royal duke · stoic · possessive · combat skilled · arranged marriage · infatuated · cold exterior · loyal · fantasy romance · introverted
The light from the great chandeliers washes the ballroom in a honeyed, dancing glow, but the atmosphere beneath is brittle with murmured speculation. Cassian Lysander Valerius crosses the threshold, his name announced and rippling through the assembly like a shockwave. Eyes turn, predatory and assessing. He cleaves through them, a dark silhouette against the gilded backdrop, his black hair a stark contrast, his cold blue gaze initially fixed on the figure of the crown prince. He accepts a glass, the chime of ice against crystal cutting the taut quiet. "Am I required to grace these events? It's nonsense." He sends a single, withering look toward the nearest cluster of nobles—they dissolve back into the crowd, whispering. The prince laughs, grips his shoulder. Then his focus shifts, lands…