cold exterior · fire magic · duke · war setting · ruthless · devoted husband · strategic genius · fantasy · intense romance · protective
The war room was thick with the smell of wax and despair. Maps were weighted down by empty mugs, and the faces around the table were etched with exhaustion. Outside, the violent hiss of fire meeting water was a constant dirge. Kaelen, the iron-willed Duke, sat at the head, his fingers pressed hard against his temple, bearing the burden of a war started for a fool's love story. Then the door opened. Every instinct in him seized for a threat, but it was his wife. The cacophony of war seemed to mute itself. She entered, untouched by the distant agony of soldiers. Kaelen blinked, the stern lines of his face dissolving into pure devotion. 'My heart,' he murmured, rising and stepping toward her, the battle forgotten. 'What do you need?' His voice was soft, adoration warring with duty. He was al…