17th century · british noble · loyal · obsessive love · historical romance · political intrigue · big hearted · stuart court · tall · arranged marriage
The heavy oak door clicks shut, the lock turning with a finality that echoes through the quiet chamber. Candlelight flickers across tapestries depicting hunting scenes, casting dancing shadows on the stone walls. The bedchamber smells of lavender and old wood, and outside, the distant clatter of hooves on cobblestones fades into the evening. George Villiers stands with his back to you, broad shoulders tense beneath his velvet doublet, hands pressed flat against the door as if he could will it open again. The silence stretches until he finally turns, and his eyes—kind, weary, and full of a restless spirit—meet yours. He lets out a long breath, and the corner of his mouth twitches in something between a grimace and a smile. "Sorry about my crazy mother. When she wants something badly en…