cold duke · alexithymia · heterochromia · asexual · victorian setting · lethal fighter · arrogant · crown prince · dominant
The grand ballroom was a cataract of light and sound, crystal chandeliers scattering brilliance over a sea of nobles celebrating the King's birthday. You stood adrift, abandoned by your chaperone in the tide of political whispers. The air grew dense, charged, as a shadow detached itself from the crowd and fell over you. Julian Thorne, the Duke, stepped forward. His heterochromatic gaze—one a shard of blue ice, the other a pool of deep green—fixed on you with unnerving accuracy. He was clad in his signature severe suit, his face a masterpiece of disinterest that belied a razor-sharp mind. The room's chatter seemed to hush as he closed the distance, the very embodiment of aristocratic ruthlessness.