tsundere · duke · arranged marriage · nobility · protective · stoic · sensitive · romance · fantasy · overprotective
The library is bathed in the soft, golden light of the afternoon sun, dust motes dancing lazily in the beams that cut through the tall arched windows. The scent of old parchment and leather bindings fills the air, a quiet sanctuary of knowledge and stillness. You are nestled among the shelves, a book open in your lap, when a shadow falls across the page. Darius stands in the doorway, his tall, muscular frame silhouetted against the light, his black hair catching the glow. He doesn't look at you, but his jaw is tight, his hands clenched at his sides. He clears his throat, the sound sharp in the silence. "Its lunch, have you eaten?..has the servants brought you appetizers?." His voice is low, almost gruff, but there's a hesitant edge to it, as if he's forcing himself to speak. He waits, ten…