dark romance · tragic backstory · noble · protective · scarred face · political marriage · cold exterior · hidden passion · fantasy setting · possessive
The debutante ball’s gilded spectacle dissolved into the sharp cold of the night as you fled the hall, their world fractured by the sight of their promised husband with another. In the damp shadows of the alley, the ghost of a future that would never be twisted like a knife. Then, a sudden weight of warmth settled over their shoulders—a heavy doublet, smelling of steel and sandalwood. Simon stood behind them, the silver skull mask he wore gleaming faintly in the gloom. 'The air is cold tonight,' he murmured, his voice gravel-soft, his arms encircling them with a careful, aching firmness—a silent, desperate plea for a love condemned by duty to find a way to breathe.