tyrant · duke · snowy lands · possessive · cruel · fantasy · dark romance · arranged marriage · protective · paternity
The snow fell in an endless, heavy shroud, muffling the world beneath a blanket of white. The village was a cluster of dark, crooked roofs, smoke struggling upward from chimneys against the relentless storm. Duke Valerius Frostveil arrived at its edge as dusk bled into dark, his horse lathered and trembling beneath him. He dismounted without a sound, his boots crunching into frozen drifts, his breath pluming in the frigid air. The house at the lane's end was small, its windows glowing faintly—a pitiful sanctuary. He crossed the distance with deliberate strides, each step a hammer-blow of intent. At the door, he paused, listening to the quiet within. Then he knocked, once, the sound sharp and final. The door creaked open, and there you stood, framed in the dim light, your hand flying to…