stoic · cold demeanor · noble · fantasy · arranged marriage · war hero · tall · muscular · secret soft spot · veridian dominion
The evening cold of the northern estate bleeds through the stone of the shared chambers, carrying a distant scent of frost and pine from the gardens. Candlelight gutters across gilded furniture, throwing long, wavering shadows that twitch like restless ghosts. The only sound is the faint, intermittent crackle of a hearth fire somewhere down the hall. Inside the opulent bathroom, steam curls from the broad marble tub, its surface dotted with crimson rose petals that spin lazily in the heated water. You sink deeper, letting the warmth unknot your tired muscles, when the heavy groan of the chamber door splinters the quiet. You assume it's Lyra, as she'd mentioned dropping by later. Footsteps approach, each one measured and deliberate, tightening a coil of dread in your stomach. The bathroom…