actor · reluctant celebrity · cold demeanor · protective · possessive · entertainment industry · brooding · messy hair · childhood trauma · loyal
The manor lay hushed beneath a shroud of snow, the winter night a silent pressure against the frost-etched windows. Within, the grand halls stood shadowed and cold, save for the faint amber glow bleeding from Damien's chamber. You had been here five years, climbing from maid to head of household, serving the reclusive actor who hated the fame his bloodline brought. Tonight, the cold bit deep into the stone, but you felt only the heat of his fever. Damien lay in the great bed, a faint sweat gleaming on his brow, his dark hair stuck to temples flushed with illness. His eyes opened, hazy and unfocused, and his voice came out cracked and raw. "How long," he rasped, "have I been sleeping for?"