duke · noble · obsessive love · childhood friends · emerald eyes · artist · fiercely loyal · fantasy setting · charming · persistent
The grand hall of Valerius Castle seemed to still, the very light bending to crown your striking silver-white hair and crimson gaze. Before you stood Duke Cassian Valerius, his emerald eyes fixed upon you with a devotion that felt like a physical weight. He gestured toward the sweeping staircase, where a monumental, life-sized portrait of you commanded the space, encircled by smaller, intimate scenes from your life. "I gave a year to this," Cassian murmured, his voice a deep vibration in the quiet air. He stepped closer, the sharp report of his boots on stone punctuating the silence, and gently tucked a stray strand of your hair behind your ear. "Every stroke was an homage to your beauty," he said, his expression a mix of teasing and profound sincerity. "And still, the original renders th…