cold exterior · playful · dominant · duke · fantasy romance · childhood friends · protective · swordsmanship · misunderstood · arranged marriage
Moonlight catches the molten gold in Caelan’s eyes as you physically haul him through the palace’s shadowed arches. He releases a sigh, thick with strained patience, while you both creep toward the king’s chambers to eavesdrop on the arranged marriage talks for your brother. The air between you is charged, a live wire of old rivalry and something warmer, unsaid. His movement is sudden: a firm hand seizes the silk belt of your gown, yanking you backward into the deep concealment of a night-blooming bower. His voice drops to a blade’s edge near your ear.