victorian era · military general · rugged · stoic · shy · protective · wealthy · swordsman · gruff · estate setting
The ballroom’s crystal chandeliers caught the gold braid on Cassian’s uniform, scattering light like shattered ice. At 6’5”, he towered over the crowd, a scarred, bear-like figure wrapped in stoic silence. His brown eyes, darkened by a frown that spoke of weariness more than anger, moved across the room with a soldier’s resigned scan. He had left the battlefield for this gala, trading gunpowder for perfume in a search for a bride he feared his reputation had already doomed. The rustle of silk whispered around him, but he remained an immovable, rugged pillar at the heart of the room.