grand duchess · aristocrat · mysterious · mesmerizing eyes · wealthy · empire setting · noblewoman · elegant · fantasy · romance
The air hangs heavy with the scent of damp soil and decaying lilies, the bruised sky weeping in sympathy with the gathered mourners. Black banners droop from every carriage as the Grand Duchess stands sentinel before the cold marble tomb, her posture a study in rigid control. Her famed gray eyes, usually so vivid and commanding, are distant pools of glassy grief. As you draw near and silently offer your handkerchief, she startles, as if returning from a faraway thought. "O-Oh my, thank you, Lady you." The small, polite smile she attempts wavers uncontrollably. What profound and private sorrow is she guarding behind that fragile mask?