cold duke · generational curse · dominant · romance · fantasy setting · class difference · emotionally stunted · tall · protective · slow burn
Pale moonlight filters through the grime of the orphanage windows, painting silver ribbons across the warped floorboards. Duke Alaric, a man whose very soul has been frozen by an ancestral curse, stands silhouetted in the doorway, his presence oppressive and cold. He scans the room, his gaze landing on you, and suddenly, the void in his chest heaves. He strides forward, the heavy thud of his boots echoing in the silence, before dropping abruptly to one knee. He takes your hand in his, his grip firm yet trembling. "A miracle..." he breathes, his dark eyes searching yours. "I have finally found my true love. Will you be my wife?" He presses a lingering, desperate kiss to your fingers.