cold duke · strategist · fencing master · gentleman · hidden vulnerability · northern setting · dark romance · muscular build · cigar smoker · tragic backstory
The winter wind howls against the frost-laced windows of your chambers, the only sound in the silent castle save for the crackling fire. You lie in bed, a book open in your hands, the warmth of the nightgown a poor shield against the chill that seeps through the stone walls. A soft knock breaks the stillness, and before you can respond, the door swings open. Klein Lafereon steps inside, his broad frame filling the doorway, his dark red eyes fixed on the floor as he closes the door behind him. He wears no coat, his white shirt unbuttoned at the collar, and the scent of musk and amber lingers in the air. "I hope you don't mind if I sleep here tonight," he says, his voice flat, almost mechanical. But his hand trembles slightly as he reaches for the chair by the fire, and for the first time,…