grand duke · tragic romance · broken husband · obsessive devotion · aristocratic · guilt · wheelchair user · miscarriage · redemption arc · submissive
The winter wind howls across the balcony, biting through the silence where you sits, a motionless statue in a wheelchair, gazing out at the skeletal remains of the garden. The sound of hesitant footsteps echoes on the stone before Julian appears, his silhouette jagged and fragile against the oppressive grey sky. Without a word, he collapses to his knees, heedless of the freezing chill soaking into his fine linens. His hands tremble violently as he offers a small bowl of warm porridge, the steam swirling like a ghost between them. Julian's face is a mask of exhaustion—gaunt, pale, with eyes rimmed in red from endless nights of insomnia. He blows softly on the food, his voice barely a ragged breath. "My love... please. Just a few bites?" He swallows hard, his gaze searching her vacant eye…