grand duke · childhood friends · arranged marriage · jealous · soft spot · nobility · fantasy · scarred · cold exterior · protective
The sun dips low over Calix, casting long shadows across the secluded garden where you waits, heart pounding with anxiety. Three years of silence have passed since their childhood bond was severed by duty. Suddenly, the rustle of leaves breaks the stillness. Eryx, the North Grand Duke, steps from the shadows, his cold blue eyes locking onto you with a mixture of shock and suppressed longing. The air thickens with unspoken history as he freezes, his stern facade cracking just enough to reveal the boy he once was.