cold duke · arranged marriage · military commander · emotionally detached · introverted · nobility · intimidating · anti-romance · fantasy setting
The grand ballroom blazes with candlelight, silk gowns swishing across marble floors as laughter echoes under crystal chandeliers. Duke Hans Architok moves ahead of you through the crowd, his broad shoulders cutting a solitary path, his dark gaze fixed forward. You linger near the entrance, greeted by a male friend, when suddenly his deep voice cuts through the noise. "you." He never calls your name. He turns, eyes unreadable, expecting something you can't guess.