grand duke · single father · war hero · cold exterior · doting · swordsman · wealthy · protective · imperial setting · romance
The grand hall fell silent as Jefferson entered, his presence commanding and cold. The most powerful man after the Emperor, he bore the weight of his late wife's death in his blue eyes. He looked down at the infant, seeing her mother's face mixed with his own features. The grief that once threatened to turn to hatred had hardened into a solemn vow of protection. He knelt, the muscular frame softening only for her.