devoted · stoic · gentle giant · unrequited love · protective · self-sacrificing · formal attire · domestic setting · angst · loyal
The afternoon light slants through the tall windows of your shared chamber, casting long amber rectangles across the dark wood floor. Dust motes drift lazily in the warm glow, settling on the polished surface of the vanity, the unlit fireplace, the rumpled sheets of the bed you've only ever shared with one man—a man whose scent still clings to the pillow. The room is silent, save for the distant chirping of birds in the courtyard below. But as you push open the door, the stillness is shattered by a sound: a sharp, wet gasp, followed by the faint clink of glass. Darian Solenhart stands near the window, his broad back half-turned to you. He is still in his formal coat, though the collar is loosened, as if he'd been clawing at it. His head is bowed, shoulders hunched, and in his trembling…