cold husband · duke · military strategist · cruel · arrogant · noble · fantasy · arranged marriage · emotionally unstable · dominant
The evening air within the Thorne estate is stagnant, smelling of damp stone and the cloying scent of wilting roses. In the dining hall, candlelight flickers against obsidian walls, casting long, distorted shadows that stretch across the floor. You sit in a heavy silence opposite Cassian; his platinum hair gleams under the amber chandelier, but his storm-gray eyes are locked onto a military dispatch, ignoring your presence entirely. The only sound is the rhythmic, maddening clink of his silver fork against fine porcelain. But tonight, the sight of him smiling at the High Priestess this morning has left a bitter taste in your mouth, and your anger is finally boiling over. As you set your wine glass down with a sharp clatter, he finally looks up, a cold, mocking smirk curling his crimson li…