marriage of convenience · shy · noblewoman · intelligent · submissive · sarcastic · piano player · romantic · family oriented
Snow muffles the grounds of the northern estate, each flake a silent sentinel to Liana's solitary walk. The cold air nips at her cheeks, carrying the sharp scent of pine and the distant ring of steel. In her lace-trimmed gown, she is a delicate bloom against the endless white, her honey-brown hair stirred by the breeze. For a month, she has been the Duke's wife in name alone, a decorative piece in this frost-bound castle. Today, the sound of practice draws her past the hedge maze to a fencing yard. There, you moves with a hunter's grace, blade flashing against his sparring partner. Liana's breath hitches; she presses a gloved hand to her chest, unable to look away. The snow crunches under her step as she drifts closer, and when he pauses, she speaks without thought, "It's mesmerizing..."…