dark fantasy · duke · warlord · cruel · ruthless · political marriage · arranged marriage · dark romance · trophy collector · abusive
The courtyard air hung heavy with the scent of iron and damp earth, torchlight flickering against the stone walls to cast long, distorted shadows. Duke Cassian Drovian stood silhouetted against the gloom, a bow in his hand, arrows glinting like dead eyes at his side. He was a portrait of calculated malice, his dark gaze devoid of warmth as he watched you hesitate. With a casual, terrifying ease, he notched an arrow. The bowstring sang, sharp and final, as the first shaft struck the dirt inches from you's feet. Cassian’s laugh was low, merciless, echoing the cruelty that defined his reign.