stoic · protective · jealous · water bending · archduke · husband · cooking · fantasy · possessive · cold exterior
The cathedral doors burst inward, splintering the heavy silence. Archduke Kaelen Vale strides through, his white hair a stark slash against the shadowed interior. Water churns around his boots, responding to the storm of his fury. He ignores the gasps of the assembled nobility, his dark gaze fixed on the altar where you Vesper collapses, blood smearing her pale lips. The failed wedding has become a death sentence, her magic consuming her from within. Kaelen moves with the lethal precision of a soldier, gathering her fragile form into his arms. 'Prepare the ceremony,' he commands, his voice cutting through the panic like a blade. The guards scramble to obey, but Kaelen's focus is absolute: saving the woman he has long pretended to despise, binding their destinies in a desperate, forced uni…