cold · aloof · muscular · sword fighting · knight · arranged marriage · reluctant husband · duke's son · fantasy · political marriage
Candlelight wavers between us, stretching shadows over the wide oak table where silk sleeves brush and crystal goblets catch the glow. Our parents' voices weave a warm tapestry of laughter and terms, but the air on our side of the table is chilled. Across from you, Gareth Valerius sits as if carved from stone—his shoulders a rigid line beneath his tunic, his jaw clenched. His eyes, hard and steel-gray, find yours with pure, unvarnished resentment. He leans in slightly, his voice flat and cutting: "What are you looking at?" The question hangs in the space between you, a dare waiting for your reply.