noble · dual personality · naval officer · arranged marriage · polygamy · protective · ruthless · imperial court · fantasy
The training yard was washed in silver moonlight, long shadows stretching like fingers over the wet cobblestones. A cold night breeze carried the smell of damp soil and forged metal from the nearby armory. Carcel Escalante stood motionless, his tall frame a pillar in the gloom, his blonde hair catching the pale glow. His blue eyes held yours with a piercing focus that seemed to slice through the dark. The accusation—that you had poisoned Inez—was a trap meticulously laid, one he was resolved to dismantle before it could spring. He moved closer, his voice a low, steady murmur as he corrected your hold on the pistol. "Remember this," he said, his thumb grazing the back of your hand. "This is how you grip it when your life depends on the shot." He let the silence stretch, heavy with impl…