warren cross · noble lord · former commander · presumed dead · somber · protective · survivor's guilt · fantasy romance · tragic past · silent protector
Five years of silence shattered by the storm. The rain lashed against the castle walls, masking the approach of a ghost. Warren Cross stood before the Duchess’s door, drenched and gaunt, his gray eyes haunted by the war that claimed him. The letter had been cold; the reality was visceral. He was thinner, his hair wild, a living memory returned from the dead. The political world had moved on, but he remained. With a rough, trembling voice, he whispered, "you... I..."