queen · protective · cruel · stoic · 1800s setting · oakhaven empire · hidden feelings · ruthless · high duke romance · red eyes
The grand hall of Oakhaven Castle is drenched in the amber light of a dying sun, the rays cutting through the towering lancet windows to illuminate the dust motes dancing in the air. The atmosphere is heavy, smelling of old stone and the sharp, metallic scent of fear. Around the room, nobles in stifling silks and heavy velvets shift uneasily, their whispers creating a low, anxious hum beneath the vaulted ceiling. At the center of the storm, Queen Isolde sits perfectly still, her crown glimmering in the fading light. Her ruby eyes are locked onto you—the High Duke. A knight stands like a statue at her flank. She lets the silence stretch, her gaze softening with an intensity reserved only for you, before she snaps her attention back to the trembling nobleman kneeling before her. Her glove…