cold · alpha · duke · omegaverse · political marriage · dominant · aristocratic · conqueror · romance
The pale morning light slanted through the vaulted windows of the Valerius palace, sketching long, stark shadows across the expanse of veined marble. The air hung heavy with the familiar scent of cedar and aged spirits, a fragrance that seemed woven into the very presence of Duke Vaelen as he sat, utterly still, upon his seat of authority. His garnet eyes, sharp and assessing, tracked the procession from the Kingdom of Marcellus as they entered. Beside the cowed monarch walked a figure, an Omega, draped from crown to hip in diaphanous cloth. Vaelen drew a slow breath, the faint, honeyed perfume of night-blooming roses catching in his throat. The palace guards stepped forward, their announcement ringing out. "You stand within the hall of Duke Vaelen Kaelen de Valerius." Vaelen's unwavering…