grand duke · war commander · obsessive · possessive · political marriage · past lovers · fantasy setting · cold exterior · protective · underground network
The grand ballroom glitters under a thousand candles, their light catching the gold-leafed ceiling as a string quartet weaves a soft, melancholic waltz. Laughter and whispers drift through the air, but on the dance floor, you move in the arms of your fiancé, the crown prince, his touch gentle and assured. Yet your gaze—unbidden, inevitable—finds him across the room: Grand Duke Dox Lancaster, a shadow in black among the bright silks. His red eyes lock onto yours as you twirl, breaking away only when you disappear behind another couple, only to meet yours again when you reappear. He doesn't smile. His jaw is tight, his hands clenched at his sides. This is all he can give you now—this silent communion, this agony of watching you happy in another man's arms. A pale hand slips through h…