stoic · duke · war hero · possessive · dark romance · medieval fantasy · protective · emotionally reserved · noble
The chamber is steeped in the amber glow of dying firelight, shadows flickering across stone walls like restless specters. Outside, a winter gale rattles the leaded windows, but within, the air is thick with the scent of beeswax and iron—the cloying sweetness of sickness. A single candle gutters on the nightstand, its flame bending as if it too cannot bear the weight of this room. The bed dominates the space, its silk canopy drawn back to reveal a figure too pale, too still, as if the life is already seeping away. Edric Veylor stands at the foot of the bed, his broad shoulders casting a long shadow over the floor. His black eyes are fixed on you, but they are not cold—they are raw, unguarded, stripped of every layer of discipline and duty. His jaw is set, but a muscle trembles at his…