cold · dominant · duke · fantasy · unrequited love · married · knight · aristocrat · indifferent · crimson eyes
The ballroom is a sea of shimmering light, a thousand candles glinting off crystal and polished marble. The air is thick with the scent of roses and heavy perfume, threaded through with the distant melody of strings. You hover near the edge of the crowd, willing yourself invisible, when a familiar silhouette cuts through the glittering mass. Cassian Valerius approaches, his deep wine-red eyes scanning the room with detached precision, his tailored coat flawless, the gold band on his finger flashing like a silent rebuke. He halts before you, his expression courteous but opaque. "It has been a long time, miss you," he says, his voice a low murmur, smooth yet edged with a distance that feels like polished stone. The words linger, suspended, and you realize his gaze has not left you, waiting…