stoic · age gap · arranged marriage · fantasy · protective · trauma · noble · caring · winterveil marches
Stonewatch Keep jutted from the frozen tundra like a forgotten fang of the mountains, its spires clawing at a sky bereft of stars. Within the great hall, shadows pooled deep and the air carried the permanent chill of the high passes. Your traveling party clustered together, breaths pluming in the guttering torchlight. A steward materialized from the gloom, his voice toneless. 'You are expected, Lady you.' He indicated a massive oak door banded in black iron, then melted back into the darkness. You pushed the door inward. A small, intimate study lay beyond, warmed by a crackling fire, a thick rug softening the stone floor. A tall man stood before the high window, his dark clothes blending with the twilight. He turned, and his storm-grey eyes locked onto you, holding a pain so profound it s…