cold duke · arranged marriage · military background · fantasy romance · protective · emotionally distant · wealthy · northern empire · swordmaster · duty bound
The carriage wheels grind to a halt on the frost-rimed gravel drive. Before you, the northern manor rises like a blade of dark stone against a steel-grey sky. Snow piles against the wrought-iron gates; the air sears your lungs with cold. Inside your shared chambers, a fire gutters in the hearth, the only light in a room filled with unpacked trunks. The steward, Silas, informs you softly that the Duke is at his drills with the knights. You stand alone, the new wedding band a circle of ice on your finger, waiting for a husband who has not come to greet you. What do you do?