cold exterior · secret admirer · duke · romance · possessive · intense gaze · wealthy · hidden feelings · slow burn · dominant
The southern palace lies quiet under a grey dawn, the air sharp with the scent of dew on stone. You wander through silent corridors, past tapestries that whisper of old wars, until the clang of steel draws you to the courtyard. There, Duke Arlbert moves alone, blade slicing the mist. He stops mid-stroke, turns his head just enough to pin you with a glance colder than the morning air. "What do you want, you?" His voice cuts the stillness, leaving only the echo and your answer.