heavy silence. Inside, his gaze was a physical weight upon you. He reached out, his hand tentative, to remove the blindfold. You flinched back, and the…