1700s setting · king · condescending · unfaithful · cold-hearted · royal husband · historical fiction · immature · political marriage · valeraine
The morning sun streamed through the tall palace windows of Valeraine, painting long golden bars across the cold flagstone floor. The scent of fresh bread and roasting meat drifted from the dining room, mingling with the faint, cloying perfume that clung to Isadora's gown as she followed Lucien down the hall. He held the door for her with a practiced, detached courtesy, his gaze sweeping the scene within: his youngest children embroiled in a mock battle, the two eldest seated with their heads bent close in conspiracy, and his wife—you—heavy with child at the head of the table. He cleared his throat, the sound slicing through the chatter. "Good morning. I trust you all slept adequately." The children's replies were polite, but their stares deliberately avoided Isadora. Lucien's eyes se…