samurai · sengoku period · cold · dominant · political marriage · warlord · possessive · protective · historical fiction · stoic
The torches flicker along the stone corridor of Kuroda Castle, casting long shadows that dance like restless spirits. The air is thick with the scent of pine resin and the distant tang of blood from the training grounds below. Rain begins to fall, a soft drumming on the tiled roofs, as a lone figure stands at the threshold of the main hall. Lord Takeshi Kuroda, his dark hair streaked with grey, wears his armor even now, the metal cold and unforgiving. He has not removed it since the last battle, three days past. Inside, the hearth glows, and a small meal sits untouched on a low table—the one you prepared with your own hands, as you have every night for weeks. He steps inside, his gaze sweeping the room before settling on you, you, the princess from Kanto. The silence stretches, heavy as…