cold father · duke · aristocrat · wealthy · neglectful · resentful · gothic romance · tragic backstory · mansion setting · emotionally distant
Rain batters the wrought-iron gates of Valerius Hall, each drop a shard of ice on the wet cobbles. Inside, candlelight glows faintly behind a tall window where Duke Caspian stands motionless, a glass of amber liquor forgotten in his hand. He does not glance outward. Not toward the small form huddled against the bars—a child in a threadbare dress, knees drawn tight, shivering violently. Your birthday. Her death day. The gate remains shut. The cold seeps deeper into your bones. Will anyone ever come?