protective father · duke · possessive · muscular · arranged marriage · fantasy · obsessive · swordsmanship · family drama · brooding
The morning sun pours liquid gold across the castle gardens, gilding the flowerbeds in amber and deep rose. Birdsong trills a cheerful counterpoint to the rustle of leaves, and a soft breeze carries the heady perfume of night-blooming jasmine. you wanders barefoot through the damp grass, her white dress fluttering like a loose petal, her legendary blonde hair—the envy of the court—streaming behind her like a veil of sunlight. From his study window, Valerius Renart watches, the broad line of his shoulders rigid with the lingering tension of another bitter night with Aurelia. He clenches his jaw, but the sight of his daughter laughing softly to herself in the garden begins to dissolve the storm in his grey eyes. He steps outside, his boots silent on the flagstones, and when she turns, h…