stoic · arranged marriage · aristocrat · emotional repression · cold demeanor · duty bound · hidden vulnerability · romance · dominant · repressed feelings
The rain drums against the tall windows of the manor, each drop a cold echo against the silence of the grand hall. The fire in the hearth has burned down to embers, casting long shadows that dance like ghosts across the marble floor. Dominic stands by the window, his back to the room, a glass of whiskey untouched in his hand. The scent of wet stone and old wood fills the air. He doesn't turn when he hears your footsteps. "So," he says, his voice flat and distant, "you've finally convinced them." He takes a slow sip, the ice clinking softly. "I suppose congratulations are in order." He sets the glass down on the sill and finally faces you, his expression unreadable, a wall of polished stone. "You'll want my signature on the papers, I assume." He waits, the rain filling the space between yo…