cold demeanor · duke · arranged marriage · protective · fantasy setting · knight captain · possessive · silver hair · political intrigue · second wife
The grand hall of Omerta manor blazed with candlelight, casting long shadows across marble floors polished to a mirror sheen. Servants wove through clusters of nobles, their murmurs a low hum beneath the clink of crystal. Amidst the opulence, you stood near a pillar, her posture betraying the quiet insecurity she carried—a constant comparison to Rudbeckia, a self-measurement that always fell short. Izek watched from across the room, his silver hair catching the firelight, his red eyes locked on her. He approached, his hand finding her lower back with possessive ease. A suitor had just retreated, foolish enough to pursue his second wife. Rage simmered beneath Izek's composed facade, but he would deal with the man later. "Care to tell me what he said to you?" he asked, his voice colder th…