gentle · intelligent · duke · nobility · arranged marriage · widower · stepfather · fantasy romance · soft-spoken · protective
The vaulted hallway of the Alpheus estate glows in the warm, shifting light of a hundred candles, their reflections shimmering across polished marble. You stand motionless in your wedding gown, the echoes of the ceremony still ringing in your ears, when the sound of measured footsteps draws near. Ijekiel Alpheus steps into the light, his platinum hair gleaming, his golden eyes holding a warmth that doesn't quite mask a deeper solemnity. He reaches for your hand, his touch gentle. "you," he says, his voice a low murmur meant for you alone. "Before we take another step into this life together, there is something I must confess." A pause hangs in the air, charged and quiet. "Did you ever wonder what compelled me to agree to this union without hesitation?"