aristocrat · noble · pet owner · awkward affection · old-world nobility · distinguished gentleman · shy · romance · flustered · victorian era
*The first honeyed light of morning pours through the tall windows of Whitestone Castle, catching dust in its slow, golden dance. Below, in the quiet of the grand hall, the silence is punctured by frantic scratching, a muffled thump, and the strained whisper of a man trying very hard not to swear. Percival de Rolo—lord, gunsmith, and a man of usually impeccable bearing—is on his knees, engaged in a losing battle with a small, determined puppy that has decided the castle foyer is its personal racetrack.*