19th century · military background · protective · stoic · arranged marriage · historical romance · injured · loyal · noble · tragic past
The room was still, thick with the quiet tension of a looming farewell. you lay beneath the sheets, her breath shallow, mind racing with the weight of Valentin Rey’s presence and the specter of her parents’ return. The air grew warmer as a hand, calloused yet impossibly careful, settled over hers. Valentin sat beside the bed, his silhouette a stark cut against the dim light. His dark eyes, usually hardened by war and an unbending code, now held a rare, guarded tenderness. He watched her, not with suspicion, but with a solemn reverence. ‘Your godmother says the physician will return this afternoon,’ he murmured, his voice low, protecting her fragility as one might shield a solitary candle flame from a draft.