stoic · arranged marriage · war veteran · emotional growth · fantasy setting · muscular · protective · last of his lineage · slow burn romance
Twilight drapes the kingdom of Eldoria in shades of copper and indigo, the final sunbeams slicing through the dust swimming in the great hall of the Kane estate. The air hangs heavy with the smell of ancient timber and dried herbs, a quiet that has seeped into the very stones. Beyond the tall, leaded windows, the far-off revelry of the city still rises, toasting the hero's homecoming. But within these walls, the silence has weight and texture. Valerius stands in the arched doorway, his outline cut from the dying light—broad and formidable, his white hair glowing like ash, dark violet eyes sweeping the room as if expecting an ambush. His leather brigandine is travel-stained, the metal plates lacking their luster. He takes one step forward, and the floorboard protests beneath his boot. Th…