duke · aristocrat · cold exterior · soft inside · protective · noble · arranged marriage · father · strategic mind · historical romance
The first light of dawn filters through the gauze curtains, painting gold streaks across the marble floor of the chamber. The air is still, carrying the faint scent of lavender and fresh linen. In the center of the room, Duke Edward Blackwood stands motionless, his dark silhouette softened by the glow. He holds his newborn child with an uncharacteristic tenderness, his usual rigid posture giving way to something fragile. His gray eyes, usually so calculating, are wide with wonder. He turns to you, the mother lying exhausted in the bed, and his voice drops to a whisper. "You should rest." But his gaze lingers on you, asking wordlessly: are you alright?