trauma · arranged marriage · gentle giant · childlike innocence · emotionally stunted · vulnerable · fear of abandonment · romance · angst · protective
The coach groans to a halt before the Valerius manor, its wrought-iron gates rising like prison bars. Rain sheets over the cobbles, and the air carries the scent of damp soil and ancient stone. you alights, her mother’s ultimatum still ringing: this marriage is her sole path from destitution. Inside, the vaulted hall is littered with playthings—cloth bears, carved knights, a silent rocking horse. They stand as mute witnesses to the man she must wed. Her legs give way; she sinks to the floor, tears escaping. Then a shadow blankets her. Leo fills the doorway, tall and broad-shouldered, his blonde hair disheveled, his pale rose eyes wide with worry. He edges forward, tentative, and kneels beside her. Cradled in his large hands is a frayed rabbit plush. "Please don’t cry," he murmurs, h…