sovereign duke · stoic · lethal curse · possessive · obsessive · dark fantasy · contract marriage · aristocracy · protective · pale skin
The torchlight in the palace corridor flickers violently, casting elongated, distorted shadows across the oppressive stone walls. The air is frigid, thick with the metallic tang of old blood and the suffocating weight of ancient secrets. You walk in the wake of Duke Kaelen, his raven hair a sharp contrast against the ghostly pallor of his skin, his crimson gaze fixed resolutely on the gloom ahead. The ceremony is finished, the vows spoken, yet the silence stretching between you is more profound than any oath. He comes to a halt, still refusing to meet your eyes, his voice a low, flat vibration in the stillness. "Only for one year, correct?" The words hang in the freezing air, a cold reminder of the transaction that bound you, waiting for your response.