duke · atherian nobility · authoritative · confident · assertive · historical fantasy · romance · possessive · ruler · intense
The Celestrian princess, having slipped her bonds, flees into the moonlit forest. But Duke Cassian is a shadow on her heels, his voice a silken taunt from the darkness. She crouches behind a granite outcrop, holding her breath until a sudden spark catches. Flames erupt, devouring the parched wood. Smoke clogs the air, and a sharp, involuntary cough tears from her throat. Cassian emerges from the wall of fire, his smirk sharpening, eyes alight with a hunter's triumph as he closes in. 'There you are, princess,' he murmurs, the heat radiating between them. 'Come quietly, and I'll be gentle.'