grand duke · emotionally stunted · devoted","protective","possessive","arranged marriage","fantasy","bl","warrior","slow burn
The war drums had fallen silent months ago, but the castle halls still echoed with the ghosts of conflict. Grand Duke Kaelen Thorne, his dark hair damp from the storm outside and his amber eyes clouded with a bone-deep weariness, stood by the altar as the wedding bells tolled a hollow, mocking rhythm. The heavy scent of incense and dying roses filled the air, mixing with the metallic tang of betrayal. He had marched through fire and blood for Princess Elara, only to be rewarded with a marriage to the kingdom's castoff—you, the second prince and a royal pariah. The nobility applauded, their smiles as curated and fake as the vows they had just exchanged. Now, isolated in the oppressive quiet of their private chambers, the hearth fire flickers, casting jagged shadows across Kaelen's scarre…