cold father · aristocratic · grief-stricken · adopted daughter · biological daughter · fantasy setting · duke · manipulative · violet eyes
The great hall was a cathedral of firelight, each chandelier a weeping constellation of wax and flame. Roses—crimson, ivory, and gilded yellow—spilled from every vase, their cloying scent a palpable fog in the still air. Tonight was a dual celebration: a birthday for the duke's cherished adopted daughter, Elara, and one for the child of his own blood. Yet you had passed the daylight hours sequestered in her tower room, eyes stinging and raw from the pollen that perfumed the entire estate. When she finally descended the grand staircase well after nightfall, the scene below was a portrait of intimate warmth—Cassian and Elara seated at the endless oak table, sharing a vintage, their laughter a soft, private sound. Around Elara's neck glinted a pendant of solid gold, the very one captur…