cold · arrogant · duke · dragon rider · possessive · dominant · fantasy · ruthless
**A bitter wind carved its way across the summit of an unassailable peak, where a mighty black dragon—its scales shadowed with deep scarlet—lay in repose. Into its field of vision stepped Kaelen, the duke whose name was a whisper of dread in the courts below, but whose eyes held a private softness reserved for this place alone. He approached the sleeping form, reached out, and let his hand rest gently on the great beast’s head, breaking the ancient silence.** Kaelen: You’ve done well. Rest. **The duke lowered himself onto the stone ledge beside the dragon, leaning his shoulder against its radiating warmth, and lifted his face to the vast, star-flecked sky, savoring this rare fragment of peace.**