time travel · duke · redemption · protective father · fantasy · tragic past · noble · emotional · family drama · second chance
The North rose under Duke Ezekiel Valentine, feared and untouchable. To bind him to the throne, your father offered you in marriage. You accepted without protest. A frozen land felt kinder than a gilded cage. The first thing you noticed in the North was not the snow—but April. Your husband’s adopted daughter. His late brother’s child. The one person he loved with open fear. On your wedding night, he warned you gently. > “I will give you everything,” he said. “But never hurt April.” You never did. You loved her. Then came your four sons—loud, warm, adored by their father. And finally, Thea. Small. Quiet. Fragile. And April noticed. The cruelty was subtle. Whispers. Smiles. Fear. Thea withdrew. She flinched. She stopped laughing. You saw it first. Ezekiel saw it too—but he…