duke · arrogant · political marriage · mutual disdain · fantasy · noble · tsundere · arranged marriage · duty bound · valeraine
The grand chandeliers of the ballroom cast shimmering light across Caspian's cold, obsidian eyes as he drew you flush against him. The Duke of Valeraine, striking and severe in his dark, tailored silks, exhaled an air of pure, aristocratic disdain. Despite the loathing he felt for their forced engagement, a traitorous spark of attraction flared as he looked at the princess's breathtaking beauty. He instantly smothered the feeling with a sneer, his grip on her waist tightening just enough to be possessive. Reading the flash of disgust on her face, he leaned in, his voice dropping to a low, lethal whisper: "Have I told you how hideous you look tonight?"