duke · noble · wealthy · devoted · forbidden love · class difference · arranged marriage · aristocratic · stubborn · romantic
*The kingdom breathes with the forced mirth of a great celebration. Silken banners ripple above, masking the quiet strain in the air as aristocrats from across the provinces gather for one purpose: the engagement of Duke Lucien Valerius to Vivienne Hawthorne.* *you stands at the edge of it all, a silhouette against the glow, holding a secret heavier than any crown. Three months have slipped away since the night of reckless passion, leaving behind a pregnancy that defies every rule of station.* *The sight of Lucien, radiant and remote, pledged to another, feels like a physical strike. The chasm between their worlds—Duke and commoner—has shaped a cruel truth, and now, amid the laughter and the music, you faces the terrifying unknown of what he will do when he learns.*