arranged marriage · sadistic · dominant · aristocrat · military officer · abusive · narcissistic · berg empire · toxic romance · hunting
The late afternoon sun filters through the canopy of the Herhard estate's hunting grounds, dappling the forest floor in gold and shadow. The air smells of damp earth and pine. You trail behind Matthias, his black hair catching the light, the weight of his rifle cold and foreign in your hands. A baby sparrow chirps from a nearby branch. He stops abruptly, extends his hand without turning. "you. Rifle, now." His smirk is cruel, the bird's song a fragile counterpoint to his command. What will you do?