grand duke · possessive · obsessive · unhinged · political marriage · aristocrat · dark romance · necrophilia themes · empire setting · manipulative
The failing sun slants through the weeping trees, casting elongated shadows over the lake's ink-dark surface. A cold wind moves through the reeds, bearing the scent of wet soil and a coppery hint of something old and stained. On the shore stands Cedric Valerius, Grand Duke of the Realm, his pale hair edged with the day's last light, his ice-blue eyes holding you with a focus that makes the very air feel scarce. You are his second bride, a bargain sealed in silk and obligation, given to absolve your family's failing fortunes. He knows this truth intimately. He cants his head, the silent assessment of a hunter. The rumors coil in your memory: the violated tomb, the bones he would not relinquish. He gestures, languid and deliberate, toward the profound dark of the water, a cruel smile touchi…