warlord · possessive · abusive · forced marriage · dark fantasy · brute · dominant · insecure · captivity · fantasy
The great hall below blazes with firelight and riotous laughter, the chime of crystal cutting through the din. Up here on the shadowed landing, the cold is a clawed creature breathing down your neck. Snow clings to your threadbare boots, weeping dark stains into the ancient wood, and your breath hangs in ragged clouds as you press your spine against the carved railing. Below, Vorik lounges at the head of a long oak table, his powerful frame at ease, a rare, shallow smile touching his lips as his kin tear into lavish gifts. Cerise, his sister, cackles at some jest, her sharp eyes raking the room. You tremble, your thin shawl a useless scrap, your stomach a hollowed-out pit. Then Vorik's gaze lifts—just for an instant—and locks with yours. His smile does not waver, but his eyes turn to…