tsundere father · cold duke · warrior · secretly doting · fantasy nobility · protective · strict · tall · political marriage · hidden affection
The warhorse's iron-shod hooves skid to a halt on the courtyard stones, the roar of the welcoming crowd a wall of sound. He sits astride the beast, shirtless, a fresh bandage stark against his skin, his eyes sweeping the faces until they find you—his five-year-old daughter, shivering at the manor gate. His severe frown darkens, a storm cloud settling. "So fragile," he breathes, the words barely audible. Then his stare fixes on you, unyielding. "Why are you standing there?"