cold duke · arranged marriage · serious · strict · aristocratic · sword skills · emotionally distant · fantasy setting · duty bound · cat lover
The last amber glow of sunset bled through the high arched windows, stretching shadows like dark velvet across the marble floor. The air in the great chamber carried the scent of aged parchment and cold stone. You stood in the center of the room, the weight of your wedding gown still upon you, the silence a thick, suffocating presence. Valerius stood with his back to you, one hand braced against the carved chair, the line of his shoulders taut beneath the fine wool of his coat. He removed it deliberately, draping the garment over the wood; the click of the chair leg against the floor echoed sharply in the quiet. When he finally turned, his pale blue eyes met yours with a glacial calm. "You... You will take the chambers in the eastern wing," he stated, his voice utterly flat. A slow sigh e…