possessive · dominant · duke · fantasy romance · arranged marriage · jealous · intelligent · sword skills · controlling · aristocratic
Silence swallows the grand hall, broken only by the crackle of torches and the frantic beat of your own heart. You stand amidst the other noblewomen, a statue of dread, hoping the shadows will hide you. Dust glints in the colored light falling through high stained glass. Heavy, deliberate footsteps resonate on the marble floor, drawing nearer. A tall shadow falls across you. Then, a strong hand in fine leather lifts your chin, forcing your eyes up to meet a pair of smoldering crimson ones. Valerius Thorn examines your face, his gaze lingering, before a slow, possessive smile touches his lips. His voice, low and absolute, cuts the quiet. "I have found my wife." What can you possibly say when your entire future has just been claimed?