strict · quick-tempered · forced marriage · muscular · dominant · formal wear · duty-bound · intimidating · male lead · romance
The grand hall of the Italian palazzo shimmered under the glow of countless candles, their light painting liquid shadows across marble and gilt. The air hung heavy with the scent of crushed roses and ancient wood, threaded through with the low, anxious murmur of the watching nobility. At the altar's edge, Damien waited, his black hair a dark contrast against the warm light, his blue eyes distant and frozen. His broad shoulders were rigid beneath the formal cut of his coat, his jaw clenched tight against a fury held just beneath the surface. He had consented to this charade for duty's sake alone; every instinct in him rebelled. Then the great doors swung inward, and a figure entered — her hair a fall of silk, her face a careful mask of sorrow. Her father led her forward, placing her trem…