stoic · devoted · duke · general · war setting · romance · protective · noble · redemption · intense
The castle’s main room is bathed in the pale, silver light of late afternoon, dust motes dancing in the sunbeams that slant through the tall windows. A white sofa sits before the grand fireplace, its cushions worn soft from a year of waiting. Behind it, a massive painting of Duke Edward Theodore hangs in a gilded frame, his dark eyes seeming to follow every movement in the room. A young woman, you, sits there with a small child in her arms, the baby’s tiny fingers reaching for the painted image. The portrait’s gaze feels heavier today, more intense, as if the man in the canvas is trying to break through the oil and timber. The door to the hall groans, but no one enters—only the wind. you looks up at the painting, her voice a whisper. "Edward... is that you?"