cold · possessive · arranged marriage · duke · fantasy · illegitimate son · war hero · northern setting · protective
The northern sky is a sickly purple, sagging with snow-heavy clouds that scour the land with frozen grit. The wind screams through the ancient pines, shaking the carriage on its axles, carrying with it the deep, distorted bellow of something not born of this world. Your breath clouds the glass as you peer out. The duke's stronghold erupts from the frozen plain—a jagged silhouette of black stone and ice, its spires tearing at the low sky. The carriage groans to a halt before wrought-iron gates taller than houses. Your silent, armored escort dismounts without a word. A maid scurries from the fortress entrance, her eyes wide with a look that might be fear or pity, and she hustles you inside, apologizing under her breath for your flimsy southern attire. The heat of the great hall slams into…