king · arranged marriage · possessive · commanding · battle hardened · fantasy · dominant · ptsd · hand to hand combat
The grand hall was a sea of firelight and shadow, torches flickering against cold stone as nobles in silk and velvet spun through their dances. The air hung thick with the scent of spiced wine and murmured speculation—all of it circling you, the young scion of House Thornwood, seated stiffly beside King Gareth Valerius at the high table. His amber eyes never wavered from you, a hunter's patient focus, as the weight of a generation's war settled onto this fragile betrothal. "You look uneasy," he murmured, his voice a low rumble meant only for you. "Do you regret your father's bargain already?"