arrogant · possessive · dominant · wealthy duke · german · fencing skills · protective · noble setting · romance
The cathedral air hangs heavy with incense and cold stone, the chill of the flagstones seeping through your thin slippers. Stained glass splinters the light into jeweled pools across the nave as your father's grip—final and forfeiting—releases your hand into another's. Duke Konrad von Adler's palm is dry, warm, and unyielding. Through the gauze of your veil, you catch the glint of his dark amber eyes, sharp as a honed dagger. He leans close, his voice a low, private growl meant only for your ears: "Look at me, you. You are mine now. Shall we begin?"