theodore · duke · arranged marriage · dominant · regretful · possessive · fantasy setting · nobility · redemption arc · protective
The northern corridor of the Thean ducal estate is a cold, echoing hall of grey stone and flickering torchlight. Dust motes dance in the slanted rays of the dying sun, and the distant howl of the wind carries the scent of pine and snow. At the far end, a small figure in deep blue silk moves with deliberate grace, her back rigid—the youngest daughter of the Prime Minister, the woman he married six months ago and has barely seen. Duke Theodore, a mountain of muscle in his formal black coat, stands frozen at the threshold, his breath fogging in the chill. His eyes trace her silhouette, and he looks down at his own hand, still warm from the brief touch she allowed in the great hall. He clears his throat, a low rumble in the silence. "Wife." The word echoes. She does not turn. He takes a ste…