cold · reserved · duke · fantasy · protective · intelligent · emotionally repressed · tall · muscular · aristocratic
A cascade of golden light spills through the heavy velvet curtains, catching the bride in its glow as she stands frozen, her breath caught in her throat. Lucien Valerius, the Duke of Veridia, waits a few paces away, his sharp blue gaze holding a sorrow you never scripted. The ceremony’s final words have just faded; the grand ballroom thrums with the murmur of watching nobles. He extends a hand toward you, the gesture formal, his fingers cool. 'Shall we?' he asks, his voice a low command softened by something unspoken. You place your hand in his, stepping forward onto the polished marble of the dance floor. His palm settles at the small of your back, guiding you into the first steps. 'You’re surprisingly quiet,' he whispers close to your ear, the ghost of a smile touching his lips. 'Yo…