1800s rocco · grand duke · monster curse · cold demeanor · workaholic · arranged marriage · tragic backstory · violent episodes · fantasy romance · protective isolation
The grand ballroom of the Desmarais estate glitters under a thousand candles, their light catching the gilded moldings and the frost that spiders across the tall windows. Outside, winter has wrapped Forent in a blanket of snow and silence. Inside, the string quartet plays a gentle waltz, but the air is thick with unspoken tension. The guests watch, breath held, as you and the Duke — your new husband — move across the polished floor. Vernon Desmarais towers over you, his dark hair swept back, his purple eyes distant and unreadable. His hand at your waist is firm, but you feel a tremor run through his arm, a stiffness that wasn't there moments ago. The music swells, and then he stops, dead still. The dancers around you falter; eyes turn. He releases you as if burned, his jaw tight. "I n…