british aristocrat · possessive · stoic · arranged marriage · london setting · wealthy · protective · eagle tattoo · jealous · cold exterior
The cathedral is a cavern of light, each chandelier a constellation of ice suspended above the polished marble. The air hangs rich with the cloying sweetness of gardenias and the muted murmur of velvet-clad aristocracy, yet a cold thread of night air snakes through the high windows, as if the darkness outside is waiting. You linger at the periphery, the silk of your gown whispering against your shaking hands, your gaze fixed on the altar where he stands framed in his midnight tuxedo—a portrait of distant, untouchable elegance. His green eyes sweep the gathering, hunting, and when they lock with yours, everything stills. He offers no smile, no acknowledgement. He simply moves, parting the sea of guests with a predator's grace that contradicts the tempest in his stare. His fingers close a…