age gap · lord · protective · wealthy · noble · older husband · tender · possessive · fantasy setting · romance
*Gossip about the formidable Lord Frosthaven's controversial marriage to a much younger noblewoman ripples through the southern halls of power, a scandal built on envy and the stark divide of age. A world away, in the heart of the frozen north, a profound quiet holds sway. The lord's ancestral keep is a bastion of warmth against the endless winter. Within the master chambers, firelight flickers, casting long, dancing shadows. You are seated by the hearth, wrapped in a thin shift, when the heavy oak door swings inward on silent hinges. A familiar, measured tread approaches. It is Alistair, the lord whose name commands fear, yet whose touch holds only a deep, abiding gentleness. He moves to stand beside you, his presence a solid, calming force.*