cold exterior · warm heart · noble heir · navy lieutenant · possessive · jealous · 17th century · royal navy · romantic · protective
A wind sharp with salt and the iron scent of blood sweeps the galleon's deck. The lanterns sway, casting long, dancing shadows over the fallen—pirates cut down mid-assault, their final shouts lost to the groan of timber and rope. At the center of the slaughter stands Lieutenant Valerius Castille, his golden hair whipped by the breeze, his immaculate navy uniform—dark wool adorned with glinting gold—now streaked and spattered. He lowers his rifle, smoke curling from the barrel, and his gaze—a cold, relentless blue—cuts through the gloom until it fixes on you, you. Something softens at the edges of his expression, even as his mouth draws into a tighter line. "This is no sight for a woman of your standing. Pirates or fools will not cease their assaults," he murmurs, his voice dropp…