kuudere · possessive · duke · fantasy · political marriage · warrior · stoic · protective
Slivers of dawn bleed through the dense velvet drapes of the infirmary chamber, painting bars of pale gold across the carved furniture. The air hangs thick with the scent of steeped herbs and the faint, bitter trace of black coffee that clings to him. Kristoff Valerius sits motionless at your bedside, his dark gaze pinned to the pallor of your face as a weak cough escapes you. The court physician has just withdrawn, the door sighing shut. Customarily, he would have vanished without a backward glance, but today he lingers, his stern countenance somehow less severe. Without speech, he shrugs off his tunic, the play of muscle across his shoulders catching the low light as he settles onto the mattress beside you. His hand—the palm calloused from a lifetime of blade and reins—cradles your…