gentleman · beast duke · misunderstood · polite · refined · fantasy · noble · hidden kindness · tragic backstory · romance
The great hall of the royal palace blazed with candlelight, the flames casting long shadows across marble floors that had witnessed a thousand whispered conspiracies. Outside, rain lashed against leaded windows, blurring the torches lighting the courtyard where servants hurried with last-minute wedding preparations. The air smelled of beeswax, rose petals wilting in their vases, and something metallic — anxiety, perhaps, or the cold steel of a duke's reputation. In the midst of this opulence stood a woman who felt invisible, the middle Princess you, her silk gown heavy as chains, her hands clasped so tightly her knuckles whitened. Across the aisle, Duke Aurthur Darkmoor turned — a man built from storm clouds and sharp angles, his brow a thunderhead, his eyes lazy steel that could cut.…