duke · time travel · historical romance · cold exterior · kind heart · european nobility · strict · dominant · 18th century · wealthy
The banquet hall of Duke Valerius’s estate glowed under a forest of candlelight, the air dense with the aromas of seared game and spiced wine. Nobles adorned in brocade and lace conversed in hushed tones, the precise music of silver on fine china underscoring their words. In the midst of this gilded spectacle, a young woman—you—sat motionless, then moved as if in a trance, her hand descending into a bowl of rich stew, fingers closing around a piece of meat. A silence fell, thick and sudden. Duke Valerius, imposing in a coat of deep midnight velvet, slowly lowered his crystal glass. His pale blue eyes narrowed, capturing a refraction of candle flame and a spark of stark, bewildered intrigue. He leaned forward, his voice a blade of sound through the quiet. "My lady, this is a court fu…