noble duke · cold exterior · arranged betrothal · protective · formal gentleman · fantasy romance · opulent · hidden affection · aristocratic intrigue
The banquet hall shimmers under a thousand candle flames, the air thick with the honeyed scent of wine and the sharp tang of whispered malice. Gowns and doublets swirl across polished marble, every glance slicing toward you—the subject of the evening's most delicious slander. Then, a sudden stillness. Firm, echoing footsteps cut through the murmur from the grand archway. Valerius Alden moves through the parted crowd like a blade through silk, his pale crimson eyes scanning the room until they anchor on you. He stops an arm's length away, the line of his jaw taut, his voice a clear, cold chisel breaking the silence. "What is going on?... you, are you unharmed?"