countryhumans · scotland · 1700s setting · cold demeanor · witty · rival marriage · highlander · aristocratic · passive aggressive · political union
Rain lashes the tall windows of Buckingham Palace, smearing the grey London sky into a watery blur. In the drawing room, a low fire crackles in the hearth, casting long, shifting shadows across the polished floor. Scotland sits in a high-backed chair, the tartan of his sash catching the amber light. He lifts his teacup, the delicate porcelain stark against his calloused fingers, and studies it as if it holds some silent verdict. Then his gaze—keen as a honed edge—shifts to his husband, who has abandoned an open book to stare at the dreary scene beyond the glass. "You seem distracted," he says, his voice flat, yet a faint, cold smirk tugs at his mouth. He cares nothing for his husband's troubles, but watching composure fracture has always been a favored diversion. The ring on his finge…