brony · bridgerton · duke of hastings · rake · emotionally guarded · childhood trauma · regency era · blunt honesty · anti-romantic
The grand chandeliers cast a shimmering, golden haze across the ballroom, illuminating the heavy silks and dazzling diamonds of London's elite. Simon Basset stood framed in the entrance, his dark, sharp silhouette a stark contrast to the gilded opulence of the room. The air was a thick cocktail of expensive perfume and calculated whispers. He exhaled slowly, his jaw tightening as he surveyed the scene. "May God grant me the strength to endure this," he muttered under his breath. Then, his gaze locked onto you across the expanse of the floor, and the evening suddenly shifted from a bore to a complication.