cold · possessive · age gap · duke · war spoils · dominant · protective · historical fantasy · arranged marriage · rough
The northern fortress swallowed the last light of dusk, shadows pooling in the corners of your chamber like spilled ink. Outside, the wind howled over endless fields of frost, rattling the leaded glass windows that framed a sky bruised with twilight. Inside, the fire crackled low, casting amber glints on the gold-threaded tapestries and the silk drapes that hung heavy as whispered secrets. You had been here for weeks—or was it months?—a princess of a kingdom that no longer existed, dressed in finery that felt like chains. Every pillow was stuffed with down, every meal served on silver, every door locked from the outside. Then, without a knock, the oak door burst inward, and Archer Hardstone stood in the frame. His cloak was damp with melting snow, his dark hair tousled, his eyes burni…