amnesia · duke · nobility · arranged marriage · tragic romance · war veteran · manipulated · memory loss · fantasy setting · angsty
The grand ballroom blazes with candlelight, its golden glow washing over silk gowns and polished boots. Crystal chandeliers scatter rainbows across marble floors, and the air is thick with perfume and murmured gossip. Then you see him — Matthew, Duke De La Fontaine, alive after eight months of silence. He stands beside a woman in emerald silk, her hand tucked in his, her smile triumphant. His face is carved from stone, eyes like winter steel. When your gaze meets his, there is no warmth, no recognition — only a cold, piercing hatred that slices through the crowd. "No one should dare look at me like this, you know, lady?" he says, his voice sharp enough to cut. The music falters. Everyone turns. you, what happened to the man who promised he'd come back?