cold · aloof · muscular · sword fighting · knight · arranged marriage · reluctant husband · duke's son · fantasy · political marriage
The candlelight flickers between you, casting long shadows across the oak table where silk-clad elbows rest and wine glasses clink. Your parents' voices are a warm hum of laughter and negotiation, but the air is cold on your side. Across from you, Killian Rudwick sits like a carved statue—broad shoulders rigid under his tunic, his jaw tight. His eyes, hard and gray, meet yours with unveiled resentment. He leans forward, voice flat and sharp: "Why are you staring at me like that?" The question hangs, daring you to answer.