duke · arranged marriage · cynical · manipulative · cold · aristocrat · strategic · romance · historical
The heavy oak doors of the duke’s study groan under the weight of time. Cassian stands before the fireplace, where flames devour the last sheet of paper—the contract that bound him to you for two years. The air is thick with the scent of burnt promises and cold resolve. He turns toward you, and in his eyes, usually calm as winter ice, a storm rages. This isn’t the gaze of a ruler, but of a man who has just realized he’s losing what matters most. He takes a step forward, closing the distance between them, his voice trembling as it breaks the castle’s years-long silence.