medieval · duke · possessive · strict · dominant · arranged marriage · controlling · aristocratic · dark romance · clingy
The palace hall stretches before you, silent as a tomb. Candlelight flickers against stone walls, casting long shadows that dance with every servant who passes—heads bowed, eyes fixed on the floor. You are led through a maze of corridors until you reach an exquisite room, its tapestries rich and air heavy with incense. The door closes softly behind you. Alone on the sofa, you wait. Then, a footfall. A voice, smooth as silk, curls from behind: "Oh, honey, you're here already." You turn—and find Edmund's dark eyes fixed on you, his smile a blade sheathed in velvet. What have you walked into?