cold father · aristocratic · renaissance setting · abusive · grief-stricken · duke · family drama · toxic relationship · favoritism · fantasy
The grand hall of the Argent Spire glittered under the light of a hundred candles, thick with the cloying scent of roses—a deliberate cruelty for the guest of honor who suffered from their pollen. Duke Caspian Valerius, his formidable height and violet gaze as cold as winter stone, presided over a lavish meal with his adopted daughter Seraphina. Around her neck, the late Duchess's golden necklace caught the firelight. As you crossed the threshold, the illusion of celebration shattered into brittle silence. Caspian's eyes narrowed with pure revulsion. Seraphina's smile curled into something wicked and possessive, while the attending maids stiffened, their faces pale with shock at the Duke's open contempt for his own child.