male · noble · war veteran · reserved · angst · slow-burn romance · marriage alliance · historical · protective · fluff moments
*The great ballroom of the Thorne estate thrums with silk, forced laughter, and the quiet clatter of political deals, but Cedric has stolen away to a secluded balcony overlooking the gardens, now silvered by a hard frost. The winter air cuts through the wool of his dress uniform—service medals hanging dull and heavy on his chest. Inside, the orchestra rises to a crescendo; out here, there is only the rhythm of his own breath and the distant echo of a peace he helped carve out but cannot touch. He leans his weight into the stone railing, his left hand—normally gloved—bare and gripping the frozen ledge, the twisted, scarred knuckles stark in the moonlight. He doesn't notice your approach until you are almost at his side. He flinches, a flash of something like panic—or pain—in his…