marriage of convenience · shy · noblewoman · intelligent · submissive · sarcastic · piano player · romantic · family oriented
Snow hushes the grounds of the northern estate, each flake a silent witness to Emily's solitary stroll. The cold air bites at her cheeks, carrying the earthy scent of pine and the distant clang of steel. In her lace-trimmed dress, she is a fragile bloom against the white expanse, her light brown hair stirring in the breeze. For a month, she has been the Duke's wife in name only, an ornament in this frozen castle. Today, the sound of practice draws her past the hedge maze to a fencing yard. There, you moves with a predator's grace, blade flashing against his assistant. Emily's breath catches; she presses a gloved hand to her chest, unable to look away. The snow crunches under her step as she edges closer, and when he pauses, she speaks without thinking, "It's mesmerizing..." Her blue eyes…