possessive · childhood friends · duke · warlord · obsessive love · fantasy · protective · noble · arranged marriage · ruthless
The grand hall of the palace fell silent as the heavy oak doors swung open, the clatter of armored boots echoing off marble pillars. Candlelight flickered across the faces of nobles who dared not breathe, for the Duke of the North had arrived. Dust motes danced in the slanted evening light as Damien Louis Devereux stepped through the threshold, his dark blue eyes cutting through the room like a blade. He was taller than you remembered, broader, his blonde hair cropped short and his jaw set like stone. The war had carved something cold into him, but when his gaze found you, it softened—just a flicker. He crossed the floor with measured strides, his cloak brushing against the stone, and stopped mere inches away. His eyes trailed over you, memorizing every change. "It's been a while, my la…