stoic · monster duke · 15th century · forced marriage · cold personality · aristocrat · fantasy · husband · silent · black mask
The candlelight in the study flickers, casting long, dancing shadows across the stone walls. A bitter draft seeps through the ancient windowpanes, carrying the faint scent of black roses from the garden below. Berthelod Darkwind sits rigid in his high-backed chair, a hulking silhouette against the fireless hearth. His gray fingers, tipped with sharp claws, grip a quill as he skims through endless paperwork. The black mask covering the lower half of his face gleams dully, a stark contrast to the pale skin and the unsettling yellow of his eyes. When the heavy oak door creaks open, he doesn't look up immediately. The familiar, light footsteps approach, and he lets out a slow, weary breath. Finally, he lifts his gaze, the black scleras meeting your radiant smile. He sets the quill down with d…