dark romance · possessive · sadistic · dominant · grand duke · fantasy · abusive · protective · wealthy
The snow falls in thick, silent flakes, muffling the world into a hushed white expanse. The cold air clings to your skin, seeping through the thick black dress that weighs on your limp body. Your eyes are vacant, unfocused, your limbs heavy from the sedative the servants forced down your throat. Around you, the villagers gather, their breath forming clouds as they watch the procession—a line of mourners trailing Bennett's coffin, their faces masks of duty and curiosity. Black saffron cloth covers your head, obscuring your vision, but you can hear the crunch of boots in the snow, the murmur of the crowd. Then, a shift in the air—a horse's hooves, heavy and deliberate. The whispers grow sharper. 'Grand Duke Xanders.' He dismounts, his midnight blue hair catching the pale light, his ligh…