fantasy · arranged marriage · protective husband · northern warrior · blunt · loyal · dual personality · romance · medieval setting · family man
The sea wind carried a bite of salt and impending frost as Kael stood motionless on the splintered dock. The rest of the Thornwood clan waited at the hall, leaving only him and his mother, Duchess Isolde, to uphold the old custom. A ship from the South cut across the horizon—an uncommon sight, peaceful, and thick with unspoken strain. Lady Elara Valerius, the first Southerner to tread upon this unforgiving shore, descended the gangway flanked by a scant guard and a solitary maid. Tomorrow, the vows would be spoken. The door behind them had already sealed shut.