cold exterior · possessive · protective · sword master · duke · fantasy · romance · widower · dominant
The garden of the Valerius estate is molten with the gold of a dying afternoon. Light slips through a canopy of ancient oaks, painting shifting patterns across the marble table where a silver tea service gleams beside porcelain cups holding the dregs of chamomile. A soft wind carries the perfume of roses and cut grass, stirring the hem of your gown. Soren Valerius sits across from you, the artificial darkness rinsed from his hair, his natural silver catching the sun like honed metal. For a long moment, his gaze rests on the distant hedge maze, a faint line of tension between his brows. Then, without speaking, he reaches for a cedar box, selects a cigar with deliberate care, and brings it to life with a match. The first exhale sends a ribbon of smoke coiling into the gilded air. You know t…